In both stories, Superman and Jesus are sent to planet Earth by their fathers, where they’re superior among normal men, possessing great power and strength but yet all the while outwardly appearing like the average human being. As quoted from Man of Steel, Superman would “be a god to them” which is similar to the description of Jesus in the New Testament as being God in the flesh. They both possess the power to harm or destroy those who oppose them, but they have an enormous amount of self-control to where they wouldn't commit an act of senseless evil. It becomes clear at the beginning of both stories that Superman and Jesus are excellent role models who showcase love, bravery and self-control.
But with every story of an out placed character comes hardship, which is handled very similarly for Superman and Jesus. At times people mocked, laughed or oppressed them, they never sought revenge. Betrayal to them by the human race was experienced by both characters, even for money. General Zod holds very similar characteristics to Satan as found in the Bible, being power hungry and corrupt. And yet after all their trials, when both were eventually arrested they didn’t escape even though they knew they had the power to.
But perhaps the most noticeable point from both stories was the ultimate sacrifice made for the human race so that life would go on with hope for the future. For Superman, it was dying to save Earth from the destruction of General Zod. For Jesus, it meant dying on the cross for the sins of humanity. It is this sacrifice that makes both these characters such admirable people. And to add another similarity, both Superman and Jesus are roughly the same age when both make their decision to save mankind (around 33 years old.)
After all of this it’s almost surprising that the writers for Man of Steel did not intentionally set out to copy the Biblical story of Jesus. While previous Superman films with Christopher Reeve did not appear to have the same amount of similarities with the story of Jesus, it should be noted that ever since the very beginning of the Superman franchise, Superman was similar to Jesus. Even back to the original comic strips they had some similar characteristics. But perhaps what made Man of Steel stand out from all the other films was the final sacrifice itself. Man of Steel is definitely a must-see for any fan of comic book superhero films as well as those who really enjoy the story of Jesus.
