Did You Spot This Beautiful Tribute to Christopher Reeve in Superman?

Is it possible to break free from the towering shadow of the 1978 Superman movie, which even set the standard for subsequent superhero films, when one aims to bring the Man of Steel back to the silver screen? Like Bryan Singer in 2006, who followed in its footsteps by reintroducing Marlon Brando through archival footage in what was essentially a continuation of the films starring Christopher Reeve, James Gunn suggests it’s not—and indeed, he doesn’t try to avoid it.

Gunn’s Superman, released on July 9th, appears as a reboot (though not an origin story). The first glimpses featured the legendary John Williams’ theme from Richard Donner’s film, now mixed with electric guitar riffs. The director of Guardians of the Galaxy made it clear that this musical choice was more than a mere flourish for the trailer; it was integral to the film. Similarly, the typography and the way the title and credits are presented are direct nods to the era’s films, as if Gunn is acknowledging and fully embracing the legacy in a movie that was initially to be titled Superman Legacy.

If you pay close attention to the end credits, you’ll notice the name Will Reeve, not just any name but that of Christopher Reeve’s son, the iconic actor behind Clark Kent and his alter ego in four films. Following a severe horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed until his death in 2004, Reeve’s son now fittingly plays a small role as a reporter, not for the Daily Planet but on television, during a live broadcast where he reports on the Justice Gang’s arrival during Lex Luthor’s kaiju attack on Metropolis.

This role pays homage both to his father and to the profession of his real-life occupation as a journalist for ABC News, as if carrying on Christopher’s memory by engaging in the same profession as his most famous character. “But I have a better view,” he jokingly remarked to Entertainment Weekly in October 2024, without wearing glasses. “As a journalist, I value a well-told story with meaning and impact on the world, and I believe this film will deliver just that.”

“Christopher Reeve is the Ultimate Superman”

Reeve admitted knowing little about the film while shooting his scenes, emphasizing the idea was not to be in the foreground. “We had to restrain my involvement in the project,” he explained as the documentary Super/Man about his father was released. “I have no idea about the plot or even what the movie discusses beyond Superman himself. Christopher Reeve is the ultimate Superman, but witnessing this film coincide with a rebirth of Superman feels like destiny. We didn’t plan it, it just happened to work out that way.”

A destiny he embraced up to attending the premiere of James Gunn’s Superman, which further solidified Christopher Reeve’s legacy: “I paid tribute to him in a way I had never spoken about before,” he shared on Good Morning America on Tuesday, July 8th, the day after the event. “I was wearing his cufflinks.” He left it unsaid whether they bore the famous ‘S’.