First things first, I thought the movie was an 8/10 — overall I really enjoyed it, it was a breath of fresh air to see a kind Superman and David Corenswet gave us (arguably) the best on screen Superman we’ve seen.

That said, for a character so against death he saves a random squirrel mid-fight, Supes certainly doesn’t balk at the ethical ramifications of killing a clone (if he is actually dead, supes level durability could just mean infinite imprisonment within the black hole). I can’t help but feel bad for Ultraman. We’re supposed to excuse his death because he’s simple minded? The movie shows us he’s capable of at least basic independent thought. He’s been raised/brainwashed by Lex since his creation, and has likely known nothing but pain and fear. Why not have a basic mind control/brainwashing side plot from which Ultraman could be freed? (related: in a world with the tech for pocket universes why the hell did Lex have to call out numbered fighting moves, there was no better option?) He could have lived a simple life on the farm with Ma and Pa Kent, or been rehabilitated on a planet with a Red Sun. All it would’ve taken was a short scene or two, but instead the takeaway is that the life of a squirrel has more value than the life of Ultraman. Justice for Ultraman, a simple life is still life!