The Famous Superman Symbol Was A 'Huge Design Problem' For Man Of Steel

During a behind-the-scenes featurette of "Man of Steel," the filmmakers explained that the "S" in Superman's suit presented a design conundrum. Alex McDowell, the film's production designer, explained, "The fact that the 'S' in a shield exists on the chest of a superhero from another planet is a huge design issue." Despite the inherent problem, McDowell and co. took the opportunity to make it part of Kal-El's ancestry - a representation of the House of El.

Costume designer Michael Wilkinson explained the symbol's connection to Krypton:

"You see it on Jor-El, and you see it on Lara too. When you look at the council suits, they all have their glyphs, their shield. We looked a lot at medieval heraldry and symbols of dynasties and guilds and such, so we created our own version of that."

"Man of Steel" could have simply explained that Superman's costume was an original creation of himself or his parents, but as Zack Snyder said, "you have to go find the 'why'." The fantasy elements of the film are well done, especially in the opening sequence on the Kryptonian planet. Jor-El (Russell Crowe) always knew his son was destined for greater things, and the symbol of hope on his family crest fulfilled that belief.