Superman Returns 2 would've expanded on Brandon Routh's Superman story, introducing new elements - but here's why it didn't happen. In 2006, Superman Returns brought the Man of Steel back to the big screen with Routh in the title role. Instead of starting anew with Superman, DC and Warner Bros. decided to continue the story of Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent, who was featured in four movies from 1978 to 1987.
Superman Returns took the Big Blue Boy Scout in an unexpected direction. First, the movie revealed that Earth went several years without its biggest hero, since Superman went off-world to deal with a problem of his own. When Superman came back, he saw how things had changed in his absence and found himself back in conflict with his old archenemy, Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey). By the end of the film, Superman managed to defeat Lex Luthor, and also discovered that prior to his disappearance, he had fathered a son with Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth).
Superman Returns grossed $391 million at the worldwide box office, but a sequel never materialized, with DC instead opting to reboot the franchise with a new version of the Last Son of Krypton, played by Henry Cavill in 2013's Man of Steel. Brandon Routh's Superman wasn't revisited until The CW's 2019-2020 Arrowverse crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths, which saw Routh don the red cape again. The world of Superman Returns was introduced as one of the Arrowverse's many alternate Earths, and the crossover gave fans a chance to see what happened to this version of Superman. But a sequel to Superman Returns could have been a direct continuation to his story. Here's what it would have been about, and why it never happened.
Superman Returns 2 Would've Brought Back Most Of The First Movie's Cast
Most of the characters featured in Superman Returns would have returned for the next movie, portrayed by the same people, as many of the actors had signed contracts that included multiple films. For instance, Perry White actor Frank Langella said he was set to play his character for two more movies. Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and Sam Huntington all would have reprised their roles as Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen, respectively. Also, Tristan Lake Leabu would have been back as Superman Returns' original character, Jason White. Jason White was introduced as the son of Lois and her fiancé, Richard (James Marsden), but it turned out that he was actually Superman's child. Though it was never confirmed, it's likely that James Marsden would have returned to play Richard as well, considering that he was an important character. It's unclear, though, if Eve Marie Saint would have played Martha Kent again in Superman Returns 2.
Superman Returns 2 Would've Featured New Krypton
In Superman Returns, Lex Luthor found a way to use Kryptonian technology to create a large land mass which serves as the primary threat that Superman is forced to deal with in the movie. It, of course, contains Kryptonite and resembles the geography of Krypton. To stop the land mass from spreading and taking over the planet, Superman manages to lift it up into the sky and take it into space. A tie-in comic revealed that the land mass - which is called "New Krypton" - settled into orbit.
New Krypton would have appeared in Superman Returns 2, but obviously with a different role, since Superman already separated it from Earth. Superman Returns writer Michael Dougherty has said that a sequel would have introduced new Kryptonians, but doesn't expand on how they'd fit it into the story, though Dougherty has said that they wouldn't have been evil - or, at least, not at first. There's a good chance that their role in Superman Returns 2 would have been linked to New Krypton, simply because of what the creation of New Krypton would mean for the future of Superman's race. It would have served as a new home for any Kryptonians who somehow survived the planet's destruction. New Krypton would have given Kryptonians an opportunity to rebuild their civilization, and depending on what their plans were for the future, this could have posed a problem for Superman.
Brainiac and Bizarro Were Potential Villains For Superman Returns 2
Who would Superman have fought in the sequel? Though Kevin Spacey was expected to be in the movie, he may not have been the main villain this time, especially since he was the main antagonist of Superman Returns (and Superman: The Movie). Also, Superman already dealt with General Zod (Terence Stamp) in 1980's Superman II. However, Superman has no shortage of villains to choose from. Since the sequel was never actually written, it will never be known who they would have settled on, but two choices that have been discussed with those involved are Bizarro and Brainiac.
Bizarro is a duplicate of Superman and the opposite of him in several ways, while Brainiac is an alien with a supercomputer for a brain and a desire to collect entire worlds. Brandon Routh has said that he would have leaned toward one of them. Dougherty has mentioned Brainiac as a possibility as well, noting that the character is "always interesting". As Brainiac is one of Superman's greatest villains and is one iconic DC Comics character who has never appeared on the big screen, he certainly feels like he would have been a good fit for Superman Returns 2. It could be that in the movie, he would have set his sights on Earth, or possibly even New Krypton.
Why Superman Returns 2 Didn't Happen
Superman Returns 2 was originally scheduled for a 2009 release, with Bryan Singer expected to return as director. Dougherty was to write the script. As time passed and no developments were made, Singer and others moved on from the project. But why did Warner Bros. abandon their plans for the movie? After all, their intention was to breathe life into the Superman franchise with a new series of movies. The explanation may be related, at least in part, to its box office performance. The movie did receive positive reviews, but that wasn't enough. It's been said that studio executives weren't satisfied with its $391 million box office haul, with Warner Bros. President Alan Horn commenting that it should have been able to pull in at least $500 million. At that point though, a sequel was still being planned. So though its numbers may have lessened the studio's enthusiasm for a second movie, it couldn't have been the only reason why it was never developed.
According to Routh, one of the reasons why Superman Returns 2 never moved forward was the situation at Warner Bros. Routh says that "there was a lot of change happening over at Warner Bros. at that time", and that prevented the movie from ever going anywhere [via Den of Geek]. The writer's strike that went on from 2007 to 2008 may also have been an issue that slowed things down. Essentially, it was a combination of factors that kept Superman Returns 2 from ever seeing the light of day.