48 'Man of Steel' Quotes from DC Extended Universe Characters

The DC Extended Universe's "Man of Steel" introduced audiences to a new take on the iconic superhero, with Henry Cavill taking on the role of Superman. The film was packed with memorable quotes from various characters, including Superman himself, General Zod, Lois Lane, and more. Here are 48 quotes that capture the essence of "Man of Steel" and its characters.

Henry Cavill played the role of Superman in three movies — "Man of Steel" (2013), "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016), "Justice League" (2017), "Zack Snyder’s Justice League" (2021), and "Black Adam" (2022). Many fans and critics praised his portrayal of the iconic superhero for his physical resemblance to the character and his ability to capture both Superman's strength and vulnerability.

Henry Cavill's performance has been noted for bringing a more human and relatable aspect to the character while maintaining the traditional heroism that Superman is known for. Despite some mixed reviews of the movies, Henry Cavill's portrayal of Superman has generally been regarded as a highlight of the films. Read these 48 "Man of Steel" quotes to learn more about the characters.

Kal-El's quote: "I can do things that other people can't." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

'Man of Steel' Quotes from Superman a.k.a. Clark Kent and Kal-El

"Father Leone: Do you know... why they want you? / Clark Kent: No, but this General Zod... even if I surrender, there's no guarantee he'll keep his word. But if there's a chance I can save Earth by turning myself in, shouldn't I take it?" — "Man of Steel"

"Jonathan Kent: Did they hurt you? / Clark Kent at 13: You know they can't." — "Man of Steel"

"Father Leone: What does your gut tell you? / Clark Kent: Zod can't be trusted. The problem is, I'm not sure the people of Earth can be either. / Father Leone: Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later." — "Man of Steel"

"Jor-El: To see you standing there having grown into an adult... if only Lara could have witnessed this. / Clark Kent: Who are you? / Jor-El: I am your father, Kal, or at least a shadow of him. His consciousness. My name is Jor-El. / Clark Kent: Kal? That's my name? / Jor-El: Kal-El, it is." — "Man of Steel"

Quote from "Man of Steel": "Jonathan Kent: Did they hurt you? / Clark Kent at 13: You know they can't." — "Man of Steel" | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"I can do things that other people can't." — Kal-El

"The world's too big, Mom." — Kal-El

"General Swanwick: All right. You've got our attention. What is it you want? / Superman: I would like to speak to Lois Lane. / General Swanwick: What makes you think she's here? / Superman: Don't play games with me, general. I'll surrender, but only if you guarantee Lois' freedom." — "Man of Steel"

"Why am I so different from them?" — Superman

Kal-El's quote: "The world's too big, Mom." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"It's not an S. On my world it means hope." — Superman

"Superman: I know you're trying to find out where I hang my cape. You won't. / General Swanwick: Then I'll ask the obvious question. How do we know you won't one day act against America's interests? / Superman: I grew up in Kansas, General. I'm about as American as it gets." — "Man of Steel"

"Superman: Look. I'm here to help... but it has to be on my own terms. And you have to convince Washington of that. / General Swanwick: Even if I were willing to try, what makes you think they'd listen? / Superman: I don't know, General. Guess I'll just have to trust you." — "Man of Steel"

'Man of Steel' Quotes from General Zod

"My name is General Zod. For some time, your world has sheltered one of my citizens. I request that you return this individual to my custody. To Kal-El, I say this: surrender within 24 hours, or watch this world suffer the consequences..." — General Zod

"Look at this. We could have rebuilt Krypton on this planet, but you chose the humans over us. I exist only to protect Krypton. That is the sole purpose for which I was born. And every action I take, no matter how violent or how cruel, is for the greater good of my people. And now... I have no people. My soul, that is what you have taken from me!" — General Zod

Superman's quote: "It's not an S. On my world it means hope." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"I was bred to be a warrior, Kal. Trained my entire life to master my senses. Where did you train? On a farm?" — General Zod

"If you love these people so much, you can mourn for them!" — General Zod

"And every action I take, no matter how violent or how cruel, is for the greater good of my people. And now, I have no people. My soul, that is what you have taken from me!" — General Zod

"There's only one way this ends, Kal. Either you die, or I do." — General Zod

General Zod's quote: "I was bred to be a warrior, Kal. Trained my entire life to master my senses. Where did you train? On a farm?" | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"I've proved that you are useless to defeat me. You will fall, Son of Jor-El, and they will lose hope." — General Zod

'Man of Steel' Quotes from Jor-El, Lois Lane, Jonathan Kent, and Other Characters

"You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun, Kal. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders." — Jor-El

"Born on Krypton and raised on Earth, you had the best of both and were meant to be the bridge between two worlds." — Jor-El

"Lara Lor-Van: He will be an outcast. They'll kill him. / Jor-El: How? He'll be a god to them." — "Man of Steel"

"Earth's sun is younger and brighter than Krypton's was. Your cells have drunk in its radiation, strengthening your muscles, your skin, your senses. Earth's gravity is weaker, yet its atmosphere is more nourishing. You've grown stronger here than I ever could have imagined. The only way to know how strong, is to keep testing your limits." — Jor-El

General Zod's quote: "I've proved that you are useless to defeat me. You will fall, Son of Jor-El, and they will lose hope." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"We've had a child, Zod. A boy child. Krypton's first natural birth in centuries, and he will be free, free to forge his own destiny." — Jor-El

"Every person can be a force for good, free to forge his own destiny." — Jor-El

"My son is twice the man you are. He will finish what we started, I can promise you that." — Jor-El

"The people of Earth are different from us. They won't necessarily make the same mistakes we did, but if you guide them, Kal, if you give them hope, that's what this symbol means." — Jor-El

Jor-El's quote: "We've had a child, Zod. A boy child. Krypton's first natural birth in centuries, and he will be free, free to forge his own destiny." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"Goodbye, my son. Our hopes and dreams travel with you." — Jor-El

"Lor-Em: Our energy reserves were exhausted. What would you have us do, El? / Jor-El: Look to the stars, like our ancestors did! There are habitable worlds within reach. We can begin by using the old outposts. / Ro-Zar: Are you seriously suggesting that we evacuate the entire planet?" — "Man of Steel"

"How do you find someone who has spent a lifetime covering his tracks?" — Lois Lane

"They say it's all downhill after the first kiss." — Lois Lane

Jor-El's quote: "Goodbye, my son. Our hopes and dreams travel with you." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"For some, he was a guardian angel. To others, a ghost who never quite fit in." — Lois Lane

"What's the 'S' stand for?" — Lois Lane

"People are afraid of what they don't understand." — Jonathan Kent

"You're the answer, son. You're the answer to "are we alone in the universe."" — Jonathan Kent

Lois Lane's quote: "For some, he was a guardian angel. To others, a ghost who never quite fit in." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"There's more at stake here than our lives or the lives of those around us. When the world... when the world finds out what you can do, it's gonna change everything; our... our beliefs, our notions of what it means to be human... everything." — Jonathan Kent

"You're not just anyone. One day, you're going to have to make a choice. You'll have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good character or bad, he's going to change the world." — Jonathan Kent

"His name is Kal, son of El. And he is forever beyond your reach." — Lara Lor-Van

Jonathan Kent's quote: "You have to keep this side of yourself a secret." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"Focus on my voice. Pretend it's an island out in the ocean." — Martha Kent

"Can you imagine how the people on this planet would react if they knew there was someone like this out there?" — Perry White

"General Swanwick: What have they hit us with? / Dr. Emil Hamilton: Looks like some kind of gravity weapon. It's working in tandem with their ship. Somehow they're increasing the Earth's mass clouding the atmosphere with particulates. Oh, my God. They're terraforming. / Captain Carrie Farris: What's that? / Dr. Emil Hamilton: Planetary engineering modifying the Earth's atmosphere and topography." — "Man of Steel"

"General Swanwick: They are turning Earth into Krypton. / Captain Carrie Farris: But what happens to us? / Dr. Emil Hamilton: Based on these readings, there won't be an "us."" — "Man of Steel"

Martha Kent's quote: "Focus on my voice. Pretend it's an island out in the ocean." | Source: Youtube.com/WarnerBrosPictures

"Man of Steel" is a thrilling and visually stunning superhero film that explores important themes of identity, morality, and the responsibility that comes with great power. Directed by Zack Snyder and released in 2013, the film explores Superman's origin story and his journey toward becoming the hero he was meant to be.

In this film, Superman's arch-nemesis is General Zod, a ruthless Kryptonian military leader who will stop at nothing to retrieve the Codex, a genetic codex of Kryptonians, and rebuild his civilization on Earth.

The conflict between Superman and General Zod is the movie's highlight, showcasing the best and worst of humanity as they struggle for control of the planet's fate. Read these 60 "Megamind" quotes, another superhero movie fans loved.