Christopher Reeve will forever be known as Clark Kent/ Superman. He gave us the best portrayal of the caped hero we all know and love. But why is that? Well, I’m here to provide you with my insight. Of course, this is all subjective.

Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent

First of all, many people make fun of how no one recognizes Superman in Clark Kent. Well, Christopher Reeve makes it believable that even I would fall for it.

His Clark Kent is naive, clumsy, and awkward. On top of that, he looks weak and is kind at the same time. Someone you wouldn’t expect to be Superman. Superman could choose to come off as a strong man, who shows off his strengths, but he won’t.

Henry Cavill is great as Superman, as he’s also kind and charming. However, he’s not fooling anyone with his glasses. The guy is bulked, his arms are at least four times my arm. His secret would be out in the first week.

There is one scene that defines Christopher Reeve is a master in becoming someone else. And, it’s all due to his body pose change of Clark Kent to Superman. Even his voice changed from awkward to confident.

Christopher Reeve as Superman

Before Christopher Reeve became Superman, he had to work out. When he auditioned, he was still a skinny guy. We have to respect the guy for doing workouts to become Superman.

Watch the video below for his determination on his iconic role. It might not be as intense as today’s superhero training, but it was a different time back then.

In the video, he also refers that Superman sees the world in a simple way. That he fights for Truth, Justice in an American way, and he’s not kidding. His Superman tries to see in the world in a good eye, and be positive about it.

If you compare it to Henry Cavill”s Superman, he isn’t the same Superman, as he is confused and is still searching for who he truly is. I don’t mind this approach, as I loved Man of Steel. On the other hand, you have Christopher Reeve, and he tries to inspire “Good” by simply being kind.

Every time he saves the day, he gives people cheesy advice like “stay in school.” Mostly because he believes in the justice system, but also he wants to deliver positive messages. You could say that he’s an optimist. And he doesn’t only save people. He would also do small stuff like saving a cat from a tree.

Brandon Routh’s Superman is based on Christopher Reeve’s. Although he did a great job as the man of steel, it will never feel like the real one.

One other reason why I love Christopher Reeve as Superman is due to his charms. When he smiles at you, you can feel his pure heart of good and instantly know he can be trusted. It’s his innocence that makes him so appealing for the role.

The tragic accident

Have you ever heard about the Superman curse?

It’s a curse that refers to misfortunes that happened to creative people in the adaptions of Superman. Click here for more info.

Unfortunately, Christopher Reeve wasn’t spared from this curse. He had a tragic accident while horseriding and fell on his neck. That resulted in him becoming paralyzed and having difficulties breathing.

From that moment on, he was in a wheelchair with a tube/ ventilator in his throat so he could breathe. When Reeve asked his wife Dana, if it wasn’t better to let him go, she told him that she would always be there for him. His wife convinced him to fight and has always been there for him.

Christopher Reeve even told the press that it’s Dana’s spirit, which kept him alive. He established the Christopher Reeve & Dana Foundation, dedicated to finding treatment for paralysis. On top of that, he still acted in a few movies.

As a man that still fought after a tragic accident, we can all say he’s a real man of steel.

Christopher Reeve died at 52 of  complications from an infection caused by bedsore.

My movie reviews

Be sure to check out my Superman movie reviews:

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