Curse hanging over Superman franchise as new film soars at box office
If urban myth is to be believed, the curse hanging over the Superman franchise poses more of a threat to those who play the Man of Steel than any plot line James Gunn could conjure up for the latest spin on the hero.
The Guardians Of The Galaxy director has been charged with breathing new life into the DC Comics hero, casting David Corenswet as the Kryptonian, Rachel Brosnahan as his Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult in the role of Lex Luthor.
Gunn's reboot comes after a series of box office disappointments with Henry Cavill's stint in the suit.
Although Cavill's name is now in the mix to play James Bond, he expressed his disappointment about Gunn's recasting on Instagram in 2022, saying the news wasn't the easiest.
'But the changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that,' he wrote.
Talk of a curse began way before Cavill was sent packing. Or even Zack Snyder's troubled Justice League film in 2017, and Bryan Singer's snooze-worthy Superman Returns a decade before that.
It all started with TV Superman George Reeves' mysterious death in 1959. Found shot dead – ruled suicide but speculated to be murder – Reeves' disillusionment with superhero fame and subsequent alcoholism was detailed in the 2006 film Hollywoodland starring Ben Affleck.
Affleck, who had played Daredevil before shooting Hollywoodland, told female.com.au he understood Reeves' frustrations with the superhero genre.
'I knew how ridiculous you feel in a red suit,' Affleck laughed. 'You feel – even if these movies work – very, very silly.'
Likewise, Affleck understood the downsides of fame.
'The modern form of typecasting, you don't get typecast as a certain character you get typecast as yourself, and with George they couldn't see past the Superman character,' Affleck explained.
'Nowadays the danger is that people don't see past what they read in the tabloids, and that can be as damaging if not more so than the other type of typecasting. I certainly can tell you from experience it's bad. It's bad psychologically, bad for your career.'
Of course, Reeves wasn't the only actor whose career never really took flight after playing Superman. Dean Cain (who starred alongside Teri Hatcher in '90s TV series Lois & Clark), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) and Tom Welling (who played a teenage Clark Kent in long-running TV show Smallville) also struggled after hanging up their capes.
Perhaps the saddest example of the so-called curse came from the 1978 classic Superman, when its star Christopher Reeve was left paralysed from the neck down in 1995 after a horseriding accident. He died in 2004, aged 52.
Adding to that tragedy, Reeve's co-star Margot Kidder (who played the feisty Lois Lane) took her own life in 2018 after a long struggle with bipolar disorder, and Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) was found dead in his home alongside his wife and dog in February this year.
Lee John Quigley, who played Kal-El (aka baby Superman) in the same film, died when he was just 14.
Before her death, Kidder shrugged off talk of a curse, telling The Telegraph in 2002: 'The idea cracks me up. What about the luck of Superman?
'When my car crashed this August, if I hadn't hit a telegraph pole after rolling three times, I would have dropped down a 50- to 60-foot ravine. Why don't people focus on that?'
So, should the stars of James Gunn's reboot be quaking in their super suits?
Josh Hartnett certainly thinks so. But not necessarily because of any curse.
The Black Hawk Down star told The Guardian last year that he turned down the role of Superman twice because he didn't want to be swallowed up by the fame that came with playing a superhero.
'And you saw what happened to some people back then. They got obliterated by it. I didn't want that for myself,' he said.
Likewise, in the documentary I Am Paul Walker, The Fast And The Furious actor's longtime pal and stunt double Oakley Lehman revealed Walker was in line to play Superman before he died.
According to Walker's manager Matt Luber, he took one look at himself in the suit and thought: 'I've got an S on, I got a cape, boots, tights … this is not me. I'm getting the f*** out of here.'
Certainly, anyone who takes on the mantle of Superman has big boots to fill. And Corenswet will have his work cut out for him living up to some of his predecessor's work. As will Superman 's writer and director Gunn, who fans expect to save their hero from the super scrapheap.
Gunn seems confident he's found the right blend of cheesy nostalgia and tongue-in-cheek humour to make Superman soar once more.
Speaking on the DC Studios Official Podcast, Gunn said his latest foray into the superhero genre wouldn't rely as heavily on catchy tunes and wisecracking characters as Guardians Of The Galaxy or Suicide Squad.
'Anything I do is going to be different, but it isn't about that, it's not relying on that, it's not relying on the songs, it's about this pure good, beautiful guy, who is trying to get by in a world that isn't those things and just happens to have superpowers, right?' he said.
Celebrate the film's cinematic release on July 10 with a trip down Superman memory lane on Tubi.
Airplane vs Volcano: Ex-Superman Dean Cain is among the everyday heroes trying to stay alive when the plane they're on flies into a ring of erupting volcanoes.
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The Advertiser
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Is Daily Planet journalist Clark Kent the true hero of new Superman movie?
Superman might do more than just save Metropolis. Filmmaker James Gunn hopes the beloved superhero will bring hope to a cynical world. "Everybody's gotten so cynical and ironic," said Gunn. "Everybody's ironic about everything all the time. And he (Superman) is a good-natured guy who wants to be kind. And when you see the world through Superman's eyes, everyone is beautiful." Superman, which has flown into cinemas worldwide, is a change in tone for the writer and director who brought a mischievous playfulness and snark to the chaotic worlds of Suicide Squad and the Guardians of the Galaxy. But this wasn't some fringe misfit: It's Superman. And a certain amount of optimism was necessary. The Man of Steel has been a symbol since he first appeared in 1938 among the technicolor pages of Action Comics #1 as a baby from the planet Krypton sent to Earth as a last resort to save him from his planet's demise. In the 87 years since, various iterations of Superman have graced countless comic books, animated series and live-action television shows and films, many focusing on the hero's origin story. Through Gunn's lens, audiences meet a Superman three years into his self-appointed journey to save anyone in need of help. Superman has reached a point where he must confront what it means to do good and seek justice in a complicated world where many, especially the infamous Lex Luthor, question his intentions. "We get to really discover what are his flaws, what are his opinions, what are his ideals. I think we get a very intimate look at his relationship with Lois. I also think that it's a bigger movie than it's ever been told with Superman before," Gunn said. Gunn's vulnerable Superman is someone simply wanting to make the world a better place in an attempt to be accepted by his adopted homeland. He quickly learns that despite his super strength and metahuman abilities, he cannot do it all on his own. The Man of Steel is accompanied by his superdog Krypto or Lois Lane and the team of journalists at the Daily Planet. Clark Kent's job at the paper isn't just a title either: Journalism gets its own spotlight in the fabric of the film. Gunn doesn't just focus on Superman's humanity but highlights the importance of truth and the power of journalism to fight against injustice. Brosnahan, who plays reporter Lois Lane, said the director's focus on the importance of journalism was intentional. "Journalistic integrity in this film is potentially more important now than it has been," she said. "One of the joys of stepping into this has been understanding in a deeper way what you all do and the ways in which you put yourselves on the line in pursuit of the truth, and it's been an honour to step into that." 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Reeve said that the message of hope from the early film is one that still reigns true today from his father's legacy. "The fact that my dad and his character and then his subsequent personal story resonated and perhaps inspired maybe billions of people around the world," Reeve said. "That means a lot to me, and I think that has a lot with what Superman is and represents as a character." For actor Wendell Pierce, who plays Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, superhero films like Superman are more than just a fun pastime for comic book fans. They bring a sense of optimism in troubled times and a feeling that even the everyday person has the power to create change. "People want to feel empowered," Pierce said. "They want to feel as though they can make a contribution in some way and change the dynamic to change this dysfunctional paradigm. And so we turn off the lights and go into a small theatre because we want to see collectively, decide what our values are and who we are, where we've been, where we've failed, where we can triumph. But ultimately decide what our values are and walk out of the theatre and act on those." Superman might do more than just save Metropolis. Filmmaker James Gunn hopes the beloved superhero will bring hope to a cynical world. "Everybody's gotten so cynical and ironic," said Gunn. "Everybody's ironic about everything all the time. And he (Superman) is a good-natured guy who wants to be kind. And when you see the world through Superman's eyes, everyone is beautiful." Superman, which has flown into cinemas worldwide, is a change in tone for the writer and director who brought a mischievous playfulness and snark to the chaotic worlds of Suicide Squad and the Guardians of the Galaxy. But this wasn't some fringe misfit: It's Superman. And a certain amount of optimism was necessary. The Man of Steel has been a symbol since he first appeared in 1938 among the technicolor pages of Action Comics #1 as a baby from the planet Krypton sent to Earth as a last resort to save him from his planet's demise. In the 87 years since, various iterations of Superman have graced countless comic books, animated series and live-action television shows and films, many focusing on the hero's origin story. Through Gunn's lens, audiences meet a Superman three years into his self-appointed journey to save anyone in need of help. Superman has reached a point where he must confront what it means to do good and seek justice in a complicated world where many, especially the infamous Lex Luthor, question his intentions. "We get to really discover what are his flaws, what are his opinions, what are his ideals. I think we get a very intimate look at his relationship with Lois. I also think that it's a bigger movie than it's ever been told with Superman before," Gunn said. Gunn's vulnerable Superman is someone simply wanting to make the world a better place in an attempt to be accepted by his adopted homeland. He quickly learns that despite his super strength and metahuman abilities, he cannot do it all on his own. The Man of Steel is accompanied by his superdog Krypto or Lois Lane and the team of journalists at the Daily Planet. Clark Kent's job at the paper isn't just a title either: Journalism gets its own spotlight in the fabric of the film. Gunn doesn't just focus on Superman's humanity but highlights the importance of truth and the power of journalism to fight against injustice. Brosnahan, who plays reporter Lois Lane, said the director's focus on the importance of journalism was intentional. "Journalistic integrity in this film is potentially more important now than it has been," she said. "One of the joys of stepping into this has been understanding in a deeper way what you all do and the ways in which you put yourselves on the line in pursuit of the truth, and it's been an honour to step into that." Beck Bennett, who plays reporter Steve Lombard, says it was nice to see the Daily Planet journalists help the superhero go up against the villain. "They are exposing some truth so that people can get the truth and turn on the person who is actually doing them harm," Bennett said. "It's really cool to see that. I think that could be exciting for younger people who might want to be journalists to be like, 'Wow, they do have this power. They are superheroes.'" Skyler Gisondo, who plays Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen and best friend to Clark Kent, says the scenes in the newsroom felt as high stakes as the action sequences. "Reading the script, you have a sense that the work that we're doing is just as important as the action itself," said Gisondo. One real journalist makes a cameo in the film: news correspondent Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the 1978 film. Reeve said that the message of hope from the early film is one that still reigns true today from his father's legacy. "The fact that my dad and his character and then his subsequent personal story resonated and perhaps inspired maybe billions of people around the world," Reeve said. "That means a lot to me, and I think that has a lot with what Superman is and represents as a character." For actor Wendell Pierce, who plays Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, superhero films like Superman are more than just a fun pastime for comic book fans. They bring a sense of optimism in troubled times and a feeling that even the everyday person has the power to create change. "People want to feel empowered," Pierce said. "They want to feel as though they can make a contribution in some way and change the dynamic to change this dysfunctional paradigm. And so we turn off the lights and go into a small theatre because we want to see collectively, decide what our values are and who we are, where we've been, where we've failed, where we can triumph. But ultimately decide what our values are and walk out of the theatre and act on those." Superman might do more than just save Metropolis. Filmmaker James Gunn hopes the beloved superhero will bring hope to a cynical world. "Everybody's gotten so cynical and ironic," said Gunn. "Everybody's ironic about everything all the time. And he (Superman) is a good-natured guy who wants to be kind. And when you see the world through Superman's eyes, everyone is beautiful." Superman, which has flown into cinemas worldwide, is a change in tone for the writer and director who brought a mischievous playfulness and snark to the chaotic worlds of Suicide Squad and the Guardians of the Galaxy. But this wasn't some fringe misfit: It's Superman. And a certain amount of optimism was necessary. The Man of Steel has been a symbol since he first appeared in 1938 among the technicolor pages of Action Comics #1 as a baby from the planet Krypton sent to Earth as a last resort to save him from his planet's demise. In the 87 years since, various iterations of Superman have graced countless comic books, animated series and live-action television shows and films, many focusing on the hero's origin story. Through Gunn's lens, audiences meet a Superman three years into his self-appointed journey to save anyone in need of help. Superman has reached a point where he must confront what it means to do good and seek justice in a complicated world where many, especially the infamous Lex Luthor, question his intentions. "We get to really discover what are his flaws, what are his opinions, what are his ideals. I think we get a very intimate look at his relationship with Lois. I also think that it's a bigger movie than it's ever been told with Superman before," Gunn said. Gunn's vulnerable Superman is someone simply wanting to make the world a better place in an attempt to be accepted by his adopted homeland. He quickly learns that despite his super strength and metahuman abilities, he cannot do it all on his own. The Man of Steel is accompanied by his superdog Krypto or Lois Lane and the team of journalists at the Daily Planet. Clark Kent's job at the paper isn't just a title either: Journalism gets its own spotlight in the fabric of the film. Gunn doesn't just focus on Superman's humanity but highlights the importance of truth and the power of journalism to fight against injustice. Brosnahan, who plays reporter Lois Lane, said the director's focus on the importance of journalism was intentional. "Journalistic integrity in this film is potentially more important now than it has been," she said. "One of the joys of stepping into this has been understanding in a deeper way what you all do and the ways in which you put yourselves on the line in pursuit of the truth, and it's been an honour to step into that." Beck Bennett, who plays reporter Steve Lombard, says it was nice to see the Daily Planet journalists help the superhero go up against the villain. "They are exposing some truth so that people can get the truth and turn on the person who is actually doing them harm," Bennett said. "It's really cool to see that. I think that could be exciting for younger people who might want to be journalists to be like, 'Wow, they do have this power. They are superheroes.'" Skyler Gisondo, who plays Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen and best friend to Clark Kent, says the scenes in the newsroom felt as high stakes as the action sequences. "Reading the script, you have a sense that the work that we're doing is just as important as the action itself," said Gisondo. One real journalist makes a cameo in the film: news correspondent Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the 1978 film. Reeve said that the message of hope from the early film is one that still reigns true today from his father's legacy. "The fact that my dad and his character and then his subsequent personal story resonated and perhaps inspired maybe billions of people around the world," Reeve said. "That means a lot to me, and I think that has a lot with what Superman is and represents as a character." For actor Wendell Pierce, who plays Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, superhero films like Superman are more than just a fun pastime for comic book fans. They bring a sense of optimism in troubled times and a feeling that even the everyday person has the power to create change. "People want to feel empowered," Pierce said. "They want to feel as though they can make a contribution in some way and change the dynamic to change this dysfunctional paradigm. And so we turn off the lights and go into a small theatre because we want to see collectively, decide what our values are and who we are, where we've been, where we've failed, where we can triumph. But ultimately decide what our values are and walk out of the theatre and act on those." Superman might do more than just save Metropolis. Filmmaker James Gunn hopes the beloved superhero will bring hope to a cynical world. "Everybody's gotten so cynical and ironic," said Gunn. "Everybody's ironic about everything all the time. And he (Superman) is a good-natured guy who wants to be kind. And when you see the world through Superman's eyes, everyone is beautiful." Superman, which has flown into cinemas worldwide, is a change in tone for the writer and director who brought a mischievous playfulness and snark to the chaotic worlds of Suicide Squad and the Guardians of the Galaxy. But this wasn't some fringe misfit: It's Superman. And a certain amount of optimism was necessary. The Man of Steel has been a symbol since he first appeared in 1938 among the technicolor pages of Action Comics #1 as a baby from the planet Krypton sent to Earth as a last resort to save him from his planet's demise. In the 87 years since, various iterations of Superman have graced countless comic books, animated series and live-action television shows and films, many focusing on the hero's origin story. Through Gunn's lens, audiences meet a Superman three years into his self-appointed journey to save anyone in need of help. Superman has reached a point where he must confront what it means to do good and seek justice in a complicated world where many, especially the infamous Lex Luthor, question his intentions. "We get to really discover what are his flaws, what are his opinions, what are his ideals. I think we get a very intimate look at his relationship with Lois. I also think that it's a bigger movie than it's ever been told with Superman before," Gunn said. Gunn's vulnerable Superman is someone simply wanting to make the world a better place in an attempt to be accepted by his adopted homeland. He quickly learns that despite his super strength and metahuman abilities, he cannot do it all on his own. The Man of Steel is accompanied by his superdog Krypto or Lois Lane and the team of journalists at the Daily Planet. Clark Kent's job at the paper isn't just a title either: Journalism gets its own spotlight in the fabric of the film. Gunn doesn't just focus on Superman's humanity but highlights the importance of truth and the power of journalism to fight against injustice. Brosnahan, who plays reporter Lois Lane, said the director's focus on the importance of journalism was intentional. "Journalistic integrity in this film is potentially more important now than it has been," she said. "One of the joys of stepping into this has been understanding in a deeper way what you all do and the ways in which you put yourselves on the line in pursuit of the truth, and it's been an honour to step into that." Beck Bennett, who plays reporter Steve Lombard, says it was nice to see the Daily Planet journalists help the superhero go up against the villain. "They are exposing some truth so that people can get the truth and turn on the person who is actually doing them harm," Bennett said. "It's really cool to see that. I think that could be exciting for younger people who might want to be journalists to be like, 'Wow, they do have this power. They are superheroes.'" Skyler Gisondo, who plays Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen and best friend to Clark Kent, says the scenes in the newsroom felt as high stakes as the action sequences. "Reading the script, you have a sense that the work that we're doing is just as important as the action itself," said Gisondo. One real journalist makes a cameo in the film: news correspondent Will Reeve, son of Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the 1978 film. Reeve said that the message of hope from the early film is one that still reigns true today from his father's legacy. "The fact that my dad and his character and then his subsequent personal story resonated and perhaps inspired maybe billions of people around the world," Reeve said. "That means a lot to me, and I think that has a lot with what Superman is and represents as a character." For actor Wendell Pierce, who plays Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, superhero films like Superman are more than just a fun pastime for comic book fans. They bring a sense of optimism in troubled times and a feeling that even the everyday person has the power to create change. "People want to feel empowered," Pierce said. "They want to feel as though they can make a contribution in some way and change the dynamic to change this dysfunctional paradigm. And so we turn off the lights and go into a small theatre because we want to see collectively, decide what our values are and who we are, where we've been, where we've failed, where we can triumph. But ultimately decide what our values are and walk out of the theatre and act on those."
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Director James Gunn slammed over ‘woke' Superman movie
'To Di For' podcast host Kinsey Schofield discusses director James Gunn's 'woke' version of Superman. 'It does have its critics like Dean Cain, who asked why immigration agents and federal agencies are being villainised for enforcing the law,' Ms Schofield told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'But I will tell you, it's kind of kicking butt at the box office. I think Superman is one of those brands that it's going to take a little bit more than woke to shake.'
