If you grew up watching superhero movies, chances are you remember the first time you saw Superman fly across the screen. Maybe it was Christopher Reeve soaring through the sky in the classic 1978 film or Henry Cavill racing through the clouds in Man of Steel.
No matter which version you saw, Superman movies have always had a special kind of magic. Behind that magic, though, are a lot of fun and surprising facts that most fans never hear about.
In this article, we’re going to tell you 8 interesting facts about Superman movies, with little moments and behind-the-scenes stories that make these films even more iconic.
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Christopher Reeve was not the first choice; dozens of actors were considered before him.
Before Christopher Reeve was cast in Superman: The Movie (1978), the producers looked at big stars like Robert Redford, Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight, Nick Nolte, Clint Eastwood and more. Many of these actors turned down the role, citing reasons like being too famous or not interested in the part.
After failing to lock down a big star, the casting team shifted their focus to unknown actors, auditioning over 200 candidates, including Caitlyn Jenner (then Bruce Jenner) and the dentist of a producer’s wife. At this time, Lynn Stalmaster recommended Christopher Reeve but producers rejected him because he was too young and skinny.
Despite initial doubts, Reeve impressed director Richard Donner and the producers with his screen tests and natural presence.
2. Marlon Brando earned $3.7 million to play Jor-El in Superman (1978).
Marlon Brando was eventually paid $3.7 million and an amazing 11.75% backend pay to play the character of Jor-El, Superman’s father, for 13 days of work and less than 20 minutes of screen time. He also negotiated several unusual perks, like he didn’t have to memorize his lines (cue cards were placed around the set) and he didn’t want to read the script beforehand.
Reportedly, he even floated bizarre ideas for Jor-El’s form, like appearing as a green bagel or a suitcase with a voice. Not just this, actor Cary Elwes, then a 16-year-old runner, was tasked with the job of babysitting Brando and luring him out of his trailer with food, mainly desserts, to get him on set.
Rumors also suggest that Brando’s agent negotiated a deal where the actor would receive an additional $1 million for each day the shoot ran past schedule. This removed pressure from him to be on time.
3. Christopher Reeve trained intensively and gained around 30 pounds.
To play Superman, Christopher Reeve followed a strict workout routine, transforming his naturally slim frame into a powerful and athletic build. He was determined to build his own physique and refused the muscle suit that the studio had prepared, even threatening to quit the role if forced to wear it.
His training was supervised by David Prowse (who played Darth Vader) and included a daily routine of running in the mornings, then 2 hours of weightlifting plus 90 minutes on a trampoline.
Reeve also doubled his food intake and adopted a high-protein diet. As a result, he added around 30 pounds of muscle to his original 188 lbs body. He added 4 inches to his chest and 3 inches to his biceps and increased his bench press from 100 lbs to 350 lbs.
4. Superman: The Movie (1978) and Superman II (1980) were shot simultaneously.
Producers Alexandra and Ilya Salkind made the decision to shoot the first Superman film and its sequel, Superman II, at the same time. This was partly done to save time and money, since many sets, locations and actors were shared. Filming began in March 1977 and continued until October 1978.
However, tensions between director Richard Donner and the producers caused delays and the decision was made to pause work on Superman II so they could finish the first film for its December 1978 release. By then, about 75% of the sequel had already been filmed.
Later, after Superman was released, Donner was replaced by Richard Lester to complete Superman II. To earn his directional credit, Lester reshot much of the sequel.
5. In most flying scenes, Henry Cavill’s cape is CGI.
In the modern Superman movies, especially Man of Steel (2013) and later films, Henry Cavill’s cape isn’t always real during flying sequences. Because Superman flies at incredible speeds, it would be impossible to film the cape moving naturally on set.
Visual effects teams at companies like MPC created a digital version of Cavill’s body for many flying shots keeping only his face and hands real and then animated a CGI cape that moved realistically.
The CGI cape allowed filmmakers to control how it flowed and responded to air resistance, making it look dramatic and believable even at Superman’s superhuman speeds. By carefully timing and shaping the digital fabric, the cape never looked unnatural, which helped in maintaining the illusion of flight.
6. Henry Cavill did all his audition scenes for Superman without a padded suit.
When Henry Cavill auditioned for Superman, he did not wear a padded suit because he hadn’t yet built the physique needed for the role. For the audition, he wore the original Superman costume from the Christopher Reeve films, which looked quite loose on his small body structure and he appeared small compared to the heroic look audiences would see in the film.
For Man of Steel, Henry Cavill trained intensively to build real muscle and the production added custom-made suits. These included a metallic, sculpted under-suit that caught the light and highlighted his actual muscle definition under the outer costume.
The under-suit wasn’t meant to add bulk but to ensure his muscles looked consistent on camera since fabric can sometimes flatten them. Zack Snyder, the director, even included a shirtless scene in Man of Steel to show audiences that Cavill’s physique was real.
7. For his Superman role, Henry Cavill insisted on not shaving his chest.
The 42-year-old British actor, Henry Cavill, kept his chest hair for Man of Steel, especially for shirtless scenes. He wanted to stay true to certain comic book versions of Superman, like the Death of Superman storyline where the character has chest hair. He also refused to shave for a scene set during an oil rig collapse ensuring the look was authentic.
8. Before Snyder, Ben Affleck was offered the chance to direct Man of Steel.
The 53-year-old American actor and filmmaker, Ben Affleck, was originally offered the opportunity to direct Man of Steel but he turned it down. He thought he was better at directing stories about characters and everyday dramas and he didn’t feel ready to handle a superhero movie full of CGI effects.
Affleck also thought that since Christopher Nolan was producing the film, Nolan’s pick for director would be better for the project.
9. The 2006 film Superman Returns continues the story from the 1980 film, Superman II.
Superman Returns (2006) is a direct sequel to Superman II and it ignores the events of Superman III and Superman IV. The movie picks up several years after the end of Superman II, showing Superman returning to Earth after being gone for 5 years.
Brandon Routh’s Superman is meant to be the same version that Christopher Reeve played, continuing the story and style of the first two movies.
10. Christopher Nolan initially didn’t like the idea of Superman killing Zod.
As an executive producer on Man of Steel, Christopher Nolan didn’t like the original ending where Superman kills General Zod. Nolan believed Superman should follow a strict no-kill rule, which had been part of the character for decades. He even told writer David S. Goyer and director Zack Snyder that the scene shouldn’t happen.
However, Goyer and Snyder explained that this was an origin story and the moment was meant to show Superman facing an impossible choice. In the final version of the scene, Zod is about to kill a family with his heat vision, leaving Superman with no other way to stop him.
After seeing this updated version, Nolan understood the intention and agreed that the moment was important for showing how Superman learns his moral limits.
