Bruce Timm, the visionary behind iconic DC animations like “Batman: The Animated Series”, wanted to make the “Superman: Doomsday” movie a brutal affair to mirror the shocking violence of the original comic storyline.
Timm is one of the biggest reasons behind the huge success of the DC Animated Universe. He worked on a number of animated DC films and is one of the greatest contributors to the comic book movie genre. One of his most well-known works is “Superman: Doomsday”, which he had planned a lot more brutal than the final product was.
Bruce Timm Planned To Have “A Lot More Blood” In Superman: Doomsday Before The Studio Stepped In
The Son of Krypton faced his biggest foe Doomsday in Superman: Doomsday (2007). If there is someone who can almost manhandle the superhero, then it is Doomsday. Thus, the producer Bruce Timm had envisioned bone-crunching brutality for the movie before the studio decided to go against the idea.
On TFW2005, a user shared Timm’s remarks on the forum regarding the movie. He commented that the studio told them that Superman’s skin was invulnerable and that it could not be broken. While the same had happened in the comics, it need not be repeated in the movie as per the studio.
“Well….it won’t be as bloody as the original comic. For one thing, we found out that now Superman’s skin is totally invulnerable, at least according to DC Comics. We were going to have a lot more blood in there, they came back and said ‘You know, Superman’s skin is invulnerable. It can’t break.’ When we said it broke in the comics, they said ‘Well, that was ten years ago.’ What can you say but ‘OK. Whatever.”
Timm did not want to debate with the studio and ultimately, Man of Steel’s cinematic throwdown was far less graphic than Timm had planned.
Despite Being Toned Down, Superman: Doomsday Was Rated PG-13, The First For A Superman Movie
Superman: Doomsday shattered expectations for a Superman animated movie. The film earned a PG-13 rating, a first for a Superman project in the animated realm. It dared to depict intense fight sequences. It sounds all the more surprising that it was meant to be way more graphic and violent as per Timm’s original plans.
There was even a gasp-worthy moment where Superman himself coughed up blood, a shocking moment for the hero. Many credit the movie with introducing a more adult tone to DC’s animated movies.
The movie was a critical as well as a commercial success. With over 680,000 units of DVD sold, it ranks number one in the list of DC direct-to-video films. While the movie could have been way more violent, fans were content with what they got. Further, the fact that it was rated PG-13 proves that the studio was somehow convinced of Timm’s original idea for the movie. Fans can stream the timeless classic on HBO Max.
