From that moment, there are no theories about who Ikaris actually is. And it is that for many, Marvel has crossed a new frontier by accepting a DC character into their own cinematic universe, which is known as the MCU.
Others go much further and their theories argue that Marvel simply has accepted the existence of dc comics in his cinematic universe. An even more sympathetic twist that further fuels this debate while providing a strong counterweight to counter accusations of plagiarism.
Similarities between Ikaris and Superman
Both characters fulfill the role of “The Messiah”
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster surely weren’t very subtle in building the character of Superman. These two artists from Jewish origin They were inspired by their own religion to create this superhero. Perhaps the most obvious clue is the hero’s own first name, Kal-el, which means “the voice of God” in Hebrew.
This fact has become more and more evident and constant over time, bringing the character of Superman closer and closer to the Christianity. On The Man of Steel (Zack Snyder, 2013), the analogy is repeated in each scene of the film. Snyder’s Clark Kent, for example, begins his wanderings working on a fishing boat, where he appears to have an uncanny knack for spotting schools of fish. It is also constantly repeated throughout the film the age of the character, making it clear to the viewer that the hero will not die in this movie.
The origin of Ikaris is found on the other hand based on the Greek mythology. His great parallelism between the myth of Icarus and the legend of Noah’s Ark is also quite evident.
Neither Superman nor Ikaris are simple superheroes. Its roots are built with the same fibers as our own culture. They exist in fiction, but its origins are present in our society, culture and religious beliefs. This is something that the director of the film has defended on numerous occasions to give consistency to the characters in her work.
Extraterrestrial origin
The man of steel was but a child when he went out on a ship of Krypton, his home planet. His parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van managed to save his life by launching him into space just before the planet collapsed.
Secondly, Ikaris was born on our planet. Specifically in Polaria (Siberia). However, it was spawned by “The Celestials”, extremely powerful and humanoid-looking beings. In addition to not belonging to our world, these characters have kept a great halo of mystery around their origin for years.
Powers
Both Superman and Ikaris can fly, possess superhuman strength and speed, and are capable of shooting lightning bolts through the eyes.
To this we must add that both are invulnerable. They cannot be pierced by a bullet, nor can they be burned. They’re also immune to exhaustion, making them a really tough pair of heroes to defeat.
Differences between Ikaris and Superman
Aesthetic differences
If we stick to the part purely esthetic, we must defend that the original Ikaris from the comics it is not so similar to the Superman who has reached our days.
Starting with the casting, the Scotsman’s choice Richard Madden it doesn’t seem wrong. At the end of the day, an actor with similar traits to the original character. This does not mean that issues such as the exact tone of the hair or its length have not been respected, since tracing these attributes to the letter would be really exaggerated on the big screen.
Costume what do we see in the film by Chloé Zhao has been completely redesigned compared to the original concept. The clothing of the Ikaris from the comic was much more similar to that of Superman of his time if we compare both the design and the colors.
However, the Superman that we have recently seen on the big screen does not correspond to the one reflected in the original comics. Snyder took a dark approach to the character and that has been recorded in our retina. Superman’s muted blues and reds seem to have come to stay. That is probably the bottom of the question of the resemblance between the two characters.
Not all powers are identical
Although we cannot say for sure until we have seen the movie, the truth is that the Ikaris of the comics has some powers that the man of steel does not enjoy.
The differences between these two supermen are in the way they obtain their abilities. Superman receives his powers thanks to the Sun. However, Ikaris receives his power from cosmic energy. It does not fly, but levitates controlling gravity. Similarly, the character controls the telekinesis and can even transmute matter, although he is a complete beginner at the latter.
And his real name is …
Finally, and in the absence of seeing the movie to be able to make more exhaustive comparisons, there is one more difference between these two heroes. While the Man of Steel was christened Kal-el by his parents on his home planet, as Clark Kent by his adoptive family, and as Superman by American society, the Ikaris given name has been a mystery to date.
