1978's Superman: The Movie Was The 'North Star' For My Adventures With Superman
Working on an animated project for Warner Bros. Discovery has become a game of chicken with CEO David Zaslav in charge, as every week seems to bring about another round of shows that are either scrubbed from streaming platforms, or are outright cancelled during production. At this point, it can be difficult to keep up with a project that's actually going to get released. Thankfully, it appears that an upcoming DC animated series for Cartoon Network has avoided the chopping block, at least for now.
First announced in 2021, series creator Jake Wyatt's "My Adventures with Superman" will see "The Boys" star Jack Quaid voicing the titular superhero, while Alice Lee will play Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane. While larger plot details are being kept under wraps, the synopsis indicates that it will show Superman through a youthful lens, while staying true to the character's roots:
"Clark Kent builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis, while sharing adventures and falling in love with Lois, a star investigative journalist, who also takes Jimmy Olsen under her wing."
One of the most interesting credits is that of executive producer Josie Campbell, who was a head writing talent for shows like "Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous" and "She-Ra: Princesses of Power." She also authored the upcoming "The New Champions of Shazam!" comic miniseries. With "My Adventures With Superman" being the first animated solo series for the Man of Steel since "Superman: The Animated Series," there's plenty of "Superman" material to pull from for inspiration, but it appears that Campbell was guided by one of the most influential comic book films of all time.
'It truly is one of our favorite pieces of Superman media'
Whether through live-action or animation, there have been plenty of actors who have embodied the heart and soul of Superman, but there's something so indelible about Christopher Reeve in the role. While Campbell cites the comics run of John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, and Louise Simonson as inspiration when putting "My Adventures With Superman" together, she knew the Richard Donner film was along the lines of what she wanted the series to resemble (via Superman Homepage):
"Our North Star was the 1978 'Superman: The Movie,' especially the interplay between the incredible Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve. We loved their chemistry; we loved how smart and feisty Lois was, and loved the heart and altruism of Reeve's Superman/Clark Kent. The movie was clever, fun, and modernized Superman in a way that felt organic to the time period, while also respectful of what came before. It truly is one of our favorite pieces of Superman media."
Even to this day, "Superman: The Movie" feels like such a heartwarming time capsule. To Campbell's point, it shares as many similarities to the 1970s, as it does its 1930s comic roots. The character has always adapted to the period in which he's lived in, and I can't imagine the animated series will be any different. If anything, what we know of it so far sounds more like a modern interpretation version of the live-action "The New Adventures of Lois and Clark" series, which focused on the titular leads' romance while also being good reporters for the Daily Planet.
"Superman: The Movie" is currently streaming on HBO Max.