Superman
Clark Kent Struggles between Idealism & Identity Crisis
ESTIMATED domestic box office revenue
$224 – 299MM
Mythosis universal quests used
4
Audience appeal
5.79 – 7.08%
Hidden potential
$806 – 890MM
Superman 2025, the latest installment in DC’s iconic saga, dares to reframe the Man of Steel through a more introspective lens but not without collateral damage. Director James Gunn attempts to juggle too many characters leaving little breathing room for emotional resonance. Superman’s personal arc is marred by inconsistency, with his motivations shifting erratically as new side plots are introduced.
Visually, the film delivers. Flight sequences dazzle, Metropolis is rendered with dystopian grandeur, and the climactic battle atop a space-bound ark is pure spectacle. While the premise of global surveillance for personal greed holds promise, beneath the polished surface lies a fractured storyline.
At its best, Superman 2025 hints at brilliance. But its ambition is undercut by narrative sprawl and a central character unsure of his own convictions.
1. The invisible plot structure of Superman
1A. The script of Superman borrows 86% of its events from 4 mythological tales
The desire for fairness & justice drives Clark’s quest of Idealism. The quest mirrors the tale of Krishn from Hindu mythology. Both Krishn & Clark escape from captivity but also return to punish the tormentor.
Clark veers off his path of Idealism, choosing instead to rescue his loyal companion Krypto, imprisoned by Luthor.
The desire to punish offenders drives Luthor’s quest of Vengeance. The quest borrows events from the tale of Duryodhan in Hindu mythology. Duryodhan unscrupulously acquires the kingdom by exiling the Pandavas. Similarly, Luthor discredits and imprisons Superman to freely acquire Jarhanpur.
Mr. Terrific’s loyalty to one’s clan/order borrows events from the tale of Hanuman in Hindu mythology. Hanuman & Mr. Terrific demonstrate unquestioned loyalty even showing a willingness to sacrifice themselves to protect their friends.
The desire for companionship drives Lois’ quest for Social contact. The quest borrows events from the tale of Psyche in Greek mythology. Both Psyche and Lois, separated from their loved ones, embark on getting them back.
None of the other characters, and there are many, have a developed quest.
Mythosis plot structure
#327,260
Tales interweaved
Krishn, Duryodhan, Psyche & Hanuman
I. How does interweaving mythological tales lead to infinite story plots?
II. Can the pursuit of a Desire have more than one quest?
2. Potential of Superman's plot structure: $224 – 299MM
The interweaving of 32 mythological tales can generate a billion unique stories. By using these 32 tales, we can extract the plot structure of any story across various genres. Our study of blockbuster, hit, and flop plot structures led to the discovery of the Mythosis Code. The Code is a set of principles for creating compelling stories. These storytelling principles reveal the strength of a story’s plot structure.
2A. Plot structure evaluation of Superman
- All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. Superman uses 4 universal quests of Idealism, Vengeance, Social Contact & Honour.
- In Blockbusters, every character mirrors ONLY ONE universal quest. Clark Kent mirrors the quest of Idealism & Order. Mr. Terrific mirrors Honour whereas Lois mirrors Social contact. Luthor mirrors the universal quest of Vengeance.
- Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Luthor borrows 32% events from the quest of Vengeance. Clark Kent borrows 27% events from Idealism. Both Mr. Terrific & Lois borrow 16% events from their respective quests.
- Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Superman’s quest interweaving score of 0.50 is at par.
For instance, an example of interweaving the quests of Lois & Mr. Terrific:
2B. Box office revenue estimation of Superman
The variety of quests in the plot structure makes the script unique as well as appeal to a broader audience.
Despite multiple quests, the low borrowing percentages suggest underdeveloped character motivations. Instead of reinforcing quest themes, characters feel underutilized.
Moreover, Clark’s shifting central quest affects the emotional resonance and cohesion of the overall narrative.
The Script Score measures the potency of a plot structure. Higher its adherence to the principles of Mythosis Code, greater is the potency. The Script Score helps estimate a movie’s audience appeal & revenues. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.
Script Score
0.20
Audience appeal
5.79% – 7.08%
I. How is Mythosis Code used to estimate revenues?
II. Aren’t box-office revenues influenced by several factors beyond just the story plot?
3. The ideal plot structure of Superman
We have identified 32 mythological tales. These are the superset of all tales across cultures. The quests of these tales have recurred over time periods. They represent human behaviours embedded in our shared memories. Each tale is the richest expression of the pursuit of a human desire. The tales have a unique pattern of events spread over 5 major arcs.
32 mythological tales strengthen the story and unlock its hidden potential. First, we map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale. This exercise reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. Second, identify missing events to plug the gaps. Plugging gaps deepens the character quest. Third, use missing events to strengthen the interweaving between various quests.
3A. Gaps in the current plot structure
While the premise of global surveillance for personal greed holds promise, it’s diluted by overcrowding. If only each of the quests had a clearer and deeper trajectory. Moreover, the shift from plain heroism to moral Idealism could have elevated the franchise. The gaps that emerge in the plot structure are as follows:
- The underdeveloped quests of Clark Kent, Lois, Mr. Terrific and Luthor.
- Clark Kent’s character inconsistency
3B. Unlocking the hidden potential
The untapped brilliance of Superman surfaces vividly when viewed through the lens of Mythosis Plot Structure #327,260. The plot structure intricately blends legendary archetypes into a single cohesive tapestry.
In this reimagining, Luthor channels the ambition of Duryodhan rooted in ego and moral blindness. Clark Kent assumes the mantle of Krishn to ensure fairness and justice. Mr. Terrific channels the honour and loyalty of Hanuman. Similar to Psyche, Lois Lane’s character evolves not through romance alone but through a journey of trust.
By integrating mythic elements more deeply into the narrative fabric, the story gains a richer emotional and symbolic resonance. Incorporating missing events from timeless legends resolves character inconsistencies, deepens motivations, and threads individual quests into a cohesive story.
This enriched mythological foundation transforms the script into an evocative exploration of unwavering ideals, social bonds, revenge and the pursuit of honour. It has the potential to captivate broader audiences and generate lifetime domestic box office earnings in the range of $806 to $890million.
Explore Mythosis Plot structure # 327,260 to enhance current revenues by 3.4X!
Tags: Hanuman, Honour, Krishn, Idealism, Psyche, Social Contact, Duryodhan, Vengeance, James Gunn, DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2025