With the new Superman movie hitting theaters on July 11, there are some who are worried the franchise’s “curse” might rear its ugly head.
The legend of the “Superman Curse” originated after one of the superhero’s creators, Jerry Siegel, promised to curse the character after he barely made a penny off of its creation. Siegel, and co-creator Joe Schuster sold the rights to DC Comics for just $130 in 1938. The men agreed to a work-for-hire contract that allowed DC to pay them once the comic was published. However, the deal meant that the company could profit off of anything created with Superman, including merch, movies and more, but they had no obligation to pay Siegel and Schuster anything. Afterward, Siegel allegedly told one of the DC executives that he’d “put a curse on him.”
Since then, the stars of the franchise, like George Reeves, Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, have faced a multitude of problems. Reeves, who played the Man of Steel in the Superman TV show from 1952 to 1958, died in 1959 from a gunshot wound to the head. While authorities ruled it a suicide, the case has been plagued with conspiracy theories due to mysterious circumstances, including the lack of fingerprints on the gun, no gunpowder residue on Reeves’ hands, and the fact that three shots were fired (two into the floor and one into his head.)
Reeve stepped into the Superman role in 1978 and starred in four of the franchise’s films. In 1995, he was paralyzed from the neck down in a horse riding accident. He spent the next several years as a disability advocate, but in 2004, he died from heart failure at the age of 52.
Kidder starred as Lois Lane opposite Reeve, and she later struggled with homelessness and bipolar disorder. In 2018, she died by suicide. Richard Pryor, who starred in Superman III, developed multiple sclerosis shortly after shooting the film, and he continued to have health issues until his death in 2005.
While newer stars like Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin have largely avoided any major tragedies, a hint of worry is still lingering in the background as David Corenswet prepares to take flight this weekend.
