The Many Faces Of Superman (2016 Update)

Faster then a speeding bullet?  Check.  More powerful than a locomotive?  Certainly.  Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?  With ease.  But besides heat vision, x-ray vision, and super hearing, there is another power Superman has which doesn’t often get the credit it deserves.  In a pop culture where fads come and go and the mainstream is constantly changing, the Man of Steel has managed to stay both popular and relevant 75 years after his creation.  Not bad for a guy who wears a cape!

Superman was the creation of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.  He first appeared in Action Comics #1 in June of 1938.  The issue cost 10 cents on the newsstand when it came out.  Today, a copy in mint condition would command hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Superman was a hit, and his own comic book series soon followed.  Today, even though a reboot with a new #1 in 2011 meant the series didn’t appear to go for 900+ issues anymore, Action Comics is still going strong with Superman as its star, and he appears in many other DC Comics titles on a regular basis.

The character of Superman was first brought to life by Bud Collyer, not on television but on the radio, when the Man of Steel got his own radio show in 1940.  Since the audience couldn’t see him, Bud made the distinction between Clark Kent and Superman by varying the tone and pitch of his voice, using a much lower and deeper voice for Superman.

The first time that audiences would thrill to their hero’s adventures on the big screen would come in animated form when a series of shorts by the Fleischer brothers came to theaters in 1941.  These Oscar-nominated cartoons used an animation technique called rotoscoping, which involved tracing over the movements of a live actor to achieve a very realistic quality.  Fans would find the voice of this first animated Superman quite familiar, as Bud Collyer continued to play the part here as well.

The first actor to don the tights and play a live-action Superman on screen was Kirk Alyn, who played the title character in two multi-part movie serials, “Superman” in 1948 and “Atom Man vs. Superman” in 1950.  The special effects of the day were still very limited, so any time Superman needed to fly, an animated version of the character would sub in for Alyn!  Thirty years after his debut, Kirk made a cameo appearance in the 1978 “Superman” film, playing the father of a young Lois Lane.

In 1951 Superman appeared again, this time in the form of actor George Reeves, in “Superman and The Mole Men.”  The film’s success led to a weekly TV series, “The Adventures of Superman,” with Reeves continuing the title role.  After two seasons, the show made the transition from black and white to color, making Reeves the first actor to appear to fans in the classic red and blue instead of simply shades of gray!  Reeves also made a notable in-costume guest appearance on “I Love Lucy” in 1957.  Tragically, Reeves died in 1959 after apparently committing suicide, though some believe he was murdered.  The life and mysterious death of George Reeves is explored in the 2006 film, “Hollywoodland,” starring Ben Affleck as George Reeves.  Even though Affleck technically plays Reeves and not Superman, we do get to see the former “Daredevil” star in the Superman suit at several points in the movie. This would not be the last time that Mr. Affleck would portray a superhero on screen… but more on that in a moment!

The next attempt at a television outing would have delved into the early years of our hero, “The Adventures of Superboy”.  A pilot episode was filmed, but a series never followed.  The 1961 pilot starred John Rockwell as Clark Kent/Superboy, and featured a costume very similar to the George Reeves version.  The formerly unreleased pilot was recently made available for fans to see as part of the “Smallville” complete series DVD collection.

Superman got animated again starting in 1966, in “The New Adventures of Superman.”  The series would later pair Superman with other costumed crimefighters when it evolved into “The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure” in 1967, and “The Superman/Batman Hour” in 1968.  All throughout these incarnations, Bud Collyer returned to provide Superman’s voice, earning him an impressive 28 year career voicing the Man of Steel!  These shows would occasionally feature segments involving Superboy, with Bob Hastings providing the voice.  Fans of animated superhero tales would later come to know Hastings as the voice of Commissioner Gordon on “Batman: The Animated Series” in the 1990s!

Superman flew from screen to stage in 1966, with the Broadway musical “It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, It’s Superman”!  The stage version starred Bob Holiday in the title role, while a TV special adaptation in 1975 starred David Wilson.  The special had a campy tone in the style of the 1960s “Batman” TV series, complete with “Bam!”, “Biff!” and “Pow!” type effects during the fight scenes.

From 1977 to 1986, the heroes of the DC Comics Justice League came to the airwaves in the form of the “Super Friends” cartoons.  The various seasons of the show, under the names “The All New Super Friends Hour,” “The Challenge of the Super Friends,” and “Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show” combined the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, and others against a host of their enemies.  Voice actor Danny Dark provided the voice of Superman throughout all these incarnations of the show.

In 1978, Superman would finally make his triumphant return to the silver screen in “Superman: The Movie,” the film that made audiences believe a man could fly.  Christopher Reeve stepped into the costume and brought Superman to life for a whole new generation of fans.  Reeve was far from the only actor considered for the role, however.  Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Charles Bronson and even Arnold Schwarzenegger were among the many actors who either tested or were considered for the part.  Director Richard Donner felt that the role should go to an unknown actor, and Reeve, who had previously appeared in only one film and a soap opera, seemed born to play Superman.  Surprisingly, Reeve doesn’t actually appear until almost an hour into the film.  The part of the young Clark Kent in Smallville is played by Jeff East, although it’s actually Christopher Reeve’s voice dubbed in speaking the lines.

Christopher Reeve would go on to reprise the role of Superman for three more films: “Superman II” in 1980, “Superman III” in 1983, and “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” in 1987.

In May of 1995 Reeve suffered a tragic accident when he fell off a horse and was paralyzed from the neck down.  In the years that followed, he gave the world a whole new definition of the word superhero with his tireless crusade to walk again, instilling hope in millions of people once more.  During this time he continued to act and direct, appearing in a remake of the film “Rear Window,” and in two landmark episodes of “Smallville” as Dr. Virgil Swann.  Reeve passed away in 2004, but his legacy lives on in the eyes of fans everywhere who will always see him as a true superhero.

A short-lived but popular Superman cartoon by Ruby Spears was the next animated version of the character, in 1988.  Here, Superman was voiced by Beau Weaver.  Weaver would later voice Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four in several Marvel cartoons in the 1990s.

Multiple actors got to don the tights and cape when the stories of a young Superman came to the small screen, also in 1988!  The live-action “Superboy” TV show initially starred John Haymes Newton in the title role.  However, due to a falling-out with the show’s producers, he was replaced after the first season.  Gerard Christopher assumed the role starting in season two, and carried it until the end of the show’s run in 1992.  In an issue of Wizard magazine, John Haymes Newton expressed regret that he played the part with such an “anti-Chris Reeve” attitude, deliberately trying to make Clark seem “not-nerdy.”  When Gerard Christopher took over the part, he brought more of the familiar bumbling shyness to the superhero’s secret identity.  Newton has since appeared on “Desperate Housewives,” alongside former Lois Lane Teri Hatcher.

A special two-part episode in the third season of “Superboy,” titled “The Road To Hell,” featured two more actors playing the part.  Joel Carlson played an alternate reality version of Superboy, and Ron Ely played an adult Superman, giving Superboy a possible glimpse into his future.  Ely was no stranger to playing superhero types, having previously played both Doc Savage and Tarzan!

Gerard Christopher almost had another chance to step into the blue and red tights, when he auditioned for “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.”  As he explained to Wizard magazine at one time, the producers were all set to hire him, not realizing he had previously starred in “Superboy.”  Once they discovered that he had “done this already,” they turned him down!

The actor who finally landed the role of Clark on “L&C” was Dean Cain, a former football player for the Buffalo Bills whose previous acting credits included “Beverly Hills 90210” and “A Different World.”  The series put the focus more on Clark Kent than his heroic alter-ego.  As Clark says in the episode “Tempus Fugitive,” “Superman is what I can do.  Clark is who I am.”  The series debuted in 1993 and ran for four seasons.  During that time, Dean also wrote two episodes of the series, “Season’s Greedings” and “Virtually Destroyed,” both of which were fan favorites.  Years later Dean would make a guest appearance on “Smallville” as Dr. Curtis Knox, a villain who seemed to owe something of his origin to DC Comics villain Vandal Savage. Even more recently, Dean has appreared in several episodes of the CBS “Supergirl” TV series, playing Kara Zor-El’s adoptive father Jeremiah Danvers. He even appeared this week!

In 1996, the creators of the popular “Batman: The Animated Series” set their sights on DC’s big blue boyscout, and launched “Superman: The Animated Series.”  The series had a visual style reminiscent of the Fleischer cartoons, and their take on Clark Kent was similar to the George Reeves version.  Tim Daly, of “Wings” fame, provided Superman’s voice.  Daly has reprised the role many times since then for animated Superman films and video games.  Actor Jason Marsden supplied the voice for a younger Clark Kent in Smallville in the pilot episode, as well as the time-travel episode “New Kids in Town.”  Marsden appeared on many sitcoms in the 1990s, including “Boy Meets World,” “Step by Step,” and “Full House.”

In 2000, Superman appeared in a two-part episode of “Batman Beyond,” a spin-off from “Batman: The Animated Series” set 50 years in the future.  The producers wanted Superman to have an older, more mature sounding voice, and turned to actor Christopher McDonald.  Dedicated fans caught the significance of the casting, as McDonald had voiced Jor-El in the pilot episode of “Superman: The Animated Series.”

In 2001, Batman and Superman rejoined some of those super friends of theirs for Cartoon Network’s “Justice League,” which once again banded together Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern and more.  Tim Daly was unable to reprise the Superman role as he was starring as Dr. Richard Kimble in the “Fugitive” TV series.  George Newbern stepped in as Superman, having previously appeared in “Father of the Bride Part II,” and episodes of “Friends.”  Newbern continued the role when the series evolved into “Justice League Unlimited,” a spin-off that saw dozens of new heroes joining up with the League.

Also in 2001, the story of Superman’s youth was revisited when “Smallville” flew to the WB network (which later became the CW).  Tom Welling played the part of a young Clark Kent growing up in rural Kansas, coming to terms with his evolving powers and the destiny that lay before him.  Setting Welling apart from the other live-action stars was the show’s “no flights, no tights” rule, which meant that fans didn’t get to see the series star in the spandex and cape.  Over the course of the series Welling also got to play Bizarro, a young Jor-El (in a flashback episode), and Clark Luthor (an alternate reality version of Clark who was raised by Lex’s father).  Malkolm Alburqueneque played a young Clark in the pilot episode and in the episode “Lineage.”  Another, uncredited child actor played a young Clark in “Vengeance.”  Jackson Warris played Clark in a flashback scene in the episode “Abyss.”  Tom Welling has appeared in feature films including “The Fog” and two “Cheaper by the Dozen” movies.  He also directed several episodes in the later seasons of “Smallville.”

In 2004, comedian Jerry Seinfeld appeared in a series of American Express commercials alongside an animated incarnation of Superman.  Superman’s voice was provided by Patrick Warburton, who had previously played David Puddy on “Seinfeld.”  Warburton also played another superhero, The Tick, on the live-action Fox television series, “The Tick.”  He currently voices Joe Swanson on “Family Guy.”

For a long road stretching back almost through to 1987’s “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace”, Warner Brothers sought to bring Superman back to the big screen.  The franchise passed through the hands of writers like Kevin Smith and J.J. Abrams, directors like Tim Burton, McG and Brett Ratner, and stars including Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Josh Hartnett, Ashton Kutcher, Jared Padalecki, and even Jim Caviezel of “The Passion of the Christ” and “Person Of Interest” fame. Some names were only mentioned as hopefuls but never went into negotiations.  Others, like Nicholas Cage, were practically ready to step in front of the camera (photos of Cage in a prototype suit recently surfaced online, and they’re not pretty).  But for various reasons, be it a weak script, an astronomical budget, or just bad timing, Warner Brothers could not seem to get a new Superman movie to take flight.

Finally, the chance to direct the next Superman film was given to Bryan Singer, director of “The Usual Suspects” and two “X-Men” films.  Like Richard Donner before him, Singer insisted that the title role should go to an unknown actor.  Brandon Routh, a former soap opera star like Christopher Reeve, landed the leading role in Singer’s 2006 “Superman Returns.”  The film followed the Reeve films closely in tone, style, and storyline, with much of the backstory of “Returns” borrowing heavily on what was established in the previous films.  As such, Routh’s performance echoed Reeve’s closely, with an almost startling similarity at times.  At the Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con in 2013, Routh said that the only thing he consciously borrowed from Reeve was the way he pushed his glasses up when he was playing Clark Kent, but that he was certainly influenced by Reeve’s performance as he was the Superman that Routh grew up with.  Also appearing in “Superman Returns” was young actor Stephan Bender, who played a 15 year old Clark Kent in a flashback sequence.

A sequel to “Superman Returns” was discussed, but fell apart early in the planning stages.  Bryan Singer has stated that the sequel would have seen Superman fighting Brainiac.  Although Brandon Routh did not get the chance to don Superman’s cape for a second outing, he currently portrays another DC superhero on TV; he can be regularly seen as Dr. Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom, on “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.”  He has also played that character on episodes of “Arrow” and “The Flash.”

In the fall of 2006, a new animated series called “Legion of Super-Heroes” premiered on the CW network.  The series featured a young Superman, just starting out in his role as a superhero, being transported into the 31st century.  There, he hones and refines his powers while teaming up with such colorful characters as Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, and Cosmic Boy.  When the show returned for a second season, Superman returned again to the 31st century, this time with a few years of experience under his belt.  Superman was voiced here by Yuri Lowenthal.

In 2007, Superman made a guest appearance alongside the Dark Knight in a two-part episode of the animated series “The Batman.”  George Newbern once again gave voice to Superman here.  The series had several other super-connections, with Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”) and Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan on “Smallville”) providing guest voices in a couple of episodes.

Warner Brothers and DC Comics released a series of direct-to-DVD animated movies beginning in 2007 with “Superman: Doomsday,” a loose adaptation of the “Death of Superman” storyline from the 1990s comics.  Adam Baldwin provided the voice of Superman in the film.  Later installments in the animated DVD series included “Justice League: The New Frontier,” based on the mini-series by writer/artist Darwyn Cooke, with Kyle MacLachlan voicing Superman; “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths,” based on Grant Morrison’s “JLA: Earth 2,” featuring Mark Harmon as Superman; an adaptation of Morrison’s “All-Star Superman,” with James Denton as Superman; and “Superman: Unbound,” based on a story by Geoff Johns, which saw Matt Bomer in the title role.  Tim Daly voiced Superman again in “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies,” “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse,” and “Justice League: Doom.”  George Newbern reprised the role for “Superman vs. The Elite,” as well as a short called “Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam” which was included as part of the “DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection” DVD.  Superman also appeared in the animated adaptation of “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,” voiced by Mark Valley.  “Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox,” introduced Tim Daly’s son, Sam Daly, as the voice of Kal-El in that outing.  “Justice League: War,” which adapts the first Justice League storyline from DC’s “New 52” line-wide relaunch, featured Alan Tudyk as Superman, while “Justice League: Throne of Atlantis” saw Jerry O’Connell lend his voice to the Man of Steel.  Finally, “Justice League: Gods and Monsters” had Benjamin Bratt voicing Superman.

In 2008, Batman received the animated TV treatment yet again in the series “Batman: The Brave And The Bold,” a series that showcased the titular hero regularly teaming up with various heroes from across the DC Universe.  Superman appeared in a handful of episodes.  He was voiced this time by Roger Rose, whose voiceover work is frequently heard in network promos, documentaries, and announcing award shows.

In 2010 a new animated series called “Young Justice” premiered on Cartoon Network.  The series focused on a team of teenage superheroes that included Superboy, Aqualad, Nightwing, Kid Flash, and Red Arrow/Speedy among others.  In this incarnation Superboy was a clone of the adult Superman, much like the version in the modern Superman comics.  Actor Nolan North lent his voice to both the teenage Superboy and the adult Superman on this series.  North has also provided voices for “Wolverine and the X-Men,” “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” and “Transformers: Prime,” among many other shows.

Since Superman last left the big screen in 2006, the superhero presence at the movies has only continued to grow.  Two “Dark Knight” entries, a Spider-Man reboot, a couple of X-Men related films, and a whole slew of Marvel movies that led up to the blockbuster “The Avengers” have all come and gone since Brandon Routh played Superman in “Superman Returns.”  For many fans, the time seems right for Superman to fly across the silver screen once again.

“Man Of Steel,” the first Superman movie not to actually include the character’s name in the title (much like “Dark Knight” and “Dark Knight Rises” did not include the name “Batman”), was released in June of 2013.  Henry Cavill, known for his role as Charles Brandon on the TV series “The Tudors,” stepped into the cape and tights to bring Superman to life.  The movie was directed by Zack Snyder, who previously directed two other comic-book-to-film adaptations: “300” and “Watchmen.”  The film gave audiences Superman in action in a much bigger way than ever before, most likely in direct response to criticism that “Superman Returns” did not see Superman throw a single punch.  This very fact seemed to divide audiences, however.  While some fans saw a revamped hero who felt right at home in the modern era of big-blockbuster action movies, others felt that the darker, bleaker tone of this incarnation was a bit too grim for a Superman movie.  Still, it was hard to deny that Cavill fit the part, bringing a quiet confidence to the role.

In 2014, several DC heroes, including Superman, appeared in “The Lego Movie.”  The Lego incarnation of Superman was voiced by Channing Tatum, who is slated to play the X-Men character Gambit in an upcoming film. Tatum’s wife, Jenna Dewan Tatum, currently plays Lois Lane’s sister Lucy on “Supergirl.”

Superman would next be seen (sort of!) on the 2015 CBS “Supergirl” TV series.  From some of the same creators as the popular “Flash” and “Arrow” TV shows on the CW, “Supergirl” brought the adventures of the big blue boy scout’s cousin to network television each week.  And, although Superman’s presence is felt on the show and he is referred to quite often, he is only seen in quick glimpses or in silhouette.  (Though he is uncredited, imdb lists actor Kevin Caliber as playing the part.)   A young Kal-El appears in a dreamworld sequence in the episode “For The Girl Who Has Everything,” played by Daniel DiMaggio.

In March of 2016, Henry Cavill’s Superman flies back to the movie screen, and this time he’s not alone.  Although Batman and Superman have crossed paths many times in the comics as well as animated movies and TV shows, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” marks the first time they will be portrayed together in live action.  Director Zack Snyder returns to helm “the greatest gladiator match in the history of the world,” as Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor so enthusiastically proclaims in the trailer.  Ben Affleck plays Batman/Bruce Wayne, making him the only actor to have played both Superman (well, George-Reeves-playing-Superman if you want to get picky, in the aforementioned “Hollywoodland”) and Batman on the big screen.  The film will serve as a lead-in to a larger DC cinematic universe, building towards “Justice League: Part One” in 2017 and “Justice League: Part Two” in 2019.

In a world where the public’s tastes are constantly changing, Superman has proven to truly possess powers far beyond those of mortal men.  From a ten cent comic book in 1938 to today’s blockbuster movies and hit TV shows, more than a dozen actors have given life to this iconic character, inspiring generations of children to wear a towel on their back like a cape and pretend that they’re faster than a speeding bullet, instilling hope in people who need an ideal to look up to, and giving the world a hero in times of need.  During the nearly eight decades since Superman’s creation, there has never been a span of more than a few years without the character appearing in a TV series, a cartoon, or a film.  Even in the times when Superman is absent from the media, his fans still sport his S-shield on t-shirts, bumper stickers, and tattoos.  His logo is seen in countries all over the world, places where English is not even spoken.  He is more than a pop culture phenomenon.  He is Superman, and he is truly a Man of Steel.  It is safe to say he will inspire us to look up in the sky for years to come.

You can find Russ Dimino’s classic Many Faces columns from KryptonSite here. Hopefully he’ll do some more updates!