The homage to Christopher Reeve in “Superman 2025” breaks a 21-year-old DC trend

Superman will feature a tribute to Christopher Reeve that will break a 21-year trend in the DC Universe. DC's second attempt at a shared cinematic universe begins with James Gunn's Supermanwhich was recently completed. It will still be a while before post-production begins, as the film is scheduled to be released on July 11, 2025. It will be the first theatrical release for the DC Universe, followed by Supergirl: The Woman of Tomorrow a whole year later, on July 26, 2026.

While story details for Superman remain under wraps for now, but what is certain is that the cast is top-notch. It includes important figures from Superman history such as Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, but also some lesser-known DC characters in their live-action debut, including Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl and Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner. In addition, Superman It was recently confirmed that the Reeve family will have at least one cameo appearance.

Superman 2025 will feature the Reeve family's first cameo appearance in a DC project since Smallville in 2004

Will Reeve will play a news correspondent

It was recently reported that Will Reeve, son of the late Christopher Reeve, will appear in SupermanThe confirmation came after ABC News correspondent Will Reeve was spotted on set during the filming of the movie. Superman will be released next year, It is the first time that a member of the Reeve family has appeared in a DC project since Christopher Reeve himself appeared in Smallville Season 3, episode 17, which aired in April 2004.

Christopher Reeve, who played Superman on the big screen from 1978 to 1987, appeared twice in Smallvillefirst in Season 1, Episode 17, and again in Season 3, Episode 17. His character, Dr. Virgil Swann, was a benevolent scientist with a special interest in Krypton and a confidant of Clark Kent, whose powers he was aware of. In Swann's first appearance, he shared with Clark Kent his knowledge of his Kryptonian heritage and how to best use his powers for good. His last appearance was in an episode aptly titled legacywhich aired six months before his death.

How does Reeves’ cameo fit into “Superman 2025”?

Will Reeve says he will not continue acting

Will Reeve is reportedly applying his real-world experiences to Superman through the portrayal of a reporter on screen. When TMZ asked him about his cameo, Reeve remained coy, only explaining that he had to read a single line and that despite the similarities, the experience was more nerve-wracking than his day job as a correspondent for ABC. He also insisted that he had no plans to pursue a career in acting after his cameo, mentioning:

“I don't think I have what it takes to be an actor… I really don't. I'm very happy with my current job as a correspondent at ABC and will stay there if I have something to say about it.”

Although he has apparently decided not to follow in his father’s acting career, the parallels between Will Reeves’ role in Superman and the title character's job as a journalist. In the same interview, Reeve emphasized that his appearance was a “Blink and you'll miss it” moment, though it remains a touching tribute to his late father, who spent a lot of time on screen as journalist Clark Kent. At least it's an improvement on the last tribute honoring Christopher Reeve on the big screen.

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Why the homage to Christopher Reeve in “Superman 2025” is better than the one to “The Flash”

Christopher Reeve’s cameo appearance in “The Flash” was controversial

2023 The Flash was the DCEU's ill-fated attempt at telling a multiversal story, and became an indication of why some viewers are already tired of the concept. The FlashThe end of featured plenty of cameos as Ezra Miller's Barry Allen traveled through the Speed ​​Force and encountered various depictions of DC heroes throughout time. This included a CGI-rendered posthumous depiction of Christopher Reeve as Superman using archive footage. Aside from the uncanny rendering of Reeve's likeness for the film, The moment raised numerous moral concerns about the use of an actor's likeness after his death.

Reeves Smallville Co-star Jonathan Glover weighed in on the controversy, reiterating his belief that Reeve would have loved to be a part of it, citing his devotion to the DC character and his desire to contribute Smallville. He made it clear that the decision to take a posthumous portrait should be a decision for his survivors. Unfortunately, it was later announced in January 2024 that none of Reeves' children were consulted in the decision to include his Superman In The Flash.

By portraying Reeves’ son Will in SupermanJames Gunn tastefully honors Reeve's legacy without creating the same moral dilemma. It's also a respectful move to ensure that Will Reeve also embodies a role he is very familiar with. Regardless, given Gunn's opinion on superhero cameos, it's safe to assume that Will Reeve's cameo will be the only one, if not one of very few, that will appear in Superman.

Superman (2025)

Written and directed by James Gunn, Superman is the first film in Warner Bros.' rebooted DC Universe to focus on the titular comic book hero. It introduces a new version of the Man of Steel after Henry Cavill left the role and celebrates the character's roots as “the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way of life.”

Release date

July 11, 2025

Sales Partner

Warner Bros. Pictures

Pour

David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, María Gabriela De Faría, Edi Gathegi, Nicholas Hoult, Frank Grillo, Nathan Fillion, Milly Alcock, Sara Sampaio, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Skyler Gisondo, Anthony Carrigan, Wendell Pierce, Beck Bennett, Sean Gunn

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