HOLLYWOOD KRYPTONITE: Henry Cavill joins long list of actors to be hit by 'Curse of Superman'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Superman is one of the most iconic characters in the comic-book world and has millions of fans across the globe. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Hollywood has wanted to be in on the action from day one and there have been several live-action films based on the Man of Steel. As of 2022, more than 10 actors have portrayed the iconic superhero in movies and TV shows. Some of them have gone on to achieve a lot of success and recognition in their careers. However, a lot of actors who donned the iconic cape went on to have disastrous professional and personal lives.
In recent weeks, we have seen how Henry Cavill has been tossed from one side to the other like a tennis ball with the entire fandom going berserk after the latest news about Cavill’s permanent exit from the DCEU. However, he is not the only actor to be affected by the role. Take a look at the actors who have faced a lot of problems while or after playing the legendary character.
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Brandon Routh was supposed to be Hollywood’s next leading man, but...
In 2006, Warner Bros. stunned everyone when it announced that a relatively unknown actor Brandon Routh would don the iconic cape for ‘Superman Returns’, along with Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. At the time, it was reported that Routh edged past the likes of Cavill, Paul Walker, Brendan Fraser, and Matt Bomer to play the role of the iconic superhero.
People had a lot of hope for the movie, but sadly, the film turned out to be a box-office failure. Despite all the critical acclaim and praise of Routh’s performance, the film just earned over $390 million globally at a production budget of $270 million. When the movie ended its theatrical run, it was evident that there would be no sequel for some time, and Routh’s time as Superman was over as well. Routh was unable to get major roles in movies and his career, which was expected to reach greater heights with ‘Superman Returns’, actually went downhill. He did however reprise the role of Superman in ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’.
Kirk Alyn believes ‘Superman’ success derailed his career
If you don’t know who he is, then you should realize that Kirk Alyn was the first actor to play Superman in a live-action film. In 1948, Alyn donned the costume for the first time ever in ‘Superman’, along with Noel Neill, who was the first ever on-screen Lois Lane. However, success didn’t bring him inner peace because he felt that playing Superman ruined his acting career.
But he did gain recognition in the later part of his life when people started to read more and more comic books. People started to know about the character and Alyn became a sensation. “Playing Superman ruined my acting career and I’ve been bitter for many years about the whole thing. But now, it’s finally starting to pay off,” Los Angeles Times quoted Alyn, as saying. The actor died at the age of 88 in 1999 after developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Lee Quigley, the youngest victim of the 'Superman Curse'
The 1970s belonged to Christopher Reeve and his riveting portrayal of the iconic comic-book character. But Lee Quigley was also one of the integral parts of the franchise. In the 1978 ‘Superman’ movie, Quigley played the role of baby Kal-El and his on-screen parents were played by cinema legends Marlon Brando and Susannah York.
The young man might have tried his luck at acting when he got older. But, alas! Quigley died in 1991 at the age of 14 because of a heart attack. A lot of people believe that it was unfortunate to see such a young man getting affected by the so-called “Superman Curse,” making him the youngest victim of the curse.
Christopher Reeve got paralyzed after tragic accident
If there was a man who was tailor-made for ‘Superman’, then it was Christopher Reeve. He was tall, handsome, charming, and had the physique to play such a strong character. He donned the red cape in the 1978’s ‘Superman: The Movie’. Reeve reprised his role in 1980's Superman 2, 1983's Superman 3, and 1987's ‘Superman 4: The Quest for Peace’. He was undoubtedly one of the most beloved stars in the globe in his prime and had all the traits of becoming one of the greatest actors of all time.
But it seems his close association with the character made it hard for him to find bigger roles as well. Although his career was going well after the ‘Superman’ movie, a tragic accident paralyzed him from the neck down in 1995. The accident took place in 1995 when he was thrown from his horse during an event. His family was his biggest support and never left his side, but he wasn’t able to feel anything initially. Luckily, he regained some movement and sensation in his body after a while and was able to feel the touch of people who embraced him. The actor died in 2004 due to complications raised by the accident.
George Reeve died by suicide from self-inflicted gunshot wound
Probably, George Reeve’s suicide was the first biggest indication that there could be a thing called the ‘Superman Curse’. The actor played the role in the 1951 movie and went on to play the character in the TV series as well. He appeared in 104 episodes and when the show ended, everyone felt that his career would continue to soar. Sadly, things didn’t go as he would have wanted them to. He was struggling to find bigger roles for himself and wasn’t seen in any big movies.
Things took an ugly turn when Reeve’s body was found in his bedroom in June 1959. When examined, it was found that the actor died because of a single gunshot wound to the head. What made the incident even more tragic? He was about to get married. The investigation found that he died by suicide and people started believing that Superman Curse was a reality.
Nicholas Cage could never be Superman
Perhaps the most upsetting thing to have happened in the ‘Superman’ franchise was that the viewers never got to see Nicholas Cage wearing the legendary costume on the big screen. In 1997, it was reported that Cage shot some test footage for the Tim Burton directorial and had the script ready. But everyone believed that Cage didn’t have the universal appeal for the role and the movie was shelved.
The cancellation was the subject of the 2015 documentary ‘The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?’
Henry Cavill came and went and then returned only to get fired
Cavill got the role after a lot of hard work and finally donned the suit for the first time in the 2013 movie ‘Man of Steel’. The movie brought back Superman to the big screen after 2006s ‘Superman Returns’ and Cavill instantly became a fan favorite. The movie received favorable reviews and went on to earn more than $668 million globally. Everyone felt that they found their Superman and when he reprised the role in ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’, there were no doubts that Cavill was the perfect choice. However, the entire ‘Justice League’ fiasco turned out to be lethal for him.
He played the role in the 2017 version of ‘Justice League’, which bombed at the box office, and his future as Superman was unclear. He did wear the costume once again to shoot some additional scenes for Zack Snyder’s 'Justice League' but that didn’t confirm that he will be returning as the Man of Steel. When everyone felt that Cavill would never return as Superman again, they got some hope when they saw him donning the costume for the movie ‘Black Adam’. The actor himself revealed that he would be back as Superman as a new ‘Man of Steel’ film was already in development.
But, just a few weeks after the news, James Gunn announced that he was writing a new Superman, which would focus on the younger days of the superhero. So, Henry Cavill won’t be returning. The star confirmed the news on his official Instagram account and wrote, “I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran and it's sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn't the easiest, but that's life.”
The actor got the role after he auditioned for the 2006 movie and had to wait a long time to wear the costume and no one expected that his tenure would end this way. He came and went, and came again just to be fired from the role. This is embarrassing for any actor and the curse continues to sting whoever plays the character even once in their lives.
