Superman movieverse: fandom overview
You'll Believe a Man Can Fly
Superman Movies: The Background
In 1978, the Superman franchise made a memorable leap to the big screen. With four films airing up through 1987 and a Supergirl spin-off, the Superman movies left an indelible mark on popular culture. Conforming to the pre-Crisis conventions of the DC universe (which considered Superman the "real character" and Clark the alter-ego), Superman battled a range of movie villains while also wrestling with a complicated love life. The first film laid out Superman's origin story and introduced the hero's amazing powers to the grateful citizens of Metropolis and his love interest, Lois Lane ("You've got me? Who's got you?"). In subsequent movies, other familiar franchise characters appear (General Zod, Lana Lang) as well as some more uneven, original characters (Gus Gorman, Nuclear Man).
In 2006, the franchise revived under the direction of Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men). Superman returned to the big screen with Superman Returns and a further sequel to be released in 2009. The new movie built upon much of the earlier continuity (particularly elements of the first two films credited to the creative vision of original director Richard Donner) but added a twist: what if Superman had left Earth and his adopted hometown of Metropolis on a fruitless quest to see if there was anything left of Krypton? And what if he'd returned to Earth, some five years later? Of course, Lex Luthor's there to cause trouble. Released from prison, he's stolen crystals from Superman's Fortress of Solitude and, with them, he plans to create an enormous landmass in the Atlantic that will destroy the eastern half of North America. But he's prepared to deal with Superman's interference thanks to the Kryptonite he's added to the mix. Lois Lane sneaks aboard Luthor's yacht and is held prisoner while Superman saves Metropolis from destruction while also countering Luthor's foul plan. In the end, Superman needs some saving himself but finally rids earth of the poisoned landmass, New Krypton as well as finding out that he's not alone.
November 28 saw the release of Superman Returns on DVD accompanied by remastered versions of the earlier Superman movies (including a greatly revised "Donner Cut" of Superman II). Fan writers feel free to borrow storylines from several of the movies and occasionally will even make reference to comic book and television incarnations of the characters.
Superman Movies: The Characters
CORE CHARACTERS
Superman/Kal-El: Lynchpin of the DC comic franchise for decades, in the movies, Superman embodies not only super-powered action, but also virtue, self-sacrifice and loneliness. Superman (aka Kal-El, the last son of Krypton) is always apart from the human world. Christopher Reeve (left) played Superman in the first four films, injecting the occasional bit of humour into his characterization. Brandon Routh (right), who donned the costume for the 2006 sequel, plays his Superman slightly more subdued than Reeve.
Clark Kent: Superman's mild-mannered alter-ego, bumbling Daily Planet reporter, Clark Kent, is the movie franchise's fall guy but also an essential player in the love triangle. Christopher Reeve (left) set the standard with fresh from the farm and wide-eyed portrayal of the new reporter settling into Metropolis. His impossibly geeky and ineffectual Clark Kent occasionally revealed glimpses of his powerful alter-ego. Brandon Routh (right), again, plays the Clark Kent disguise less broadly than his predecessor, but still with the familiar gawky air.
Lois Lane: The intrepid and sassy star reporter for The Daily Planet, Lois Lane was originally portrayed by Margot Kidder (left). Chain-smoking, whip-smart and insanely brave in pursuit of a story, Lois idolized Superman while treating Clark Kent with mild scorn. Although she briefly uncovered this secret identity in Superman II and found romantic completion with her love, Lois lost her memory of those events. With the continuity reset, Superman's secret identity remains a mystery when Kate Bosworth (right) takes on the role in Superman Returns.
Lex Luthor: The archetypal villain of the movieverse and Superman's persistent nemesis in the comics, Lex Luthor uses brainpower to battle the Man of Steel. He's also obsessed with real estate, particularly creating more of his own while destroying that of others. Employing an army of henchmen and an endless array of schemes, he sets out to bring down Superman time and time again. Played with delicious campiness by Gene Hackman (left) in the Reeve movies, Luthor was deliciously reinvented by Kevin Spacey (right) in the Singer remake.
Perry White: Editor-in-chief at The Daily Planet, Perry White is Lois and Clark's boss. He's a hardbitten newsman who's interested in scooping the other papers on the most important story in Metropolis: Superman. He infuriates Lois by saddling her with Clark Kent as a partner and also by forcing her to write fluff pieces when her nose for news is dragging her in a different direction. Perry was played by Jackie Cooper (left) in the original films and by Frank Langella (right) in Superman Returns.
Jimmy Olsen: Still wet behind the ears, Jimmy works as a photographer at the Planet but seems to spend as much time running errands for his demanding editor-in-chief. Jimmy attaches himself to Clark Kent as a friend and as the font of all knowledge about the paper and its personnel. Marc McClure (left) played Jimmy in the earlier movies while Sam Huntington (right) played him in the 2006 revival.
Martha Kent: Adoptive mother to Clark Kent, Martha is a country woman with a core of steel. Widowed while Clark is still a young man, she maintains the family homestead while her son moves to Metropolis. She often repeats her husband's advice to their son "You were put here on this earth for a reason", Martha was played by Phyllis Thaxter (left) in Superman I; Eva Marie Saint (right) in Superman Returns.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Jor-El: Jor-El and Lara are Kal-El's Kryptonian parents: scientists who build a ship to carry their son away from his homeworld's imminent destruction and safely to earth. They also sent recordings on crystals with their son that allowed them to advise him as he matured. Marlon Brando (left) played Jor-El in the original movies and extra footage, combined with CGI modeling, revived his performance in the Superman Returns franchise.
Richard White: New in Superman Returns is the character of Richard White, Perry's nephew and a crack newspaperman. Played by fan favourite James Marsden (left), Richard White is an all-around good guy. Heroic in his own right, Richard is engaged to marry Lois Lane when Superman Returns.
Jason White: Surprise! Lois Lane has a son! This five-year old boy is introduced in Superman Returns as Lois' son with her fiancé, Richard. But while he's quite a sickly child, Jason, played by Tristan Lake Leabu (left) demonstrates some, erm, amazing abilities during the course of the film.
Kitty Kowalski: Lex Luthor always has a female hanger-on. In Superman Returns she's played by the incomparable Parker Posey (left), as a ditzy dame who helps out Lex but has a soft spot for the Man of Steel. Who wouldn't?
Superman Movies: Fandom Highlights
The original movies predated internet fandom activity for the most part, but since the new film was released there's been a resurgence. Many stories are shipper-focused but there's still a lot of action-adventure. Most shippers pair up Superman/Kal-El with Lois and include scenes where Lois uncovers (or recovers) knowledge of his secret identity. Many stories also deal with the parenting of Jason and his special abilities. There are a small number of Clark/OFC stories that keep Lois together with her fiancé Richard while allowing a good woman to see the hidden qualities in Clark. There are a very few slashfics, mostly pairing Clark and Richard. So far, Lex doesn't get too much loving!
Superman Movies: Useful Links
On Livejournal:
superman_return is a Superman movieverse community
so_very_super also supports the Superman movieverse in general
sr_slash is a Superman Returns slash fic community
Fic Sites:
Metropolis Fic: Movieverse Fiction Archive
Superman Movieverse Fiction at ff.net
General Resources:
Superman Homepage: Movies (Articles and Image Gallery)
Superman Database: The Movies (Articles)
Superman Movies: The Background
In 1978, the Superman franchise made a memorable leap to the big screen. With four films airing up through 1987 and a Supergirl spin-off, the Superman movies left an indelible mark on popular culture. Conforming to the pre-Crisis conventions of the DC universe (which considered Superman the "real character" and Clark the alter-ego), Superman battled a range of movie villains while also wrestling with a complicated love life. The first film laid out Superman's origin story and introduced the hero's amazing powers to the grateful citizens of Metropolis and his love interest, Lois Lane ("You've got me? Who's got you?"). In subsequent movies, other familiar franchise characters appear (General Zod, Lana Lang) as well as some more uneven, original characters (Gus Gorman, Nuclear Man).
In 2006, the franchise revived under the direction of Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men). Superman returned to the big screen with Superman Returns and a further sequel to be released in 2009. The new movie built upon much of the earlier continuity (particularly elements of the first two films credited to the creative vision of original director Richard Donner) but added a twist: what if Superman had left Earth and his adopted hometown of Metropolis on a fruitless quest to see if there was anything left of Krypton? And what if he'd returned to Earth, some five years later? Of course, Lex Luthor's there to cause trouble. Released from prison, he's stolen crystals from Superman's Fortress of Solitude and, with them, he plans to create an enormous landmass in the Atlantic that will destroy the eastern half of North America. But he's prepared to deal with Superman's interference thanks to the Kryptonite he's added to the mix. Lois Lane sneaks aboard Luthor's yacht and is held prisoner while Superman saves Metropolis from destruction while also countering Luthor's foul plan. In the end, Superman needs some saving himself but finally rids earth of the poisoned landmass, New Krypton as well as finding out that he's not alone.
November 28 saw the release of Superman Returns on DVD accompanied by remastered versions of the earlier Superman movies (including a greatly revised "Donner Cut" of Superman II). Fan writers feel free to borrow storylines from several of the movies and occasionally will even make reference to comic book and television incarnations of the characters.
Superman Movies: The Characters
CORE CHARACTERS
Superman/Kal-El: Lynchpin of the DC comic franchise for decades, in the movies, Superman embodies not only super-powered action, but also virtue, self-sacrifice and loneliness. Superman (aka Kal-El, the last son of Krypton) is always apart from the human world. Christopher Reeve (left) played Superman in the first four films, injecting the occasional bit of humour into his characterization. Brandon Routh (right), who donned the costume for the 2006 sequel, plays his Superman slightly more subdued than Reeve.
Clark Kent: Superman's mild-mannered alter-ego, bumbling Daily Planet reporter, Clark Kent, is the movie franchise's fall guy but also an essential player in the love triangle. Christopher Reeve (left) set the standard with fresh from the farm and wide-eyed portrayal of the new reporter settling into Metropolis. His impossibly geeky and ineffectual Clark Kent occasionally revealed glimpses of his powerful alter-ego. Brandon Routh (right), again, plays the Clark Kent disguise less broadly than his predecessor, but still with the familiar gawky air.
Lois Lane: The intrepid and sassy star reporter for The Daily Planet, Lois Lane was originally portrayed by Margot Kidder (left). Chain-smoking, whip-smart and insanely brave in pursuit of a story, Lois idolized Superman while treating Clark Kent with mild scorn. Although she briefly uncovered this secret identity in Superman II and found romantic completion with her love, Lois lost her memory of those events. With the continuity reset, Superman's secret identity remains a mystery when Kate Bosworth (right) takes on the role in Superman Returns.
Lex Luthor: The archetypal villain of the movieverse and Superman's persistent nemesis in the comics, Lex Luthor uses brainpower to battle the Man of Steel. He's also obsessed with real estate, particularly creating more of his own while destroying that of others. Employing an army of henchmen and an endless array of schemes, he sets out to bring down Superman time and time again. Played with delicious campiness by Gene Hackman (left) in the Reeve movies, Luthor was deliciously reinvented by Kevin Spacey (right) in the Singer remake.
Perry White: Editor-in-chief at The Daily Planet, Perry White is Lois and Clark's boss. He's a hardbitten newsman who's interested in scooping the other papers on the most important story in Metropolis: Superman. He infuriates Lois by saddling her with Clark Kent as a partner and also by forcing her to write fluff pieces when her nose for news is dragging her in a different direction. Perry was played by Jackie Cooper (left) in the original films and by Frank Langella (right) in Superman Returns.
Jimmy Olsen: Still wet behind the ears, Jimmy works as a photographer at the Planet but seems to spend as much time running errands for his demanding editor-in-chief. Jimmy attaches himself to Clark Kent as a friend and as the font of all knowledge about the paper and its personnel. Marc McClure (left) played Jimmy in the earlier movies while Sam Huntington (right) played him in the 2006 revival.
Martha Kent: Adoptive mother to Clark Kent, Martha is a country woman with a core of steel. Widowed while Clark is still a young man, she maintains the family homestead while her son moves to Metropolis. She often repeats her husband's advice to their son "You were put here on this earth for a reason", Martha was played by Phyllis Thaxter (left) in Superman I; Eva Marie Saint (right) in Superman Returns.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Jor-El: Jor-El and Lara are Kal-El's Kryptonian parents: scientists who build a ship to carry their son away from his homeworld's imminent destruction and safely to earth. They also sent recordings on crystals with their son that allowed them to advise him as he matured. Marlon Brando (left) played Jor-El in the original movies and extra footage, combined with CGI modeling, revived his performance in the Superman Returns franchise.
Richard White: New in Superman Returns is the character of Richard White, Perry's nephew and a crack newspaperman. Played by fan favourite James Marsden (left), Richard White is an all-around good guy. Heroic in his own right, Richard is engaged to marry Lois Lane when Superman Returns.
Jason White: Surprise! Lois Lane has a son! This five-year old boy is introduced in Superman Returns as Lois' son with her fiancé, Richard. But while he's quite a sickly child, Jason, played by Tristan Lake Leabu (left) demonstrates some, erm, amazing abilities during the course of the film.
Kitty Kowalski: Lex Luthor always has a female hanger-on. In Superman Returns she's played by the incomparable Parker Posey (left), as a ditzy dame who helps out Lex but has a soft spot for the Man of Steel. Who wouldn't?
Superman Movies: Fandom Highlights
The original movies predated internet fandom activity for the most part, but since the new film was released there's been a resurgence. Many stories are shipper-focused but there's still a lot of action-adventure. Most shippers pair up Superman/Kal-El with Lois and include scenes where Lois uncovers (or recovers) knowledge of his secret identity. Many stories also deal with the parenting of Jason and his special abilities. There are a small number of Clark/OFC stories that keep Lois together with her fiancé Richard while allowing a good woman to see the hidden qualities in Clark. There are a very few slashfics, mostly pairing Clark and Richard. So far, Lex doesn't get too much loving!
Superman Movies: Useful Links
On Livejournal:
superman_return is a Superman movieverse community
so_very_super also supports the Superman movieverse in general
sr_slash is a Superman Returns slash fic community
Fic Sites:
Metropolis Fic: Movieverse Fiction Archive
Superman Movieverse Fiction at ff.net
General Resources:
Superman Homepage: Movies (Articles and Image Gallery)
Superman Database: The Movies (Articles)