
Despite positive reviews, Warner Bros was disappointed with the financial performance of Superman Returns, and canceled Singer's proposed sequel. Donner's director's cut for Superman II was also released that year. The studio hired Bryan Singer to take over the films in 2004, releasing Superman Returns in 2006, which starred newcomer Brandon Routh. Abrams scripted Superman: Flyby, which went between directors Joseph "McG" Nichols and Brett Ratner. Over the course of 11 years, Warner Bros would develop and then cancel Tim Burton's Superman Lives, which would have starred Nicolas Cage Wolfgang Petersen's Batman vs. Ilya Salkind commissioned a fifth Superman script before Warner Bros acquired the rights entirely in 1993.


Lester also returned for Superman III (1983), and the Salkinds further produced the related 1984 spin-off Supergirl before selling the rights to Cannon Films, resulting in the poorly reviewed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). The Salkinds fired Donner after Superman 's release and commissioned Richard Lester as the director to finish Superman II. Donner had already shot eighty percent of Superman II with Christopher Reeve before it was decided to finish shooting the first film. After numerous scripts and years in development, Richard Donner was hired as their director, filming Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) simultaneously. In 1973, the film rights to the Superman character were purchased by Ilya Salkind, Alexander Salkind, and Pierre Spengler. An independent studio, Lippert Pictures, released the first Superman feature film, Superman and the Mole Men, starring George Reeves, in 1951.

He debuted in cinemas in a series of animated shorts beginning in 1941, subsequently starring in two movie serials in 19. DC Comics' Superman franchise, based on the character of the same name created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in June 1938, has seen the release of various films since its inception.
