In 1948, Kirk Alyn debuted in movie serials as the Man of Steel, Superman! However, this project hit several hiccups before ever landing on the big screen.
Including the idea that you couldn’t adapt comic superhero effectively. As there had been several failures in the past.
Not only that, but Alyn was also disputed as the whether or not he could pull off the character. The studio even claimed no one wanted the role of Superman.
Also, Superman wasn’t the leading man he is today. It wasn’t his movie in theaters people went to see. His serial was just an appetizer before the movie premiered in the theater.
It’s wild how far we’ve come since 1948.
Unlike in 1948 or later in 1952 when George Reeves took on the role. It was a career death sentence instead of the honor it was to David Corenswet and others in recent years.
Corenswet said multiple times while promoting the movie that he never believed he’d get the role. That it was an honor and privilege to play this character.
To step into the history and be part of it for all time.
Except, it wasn’t always like that. Superman was once a joke.
A punchline.
A career-ending blow that may or may not have driven one actor to his death.
Would you believe that?
George Reeves initially refused to take the role for several reasons in 1952. He thought it would hurt his ‘serious’ acting career. He would never get the roles he wanted or be taken seriously as an actor again.
He believed he would be typecast. That people would only see Superman when they looked at him. Thus, no film company would want to hire ‘Superman’ for their more serious productions he had been trying for so long to capture.
He thought it would end his career.
And it did.
By the time the series ended, Reeves had little money to show for it. The few attempts he had made to break into the movie industry were dashed when test audiences got excited over seeing Superman in the film. Ultimately, leading to his cut from that movie before it was publicly released.
He was typecast, broke, and uncertain whether he would ever be the film star he ever dreamed to be.
If he could have turned this around, the world will never know because of his untimely end. Whether by his own hand, driven with grief over his failed career or murder. Either way.
Little did George Reeves know he would go down in history. Though not as intended.
Superman had only been created in 1938. He had been in the world for 14 years by the time he’s cast as the Man of Steel in a tv show.
TV is considered lower acting, unlike films in history, and Superman has never shined in any real way beyond radio.
How could he know it would be his most famous role?
Given the circumstances, I can’t blame him for thinking it was a career ender. Or for production companies feeling uncertain about whether or not to take a chance on Superman Serials.
There is literally no basis or history for their success. It’s uncharted waters no one was sure they wanted to dip a toe into. And most of the people who did dip into it, were certain while it may be successful, it would never lead to stardom.
Yet years later, David Corenswet is one of the most talked about actors in the world with his Superman movie having just landed this year.
What changed?
Superman: The Movie in 1978.
The Salkinds and Donner wanted to make a superhero movie based on Superman. They wanted a large budget to make an epic movie and treat it with the seriousness they felt the character deserved.
While many, many people said this would never work. If inflated to today’s prices, that Superman movie would be the highest grossing Superman movie ever. It was a hit at the time.
They cast an unknown as Superman, Christopher Reeve, and he treated it with the care they wanted.
He didn’t see the role as a career ender, even though it was still entirely possible.
The landscape of movies, while changing, held no superhero movies.
The entire genre everyone is wondering whether or not we’re fatigued over today, didn’t exist in 1978.
Christopher Reeve, the Salkinds, and Donner started the genre we love today. They took one of the most popular comic characters of the time and gave him his own movie.
At 40 years old essentially, Superman launched the iconic genre we know today. Where it’s treated as seriously as any other movie. Given a large budget, with amazing actors, and so on.
Again, there was no precedent for success either. No one had tried this before and everyone on the project was told they were crazy for trying.
Until the movie landed in theaters and the world ‘believed a man could fly.’
Audiences were filled with joy and hope as Reeve smiled and charmed everyone with his Superman.
He was the epitome of the character. His warmth, kindness, and gentle grace filled the screen and audiences’ hearts. For the very first time, Superman was the talk of the theater. He was the movie to beat that year.
Everyone believed in him, and it changed the world of superheroes forever.
Since Superman’s debut in Action Comics in 1938 to 1978, 40 years pass with only three men playing the character. Two of which feeling this was a waste of time and did nothing for their careers. Ironically, it is the role they are most remembered for since the character has gone on to be an icon.
Christopher Reeve felt he was taking a change but thought it to be worth the risk.
Following his successful movie in 1978, Reeve went on to make three more movies to varying degrees of success. However, it kept the character at the forefront of audiences’ minds, making him more and more invaluable as a product.
With the success of Superman: The Movie. The Salkinds use the rights they still have claim to, to create a TV series dubbed Superboy. Initially it stars John Haymes Newton for the first season, then he is replaced by Gerard Christopher for the remainder of the series in 1989.
This show runs until ABC decides they want to do a TV show as well with Superman as the main character alongside Lois Lane and have it be about their romance.
Superboy is cancelled and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman premieres in the fall of 1993 to a lot of fanfare.
Both shows ran for four seasons and are praised for different reasons. However, they prove that while neither of them lasted as long as George Reeves show, they proved Superman was a popular product.
Superboy was cancelled in it’s peak and would have carried on if not for licensing issues.
Lois and Clark could not say the same, however, it remained in the minds of many as it played repeats for many subsequent years. Thus, cementing itself in Superman history.
And for the first time, no one thought this was the kiss of death for their career. They all truly believed Superman would only benefit their careers. Put their names into everyone’s minds.
Make them famous.
Not typecast.
Cement them in a history unlike any other.
In 2001 the WB launched Smallville, promising that people wouldn’t see Superman in his tights. Nor would he fly. It would be set in his teen years as he learns about his powers and where he comes from.
This held true, for ten years.
I doubt that anyone saw this show lasting for ten years, but once again Superman sets the stage.
All those superhero TV shows you love so much like Daredevil, Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Gotham? Well, they wouldn’t be here without Smallville.
Once again, Superman takes a leap no one else does. It writes a show where on a weekly basis we follow what Superman is up to. How he becomes who he is and his elongated origin story.
Michael Rosenbaum spoke about Smallville starting everything on his podcast, Inside of You, when there was a list of the greatest superhero shows and Smallville didn’t make the list. It started everything. It redefined the genre just like the movie in 1978 did.
And here’s the interesting thing as well, Tom Welling refused the role multiple times.
Not because of a curse or because of career death, he knew the kind of fame it would bring to his doorstep. The work, the time, and energy a role like this would require.
For the first time, someone was scared off because it would be too overwhelming to go down in forever history as Superman. Even if he wasn’t playing Superman himself. As Tom Welling has pointed out a great many times, he’s playing Clark Kent.
Eventually, he agreed to the role, but it was exactly as exhausting as he expected.
It’s taken him years to circle back around to the character and feel some positive emotions about Smallville which sucked up a large portion of his life and energy to create. A role he once promised to never return to, because of the exhaustion he felt. However, he did return in 2019 for the Arrowverse Crossover Event.
Today, it feels like an honor to him.
Then, he wondered if the honor was worth all the sacrifices he would make.
From 1938 to 1978, three men played Superman. From 1978 to 2018, another 40 years have gone by but seven actors have taken up the title. More than doubling the previous 40 years.
Superman went from being the kiss of death to one of the most sought after roles.
Brandon Routh lands the job for the 2006 movie and accepts the role despite potential curse rumors. He also auditioned for the role in Smallville but ultimately lost to Tom Welling.
Henry Cavill takes the role for the 2013 movie after failing to get the role in Superman Flyby and Superman Returns. Talk about commitment to getting the part.
People pondered and speculated endlessly about who would wear the cape in Supergirl’s TV show. It was one of the most anticipated moments in the show after it was teased all season one.
Tyler Hoechlin lands the role, admitting he thought it would be more likely for him to end up as Batman in his career than ever play Superman.
The role has become so elusive to people, most assume now they’ll never get it. Or they try multiple times for multiple projects to play the part.
Even in the 90s, Gerard Christopher auditioned for the role of Superman for Lois & Clark after Superboy was cancelled. He even won the role until they found out he had previously played the character. Thus, he was passed over. Too bad, he’s an excellent Superboy, and I would have loved to see more of his take on the character.
Thousands of people auditioned for the role of Superman for the 2025 movie, including the man who would ultimately play Lex Luthor. David Corenswet never imagined he would get the role, nor does he seem to believe it now even after having made the movie!
It’s wild to think that Superman was once considered a death sentence to a career, when now it can be the very role to launch careers. It’s crazy to think people rejected the role while actors clamoring over it now.
Superman has come a long way since his debut in comics and on the silver screen.
I also want to take a moment and thank each and every actor for their portrayal of the character. Even when they got the short end of the stick or it ended careers. Everyone has brought something unique to this character and his history. Regardless, they each deserve praise for doing the very best they could.
Thank you for reading! See you next Superhero Sunday!
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