The birth of hope (1938)
On April 18, 1938, one year after Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholsm and magazine distributors funded Detective Comics, Inc., Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster created Superman for the first ever issue of Action Comics, before Superman got a series named after him.
In the original concept, he was not raised by the Kents and was, in fact, an orphan. His character was described and portrayed as selfless, always smiling. Perfectly embodying the good boy scout persona.
Exiting the pages (1940-1947)
The success of Action Comics broke barriers in which the adventures of Superman were now broadcasted via radio. In 1941 a technicolor 10-minute short, “Superman vs the Mad Scientist,” was pitched and produced by Fleischer Studios, known for their work on the character, Popeye. This short was nominated for the 1941 Academy Awards for best short subject: cartoons. Having a radio show and series made less than a decade after debuting is a big deal.
TV killed movie serials, but not Superman (1948-1952)
Movie serials were 15-20 minute films that occurred weekly and became trendy with younger audiences – and Superman was a must see whenever he got his own screening. Despite being played by Kirk Alyn, when it came to the marketing and announcing of the cast, Alyn was only referred to as Superman to keep the illusion of the character being a real persona.
Unfortunately, with the introduction of television, movie serials began to lose interest to the public and their era came to an end. Luckily for Superman, ABC Network acquired the rights to produce a live action Superman TV series called the “Adventures of Superman,” (1952) in which Superman was played by George Reeves.
A Superman both in and out of the set (1968-1995)
Warner Bros acquired DC Comics in 1969 and years later went on to publish and direct “Superman: The Movie” in 1978, starring iconic actor Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel himself, and co-starring Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor) and Margot Kidder (Lois Lane). Reeve took the mantle of Superman for a total of four films that went until 1987. Reeve’s performance was considered magical, as he was able to play not just a hero, but a man who hides his identity.
There is a famous scene where Clark Kent takes off his glasses while adjusting his poster, in which Reeves gives the audience a glimpse of his acting by quickly alternating between shy and nerdy to brave and courageous.
Cinematic rebirth 2013-2017
By the 21st century, movies had become a mainstream form of media where any character was able to achieve a realistic adaptation thanks to visual effects and CGI. Marvel Studios had become successful with their films, such as “Spiderman” and “The Avengers,” which was able to link previous characters and films into a cinematic universe – and DC wanted a taste. What better to start a DC cinematic universe with none other than Superman. Thus giving us 2013’s “Man of Steel” which starred British actor Henry Cavill.
Hope reincarnated once again 2025
After firing director James Gunn, Marvel proceeded to greenlight his last project, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3,” which left fans brokenhearted, due to its compelling storytelling and characters. Gunn went on to pursue other projects, one of them was a reattempt at “Suicide Squad.” Despite not meeting the expectations in terms of box office sales, it did give DC fans a thrill of a good time. In October 2022, James Gunn had officially become co-CEO of DC studios at Warner Bros and is set to reattempt DC’s cinematic universe his way. A year had gone by, and Gunn had announced several projects for DC during a slate.
“DC has been disconnected in film and television for a long time, and it’s one of our jobs… to come in and make sure… that the characters are consistent, played by the same actors and it works within one story,” Gunn said in a video on Instagram, discussing the future plans and projects for DC.
One of those projects is “Superman,” which hits theaters July 11.
