While little new was offered in the way of teasers for the film (all the same promos that have been circulating on "Smallville" and at the San Diego ComicCon were shown again), new information about the film did emerge through a questions and answers session.
When asked about the differences between directing "Superman Returns" and the "X-Men" films, Singer said that the "Superman" project was a bigger film to do – much bigger – and that being shot Down Under made a huge difference in creating the film. And, while "X-Men" was an ensemble cast piece, here Routh plays one person playing three parts, Clark Kent with his mom, Clark Kent in Metropolis, and, of course, Superman. “There’s also an idealism that exists with Superman that doesn’t exist anywhere else,” he added.
What also exists with Superman that other superhero films lack is an iconic figure renowned for playing the title character, Christopher Reeve. Singer and Routh both had to wrestle with questions dealing with this touchy subject. Routh seemed optimistic about taking over the role, seeing Reeve as less an icon than the crowd imagined. Indeed, he claimed that he looked at each incarnation of Superman, whether it be the one made famous by Reeve, the one in comic books, or the one on radio, for example. In other words, each artist who has created an image of Superman adds a “layer of paint” to impossible-to-pin-down original incarnation, even Reeve. So the icon of Reeve is just an image, one of many, with which the young Routh must contend. Singer also saw Reeve as just another in a series of many, which was one reason why Singer cast Routh instead of a well-known actor. “The actor must always be unknown,” he said, because the character of Superman, “more so than any other superhero, is much larger than any one actor. Superman has to feel as though he stepped out of your collective memory of him.” Big name actors have preconceived histories that prevent them from filling the role properly, he added.
Routh spoke at length about the troubles playing Superman in "Superman Returns" brings. For example, he claims that "Superman Returns" deals with an 'evergreen' Superman who often has to “go away for a time” to deal with things, an addition to the character that’s new to the film. “Superman not knowing where he’s from,” said Routh, “needs a moment of Zen to consider what he’s here for.” Then, he’s faced with the fact that, in "Superman Returns," Lois Lane seems to have moved on, with a fiancée and a baby. “This is the quandary Superman must face,” said Routh, “the only unmovable obstacle he must overcome.”
Agreeing with him, Singer added that, in the first scene where Superman and Lois Lane are together, she asks him, “Why are you here?” He responds with the usual, “For truth, justice and the American way.” “This is the moment the character crystallizes for me,” said Singer, “and that did it for me.” He had to direct the film after learning of this scene, he claimed.
Other questions about Routh’s portraying Superman came to the forefront here. The first concerned the supposed “curse of Superman” and whether Routh feared such a thing, to which he laughed and said no. “What curse? Never thought of it. There are a lot of things that have happened to people but I’m not going to let what happened to other people upset me.” In talking about being cast as the superhero, he added that he was honored to have the role and that getting it took 7 months – or 25 years, if you figure in his age. Additionally, he didn’t worry about other, more famous actors getting the part, feeling that this role was right for him, and thus would come to him.
Specifics of the film also arose from discussions. For example we now know that Lex Luthor, played by Kevin Spacey, will not occupy cinematic space at the same time as Superman very often, to make Luthor decidedly more villainous this time around. “There’s a darker sense of who he is,” said Singer, adding that the character had been in jail for a few years, hardening him even more. “He’s more sinister, but he still has his sly sense of humor.”
The size of the 'S' was also made an issue. Apparently, the 'S' must be as small as it is because Routh’s body is not as big as it might be. If you make the 'S' too large on the suit, it starts to take over the chest. But the 'S' should maximize his chest. “This was a way to maximize the body. If it was too big, it would make Superman/Brandon look too small,” said Singer. “There’s a Kryptonian origin to that S and it’s a beautiful icon, depending on lighting scheme.”
In all, WonderCon attendees were thrilled to not only see one of their favorite directors, but also meet the young Routh, a man almost as mysterious as Superman, given his relatively unknown status in the acting world.
