One of the urban legends in Hollywood is The Curse of Superman, which brings tragedies to those who play the hero on film, something that Henry Cavill “has escaped”
In the entertainment industry there are endless legends that surround the film sets or the backstage of the creatives in charge of writing and plotting the comics, and one of these urban legends is The Curse of Superman.
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In Hollywood, seven actors have been responsible for bringing Clark Kent / Superman to life for different series and movies, but most of these actors have been victims of this famous Superman curse, where health or fortune are compromised.
This curse dates back to the 1930s, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sold the rights to the characters, which meant giving up their creation at the time. From that moment, the actor who embodied Superman awaited a tragedy or lack of work.
The first victims
The first actor to embody Superman is Kirk Alyn, who in 1948 donned the suit of the Last Son of Krypton in a film series and the Superman vs. Mole Man special in 1950.
Unfortunately after playing Superman, Alyn did not have a notable job in Hollywood again, only a cameo in Superman 1978 as Lois Lane’s father.
Kirk Alyn passed away in 1999 after battling Alzheimer’s and poor financial resources.
One of the most tragic cases behind the Superman suit was that of George Reeves, who in 1951 was the protagonist of Superman vs The Mole Men, and between 1952 and 1958 starred in The Adventures of Superman.
On June 16, 1959, it was reported the death of George Reevesderived from a shot in the head, which remains a mystery, since there are two lines of investigation in this regard, the strongest indicates passionate problems and revenge.
Although there are versions that affirm that Reeves was depressed for not getting another role in Hollywood, since he was typecast as Superman.
Christopher Reeve: The Greatest Man of Steel and an Unexpected Tragedy
The most relevant case of this ‘Superman curse’ was carried out by Christopher Reeve, who in 1978 played Superman in the film of the same name directed by Richard Donner. Reeve’s resemblance to the hero in the comics captivated fans.
Reeves played Superman three more times between 1980 and 1987, and unlike Kirk Alyn and George Reeves, Reeve was showered with great opportunities in Hollywood to star in movies like Ask Time to Come Back, The Bostonians, and even alternating with the Pimpernel duet in a music video.
But on May 27, 1995 Christopher Reeve suffers an accident while practicing horse riding, where he fell on his head and had two cervical vertebrae fractured and his spinal cord severed, which left him paraplegic and with assisted breathing.
Becoming an example of overcoming, Christopher Reeve He continued his career in Hollywood with special roles and even as a director, as well as becoming involved with a foundation that supported the study of stem cells.
On October 10, 2004, Christopher Reeve died after an infection that deteriorated his body.
No obvious tragedies, but no job opportunities
After Christopher Reeve, two more actors embodied Superman, who although their lives did not have an obvious tragedy, the opportunities in Hollywood never presented themselves in a remarkable way.
The first was Dean Cain, who played Superman for the series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Supermanwhich was broadcast between 1993 and 1997, with 87 chapters divided between five seasons.
After this series, Dean Cain did not achieve recognition in Hollywood, and although he had work in television and film, his name has not appeared in the industry.
In 2006, the big screen received the Man of Steel again in Superman Returns, a film in which Brandon Routh, an actor with a promising career, was the new interpreter of the Man of Steel.
Unfortunately Superman Returns was subject to criticism by the press and fans and a possible sequel was cancelled, something that affected Routh, who never returned to a major film project.
In 2015, Routh once again embodied a DC hero in the Legends of Tomorrow series, and in 2019, he again wore the Superman suit for the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, which helped him “heal” emotional wounds.
Henry Cavill, the only Man of Steel who has eluded the curse
The one who has escaped from this curse of Superman at the moment is the British actor henry cavillwho in 2013 starred in Man of Steel, the reboot of the Superman film franchise and the spearhead for the DC Comics Extended Universe (DCEU)
One of the strengths of Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder, was Cavill’s performance as Superman, in addition to the fact that the actor made history by being the first actor to play the Man of Steel who was not born in the United States.
Cavill returned to embody the Last Son of Krypton in Batman v Superman and Justice League, as well as Zack Snyder’s: Justice League, which opens up the hope of seeing Cavill once again as the Man of Steel.
The native of Wales received new opportunities in the cinema with films such as The Man from UNCLE, Mission: Impossible Fallout, Night Hunter, and the Enola Holmes saga, where he plays the most famous English detective, Sherlock Holmes.
In addition, Cavill is the protagonist of The Witcher series, based on the Geralt of Rivia Saga, which led to the video game The Witcher, as well as a series of comics published by Dark Horse Comics (which you can find in the online store of SMASH).
Sources: El País / IGN / Diario el Dia / Televisa newscasts
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