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Superman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son is a 2020 American direct-to-video animated superhero film focusing on the DC Comics character Superman, and the 37th installment in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series. The film is based on the 2003 comic book miniseries of the same name written by Mark Millar and pencilled by Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong and Killian Plunkett. It was released digitally on February 25, 2020 and was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on March 17, 2020.
In the Soviet Union during the year 1946, a young boy is chased by a gang of bullies. A young girl, Svetlana, defends him by chasing them away. He reveals to her that he was not scared for his own safety but that of the bullies before demonstrating superhuman strength and the ability to fly. Svetlana tells the boy he can use his powers to help the country should he so choose.
A decade later, in the year 1955, the Soviet Union releases propaganda film of an alien superhuman under the command of Joseph Stalin, whom the American media dubs the "Soviet Superman". United States President Eisenhower tasks Lex Luthor to develop a countermeasure against the superhuman. Meanwhile, Superman prevents a satellite from crashing into Metropolis, which leads to Lex's wife Lois Luthor securing an interview with him. She shows him a top secret document that leads Superman to a secret gulag where he finds a dying Svetlana, who was imprisoned there because she knew his real identity. Enraged, Superman confronts Stalin about the gulag and incinerates him with his heat vision. As a result, Superman becomes the new leader of the Soviet Union, pledging to use his powers for good and to spread the influence of the Soviet state.
In 2013, James Tucker expressed interest in making an animated movie adaptation of Red Son for DC Universe Animated Original Movies, such the project is in consideration by Warner Bros. On January 8, 2019, it was announced that a direct-to-video film adaption of the comic is in development, part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. It will be a stand-alone movie separate from the DC Animated Movie Universe. Jason Isaacs will star as Superman opposite, Amy Acker as Lois Lane, Diedrich Bader as Lex Luthor, and Paul Williams as Brainiac, with Roger Craig Smith as Batman and Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman. Also appearing are William Salyers as Joseph Stalin, Jim Meskimen as John F. Kennedy, Phil Morris as James Olsen, Sasha Roiz as Hal Jordan, Phil LaMarr as John Stewart, Travis Willingham as Superior Man, and Winter Zoli as Svetlana. Anna Vocino, Greg Chun, Jim Ward, Jason Spisak, and Tara Strong were also cast in minor roles for the film.
The film currently has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews.
