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Christopher Reeves is perhaps the most famous Superman. He first appeared as Clark Kent and his alter ego in 1978’sSuperman. The DC actor then went on to star inSuperman II(1980),Superman III(1983), andSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace(1987).
But his life took a turn for the worse when he broke his neck in a horse riding competition in 1995. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down. The actor relied on a wheelchair and ventilator for the rest of his life. There was an instance because of his injury when he had to be threatened to leave the set ofSmallville.
Also read:“I left with the feeling of having seen something new”: Not Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Steven Spielberg Hails $773M James Gunn Movie as the Greatest Superhero Film Ever
Christopher Reeve had to be threatened to leave the set of Smallville
To accommodateChristopher Reeve‘s physical condition, the filmmakers prioritized shooting his scenes first so that he could leave early. They then adjusted the angles to film Tom Welling separately. Welling revealed—during aSmallvillereunion panel hosted by New York City Comic Con in 2022—that Reeve refused to leave the set (as reported byEntertainment Weekly):
“He was only supposed to be there for three hours, but I think he stayed for like six-and-a-half. He was like, ‘I don’t want to leave. He wanted to stay with me! It got to the point where his nurse said to him, ‘I’m going to call the police.’ He’s like, ‘On who?’ She’s like, ‘On you! You’re done, you can’t be here anymore!’ He just wanted to be there.”
But the formerSupermanstar eventually left the set ofSmallville. Fortunately, his guest appearance on the show did not cause any serious harm to him.
Also read:“I realized it hadn’t been since The Matrix”: Quentin Tarantino Compared Christopher Nolan’s $774M Blockbuster With Keanu Reeves’ Sci-Fi Classic After Giving Up on the Genre
Tom Welling Felt Honored as Christopher Reeve Blessed Superman’s Legacy
Tom Welling—who played a small-screen Superman/Clark Kent for ten years—also shared a story on the 2023 episode ofTalkVilleabout how honored he was that Reeve agreed to appear onSmallville.
“‘I’m glad you’re the next Superman. I’m not, I’m playing Clark Kent.’ And he said to me, ‘Well you should be.'”
Christopher Reeve blessed Tom Welling and permitted him to carry on the role of Superman into the 21st century. Later, during the Arrowverse’sCrisis on Infinite Earthsevent, Welling passed the cape onto Tyler Hoechlin.
He starred on the CW’sSuperman & Lois(2021) as Supergirl’s Man of Steel. This chain of passing the torch pays homage to the legacy of Superman across different actors and eras.
Also read:“When is it going to be over?”: Robin Williams Regretted Taking Superman Actor Christopher Reeves’ Advice For $60M Box-Office Disaster That Nearly Doomed His Career
Shreya Jha
Articles Published :1042
Meet Shreya, FandomWire’s go-to Pop-Culture Writer. She holds a master’s degree in Journalism and a pop culture obsession that rivals even the most die-hard ‘Star Wars’ and Marvel fans.Her articles have been published in Animated Times, Creator Mail, and The Luxxe Mag. When Shreya’s not busy dishing out hot takes, she is lost in the world of rom-coms.
