Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.
Acting
Reeve's dual performance — you genuinely forget it's the same actor.
Score
Williams at his most iconic; every note is pure cinematic adrenaline.
Direction
Donner treats the source material with Shakespearean gravitas.
Director
Richard Donner
Christopher Reeve
Clark Kent / Superman
Margot Kidder
Lois Lane
Gene Hackman
Lex Luthor
Marlon Brando
Jor-El
Ned Beatty
Otis
Jackie Cooper
Perry White
Glenn Ford
Pa Kent
Trevor Howard
1st Elder
Jack O'Halloran
Non
Valerie Perrine
Eve Teschmacher
Maria Schell
Vond-Ah
Terence Stamp
General Zod
Phyllis Thaxter
Ma Kent
Susannah York
Lara
Jeff East
Young Clark Kent
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Marlon Brando refused to memorize lines, reading them off baby Kal-El's diaper or cue cards, and earned $3.7 million for roughly two weeks of work.
The 'you'll believe a man can fly' tagline wasn't hyperbole — the revolutionary wirework and blue-screen techniques created the visual grammar for every superhero film since.
US
