The existence of an all-powerful Superman poses a very interesting question regarding power, ethics, and human nature, but the DCEU has been too scared of it to tackle it head-on. DC's Superman has been the face of superheroes since his first appearance in Action Comics #1, 1938, due to his unlimited power and iconic representation of justice and truth. Throughout the decades, his apparent perfection has presented a lot of trouble to creators and fans alike, given that few characters can keep up with him in order to create a conflict that's both logical and dramatic.
Lex Luthor, Superman's archnemesis, has constantly found ways to torment the Man of Steel despite not having superpowers himself. On the other side of the spectrum, the villain Darkseid has given Superman several beatings due to his own tremendous level of power. In the movies, only Lex Luthor has continued to face off against Superman, but the hero still struggles to star in a cinematic adaptation where his omnipotence is truly called into question.
popular criticism of Superman's perfection would result in a superhero movie like no other.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice attempted to address this concept from the perspective of Batman, a vigilante who's solely powered by his thirst for justice, but dropped it in order to introduce Doomsday, Wonder Woman, and the entire Justice League. This rush to build a cinematic universe worsened in the theatrical cut of Wonder Woman simply fights the villain.
On the other hand, the Knightmare sequence in Batman v Superman teased how easy it would be for Superman to turn evil in the right conditions. This is also an oversimplification of his character development, one that has been done to death in comic books, video games, and animation. It's just too easy to imagine a savior figure flipping the switch and turning evil, losing his powers, or simply giving up on saving the world. Shazam's character development pointed in that direction. Superman movies, however, haven't addressed his central themes of power and selflessness directly, despite them being so integral to the character.
The same issues that make Superman a very difficult character to write are what make him a complex icon. The Man of Steel just doesn't fit a simple label like "brooding vigilante," "cynical antihero" or "evil deity." This leads most people to misunderstand him inside and outside his stories, but could also lead to the creation of high-quality, heartfelt movies. The DCEU has clearly struggled to decide what to do with its most valuable figure, but all the elements are there to be brought into play.
