There are few characters in all of fiction, let alone superhero media, who are as recognizable and beloved as Superman. Arguably the first western character to fully embody the archetype we think of as a "superhero" to begin with, Superman has been a part of pop culture since 1938. And for the last 46 years, Superman has often been associated in the minds of many fans with actor Christopher Reeve, who portrayed the Man of Steel in his first full length feature film, along with three sequels.
Now, Reeve is being honored in a documentary titled Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story that explores his life both before and after the fateful accident that left him paralyzed, paying special attention to his partnership with his wife and caregiver Dana Reeve as well as his lasting legacy as the Man of Steel.
Reeve's Superman legacy is so powerful that his film is known in comic creative circles for inspiring the imaginations - and careers - of numerous A-list writers and artists, as well as filmmakers. Superman was so inspirational to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, for example, that he wound up pursuing a film career as an intern for the film's director Richard Donner, learning the ropes of superhero movie storytelling that would eventually lead to the formation of Marvel Studios, which in turn revolutionized what superhero movies can be.
Geoff Johns, who brought Reeve's Superman into comics with artist Gary Frank in the story Superman: Secret Origin, was also a Donner intern alongside Feige, meaning Reeve's Superman has had a direct hand in shaping how we see modern superhero storytelling across media for the last several decades.
Reeve's take on Kal-El is still considered Superman's most iconic live action portrayal, and, in many ways, the one against which all subsequent versions of Superman have been measured - not just in movies, but in TV, and even back in his original medium of comics. And as production continues on director James Gunn's upcoming Superman reboot movie, comparisons have inevitably turned back on how new Superman actor David Corenswet might stack up against Reeve, whose Superman is considered one of the greatest and most formative superhero movie performances of all time.
"I think, you know, our dad did an incredible job playing the role in that vision. I think this new film is its own thing. And you know, reintroduce the character to a whole new generation," Reeve's son Matthew tells Total Film about the upcoming reboot. "But I think our father's performance, it stood the test of time. It's still, in many ways, the benchmark for sort of bringing this reality to a comic book character that hopefully, in some way, continues to inspire this movie and other future movies."
What is it that really makes Christopher Reeve and his performance as Superman so beloved, and so inspirational to the very foundations of Superman as a modern character - and indeed to the modern concept of superheroes and superhero movies?
A lot of it comes down to just how damn great Reeve looks in the role. His dark, s-curled hair, piercing blue eyes, and sculpted chin all combine with the film's pitch-perfect suit to sum up decades of Superman stories with varying takes on the Man of Steel into a visual incarnation of the hero that feels like he's practically leaping off the comic book page.
Reeve's youthful handsomeness and towering 6'4" stature exude a sort of gentle, yet unyielding masculinity as Superman that plays directly against the contemporary late '70s action film archetype of violent leading men who revel in toxic machismo such as Dirty Harry and Death Wish's Paul Kersey. There's a kindness to Reeve's Superman that strips back any angst from the character, replacing it with a strength of purpose and a will to do good that have come to define how we think of Superman as a character.
This stands out somewhat in contrast to the character's previous most well known live-action portrayal in '50s TV show The Adventures of Superman, in which coincidentally-named actor George Reeves portrays the Man of Steel as more of a stern father figure, tough but fair, and his alter ego Clark Kent as a generally straightforward (if occasionally hapless) reporter. There's sometimes a strange cold streak in this version of Superman in which he is given to menace his enemies as much as comfort those in need. This is often reflected in the comics of the time, in which Superman is just as likely to embark on a bizarre revenge scheme as he is to save the world.
On the other hand, Reeve's rumpled, stumbling Clark Kent is the key to the real beauty of his dual performance as a man who could easily tower above human beings, but who prefers to live among them. Reeve's Superman is almost never menacing; he's often straightforward, and always confident, but he wields his strength with a measured hand, paying deliberate attention to the fragile world around him and leading with compassion first and foremost.
Reeve's Superman has become emblematic of both a great superhero performance in a film, and a vision of what Superman has come to look like as a hero over the nearly 50 years since Reeve first made us all believe a man could fly. His take on a gentler, stronger, more confident Superman has come to be the benchmark for the Man of Steel's wider portrayal as a hero who embodies the fantasy that someone with tremendous power can wield it for good, while staying down to earth with an "aw shucks" friendliness that lets everyone know that they are safe in his hands.
Will David Corenswet's Superman live up to Reeve's formative version? That's a difficult but natural bar to set. Perhaps the better question is, how will Corenswet find a way to bring Superman into the modern movie landscape while still embodying the qualities that make the character so timeless, as Christopher Reeve was able to do so definitively?
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story premieres in UK cinemas November 1. Meanwhile, James Gunn's David Corenswet-starring Superman reboot is due out in July 2025.
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