* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/BrandonRouth, Creator/KateBosworth, and Creator/KevinSpacey signed on without having read the script.
* BTeamSequel: To the Creator/RichardDonner-helmed ''Film/SupermanII'', leaving those ''[[Film/SupermanIII other]]'' [[Film/SupermanIVTheQuestForPeace two]] B-Team Sequels in CanonDiscontinuity.
* BudgetBustingElement: The film spent $10 million on Superman's return to Krypton due to the high cost of animation at the time. Unfortunately, this became a DeletedScene due to clashing with the rest of the film's tone.
* CaliforniaDoubling: Sydney doubled for Kansas.
* CreatorBacklash: After ''Film/ManOfSteel'' came out, Creator/BryanSinger commented on both that movie and this one. He is proud of what he made, but has expressed understanding of why audiences weren't as enthusiastic about it. In retrospect, he would have increased the action quotient or sped up the pacing (putting the airplane catch earlier in the movie), or else done a complete reboot. Beforehand, other people involved with the production expressed similar sentiments.
* CreatorChosenCasting:
** Creator/KevinSpacey was the only actor considered for Lex Luthor, having worked with Creator/BryanSinger on ''Film/TheUsualSuspects'' and being friends with director. The writers specifically had Spacey in mind for the part when writing the script.
** Creator/ParkerPosey was the only choice for Kitty Kowalski.
* CreatorKiller: While Creator/BryanSinger's career ultimately survived unscathed until the [=#MeToo=] movement despite this film's underwhelming performance, producer Jon Peters wasn't so lucky; between the DevelopmentHell that the film went through and the even more disastrous reception of his previous film, ''Film/WildWildWest'', it helped put an end to his career. His only other credit to date was as an executive producer on ''Film/ManOfSteel'', and even then he apparently wasn't too actively involved in its production. The film also crushed co-writer Dan Harris' theatrical career, as his next movie that wasn't a DirectToVideo release, ''Film/XMenApocalypse'', didn't come until 2016.
* DarkhorseCasting: As was the case with Creator/ChristopherReeve, Creator/BryanSinger believed that only an unknown actor would be suitable to play Superman.
* DawsonCasting: Inverted. In spite of this film taking place five years after ''Film/SupermanII'', a 22 year old Creator/KateBosworth plays ComicBook/LoisLane. Made all the more noticeable when the five foot five actress is playing opposite six foot three Brandon Routh, who was only 25 himself when he was cast yet supposedly he is playing a Superman who is well over 30 and already a legendary figure in his own time.
* DeletedScene: The intended opening scene, of Superman surveying the remains of Krypton in his Kryptonian spacecraft, was completely cut out. It can be seen in its entirety [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF44PEypDQs here]]. The scene also returned in the novelization.
* DyeingForYourArt: Creator/BrandonRouth had to work out and wear tinted contact lenses to make his brown eyes look blue. Blonde Creator/KateBosworth dyed her hair to become the brunette Lois Lane. Creator/KevinSpacey also shaved his head for ComicBook/LexLuthor.
* FranchiseKiller: Meager box office returns compared to the film's cost made a potential sequel languish in DevelopmentHell until Superman was [[Film/ManOfSteel rebooted]].
* HostilityOnTheSet: Creator/BrandonRouth [[https://www.film-news.co.uk/news/UK/73362/Brandon-Routh-Bryan-Singer-wasn-t-always-the-kindest-person-to-everyone revealed]] that Creator/BryanSinger was sometimes difficult onset and "wasn't always the kindest to everyone".
* HypotheticalCasting: Creator/BryanSinger wanted General Zod to be in the film, with Creator/JudeLaw playing him. After Law turned down the role several times, Singer eliminated the character from the script.
* InMemoriam: The film was dedicated to Creator/ChristopherReeve and Dana Reeve.
* TheOtherDarrin: ''Superman Returns'' is considered to be in the same continuity as the Richard Donner films. However, pretty much everyone from those films was recast in this, due to either being too old or having passed away. The only exception is the late Creator/MarlonBrando as Jor-El through stock footage.
* PromotedFanboy: Creator/BryanSinger and Creator/BrandonRouth are big Superman fans.
* RunningTheAsylum: Creator/BryanSinger is, by some accounts, a huge Superman fan (or at least a huge fan of the first two Creator/ChristopherReeve Superman films), which is why he left the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' to make the movie. Some of those accounts suggest that this is why the first two ''X-Men'' movies were awesome and ''Superman Returns'' was not; he was only marginally familiar with the ''X-Men'' comics, so he was able to make two ''X-Men'' films that even non-fans could enjoy, but he was too close to Superman to do it right.
* SavedFromDevelopmentHell[=/=]SequelGap: The fifth ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' movie took 19 years, with many, many projects for a fifth Superman emerging since 1987 (another Cannon film, a film directed by Creator/TimBurton, written by Creator/KevinSmith and starring Creator/NicolasCage, a team up film with ComicBook/{{Batman}}, etc).
* StarMakingRole: Creator/BrandonRouth never ended up playing Superman again ([[Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019 until 2019]]), but made enough of an impact to leverage into a respectable career. It helps this was his first big role (and maybe the mixed reaction helped prevent him from getting hit with IAmNotSpock), and has made some acclaimed appearances in other projects, including another DC hero Ray Palmer/''ComicBook/TheAtom'' in ''Series/{{Arrow}}''.
* StuntCasting: The film homages the television show ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' with the casting of Noel Neill (Lois) and Jack Larson (Jimmy) in significant roles.
* UnderageCasting: Lois Lane is played by Creator/KateBosworth, who was only 23 years old and looked it. She was supposed to be an experienced reporter with a Pulitzer or two under her belt, not to mention a kindergarten-age son. Creator/BrandonRouth (Clark Kent) was 26 during production. The most problematic part of all this is that the movie is supposed to take place five years after the events of ''Superman II'', which makes these characters 35 at the very minimum.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/WillSmith and Creator/JoshHartnett were approached for the role of [[Comicbook/{{Superman}} Clark Kent]] before Creator/BrandonRouth was cast. However, Smith turned down the offer due to his reluctance to portray [[Main/RaceLift a traditionally white character]] after doing ''Film/WildWildWest'', while Hartnett turned it down due to fears of being [[Main/TypeCasting typecast]] as the iconic comic book character.
*** Creator/PaulWalker, Creator/BrendanFraser, Creator/AshtonKutcher, Creator/DavidBoreanaz, Creator/IanSomerhalder, Creator/GlennHowerton, Creator/RyanMcPartlin, Creator/ChrisPratt, Creator/SamHeughan, Creator/DanielCudmore, Creator/JerryOConnell and Creator/HenryCavill also auditioned for the part of Superman before the casting of Routh. Cavill would eventually go on to portray the titular character in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, while O'Connell would voice him in the WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse.
** Creator/JenniferConnelly, Creator/CatherineZetaJones, Creator/ElishaCuthbert, Creator/KeiraKnightley, Creator/ClaireDanes, Creator/MischaBarton and Creator/KeriRussell were considered for ComicBook/LoisLane before the casting of Creator/KateBosworth.
*** Creator/AmyAdams auditioned for the role of Lois Lane as well before the casting of Bosworth. Adams would later go on to portray the character in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse.
** Creator/TopherGrace, Creator/EricChristianOlsen and Creator/ShawnAshmore were considered for the part of Comicbook/JimmyOlsen before Creator/SamHuntington was cast. Shawn's brother, Creator/AaronAshmore, would later portray Henry James "Jimmy" and [[spoiler: his younger brother James "Jimmy" Olsen]] in ''Series/{{Smallville}}''.
** Creator/HughLaurie was originally cast as Perry White before the casting of Creator/FrankLangella. However, Laurie dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts with ''Series/{{House}}''.
** Creator/ShekharKapur, Creator/MichaelBay, Creator/OliverStone, Creator/RobertRodriguez, Creator/MNightShyamalan, [[Film/{{Blade}} Stephen Norrington]] and Creator/MartinCampbell were initially offered to direct the film before Creator/BryanSinger was hired. Campbell would eventually go on to helm ''{{Film/Green Lantern|2011}}''.
** Singer wanted Creator/ChristopherReeve to make a cameo appearance in the film but Reeve died before filming began. Singer then decided to dedicate the film to him.
** In interviews, Creator/KalPenn revealed he originally had a much greater role. It would have been revealed that his character was a disgraced former Daily Planet science reporter who was bribed by Lex Luthor to plant false evidence of Krypton's possible survival, thus inspiring Superman to leave Earth and explore Krypton's ruins.
** Singer wanted General Zod to be in the film, with Creator/JudeLaw playing him. After Law turned down the role several times, Singer eliminated the character from the script.
** A scene dropped from the script had Superman visiting Ground Zero.
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