Brandon Routh on Working with Kevin Spacey in "Superman Returns:" “Kevin was great. Kevin would say, ‘You know, sometimes it’s a crazy life that we have that we get to be actors.’ He was looking ahead. As soon as he wrapped we said congratulations and he was out the door. He had to hop on a plane to London to be in a play.
It’s a great thing to deal with working with that caliber of actor on my first film. The whole cast was pretty big.”
Director Bryan Singer Knows What Audience He Needs to Satisfy: Asked which is more difficult, making sure the studio is happy or keeping comic book fans satisfied, Singer was quick to respond, “I feel more pressure from the comic book community. I serve the comic book community. The studio understands my responsibilites and supports me 100%.”
On Previous Incarnations of the “Superman” Script: It was pointed out that Kevin Smith and JJ Abrams were both in attendance at WonderCon and both had worked on previous versions of the “Superman” script. Questioned on whether he’d spoken to either Smith or Abrams while in San Francisco, Singer said, “Kevin I know, but I have not spoken to him since I got here. I don’t know JJ.”
Routh said, “I just met him today. He says he’s excited to see the film. He was part of the beginning of the process for me, because when I came on it was with his script. The first time I developed Superman for the camera was with that script.”
The Campy Humor of “Superman:” “There’s a bit of a nod to that. It's one of the reasons that I cast Kevin,” offered Singer. “He has that wonderful ability to bridge the line between whimsical humor and sinister in his performance. And I think with Lex it’s kind of fun to be able to explore both sides.
In terms of films I’ve made, it’s certainly the most humorous - and romantic. So there’s humor and I hope we've held over the best bits from the Richard Donner and Gene Hackman interpretation, but we also have the potentially sadistic Lex Luthor.”
Bryan Singer on Living Up to Expectations: “Well, first of all my goal is to make a good film and try to be open about the process. We have an Internet presence and I think you begin by working with the core audience, the fans, and work your way up from there. Primarily, the goal is to just make a good film. If the film's good, then the expectations will be met. I'm not trying to compete with anything. It's why I'm not remaking 'Superman: The Movie.' This is a sequel, if you will.”
Why Now’s the Right Time for “Superman Returns:” “The time felt right to re-experience this character. It’s time to address and celebrate, in some way, people’s connection to Superman, and how the character has evolved from 1938 to now. In some way celebrate that. Some of it will look familiar physically and emotionally, and some of it will be new,” explained Singer.
“There’s a lot of discussion about 'is it the right time?' There are many who are huge fans of Christopher Reeve’s performance and don't want anyone else to come in and attempt to recreate that, which is not what we’re doing,” said Routh. “But with that in mind, I think what's important for everyone to learn is that there's always a time for change. Instead of always thinking that things will change for the worse, there are a lot of things that can be changed for the better. Especially with a character like Superman, who brings such joy and inspiration to the world. It's important to keep that out in the public eye…"
Routh summed it up: “It’s always time for Superman.”
