1. Plot summary

2. Background

3. Production history
    Jonathan Lemkin and the "Man of Camp"  Superman V: Reborn  Greg Poirier and the "Super-Shrink"  Superman V: Reborn (Version 2)  Kevin Smith and the "Three Rules"  Superman Lives  Tim Burton and "Luthiac"  Superman Lives (Version 2)  Dan Gilroy and "Lexiac"  Superman Lives (Version 3)  Alex Ford: Fan of Steel  Superman V: The Man of Steel  Will Wisher, Paul Attanasio, and EXIT: Nicolas Cage  McG and "Batman vs... Superman?"  Superman I  Brett Ratner and "Yeah! Ain't it Cool?"  Bryan Singer "Returns" 

4. Legacy

5. External links

Superman Lives was the title of a cancelled American superhero film based on the DC comics character Superman. It was going to be a movie version of the "Death and Life of Superman" storyline, and was slated for release on July 4, 1998 before being put into development hell for seven years and then finally being cancelled.

Plot summary

Although several different plots were used by the numerous writers, the most often-used synopsis (based on The Death of Superman) went as follows:

Superman, Earth's greatest hero, meets his end at the hands of the evil cyborg Brainiac and his creation, Doomsday. Brainiac plans to take over the world or destroy it. But the Man of Steel doesn't die so easily. With the help of Brainiac's enemy, the Eradicator, the Last Son of Krypton must fight back from death itself to save the world and all those he holds dear.

Background

Plans for a fifth Superman film had been around since before the release of Cannon Films' The Quest for Peace. That film had an excess of deleted scenes that cousin producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus had at one point planned on reusing on a proposed fifth entry, possibly called Superman V: The Unknown Enemy, for release in 1989, with Captain America director Albert Pyun at the helm. They also planned to recast Superman with another actor (their actions on IV left Christopher Reeve outraged with them). However, Cannon fell on hard times shortly thereafter, and the rights to Superman reverted back to the Salkinds.

The Salkinds, at that point in time, had been producing the TV series Superboy. During the program's tenure, the Salkinds consider rebooting the film franchise as a spin-off of the TV series. Superman comic scribe Cary Bates and his Superboy writing partner Mark Jones were drafted to write a script. Using the working title of Superman: The New Movie, the hypothesized film would have shown Superboy (Gerard Christopher) moving from Smallville to Metropolis and assuming the name Superman; eventually piting the superhero against Brainiac in a battle fought in the bottled city of Kandor. However, the script is left unfinished and the project itself never comes to fruition as in 1992, the movie rights owned by the Salkinds expire and revert back to original owner DC Comics, who had leased the rights to the Salkinds, and thereby Warner Bros., the studio that had distributed the first two films (since that time, Warner Bros. and DC Comics have become part of the Time Warner multimedia conglomerate).

At the same time, DC Comics is running its successful (yet controversial) Death of Superman storyline, which brings the publisher some of its biggest sales in years. In that story, a grotesque alien creature called Doomsday appears—seemingly out of nowhere—and defeats many of Earth's greatest heroes, including members of the Justice League. As it makes its way to Metropolis, leaving a path of destruction in its wake, he and Superman engage in a brutal head-to-head battle on the city streets. The battle comes to a climax as the two combatants kill one another. A national funeral is held for the Man of Steel in Metropolis, setting off a chain reaction of events that sees the world attempting to cope without Superman, his body stolen, four heroes impersonating him, and the Man of Steel's eventual resurrection.

On the movie side of things, Jon Peters, former hairstylist and producer of box-office smash-hits Batman and Batman Returns for Warner Bros., takes charge of the project, hoping to spear-head another successful superhero franchise film for the studio.

Production history

Peters' first act as producer is to find a screenwriter.

Jonathan Lemkin and the "Man of Camp"

He chooses Jonathan Lemkin, a writer contracted to the studio whose work includes the hit TV series 21 Jump Street, Hill Street Blues, and Beverly Hills, 90210, as well as the Brandon Lee movie Showdown in Little Tokyo (he has also gone on to write the movies Demolition Man and The Devil's Advocate). Though he is relatively unproven in this sort of high-profile blockbuster film, his writing pleases Peters (known for hiring inexperienced writers who only answer to him) and he is given the job.

However, the two are not allowed to just go off on a tangent. First and foremost, the producer and writer find themselves in the unusual position of having to pitch the project to the entire Warner Bros. executive board as the studio is not willing to take chances with such a valuable franchise. Their ideas please the board enough to give the go-ahead for a script.

Completed in 1994, Lemkin's script, entitled Superman V: Reborn, is soon presented to the higher-ups at Warner Bros.

Superman V: Reborn

• Several details of the script are unknown, but what has been confirmed is that it was loosely based on "The Death of Superman" story. The script features an insecure Clark Kent unable to admit his feelings for the human woman whom he loves, Lois Lane. Before he is able to resolve those feelings with her, Doomsday appears to challenge him. Just as in the comics, they fight to their respective deaths. As Superman dies in Lois' arms, he finally confesses his feelings to her. Unbeknowst to either of them, this final confession not only releases his soul from his body, but said soul enters the body of Lois. She soon discovers that she is pregnant with Superman's child. Days later, the child is born and within the span of three weeks, he grows into the body of a 21-year-old man. As Lois is killed in the middle of the film (by what has not been confirmed, but some reports list it as the resurrected Doomsday), the new-born assumes his birthright as the new Superman and defeats the villain, saving the world.

Lemkin has often outright boasted that his script was downright "campy", but felt it was just what the series needed after the hero's long absence from the big screen. "I thought it would be funny to piss off the far right," he said. "I think most people would have enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek quality of it. Look, [in the Joel Schumacher sequels] Batman's got nipples and a codpiece, for cryin' out loud!" The Warner Bros. execs are not pleased. After the script is presented, Lemkin is unceremoniously dropped from the project.

Greg Poirier and the "Super-Shrink"

In 1995, after Jonathan Lemkin's "kitschy" screenplay is discarded, producer Jon Peters replaces him with another Warner Bros. spec writer named Gregory Poirier. The new writer keeps, and expands on, the previous script with the approval of Peters. In 1996, his script is finished, still using the title Superman V: Reborn.

Superman V: Reborn (Version 2)

• Still using the "Death" story as its basis, Greg Poirier makes Superman's comic book nemesis, Brainiac, the primary villain. In the script, Brainiac was responsible for the destruction of Krypton. He is now on his way to Earth to destroy the last Kryptonian once and for all.

• On Earth, Clark Kent is on the verge of a nervous breakdown as he is unable to cope with his dual-identity as reporter and superhero. He visits a psychoanalyst to discuss these feelings, as well as those he has for Lois Lane. Brainiac makes his way to Metropolis and unleashes his genetic creation, Doomsday (who, in this draft has kryptonite-laced blood), upon the public. This naturally draws out Superman and the two battle to the death. Brainiac has won, and the last Kryptonian is dead.

• After Superman's funeral, Brainiac attempts to steal his body, recognizing it as valuable genetic material. However, his plan is thwarted by the rogue government agency Project Cadmus, who take the body first in hopes of either reviving it or cloning it. During this time, Superman's spirit is shown taking a spiritual journey through the afterlife. At the end of his journey, he concludes that his work on Earth is not yet done and the spirit returns to its body.

• Resurrected, but powerless, The Man of Steel travels to Metropolis to fight Brainiac with the aid of Cadmus. Through the sheer force of his own will, Superman regains his powers and defeats Brainiac, giving him a sense of closure and security in the world.

Poirier's script is reportedly met with "indifference" by the execs at Warner Bros., but it is believed that this would have been the script that went into production-- at least, had Kevin Smith not intervened.

This same year, the renowned writer, director, and avid comic book enthusiast Smith is preparing for the release of his film Chasing Amy when he is brought into the offices of Warner Bros. to give input on several projects "up for grabs". The first is a rewrite of the science fiction script The Architects of Fear, based on the Outer Limits episode of the same name. The second is a sequel to Beetlejuice titled (according to Smith) Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. He declines both films, but is interested in the third option: Superman V: Reborn. He is asked to take a copy of Poirier's script with him and give his thoughts on it the next morning.

When the next morning comes, he tells the executive present that the script is "horrendous". The director then goes into a wild rant about everything wrong with the script, to the amusement of the exec. "The thing that bothered me about Greg Poirier's script [was] that they were trying to give Superman angst," Smith said. "Superman's angst is not that he doesn't want to be Superman. If he has any, it's that he can't do it all—he can't do enough to save everyone… Batman is about angst; Superman is about hope." Smith leaves the office thinking any hopes of working on the film are now dashed. To his surprise, his work has just begun.

Kevin Smith and the "Three Rules"

The next day, the exec Smith met with asks him come back into the offices and repeat his thoughts to another exec. He is then brought in a third day to repeat the rant to yet another exec. For the rest of the week, Smith tells his story over and over again to a greater number of Warner Bros. board members. "I just imagined it as a real sort of water cooler situation: one guy's standing around at a water cooler and another guy's gettin' some coffee, and [one says to the other one] 'Man, you should hear what the Clerks-guy said about our Superman script.' 'Really? What did he say?' 'Well, fuck it, I'll just bring him in.'"

Finally, Smith is given an audience with all the execs with whom he has spoken thus-far, as well as then-Warner Bros. head Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who—rather than simply dismissing the writer to bring him in again, as the others had for the past week—asks him what he would do differently. Smith tosses out a few ideas that meet with di Bonaventura's approval. He decides to hire Smith for the job, pending approval of producer Jon Peters.

Smith personally presents his 80-page film treatment to the eccentric producer at the latter's home. Peters is intrigued, but insists that if Smith is to take the job, he must follow three rules:

1. "I don't want to see him in 'that suit'."
2. "I don't want to see him fly."
3. "He's got to fight a giant spider in the third act." (this idea was later recycled into the Peters-produced 1999 flop, Wild Wild West)

The production of the screenplay is a tug of war between the two as to what should and should not go into the script. Among Peters' notes to the writer were: Brainiac must fight polar bears in the Arctic; Brainiac should have a furry dog of some sort, "like Chewie" (Peters got the idea from the 1997 release of the Star Wars: Special Edition); Brainiac's sidekick, L-Ron, must be a "gay Artoo type" voiced by Smith's Chasing Amy co-star, Dwight Ewell; Superman's suit must be something he can piece together, a la Batman; Smith must cut back the length of dialogue on a crucial scene between Clark and Lois at Mount Rushmore; the removal of all references to the name "Kal-El" (Peters did not know it is actually Superman's real name).

With these ludicrous rules, it soon becomes clear in Smith's eyes that Peters has little, if any, knowledge of (or respect for) comic book stories and characters, nor did he seem to grasp the dynamics of how to make a good story. Peters and several executives emphasise the importance of the film's commercial appeal (i.e. how many toys can be sold) over a strong story. In spite of the "restrictions" placed on him by Peters, Smith completes a script with which he is satisfied in 1997, titled Superman Lives.

Superman Lives

• The story opens in space. Brainiac's Skull Ship, piloted by his mechanical aide, L-Ron destroys another alien craft to drain it, and its passengers, of their energy. This is only a temporary "fix". Brainiac is seeking out a mysterious Kryptonian battery with which he could sustain himself indefinitely. The Skull Ship comes into contact with intergalactic greeting probe created by Lex Luthor. The greeting extends a warm welcome to any-and-all intelligent life outside of Earth, inviting them to Luthor's planet. Brainiac ignores the message until Luthor reveals that Earth is the home to "a visitor to this planet of Kryptonian descent." Brainiac believes that this may be the source of energy he has long sought. The Skull Ship immediately sets course for Earth.

• Back on Earth, a Nightline-type program based in Metropolis is discussing a controversial voter's bill that would effectively outlaw superheroes. A "point/counter-point" debate opens up between the show's two guests: Metropolis entrepreneur Lex Luthor, in favor of the bill, and Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, against it. The debate becomes heated and Lois winds up physically assaulting Lex.

• At this same time, the Governor and her son are making a public appearance at restaurant in one of the less-glamourous neighbourhoods of Metropolis when they are attacked by Deadshot. The villain and his gang kidnap the Governor's son and make a hasty escape. Before they know it, their kidnapping is foiled by the appearance of Superman. (It should be noted that rather than describing him as "flying", his actions are described as a lightning-fast "red blur"; similar to the way he is shown in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.) Our hero defeats the villains and returns the Governor's son. Unbeknownst to anyone, all of this is being observed by Brainiac and L-Ron as the Skull Ship hovers outside of Earth's orbit.

• Still reeling from being punched on live television by Lois Lane, Luthor and his valet/bodyguard/lover, Misty, retreat to the LexCorp building. Superman confronts Lex and accuses him of being responsible for the attack on the Governor and her son. Lex smugly points out that any evidence proving his involvement vanished when Superman defeated Deadshot. An angry Superman intimidates and humiliates Lex before leaving. When Lex regroups in his office, he and Misty are confronted by Brainiac and L-Ron. After a rocky introduction—during which Brainiac absorbs a few of Luthor's guards—the villains realise they have a common enemy in Superman. They formulate a plan to destroy him, beginning with Brainiac commandeering a LexCorp satellite.

• After his row with Luthor, Superman secretly meets Lois Lane at the Daily Planet building. The two give a short, flirtatious exchange before she addresses him as "Clark", making it apparent that the two are romantically involved and that Clark Kent has informed Lois about his dual identity quite some time before. The two spend the rest of their evening having a picnic atop Mount Rushmore. During the meal they discuss their relationship, which Clark would like to take to the next plateau (i.e. marriage). Lois is cautious about taking such a step, as she would not want to be responsible for guilt he would likely feel by ignoring a major emergency to fulfill marital obligations. At this same time, Brainiac uses LexCorp to partly block out the sun. The effect leaves Clark Kent momentarily powerless and he nearly falls off the face Rushmore. He simply shakes it off.

• The next day, Lois and Clark meet up with Jimmy Olsen and Perry White, where the latter gives the former three their assignments for the day. During a private moment, Lois and Clark briefly continue the previous evening's conversation. The conversation is cut short by the rumbling of a creature causing destruction in the city. Superman meets the creature and they battle, but Superman is weakened as the sun has now been completely blocked off by the satellite. From the Skull Ship, Brainiac and L-Ron watch Superman battle the creature, which was created by Brainiac, called Doomsday. The fierce battle continues in the city sewers and then on the city streets as both combatants wear one another down. They deliver their final blows and Doomsday falls down dead. Lois rushes to the collapsed Superman and cradles him just long enough for him to die in her arms.

• Days later, a national funeral is held for the fallen Man of Steel in Metropolis (featuring a brief appearance by Batman) that is interrupted by Lex Luthor and Brainiac. Lex presents Brainiac as an ally of Superman now intent on carrying out his ideals. They say that Brainiac blocked out the sun for the world's protection from an alien armada, which the mass populi "see" hovering above them. Brainiac promises the world will be safe under his protection, to which the audience cheers.

• At this time, Superman's body is teleported from his crypt to the Fortress of Solitude where his body is healed and revived (without powers) in a black ressucitation suit by the Eradicator, a living Kryptonian cyborg and the source of the energy Brainiac had been seeking. The Eradicator, who was created by Jor-El, explains who he is and how Brainiac was responsible for the destruction of Krypton and is likely to do the same to Earth. He suggests that he and Kal-El leave the humans to their fate, a decision Superman does not accept. The two take off to foil Brainiac's plans. Once they're gone, Brainiac and L-Ron show up outside the Fortress. After defeating two polar bears that guard the entrance, they enter and discover that they've just missed Superman and the Eradicator.

• Back in Metropolis, Lex Luthor has just uncovered Brainiac's plans to betray him at the earliest convenience (just as Luthor himself had planned the reverse), but decides not to act on it yet. He agrees to an interview for the Daily Planet with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. When Misty leaves the three alone, Lois drugs Lex while Jimmy hacks into his computer, where they discover what Luthor and Brainiac are really up to. Luthor regains consciousness and orders his guards to kill the two reporters as they escape. At this same time, Superman and the Eradicator's plan to destroy the satellite fails and they crash back to Earth in Coast City, where the powerless Man of Steel rushes in to save a family in a burning building. With the help of the Eradictor—who can mimic Superman's powers—Superman flies back to Metropolis, where Lois and Jimmy have just exposed Brainiac's true intentions to the world.

• His "armada" hoax now revealed, an angry Brainiac turns his wrath on the public and kidnaps Lois Lane. The citizens are saved by the incognito Superman who heads to the Skull Ship where Brainiac, L-Ron, Lex Luthor, and the hostage Lois Lane have gathered. The Eradicator reveals himself to Brainiac, who inadvertently reveals the flaw in the satellite's technology. The Eradicator retreats into space with Superman in tow, separates from him, and destroys both the satellite and himself. The now-abundant sunlight instantly restores Superman's powers. He returns to the Skull Ship to confront Brainiac, who has assimilated himself into the body of a spider-like alien creature called a "Thanagarian Snare Beast" that is about to eat Lois. Superman fights and destroys the creature, as well as the Brainiac element inside it. He is reunited with Lois and the two deliver Jimmy Olsen's computer evidence to the police, leading to Lex Luthor's arrest. The final scene is L-Ron in the damaged Skull Ship picking up the remains of Brainiac.

The Warner Bros. executives are ecstatic about this story.{{Citation needed}} With a script now in place, they put the film on the immediate fast-track to production, hoping to begin shooting in Spring of 1997. They set a tentative release date of the "4th of July 1998" which is not only the most beneficial date of the lucrative summer movie season, but would also have simultaneously been the 20th anniversary of The Movie and the 60th anniversary of Superman's very first appearance in Action Comics #1.

The execs then begin searching for talent. After Ewell agrees to play L-Ron, several "name" stars and directors are offered or offer their services themselves. The studio soon secures pay or play contract deals for Nicolas Cage to play Superman and for Tim Burton (whom Kevin Smith had suggested, being a fan of Batman) to direct. Fans are enthusiastic to learn that Burton will helm, but the casting of Cage immediately draws skepticism. Many take issue with the fact that the Oscar-winning actor's physical traits (particularly his face) are dissimilar to traditional interpretations of Superman. Furthermore, Cage is known for playing off-beat, eccentric characters. However, the actor and avid comic book fan (born with family name "Coppola", his stage name is a tribute to the superhero Luke Cage, and years later named his child Kal-El) insists that his performance will be accurate and honourable to the character.

Just as the project appears to be fully coming together, it begins falling apart. Tim Burton, who signed on to direct by emphasizing his enthusiasm for Kevin Smith's script, almost immediately has Smith fired and demands a writer of his own choosing to do any further work. A confused Smith asks to at least meet with Burton before he is dismissed, but Burton simply will not have it.

Tim Burton and "Luthiac"

With the dismissal of Kevin Smith, director Tim Burton decided to start from scratch with the project, beginning with hiring longtime partner Danny Elfman to compose the score. With Nicolas Cage secured as the title character, questions remained as to who would fill the roles around him. The only proven casting of supporting role was the unorthodox choice of Chris Rock as Jimmy Olsen. Burton is said to offer the role of villain Lex Luthor to his Batman villain, Jack Nicholson. There are also several strong rumors (that, to this day, remain unproven) that Sandra Bullock, now a bonafide star, was being offered the role of Clark Kent's love interest Lois Lane.

The storyline for the film takes a drastically different turn in tone. In order to reflect Burton's own off-beat sensibilities, he hires Wesley Strick (best known for scripting the 1990 horror/comedy Arachnophobia and the 1991 remake of Cape Fear) to write a new draft (Strick had done the shooting script for Burton's Batman Returns five years earlier). "[Burton] wanted to do his own version of Superman," Smith said, facetiously adding: "Presumably one where he has scissors for hands." In reality{{fact}}, Burton simply found Smith's script overcomplicated and (with its heavy emphasis on characters like The Eradicator) accessible mainly to rabid comic book fans.

Superman Lives (Version 2)

• The confirmed details of Strick's script indicate that, like the previous versions, it followed the "Death of Superman" story. A notable departure from that work is the fact that once Brainiac arrives on Earth, he and Lex Luthor eventually merge into a single entity dubbed "Luthiac". Thematically, Burton and Strick worked to underscore Superman's alienation by virtue of the fact that Superman (Kal-El) is -- literally -- an alien.

The Warner Bros. executives give Burton and Strick's version a "blinking greenlight". Burton scouts locations, choosing Pittsburgh, PA for Metropolis. Under Production Designer Rich Heinrichs' supervision, the building of sets begins. But within approximately six weeks, Warner co-chairman Terry Semel abruptly develops cold feet, and active preproduction is suspended and Strick is dismissed. Also, composer Elfman leaves the project to complete the score for A Civil Action. The release date is pushed back from 1998 to 1999. When Chris Rock hears of this, he tells the studio it poses a scheduling conflict with another film he is working on: Kevin Smith's Dogma. They are unwilling to settle, so Rock reluctantly leaves the project.

Dan Gilroy and "Lexiac"

The next writer hired is Dan Gilroy (writer of the film Freejack and the Dennis Hopper film Chasers). Under the supervision of Tim Burton, the writer expands on the draft by Wesley Strick; however, he drops some elements previously used in the Smith and Strick scripts, notably Braniac's assistant, L-Ron. In the summer of 1998, he delivers his draft.

Superman Lives (Version 3)

• The story opens in flashback with Krypton on the verge of explosion. As Jor-El and Lara are placing baby Kal-El in his rocket, Brainiac--who is responsible for this destruction--enters and attacks them. Jor-El manages to ignite the rocket just as he and Lara are murdered by Brainiac. The cyborg vows to hunt down the child.

• The story then moves to modern day Metropolis where we see the now-adult Superman stop a bank robbery. That evening, he meets Lois Lane at the Daily Planet building in a scene reminiscent of the Kevin Smith draft (except in this draft, Lois doesn't know of his dual identity as Clark Kent). During this time, it's established that Kent's identity is in danger, as Lex Luthor may be on the verge of discovering it and revealing it to the world. Clark considers telling Lois before this happens.

• Brainiac comes to Earth and encounters Luthor. The two devise a plan to destroy Superman. They begin by merging into a single cyborg entity known as "Lexiac". Lexiac creates the creature Doomsday to attack Superman. Superman and Doomsday battle to the death, after which time (and a public funeral) the Man of Steel's body is transported to the Fortress of Solitude. The body is revived (powerless) by a mysterious Kryptonian force known only as "K". Superman and "K" leave the fortress and trek back to Metropolis.

• During this time, Lexiac--an advanced alien force with the resources of a multi-national conglomerate at its disposal--plans to destroy Earth just as he did Krypton. He begins assembling an arsenal of nuclear warheads to be detonated on all the world's top cities. He also spends a great amount of timing attempting (unsuccessfully) to woo a grieving Lois Lane. Superman returns to Metropolis and is restored his powers by "K", which is revealed to be the remaining "life essence" of his deceased biological parents. Superman, with the flirtatious assistance of Lois, defeats Lexiac (destroying the "Brainiac" element) with exactly one second left on the nuclear clock. The story ends with Lois in Superman's arms, where she reveals that she is pregnant with his child.

This draft, too, is met with harsh criticism by the board members at Warner Bros. and Gilroy is let go. After hearing of his character being eliminated from the script, a disgruntled Dwight Ewell leaves. Only Nicolas Cage remains as a principal, and even he is feeling antsy. As the 1999 release date is cancelled, an air of skepticism begins to develop around the project. Not only from the WB execs already spending millions on a high-profile project that seems to be going nowhere, but from the general public as well. Fans are still reeling from the failure of Batman and Robin the year prior and are still not sold on the casting of dark horse Nicolas Cage and as the internet gains more prominence (and influence) on the cinematic process, many websites like Ain't It Cool News begin to criticise the direction producer Jon Peters and director Tim Burton are taking the film. One fan goes so far as to write the movie himself.

Alex Ford: Fan of Steel

Alex Ford, an avid comic book fan, is fed up at the pace of production on the film. To ease his worries, he writes his own "Superman" screenplay. At the insistance of his wife, he sends it to Warner Bros. They are estatic.

Superman V: The Man of Steel

• The story stands alone from the previous would-be screenplays as it eschews the Death of Superman storyline for an entirely original story. It explores all elements of the life of Superman and Clark Kent as he travels back and forth between Metropolis and Smallville, featuring appearances by The Kents, Lana Lang, and a brief cameo from Wonder Woman.

• The plot involves Lex Luthor, determined to destroy Superman, creating the cyborg Metallo with a kryponite power source. By the end, Superman destroys Metallo, but is unable to prove Luthor was involved. Luthor secretly collects the remains of Metallo.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura buys Ford's script and invites him to the Warners offices. Ford lays a franchise-resuscitating plan that would begin with seven films, in which the Man of Steel would fight a different villain from the classic rogues gallery of the comics. Although Luthor would be involved to certain degree for each film, he would not be the primary villain:

1. Metallo
2. Bizarro
3. Brainiac
4. Silver Banshee
5. Mr. Mxyzptlk
6. Doomsday, and thereby The Death of Superman in the finale
7. Darkseid against the resurrected Superman

Tim Burton has stated when he was attached to the project he made The Toyman another possibility for the villain, his appearance would have been a combination between his appearance on the animated series and Chucky.

Although Burton and di Bonaventura like the idea, Ford must present his idea to isolated producer Jon Peters for final approval. Although the producer likes certain aspects of the Man of Steel script, he is once again confused when presented with multiple characters of the DC Comics universe of which he knows practically nothing. After a fierce argument with Peters, Ford is then reluctantly dismissed by di Bonaventura, at which time he, like Kevin Smith before him, voices concern that the franchise is in the hands of execs like Peters. "I can tell you they don't know much about comics," Ford said in a 2000 interview. "Their audience isn't you and me who pay [for admission]. It's for the parents who pay $60 on toys and lunchboxes; it's a business. And what's more important: $150 million at the box-office or $600 million in merchandising?"

Shortly after Ford is dismissed, Tim Burton's patience with the project comes to an end and he leaves as director for good, while staying on as a producer. Although he vehemently denies a disapproval of Nicolas Cage, still secured to play the lead, he blames the project's failure on Hollywood politics run amok. "If they'd just allowed us to make the film," says Burton in a 2000 interview, "I think that we could have done something interesting. I had been working on the project for over a year and it didn't happen. I basically worked very hard." Burton ended his comments with a quote that would follow the project from then on: "I made the movie; we just forgot to film it." In the Superman Homepage, he also stated that "the whole driving force behind this film was merchandising." He also added that nothing he was paid was worth what he went through trying to get this film started.

Will Wisher, Paul Attanasio, and EXIT: Nicolas Cage

After the departure of Tim Burton from directorial duties, the project faced indefinite postponement with occasional hopes of revival popping up every now and then:

• In 2000, William Wisher Jr., co-writer of The Terminator and Judgment Day (the former of which he wrote uncredited), submitted his own script about which little is known in detail, except that it (like many movies at this time) was said to be heavily-influenced by The Matrix. It was met with great approval by the Warner execs. However, this development never solidified.

• In 2001, film critic-turned-screenwriter Paul Attanasio was hired to write a draft entitled Superman V: Destruction that is said to have returned the film to the Death of Superman project. Though Peters and Burton are excited by it, eventually, this too is rejected.

At this point, Nicolas Cage decides not to wait any longer and officially leaves the project. Many fans and movie insiders begin to regard a fifth Superman film as Warner Bros.' own The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, coming so close but never to be completed. This opinion changes in late-2001.

McG and "Batman vs... Superman?"

By 2001, the back-to-back successes of films based on Marvel Comics characters had revived the superhero on film. In response, Warner Bros.--the sole producer and distributor of DC Comics properties--attempted to revitalise their own valuable catalogue of heroes. This included several simultaneous Batman projects being greenlighted, including Year One, a live action Batman Beyond, Batman vs. Superman to be directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and Superman.

Former music video director McG, fresh off the previous year's success of Charlie's Angels, is signed to direct the film as WB execs are hoping to appeal to a young audience. At this point, Burton leaves as producer, citing a lack of interest in the proposed film. Movie mogul JJ Abrams, however, approaches McG about writing and producing the film. Abrams, a fan of the characters, believes that not only should the franchise be revitalised for a new generation, but that a character as important as Superman shouldn't be introduced as a "second-string" co-star in the Batman vs. Superman movie. He expeditiously writes a script, which he insists is the first of a trilogy, that he and McG present to the Warner brass, simply titled Superman I.

Superman I

• The story opens with a massive battle on the streets of Metropolis between Superman and a Kryptonian named Ty-Zor and his army. Ty-Zor leads Superman to an airplane hangar made entirely out of lead (the only material his X-ray vision cannot see through) and taunts him over the loudspeaker. Superman sees something off-screen and falls to the floor in pain.

• The story then flashes back to Krypton years earlier, where Ty-Zor's father, Kata-Zor, is staging a coup d'état on the planet's government and its leader, Jor-El. Jor-El manages to send his infant son, Kal-El, away in a rocket before he and wife Lara are captured. There is a kryptonian prophecy that says a "son of Krypton" will face a great trial on another world, only to return to his homeworld and become its saviour. Kata-Zor believes Jor-El is trying to evoke the prophecy so he orders Kal-El's rocket sought after. The rocket lands on the farm of Jonathan and Martha Kent, who hide the rocket and raise the child as their own son named Clark Kent. His powers manifest themselves immediately. A toddler Clark witnesses a man attempt to rape Martha, and Clark beats him within an inch of his life. In later years, Clark discovers a canister that came with his rocket. It opens to reveal a magical suit (the classic Superman suit) that stands on it own before jumping onto Clark (like the alien symbiote of Venom from Spider-Man) and attaching itself. Although it doesn't fit, Clark flies in the suit and crashes into a barn. The Kents tell him to never wear the suit again and emphasise the restraint of his powers from then on. This leads to Clark becoming an introverted youth. During a highschool party, his is bullied and almost gets into a fight. The fight is broken up by Lois Lane (Lana Lang is not mentioned in this story), a girl Clark has a crush on.

• Back on Krypton, Kata-Zor has spent the last 20 years as dictator of Krypton, who revels in torturing Jor-El and Lara because they won't reveal where Kal-El was sent. Young Ty-Zor, who is the same age as Kal-El, tortures Lara to death, much to the delight of himself and his father. On Earth, both Clark Kent and Lois Lane are now adults and work for The Daily Planet newspaper in Metropolis. Lois has been following a rogue CIA agent named Lex Luthor who investigates extra-terrestrial activity and recently claimed to be able to prove the existence of a Kryptonian on Earth. Perry White assigns Lois to interview the President of the United States on Air Force One. During the interview, the plane is damaged and about to crash. Clark, who hears about it on the radio, grabs the canister with his suit. It fits his adult body perfectly and he pulls off a daring rescue of the plane, thereby introducing himself to the public. This event is witnessed on Krypton and Ty-Zor is sent to kill Kal-El.

• Roughly a week after Superman's debut, Ty-Zor and his army arrive, bringing the story full circle. In the lead hangar, the shocking image Superman sees is Lois under water in a glass tank, tethered to chain wrapped around a kryptonite boulder. He saves her, but loses his own life in the process. A national funeral is held. On Krypton, the imprisoned Jor-El senses his son's death and kills himself. His spirit travels to Earth and informs Kal-El that he cannot die, as the prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. Superman's body regains consciousness and climbs from the grave. The resurrected Man of Steel secretly meets with United Nations leaders (who now live in fear of the Kryptonians) to organise a counter-offensive. This leads to a massive aerial battle of the Kryptonians against Superman fighter planes from 40 nations armed with kryptonite missiles.

• After Ty-Zor and his army are dead, Superman visits Lois. He explains to her that he will return to Krypton to save the planet. Before he can leave, he is confronted by Agent Lex Luthor, who assisted the Kryptonians in their take over of Earth. Luthor reveals himself to be Kryptonian. After a battle with Superman, he is defeated and imprisoned. Superman leaves for Krypton, setting up the story for what would have been the next entry in the trilogy.

The Warner Bros. execs are beside themselves with excitement over the new script. They greenlight McG and Abrams' film. Within a few weeks, British composer Edward Shearmur has joined the project, promising to use the themes from the original film series with Christopher Reeve. Rumours fly as to which young Hollywood stars will play the lead roles. Every name from Josh Hartnett, Ashton Kutcher, and Smallville (TV series) star Tom Welling is mentioned as being up for the Man of Steel, while Lois Lane is linked with every young female star from Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler to Natalie Portman and Beyoncé Knowles.

Furthermore, Abrams has gotten his wish of beating Batman vs. Superman to the screen as, in 2002, this film is given priority, cancelling most of the other projects (although Batman: Year One becomes Batman Begins). As the casting buzz heats up, Warner Bros. insists on shooting the film in Australia to save costs. McG, succumbing to his on-the-record fear of flying, refuses to leave the country and demands an American shoot. The execs stick with the Australian locations and McG leaves the project to work on Full Throttle, as does composer Shearmur. Around this same time, Lorenzo di Bonaventura is ousted from position as head of Warner Bros. and replaced by Alan Horn.

Brett Ratner and "Yeah! Ain't it Cool?"

After McG left in 2002, he was replaced by another former music video director, Brett Ratner (who in 4 years' time would helm his own successful superhero movie, The Last Stand). Ratner brought the project its first official piece of casting when he gives the role of Jor-El to his Red Dragon star, Anthony Hopkins. The project continued to move at a sure-but-steady pace as the gossip mill goes out of control with casting rumours. But the project is dealt an unexpected blow when a copy of Abrams' script gets out.

Drew "Moriarty" McWeeny, an aspiring screenwriter and fan of Abrams, reviewed the script for Harry Knowles' Ain't it Cool News.com. Although he heaps high praise on key sequences and most of the dialogue, he then gives the script a negative review as a whole. Although Moriarty's words are taken (slightly) out of context, fans see the script as blasphemous to the Superman mythos, if for no other reason than its removal of the central premise of Superman: the destruction of Krypton. Abrams sits down to an interview with Harry Knowles where he explains that the reviewed draft was a "work in progress" that was written in haste. From Abrams, Knowles gets a copy of the script. He cites several aspects that he feels need to be improved upon, but gives a comparatively more positive review. (It's often erroneously reported the Knowles "sold out [his friend] Moriarty" by the former's review supposedly used to "deflate" that of the latter. Moriarty still writes for AICN and both he and Knowles stand by their reviews.)

A year later, this backlash of the script review, combined with an escalating budget, leads to Ratner being fired. Abrams is dropped from the project, and Anthony Hopkins leaves soon after. The project is once again postponed, perhaps indefinitely.

Bryan Singer "Returns"

In 2004, Alan Horn, seeing a chance at finally beginning production on Superman Lives, meets with Bryan Singer, director of X-Men (cited by most critics as reviving the superhero film) and X2. Singer had been offered the chance to direct the Superman Lives script before Ratner, but declined as he had his own Superman story he'd like to tell. During this meeting he tells this story to Horn, who enthusiastically greenlights the proposed film. In 2005, Superman Returns, the first Superman film in 17 years, goes into production, officially ending the painfully protracted pre-production of the now-infamous Superman Lives.

Legacy

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