Superman's original cast now from homeless horror to immense family tragedy

A new Superman is soaring into UK cinemas, with the cast following in the footsteps of movie legends. Sadly, this piece of Hollywood history hasn't always been a happy one, with many former stars plagued by tragedy.

In this latest retelling, relative newcomer David Corenswet will star as the Man of Steel, in a blockbuster epic that follows Clark Kent's early days at the Daily Planet.

The 31-year-old actor is joined by The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan as love interest Lois Lane, with British actor Nicholas Hoult stepping into the role of arch nemesis, Lex Luthor.

The first major release in the new DC Universe, overseen by Marvel’s former Guardians of the Galaxy visionary James Gunn, superhero fans can catch Superman in UK cinemas from Friday, July 11.

Those who've followed Superman's adventures from the very beginning will no doubt be reminiscing over the original 1978 blockbuster and the stars who made cinema goers believe that a man really could fly.

Here, the Mirror takes a look at what happened to the cast in the iconic film that breathed life into the superhero franchise.

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Christopher Reeve

Handsome actor Christopher Reeve played the Man of Steel in all four movies. His final Superman movie, The Quest for Peace, was released in 1987.

Reeve was so linked to the character that it was difficult for him to get lead roles in other films. The movies he did get a lead role in, sadly, did not do well at the Box Office.

Then tragedy struck on May 27, 1995, cutting short his leading man status, when Reeve suffered a riding accident. He was thrown off his horse, breaking his back and paralysing him from the neck down and needing a ventilator to breathe.

The father of three's documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (available to watch on NOW TV and Sky Documentaries), following his life and career before and after becoming disabled, was lauded by critics.

Reeve died in October 2004, aged 52, after going into cardiac arrest.

Margot Kidder

Margot Kidder played Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman's love interest, in a role that cemented her as a Hollywood legend.

Already established in Tinseltown, she’d appeared in movies The Amityville Horror, Some Kind of Hero and Black Christmas.

She had a significantly reduced role in Superman 3 due to tension with the new director, Richard Lester, after Richard Donner was fired by producers.

The actress dated Superman 3 co-star Richard Pryor while making Some Kind of Hero in 1982. Sadly, Kidder struggled with bipolar disorder in later years and suffered from an extreme manic episode in 1996, which left her homeless for four days. She was found by police in a paranoid, delusional state.

She was found in a stranger's back garden in Glendale, California. Kidder was dirty and disoriented, with her two front teeth missing. She described it herself as "the most public freak out in history."

A passionate campaigner for mental heath charities, the three-times married actress was still working up to her death, starring in "The Vagina Monologues" on Broadway.

She passed away aged 69 in May 2018. Her death was ruled a suicide after taking an alcohol and drug overdose.

Kidder was mum to daughter Maggie, now 47.

Gene Hackman

The multi-award-winning actor played Superman's arch enemy, Lex Luthor, in three of the four films.

A veteran Hollywood star, his movie credits include The French Connection, Unforgiven, Mississippi Burning, The Poseidon Adventure and A Bridge Too Far. Already an Academy Award-winner and three-time nominee when he played Lex Luthor, he also received two BAFTAS and three Golden Globes.

Hackman was found dead, aged 95, at his home in New Mexico in February this year.

His cause of death was given as heart disease and complications from Alzheimer's. He was found dead close to the body of his wife, Betsy Arakawa. Betsy was ruled to have died around a week before her husband, who may not have been aware of her death due to his progressive Alzheimer's disease.

Marlon Brando

The actor credited as being one of the most influential in film history played Superman's father, Jor-El, in the original movie and was paid 2 million dollars for his role of about 10 minutes. On screen, son Reeve was not impressed with Brando.

In a TV interview, when asked if it was exciting to work with Brando, Reeve replied: “Not really. No. I had a wonderful time, but the man didn’t care. He just took the $2 million [salary] and ran.”

Reeve also said in another interview he did not “worship at the altar of Brando”, and explained he was frustrated by Brando's "lack of professionalism" on set.

After Superman, he starred in Apocalypse Now, The Freshman, A Dry White Season, The Brave and Free Money. In addition to The Godfather trilogy, he was lauded for his appearances in The Ugly American and Last Tango in Paris.

In his personal life. The three-times-married actor suffered immense tragedy. His son, Christian, shot his half-sister Cheyenne's boyfriend in 1990 and was imprisoned for ten years.

Brando admitted in court that he had failed his son and daughter. Grief-stricken Cheyenne later died by suicide in 1995.

Brando became a recluse in later life and died in July 2004 from lung failure, aged 80. It was three months before Christopher Reeve's death.

Ned Beatty

Ned Beatty played Lex Luthor's sidekick Otis. He had previously appeared in hit films All The President's Men (1976) and Network ( 1976).

Along with Kidder, Beatty was highly critical of Richard Donner's sacking from directing "Superman II," and he chose not to reprise his role in later films.

Later appearing in movies such as Friendly Fire, Touched, he also starred alongside Gene Wilder in the 1976 railroad comedy Silver Streak.

One of his most popular roles in recent years was voicing Lots o'Huggin' Bear in the 2010 film Toy Story 2.

Beatty, who had eight children from four marriages, died, aged 83, in June 2021 from natural causes.

Terence Stamp

The British actor made a cameo appearance in the first Superman movie, before returning to play arch villain General Zod in Superman II.

He also starred in Chessgame, Link, and Wall Street and received critical acclaim for his role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Stamp also appeared in The Hunger, The Haunted Mansion, Wanted, and Valkyrie, alongside Tom Cruise. The actor was a notorious ladies' man and dated the likes of model Jean Shrimpton and actress Julie Christie.

At the age of 64, Stamp married Elizabeth O'Rourke in 2002, who was 29 at the time. The couple divorced in 2008. In 2011, Stamp stunned Radio 2’s Graham Norton yesterday with a below-the-belt Superman anecdote.

The actor was telling him about filming Superman with Marlon Brando. Stamp said, “One day he came over and said, ‘You see those two girls? They want your d***’. I said, ‘What about your d***, Marlon?’ And he said, ‘They’ve had my d**k.’” Norton interrupted and said, “We are live.”

Stamp is now 86 and lives in London.

Superman is released in UK cinemas on Friday, July 11.

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