Trivia - Superman II

In 1978, Christopher Reeve soared into cinematic history, making us all believe a man could fly in Superman: The Movie, directed by Richard Donner. Then came 1980’s Superman II—bigger, bolder, and packed with enough super-powered showdowns to rattle the Fortress of Solitude. Reeve returned (cape firmly in place), and this time, the Man of Steel didn’t just fly—he threw down.

If you need a quick look back to refresh your memory: Superman faces off against three Kryptonian criminals—General Zod, Ursa, and Non —released from the Phantom Zone and ready to take Earth as their new domain. With Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) discovering his secret and Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) stirring up trouble, meanwhile Superman does the unthinkable—give up his powers for love… just as the ultimate supervillain smackdown begins. Stakes? Sky-high. Drama? Off the charts.

Exciting, right? My adolescent self was absolutely faster than a speeding bullet in love with this movie—and honestly, not much has changed. So you can imagine my kryptonite-level excitement when I got the chance to chat with Ursa herself, Sarah Douglas, on my podcast Hollywood Obsessed episodes 167 & 168. Huge thanks to Jeff East (young Clark Kent in the original film—episodes 99 & 100!) for playing the ultimate hero and making the introduction.

So grab your cape, channel your inner Kryptonian, and join me as we take flight back to this iconic sequel with a look at some fun and fascinating trivia from Superman II. Up, up, and away!

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In 1977, producers Alexander Salkind and Ilya Salkind made the ambitious decision to film Superman: The Movie and Superman II simultaneously. Principal photography ran from March 1977 through October 1978.

Rising tensions between director Richard Donner and the producers led to the sequel being halted when it was about 75% complete, so the team could focus on finishing the first film. After Superman’s 1978 release, Donner was dismissed and replaced by Richard Lester.

Donner had already completed a substantial portion of Superman II before his departure. To receive sole directing credit under industry rules, Lester was required to reshoot much of the film—resulting in roughly 20% of the final version being newly filmed material.

Because of the change in directors, Superman II exists in notably different versions. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut restores Donner’s original vision, while the theatrical release reflects Lester’s tone and reshoots—leading to overlapping but distinctly different scenes.

When production resumed, Christopher Reeve had scheduling conflicts with Somewhere in Time. He also had concerns about script changes and Donner’s firing, which allowed him to renegotiate his contract for better pay and more creative input.

Reeve later stated that he considered Superman II to be the strongest film in the franchise.

Gene Hackman did not return for reshoots as Lex Luthor. All of his scenes were filmed under Donner, and any additional moments required body doubles and voice impersonation.

Valerie Perrine’s character Eve Teschmacher disappears midway through the film because her scenes were completed before Donner’s departure, and no additional footage was filmed during reshoots.

Sarah Douglas (Ursa) has said she had the most fun working with Gene Hackman among her co-stars in the first two films.

Despite standing 6'6", Jack O'Halloran (Non) wore lifts to appear even more physically imposing on screen.

In early script concepts, the missile from Superman: The Movie was responsible for freeing Zod and his companions from the Phantom Zone. This idea was later restored in the Donner Cut, replacing the theatrical version’s Eiffel Tower sequence.

The small-town sequence where Zod, Ursa, and Non first appear was filmed on the backlot of Pinewood Studios in England, using forced perspective to mimic an American setting.

Ursa is loosely based on the comic character Faora, both portrayed as fierce, man-hating Kryptonian warriors. Non was created specifically for the film, though both characters were later incorporated into DC Comics continuity.

In the theatrical version, Clark Kent relinquishes his powers before becoming intimate with Lois Lane. In the Donner Cut, that sequence plays out differently, with Superman still retaining his abilities.

Richard Donner briefly appears in a "walking cameo" in the film. In the sequence where the de-powered Clark and Lois are seen approaching the truck-stop diner by car, Donner appears walking "camera left" past the driver's side. He is wearing a light tan jacket and appears to be smoking a pipe.

The Metropolis “super-breath” battle scene was filmed over three freezing nights at Pinewood Studios, with Richard Lester improvising much of the humor during filming.

Superman uses a rare “super-kiss” to erase Lois Lane’s memory of his identity—an obscure ability from the comics that was seldom used and eventually abandoned.

Years later, Margot Kidder admitted she came to agree with critics who felt Lois Lane’s romantic choices in the film were questionable.

Several actors—including Gene Hackman, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, and E. G. Marshall—did not participate in the film’s reshoots under Richard Lester.

Composer John Williams was originally slated to score Superman II, whereby he was given a screening with Ilya Salkind and Richard Lester. When Salkind left the projection room, Williams and Lester fell into an argument; when Salkind returned, Williams told him that he "could not get along with this man." To take his place, Richard Lester's frequent composer Ken Thorne was selected to score the sequel

Sarah Douglas was heavily involved in promoting the film worldwide and remained notably neutral regarding the Donner–Lester directing controversy.

Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Jackie Cooper, and Marc McClure are the only performers to appear in the first four Superman films. McClure was also the only one to appear in Supergirl.

Sarah Douglas later returned to the Superman universe with a guest role on Supergirl, appearing in the Season 3 episode “Fort Rozz” (2018) as the Kryptonian priestess Jindah Kol Rozz.

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Some of the facts in this post were sourced from IMDb and Wikipedia—because even superheroes need a little backup from time to time.

If you’re ready to go deeper behind the scenes of Superman: The Movie and Superman II, be sure to check out my two-part Hollywood Obsessed podcast interview (Episodes 167 & 168) with Ursa herself, Sarah Douglas. It’s packed with nostalgia, fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, and personal memories from one of film and television’s most iconic villains. You’ll hear incredible firsthand anecdotes about bringing Superman II to life—straight from the woman who helped make audiences everywhere kneel before Zod.

Listen now!

Episode 167 – HERE

Episode 168 – HERE