When you look up "Superman curse" on Google, you'll see a detailed Wikipedia page that defines it as "a series of supposedly related misfortunes that have plagued creative people involved in adaptations of the DC Comics character Superman in various media, particularly actors who have played the role of Superman on film and television."
In 2013, Man of Steel star, Henry Cavill addressed the phenomenon, saying that he "doesn't believe" there's "any curse." So how come a lot of people still believe it's real? Here's how it all started.
How Did The Superman Curse Start?
George Reeves — who played Superman in the 1951 film, Superman and the Mole Men and the TV series Adventures of Superman — is the actor who's most associated with the Superman curse. He was found dead in his home, a few days before his wedding. It was ruled as suicide, though his fingerprints weren't found on the gun that killed him. Since then, his death has become one of the most fascinating unsolved mysteries in Hollywood.
But before Reeves, there was Kirk Alyn. He was the first-ever, live-action Superman — making him the first "victim" of the curse. After playing the character in the 1940s, he struggled to get any other work. He was trapped in the franchise until 1981 when he played "Pa Cant" for a few seconds in the parody, Superbman: The Other Movie. He died in 1999 from Alzheimer's disease.
Lee Quigley — who played baby Kal-El in 1978's Superman starring Christopher Reeve — is the youngest alleged victim of the curse. He died at the young age of 14 due to solvent abuse.
How The Superman Curse Affected Christopher Reeve
Reeve had the most well-documented tragedy among the "victims" of the Superman curse. In 1995, after reprising the famous role in three sequels, he was thrown off his horse during an equestrian competition. It injured his spinal cord, which left him paralyzed from the neck down and forever in a wheelchair at age 42. After that, the Somewhere in Time star turned to activism — supporting research on spinal injuries.
"No one has accelerated the pace, interest, and support of paralysis research caused by spinal cord injury like Christopher," said Peter Wilderotter, president and CEO of the foundation, to ICON. "He toured the world to meet scientists, public representatives, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. He became the voice, and above all the beacon of hope, of all those who live with paralysis."
Wilderotter also praised the actor for being a real-life superhero. "He was everything one can expect from a famous character, but it is rarely fulfilled. I was struck by his memory, insight, and political compression," he said, adding that he thought, "if he were not an actor, he would have been a great political candidate."
In 2004, Reeve died of cardiac arrest at the age of 52. His best friend, Robin Williams — who died by suicide 10 years later — dedicated his Golden Globe award to the philanthropist in 2005. In a statement following Reeve's death, the Good Will Hunting star said: "The world has lost a tremendous activist and artist and an inspiration for people worldwide. I have lost a great friend."
What Henry Cavill Thinks About The Superman Curse
When Collider asked Cavill of his thoughts on the Superman curse, he said:
"I have indeed heard of the curse. Well, I mean, I honestly don't believe there's a curse," noting that it's all just coincidental bad luck. "I think there's been some bad luck in the past, especially when it comes to horses, and I don't mean that as a joke."
He clarified: "My fiancée is an international show jumper and I know all the risk attached to that. You can fall off 1,000 times and be fired through fences and then the one time you’re home out in the yard, all it takes is something to startle the horse and you're off and you fall the wrong way. There's bad luck, but I don’t think it's any curse."
But recently, fans were convinced that Cavill has also been affected by the curse after he quit his lead role in The Witcher — leaving it to Liam Hemsworth — so he could return as Superman, only to be later replaced in there as well. Luckily, as Netflix closed their doors on the actor, Amazon has let him in on their upcoming series adaptation of Warhammer 40,000, the popular sci-fi fantasy miniature war game.
"For 30 years I have dreamt of seeing a Warhammer universe in live action. Now, after 22 years of experience in this industry, I finally feel that I have the skill set and experience to guide a Warhammer Cinematic Universe into life," Cavill wrote on his Instagram. He also promised fans to "respect this IP," bring them "something familiar," and to produce "something fantastic that is, as of yet, unseen."
In conclusion, we'll have to agree with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star — most Superman actors have had bad luck, indeed. But him bringing another cinematic universe to life and Reeve transcending the character's impact in real life, we'll say they simply moved on from the fictional role and onto other influential ones — the very reason for Cavill somewhat "breaking the curse," according to critics.
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