Reports are stating that James Gunn’s Superman is setting up a beautiful tribute to the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve. According to ComicBook.com, Reeve’s son Will Reeve, who is an ABC correspondent, will have a role in the film as a tribute to the Superman actor.
There’s no word yet on who he’d be playing or what kind of role he will have in the film, but it is making me emotional anyway. I am someone who loves the Christopher Reeve movies very dearly. I used to watch Superman (1978) all the time growing up, and it gifted me a lifelong appreciation for Reeve as an actor.
While movies like Superman Returns, shows like Smallville, and even the crossover specials on shows like The Flash have given Reeve a shout out, the Zack Snyder movies tried to keep the past actors out of new projects.
We don’t know how much of a role Will Reeve will play in the movie, but it is nice to know that Gunn is honoring the legacy of Superman, both with the character and through those who have played him in the past.
The news comes in a year of remembering Reeve’s legacy as the character. The documentary film Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is set to have a theatrical release later in September, and James Gunn talked about how moving it was.
“I saw the stunningly beautiful documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story a couple of weeks ago,” Gunn said when it was announced that Warner Bros. would be releasing it. “It emotionally floored me. Peter and I knew DC Studios needed to be involved and I’m grateful to Peter and our WBD family at Warner Bros., HBO, CNN, and Max having worked so hard to acquire it. It’s a wonderful film by wonderful filmmakers not only for people like me, who love Reeve’s work, but for everyone.”
The documentary and Reeve’s involvement in Superman is special
Reeve’s legacy as Superman is one that means a lot to fans of this character. He is an important part of our understanding of Clark Kent, and many of us wouldn’t have this deep love of the character embedded in us without Reeve’s portrayal. Honoring that by having his son play a role in the new Superman movie just means a lot to me.
This news timed with information on the Christopher Reeve documentary has made me incredibly emotional about the late actor. Will Reeve shared how special the documentary was for him with Variety: “The majority of my memories of my dad involve him after the accident because I was not yet three years old when he was injured. So to see his entire life leading up until that time laid out so poetically and cinematically and authentically by our wonderful directors has been a real gift for me.”
I’d love to see real-life journalist Will Reeve working at the Daily Planet with David Corenswet’s version of Clark Kent. That’d be my dream. He can be their sports correspondent!
