Superman 'curse' is back

A Hollywood jinx is said to have dogged the franchise ever since its first star, Bud Collyer, who voiced the role on radio, died from heart trouble. The most legendary Superman star, Christopher Reeve, was paralysed in a riding accident in 1995 and died nine years later.

Reeve's wife Dana, a non-smoker, was struck down by lung cancer this
year at the age of 44. Kirk Alyn, the first actor to play Superman on screen in the film serial, regretted taking the role, while another Man of Steel, George Reeves, killed himself in 1959.

Lois Lane actress Margot Kidder was discovered sleeping rough after suffering a mental breakdown. Today the previously unknown Brandon Routh, star of the new
blockbuster Superman Returns, said he had no anxieties about the so--called curse.

But the film's director, Bryan Singer, said: "My DVD crew absorbed the curse for us." One of the crew tumbled down stairs, another was beaten up while being mugged, and a third smashed into a glass window.

Publicising the film before its Friday opening, Singer said Superman had "messianic qualities".

"I've never shied away from its Judo-Christian origins ... like a baby sent to earth like Moses.

"That allegory is interesting to me. It definitely played a role," he said. Actor Routh hinted that he would like to star in another Superman sequel "as long as I can keep the character true".

He said: "I was aware of the great legacy, not only of Superman, but also of Christopher Reeve. He's the one that made me love Superman, watching him perform.

"I did my best to always remember that there was this great respect
that needed to be paid but also not worry about whether I was going to be
good enough, as that would have got in the way of my performance.

"You have to try to imagine what it's like to be the most powerful
person on earth and there's no room for fear in that."

Kevin Spacey follows in the footsteps of Gene Hackman as the evil Lex Luthor. He said: "Bryan wanted to retain certain elements but he also wanted
to introduce a new element to create a Lex Luthor that's actually really scary, a nemesis to Superman so that when Superman is at his most vulnerable they actually think that Lex is going to win.

"I've come from a philosophy in the theatre that you don't actually
own a part, you just borrow a part for a certain period of time.

"When you have that philosophy it feels less like you're stepping into someone else's shoes."

US star Kate Bosworth, who plays journalist Lois Lane, said of her
Pirates of the Caribbean boyfriend Orlando Bloom: "We're just very supportive
of each other."

The film's UK premiere takes place in London tomorrow night.