Will Reeve, son of the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve, has offered his family’s full support to David Corenswet and the cast of the upcoming film Superman, stating that while their approval isn’t necessary, they are grateful to be included in the project’s journey.
Speaking on Good Morning America, the ABC News correspondent explained that director James Gunn and the production team were not obligated to involve his family.
“My dad, and my siblings, and I, we’re not gatekeepers of Superman,” Reeve clarified. “David and the rest of the cast and crew don’t need to seek our approval or even welcome us on their journey, but we’re grateful that they did and excited for everybody to see it.”
Reeve also shared details of his “uncanny” first encounter with Corenswet while visiting the film’s set in Atlanta. “I hear someone go, ‘Hi, Will,’ with a deep voice,” he recalled. “I see this blue and red and I look up and—I didn’t think it was my dad, but I for a second didn’t register that it was David. And I just look up, I go, ‘Oh, wow. That’s Superman.’”
The sentiment was reciprocated by Corenswet, who described the meeting in an interview with Entertainment Weekly as “very heartwarming.” He noted that Reeve’s visit, which occurred during the filming of a climactic scene, provided a significant morale boost.
“Anybody who’s involved with a great character, whether it’s directly as writing and drawing for them—or, in Will’s case, his dad put the character into the public consciousness—when those people are excited about what they see, that just gives you a little fuel to keep going,” Corenswet said.
In addition to his set visit, Reeve will make a cameo appearance in the film, fittingly cast as a journalist. He described the experience as “quick, easy,” but admitted to being nervous. “I had to memorize one line, but still!” he told TMZ.
Christopher Reeve famously portrayed the Man of Steel in four films throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His life and legacy were recently chronicled in the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, featuring his children Will, Matthew, and Alexandra.
Superman is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11.
