Somehow, Richard Donner’s beloved 1978 Superman: The Movie didn’t spawn a successful franchise. A lovingly made celebration of the Man of Steel, featuring arguably the most perfectly cast superhero movie lead of all time in Christopher Reeve, immediately ran into directorial, financial, and creative trouble with its sequel, and the franchise ultimately sputtered out with 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
But Donner’s vision and Reeve’s performance were so definitive that they’ve influenced every new take on Superman since, from comics to TV and back to the big screen. But fans still dream of what other, better sequels could have looked like, and DC has answered the question with Superman ’78 by Robert Venditti and Wilfredo Torres.
Venditti, a longtime comics writer with wildly successful runs on characters like Hawkman, Green Lantern, and, yes, Superman under his belt, has always had an affinity for the Reeve era.
But Donner’s vision and Reeve’s performance were so definitive that they’ve influenced every new take on Superman since, from comics to TV and back to the big screen. But fans still dream of what other, better sequels could have looked like, and DC has answered the question with Superman ’78 by Robert Venditti and Wilfredo Torres.
Venditti, a longtime comics writer with wildly successful runs on characters like Hawkman, Green Lantern, and, yes, Superman under his belt, has always had an affinity for the Reeve era.
- 5/16/2022
- by Mike Cecchini
- Den of Geek
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