Christopher Reeve starred asSupermanin four classic DC movies, and his iteration of Clark Kent inhabits multiple branching timelines. Richard Donner’s 1978 filmSupermanwas not the first superhero movie but it was the first major blockbuster in the genre. The film’s overwhelming success is owed to numerous factors, with one being Donner’s insistence on respecting the source material and treating the film as an earnest epic rather than a self-parody. Naturally, 1978’s Superman led to numerous sequels, spin-off properties, and the emergence of the superhero movie genre, thanks to similar films like1989’sBatmanand 2002’sSpider-Man.
The superhero comic genre tends to be more concerned with continuity than most corners of pop culture. The big two publishers (DC and Marvel) have made continuity maintenance the center of entire storylines in many cases. Naturally, the concept of overlapping continuity is familiar to longtime followers of mainstream superhero comics. Unsurprisingly, the concept has found itself in superhero adaptations too, with the twoTim BurtonBatmanmovies notably having various branching timelines. Richard Donner’sSupermansimilarly has branching timelines, with the different universes appearing in sequels and spinoff materials to the original 1978 movie.
Superman Also Spawned A Spin-Off With Supergirl
The originalSupermanmovie timeline is straightforward.After 1978’sSuperman, the story continues in the theatrical version ofSuperman II, thenSuperman IIIandSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace.
With Donner, who wanted theSupermanfilms to be more epic and earnest, departing the series, the sequels became far more comedic.
SupermanandSuperman IIwere notably filmed concurrently for a time, and Richard Donner was replaced by Richard Lester during production of the sequel. With Donner, who wanted theSupermanfilms to be more epic and earnest, departing the series, the sequels became far more comedic. Between the releases ofIIIandThe Quest for Peace, the canonical spin-off filmSupergirlintroducedHelen Slater’s Kara Zor-Elinto the Donner universe.
4Superman II’s Richard Donner Cut Is An Alternate Sequel
THe Theatrical Cut Of Superman II Changed Directors During Production
Richard Donner never completed his iteration ofSuperman II, but in 2006, a restored and re-edited director’s cut of the film titledSuperman II: The Richard Donner Cutwas released. The film utilizes as much of Donner’s original footage as possible, including a screen test for Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder.
Yet there was simply too little footage from Donner to make the film coherent, so some of the theatrical cut was used to complete the film’s narrative.The Richard Donner Cutpresents different versions ofSuperman II’sstory, and therefore it inhabits a branching timeline set after 1978’sSuperman.
3Superman Returns Ignored Two Superman Sequels
Only Superman And Superman II Are Canon To Superman Returns
In 2006, theSupermanfilm series was revived by the filmSuperman Returns.Returnstreats 1978’sSupermanand the theatrical cut ofSuperman IIas canon but ignores the events ofSuperman IIIandThe Quest for Peace. Since Supergirl is not mentioned, 1984’sSupergirlis presumably not part of the same timeline asSuperman Returns.TheReturnsversion of Superman joined the Arrowversein 2019, where it was revealed that his universe’s Joker murdered Lois Lane and the rest of the Daily Planet’s staff, resulting in a Superman heavily inspired by theKingdom Comegraphic novel.
TheSuperman Returnsvideo game adaptation adds additional supervillains to the film’s universe, such as Mongul, Metallo, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizarro, and Riot.
2Superman ‘78 Continues Donner’s Superman’s Story In Comic Form
In 2021,DC Comics released theSuperman ’78comic series, creating yet another branching timeline in the original Superman film series. The comics are set after the events ofSuperman II(presumably the theatrical cut) and introduce new villains, such as Brainiac and Metallo to the franchise.Superman ’78also retroactively establishes that Jor-El and Lara survived Krypton’s destruction, but are trapped in Brainiac’s miniaturized city of Kandor. DC has noted that the comics are set in the same universe as theBatman ’89comics, which are themselves part of a branching timeline set after the events ofBatman Returns.
1Superman & Supergirl’s DCEU Cameo Might Have Been Its Own Universe Too
Both Christopher Reeve’s Superman and Helen Slater’s Supergirl make a cameo appearance in the DC Extended Universe’s 2023 filmThe Flash. As Barry Allen’s timeline meddling causes universes to collide, other realities are shown, including a Donner universe.
It is unclear if the DonnerSupermanuniverse seen inThe Flashis the original movie timeline, theSuperman ’78timeline, or an original DonnerSupermanuniverse inadvertently generated byThe Flash’stampering with his timeline. It may be the latter since the film melded the BurtonBatmanuniverse with the DCEU as a result of the timeline alteration.
