SUPERMAN SAVES THE DAY IN SCENE FILMED AT CLEVELAND’S PUBLIC SQUARE (PHOTOS, SPOILERS)
SPOILER ALERT: Potential plot points for DC’s upcoming “Superman” movie are below. Proceed at your own risk.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Superman was spotted doing superman things in downtown Cleveland, err, Metropolis, on Monday.
Local production on DC’s upcoming “Superman” entered its third week with star David Corenswet and director James Gunn on set in Public Square. In the scene, Corenswet, dressed in the superhero’s iconic blue and red suit, appears to save a little girl’s dog from being crushed by something crashing down from the sky — pieces from a falling building perhaps? At the same time, dozens of background actors are looking up, panicking and running from something. It’s big, destructive and most likely a giant, angry monster.
It’s the kind of moment seemingly every “Superman” film has. You can bet it will be in the trailer. The entire scene will probably take up a few minutes of screen time — if that — once the film comes out next year. But in reality, it took nearly four hours to complete. Extras were put through several rehearsals, cars in the background had to be arranged and rearranged, and passersby hoping to get a glimpse of the action were constantly told to keep walking as camera crews captured the scene from every conceivable angle, even breaking out the drone at one point. The dog required some extra takes, too.
But not Corenswet. Following lunch, the 30-year-old actor returned to the set and needed just one take to nail a scene where he appears to take off for a flight over Metropolis. Special effects will take care of the rest.
Indeed, life on a movie set can be slow and monotonous. It can also be inconvenient for the host city. Public Square and the surrounding streets have been shut down for several days, snarling traffic and rerouting RTA buses. But the Greater Cleveland Film Commission — the nonprofit that lures Hollywood film and television projects to the region — will tell you it’s worth it. The production company behind “Superman” is expected to spend millions of dollars on hotel room nights and working with local small business vendors during the shoot. Beyond the economic impact, there’s the collective pride that comes from seeing Cleveland on the big screen. In short, it’s pretty cool.
“Superman,” co-starring Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, flies into theaters on July 11, 2025.
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