This week we celebrate Christopher D’Olier Reeve’s 73rd Birthday. Decades after his untimely passing, in an era where people are now living comfortably into their nineties, seventy plus sounds younger than ever. In these heady days of fictional Multiverses, I often wonder about what our hero would be doing in an alternate 2025, while the rest of us languish here in the misery of what simply has to be Biff Tannen’s hijacked timeline.
What continues to thrive, thankfully, is the Superman Legacy. Even with a new movie franchise launching this year, it seems the classic movie series has only solidified its position in fandom and cinema history. Indeed, while comparisons to the new actor in the cape are inevitable, it seems that Christopher Reeve has gained a mythical status equivalent to Sean Connery’s Bond – Others may come and go, but nobody does it better.
As for the future, the celebration continues with the recent announcement from Capedwonder.com that author David Michael Petrou’s seminal work The Making Of Superman: The Movie is to be re-released in 2026 in a spectacular new edition –
– And the fan-made tributes not only keep coming, but get better with every project – now easily surpassing the quality of licensed products. See below Chris King’s upgraded wish-fulfilment action figure, made with the kind of love and attention to detail only a SuperFan could provide –
As time marches relentlessly on, perhaps the defining attribute of Reeve’s Superman is not only hope, but reassurance that there’s always something to look forward and aspire to. Both the dedication of the fanbase plus the efforts of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation will ensure the legacy continues in earnest on this Birthday and beyond.
The final word, then, is appropriately delivered by SuperFan Gary Irving, whose heartfelt thoughts must carry us through until next Sept 25th –
“Christopher will forever be remembered as the man who brought Superman to life on the big screen, but his legacy goes far beyond the cape. After his tragic accident, he showed the world what true strength and courage look like. He became a tireless advocate for spinal cord research, a voice of hope, and a reminder that real heroes inspire us through their actions and their heart!!”