Posted By Dan Greenfield on Sep 25, 2025 | 13 comments

A birthday tribute to the greatest Man of Steel of all…

By CHRIS FRANKLIN

Christopher Reeve (Sept. 25, 1952 – Oct. 10, 2004) often said he considered himself only a temporary custodian of his most famous film role, Superman. There were others before him, and others would undoubtedly follow in wearing the famous blue, red and yellow uniform, representing the Man of Steel for that generation of fans.

He, of course, was right, but he also underestimated the impact his portrayal would have on the character, and the fans who continue to discover and rediscover his films. Reeve’s earnest characterization of Superman — not as a cartoon but a living, breathing person, with a kind heart and a desire to help — still resonates with audiences today, as it did when he first donned the cape in Richard Donner’s landmark initial film. His take on Clark Kent is nearly as iconic, selling the disguise like no one before or since, bringing an even greater humanity to the hero through Clark’s very relatable, neurotic and nervous behavior.

For many, Reeve is the ideal, the benchmark for actors not only playing the Man of Steel, but any famous superhero. Many comics artists today still base their version of the character on Reeve’s image. His later trials and triumphs over personal adversity, and his advocacy for the rights of the disabled only increased his stature as a hero to millions worldwide.

Looking as if he stepped off the comic-book page, Reeve cut an impressive figure as the Man of Tomorrow, and many licensors used his image to promote movie-specific Superman merchandise during the film series’ lifetime (1978-1987). But even more toy and collectible manufacturers replicate that look today, with fans (like me) eagerly clamoring to own a piece of merchandise that captures the quiet power of Reeve’s Last Son of Krypton. They remind us of the wondrous films that ignited our imaginations and helped shape our fandoms.

For his birthday, let’s take a look at 13 examples of merchandise based on cinema’s greatest Superman:

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Superman: The Movie Lunchbox (Aladdin, 1978). Reeve’s Superman is front and center on the lovely painted artwork for this seminal metal lunchbox from Aladdin Industries, based on Richard Donner’s blockbuster film. On the reverse side, the main players of the Daily Planet staff are depicted, with great likenesses of Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, Jackie Cooper as Perry White, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, and of course, Reeve as Clark Kent. They even get the initial Daily Planet headline covering Superman’s debut from the film right!

I was forced to choose between this and Aladdin’s Super Friends lunchbox when I entered kindergarten in 1980. I chose the latter, just because it gave me more heroes (and most importantly Batman and Robin), but it was a hard decision to make! It haunted me until I finally got one as an adult.

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Superman: The Movie Tumbler and Mugs (Dawn, 1978). Kids were big into glassware and drinking vessels in the 1970s. Dawn took a simple approach, printing images from the film, along with comics illustrations by Neal Adams, and placing them between layers of plastic cups.

No matter, it’s still a treat to see Reeve in these promotional shots, and the epic shirt rip from the first film.

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World’s Greatest Super Heroes 12 1/2-Inch Figure (Mego, 1978). Mego had the license for DC action figures, but they didn’t ink a specific deal for the film. Hence the packaging and costume styling for their 12 1/2-inch figures were more in line with the comics. But there was some effort to capture the likenesses of the actors. Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor and Terence Stamp’s Zod were more successful than Marlon Brando’s Jor-El and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. But still, you know this is SUPPOSED to be Reeve. The longer, more feathered ’70s hair style is a dead giveaway.

I fully accepted this as my Christoher Reeve Superman figure as a child. It would have been nice to have the movie marketing’s crystalline “S” shield logo on the boxes. But I can’t complain about the lovely comic art recreations from Curt Swan, Ross Andru and Neal Adams. It’s my favorite packaging design Mego ever created.

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Superman: The Movie Glasses (Pepsi Collector Series, 1978). Pepsi had great success with two sets of glasses featuring DC characters in 1976 and 1978. So, it only made sense they’d hop on the Superman movie bandwagon.

This set of six glasses, available at Taco Bell, beautifully recaptures many of the most memorable scenes and characters from the film, with of course a spotlight on each glass for Reeve’s Superman and/or Clark Kent. Before you could pop in a VHS or go to a streaming service, you could relive the movie while you guzzled down an ice-cold Pepsi.

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Superman II Lunchbox (Aladdin, 1980). The venerable metal lunchbox was dying off for a cheaper and less dangerous plastic alternative, and we were slowly losing a unique American pop culture art form. But this domed-style lunchbox still has some great artwork that captures Reeve as Superman and Clark Kent, along with Kidder as Lois, and Cooper as Perry. The real standout here is the inclusion of Terence Stamp’s Zod, Sarah Douglas’ Ursa and Jack O’Halloran’s Non, the three hissable Kryptonian villains from the Phantom Zone who helped to make this one of the best sequels of all time.

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Paperback Books (various, 1978-1987). Most hardcore fans know that Warner Bros. was put over a barrel by initial Superman: The Movie and Superman II screenwriter Mario Puzo. No adaptation of his screenplays could be put in print without paying a hefty and ridiculous sum or, according to some, no adaptation could be released at all, per his contract. This despite the fact that Tom Mankiewicz rewrote nearly the entire picture anyway. But WB sidestepped this by releasing Superman novels by comics scribe Elliot S! Maggin that just happened to feature photo sections from the movies and Reeve on the cover. Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest For Peace were exempt from these stipulations, and so actual novelizations were published.

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Movie Masters Superman: The Movie 12-Inch Figure (Mattel, 2010). Mattel was one of the first to actually give us official Superman: The Movie figures based on the actors’ likenesses, including Hackman’s Luthor, Stamp’s Zod, and of course Reeve as Superman. The fidelity to the actors is a bit soft, and nowhere near the level of contemporary figures from Sideshow or Hot Toys (as we shall soon see). But the price point was much lower, and overall, they present and display nicely. I think the paints dull what is actually a better sculpt than advertised. The costuming is pretty solid, and the addition of the Fortress crystal device is a nice touch, as is the stand with the proper movie “S” shield.

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Superman: The Movie 1/6 Scale Collectible Figure (Hot Toys, 2011). Like the Mego figure, I featured this in my Superman collectibles history article a few months back, but I couldn’t leave either one out. For my money, if you could just own one piece of merchandise based on Reeve’s Superman, this should be it. The likeness, the expression, the costume colors — it’s all spot-on. The Fortress base is a wonderful touch and really adds to the display, and points it right back to the movie, since that look was the innovation of art director John Barry. Even the packaging was impressive, ingeniously engineered in the shape of the famous “S” shield. Later, Hot Toys made an “Evil” version from Superman III. I would have liked to have owned that as well, but I couldn’t afford to take out another mortgage on my house.

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DC Comics Multiverse Superman: The Movie 3.75-Inch Figure (Mattel, 2013). Mattel took another stab at capturing Reeve’s Superman in plastic, this time in their smaller Multiverse line. It’s a fairly nice figure, even if the articulation is a little lacking and wonky by today’s standards. At this scale the likeness isn’t bad. For a mass market figure, this was well executed for the time. Reeve’s photo on the packaging is a bonus. They also made a General Zod, so you could recreate your favorite scenes from the first two films.

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Superman: The Movie Keepsake Ornament (Hallmark, 2019). Reeve’s Superman takes flight in this well-designed ornament from Hallmark. Maybe an icy base would have been a better choice, but perhaps this is the moment he takes off when he hears Lois dying in the aftermath of the earthquake? Either way the sculpting is nice, and extra points for getting the movie’s unique “S” shields right on the front and back, even at this size. The real bonus is the sound feature. Push the button on the base, and you’ll hear the fanfare from John Williams’ masterpiece of a theme.

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One:12 Collective Superman – 1978 Edition (Mezco, 2021). Mezco did right by Reeve for the most part here, producing a figure half the size of the Hot Toys, but only slightly less impressive.

Minor niggles: The costume is a bit too thick and doesn’t quite capture that skintight look of Reeve’s outfit. There are three portraits, one with a neutral look, one with a small smirk, and one with a wide grin. The first two are fantastic, the third is pretty goofy looking. Reeve had a very distinctive, quite toothy smile, so I applaud them for trying, but this didn’t quite land. But overall, this is a magnificent figure.

The base is a whole other reason to buy it, recreating the most important part of the Fortress of Solitude with light-up feature and interchangeable crystals. Add in tons of extra hands, two kinds of Kryptonite, and a really sweet round tin package, and you have one fine collectible.

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DC Multiverse McFarlane Collector Edition Superman: The Movie (McFarlane Toys, 2024). McFarlane Toys upped their game in recent years by producing figures from earlier film and TV productions based on DC characters. Fans hoping for a Christopher Reeve Superman in their 7-inch Multiverse line were pleasantly surprised with a nice figure. The likeness is pretty good for the price point, and the costume details are right. The blue of the suit is a bit lighter than some other figures, and that honestly reads truer to what was seen on screen.

McFarlane’s recent usage of wired, posable capes really benefits this figure, especially with the included flight stand. As a bonus he comes with multiple hands, including one holding the green crystal.

The second portrait is an interesting choice, but it is actually the standard head sculpt used on the variant of this figure, the “evil” Superman from Superman III. One could argue with the added paint apps, that figure is more accurate than the standard version!

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DC Comics Retro Superman: The Movie (Spin Master, 2025). A pleasant surprise from Spin Master is this line of 3.75-inch, retro-styled figures released earlier this year exclusively at Target. The line consists of Superman, Lex Luthor, General Zod, two versions of Jor-El (white and black robes) and the first-ever action figure of Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane.

The likenesses are essentially non-existent. The idea here is to mimic the look and feel of Kenner’s original Star Wars line, as if the toymaker had the Superman license in 1978. The price point is incredibly affordable ($8 apiece, retail), and I personally believe they present better on the card back reproducing the iconic Bob Peak movie poster.

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MORE

— SUPERMAN’s History Through 13 CLASSIC COLLECTIBLES. Click here.

— The TOP 13 SUPERMAN II Collectibles — RANKED. Click here.

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13th Dimension contributor Chris Franklin is a graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and podcaster, who co-hosts and produces several shows on the Fire and Water Podcast Network, including Superman Movie Minute. Check out his illustrative and design work at chrisfranklincreative.com.