- Tyler Hoechlin, Brandon Routh, Dean Cain, Tim Daly, George Newbern and Tom Welling paid tribute to late fellow Superman Christopher Reeve at MegaCon Orlando on Saturday, Feb. 8
- The group appearance comes months before the theatrical release of James Gunn’s Superman reboot film, starring David Corenswet as the newest Man of Steel
- Reeve died in 2004 at age 52, following a 1995 equestrian accident that left him paralyzed
Christopher Reeve just got a tribute that even the strongest kryptonite couldn’t take down.
During a panel at MegaCon Orlando in Florida on Saturday, Feb. 8, six actors who have portrayed Superman in the years since Reeve’s role as the Man of Steel in 1978’s Superman came together to discuss the DC hero’s legacy on and off the screen and to honor Reeve, who died in 2004.
Those in attendance included Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark), Tim Daly (Superman: The Animated Series), George Newbern (Justice League animated series) and Tom Welling (Smallville).
During the discussion, Welling, 47, recalled working with Reeve on a season 2 episode of Smallville, an experience he said he “walked away from wanting to be a better person.” Reeve appeared in the WB series as scientist Virgil Swann, who played an important role in the storyline of Welling’s portrayal of Clark Kent.
“We got there and the plan was to shoot four hours and get his side of two scenes and then he would leave and I would do my side with someone else,” Welling recalled. “We did the first scene and they said, ‘OK, we’re gonna do the next scene.’ He goes, ‘What about Tom?’ ”
As Welling recalled at MegaCon, Reeve had other plans — just as he had a quick sense of humor.
“He was like, ‘No I’m not leaving.’ And long story short, it got to the point about eight hours into the day and they turned around filming my scenes with him. And his nurse, power of attorney, was like, ‘If you don’t come with me in 15 minutes, I’m calling the police.’ He had to leave. He looked at me and goes, ‘They’re always telling me what to do.’ ”
“You didn’t feel sorry for him at all,” Welling said elsewhere during his story about Reeve. “He was telling jokes the whole time. We had a riot, he was cracking up. … We just had really great banter. I had a lot of fun with him.”
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Routh, 45, also spoke about his portrayal of Superman, and the legacy that Reeve left on the role before Routh first took on the character of Clark Kent in 2006’s Superman Returns. At the time, Routh remembered being “tasked with transitioning the character from Chris playing the character.”
“It was always gonna be like Chris,” he said. “Even if it was some other movie, some other version of that slightly altered Superman, because I wasn’t playing Chris. I wasn’t playing Superman. [I was] playing the feeling, the love when you’re Superman.”
“I didn’t know what that was when I was 25,” Routh added, sharing that he really understood the sentiment with later reprisals.
Reeve’s real-life story of tragedy and triumph was recently explored in the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024 and is now available to stream on Max.
The movie is an emotional journey that portrays the late actor and his family’s unwavering support after a 1995 equestrian accident left him paralyzed. While the incident prevented him from playing Superman again, Reeve remained a significant part of the franchise until — and even after — his death in 2004 at age 52.
Super/Man includes intimate interviews with Reeve’s children — Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens and Will Reeve — as well as his late wife Dana Reeve, who died in 2006 from lung cancer. The film also features memories of Reeve from friends including Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Daniels and Glenn Close.
Reeve was best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman onscreen beginning with the 1978 film. The critically acclaimed production led to three sequels, all of which featured Reeve in the cape. He reprised the dual role of Superman and Clark Kent in 1980, in 1983 and in 1987, the latter with Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
The former Superman actors’ recent appearance at MegaCon comes months before James Gunn’s reboot Superman film hits theaters, starring David Corenswet, 31, as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. And the movie has a very special cameo: from Reeve’s son Will.
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“I know the folks making the film, and they’ve been so kind to me and my family, and I had a free day so we made it [happen],” Will, 32, told TMZ in July 2024.
When asked about what his role in the upcoming Superman entails, Will wouldn’t budge. “I don’t know what I’m allowed to say,” he said.
“It was a really great experience; they were super friendly; it was quick, easy,” he continued. “I was actually more nervous doing that than I am whenever I’m on TV for my normal job ’cause there were so many people around and I had to memorize one line, but still!”
Will also said that he didn’t think he had “what it takes to be an actor,” but encouraged everyone to see the movie anyway. “Blink and you’ll miss it,” he added, possibly alluding to his role.
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