We all have a favorite Superman movie. Whether it’s the epic theatrics of the Richard Donner era or the grandiloquent action of the Snyderverse, there’s a version of the Man of Steel for every type of fan. That said, it’s rare to hear someone say their favorite incarnation is Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns. For the record, I don’t think there’s anything unfixable about Returns. If anything, we can all agree that it was a beautiful homage to the Donner saga, with all the larger-than-life heroics that made those films so memorable. And nowhere is this more evident than in the spectacular Superman Returns plane sequence – a scene that might just be the most epic sequence in any Superman movie to date.
Superman Returns’ Epic Airplane Action Sequence
In true comic book fashion, the scene begins with a daring new technological breakthrough: NASA is about to send a space shuttle into orbit with the help of a Boeing 777. Such a momentous occasion deserves the best reporter on the scene, so Lois Lane joins the passengers on the plane for the historic flight. Of course, Lex Luthor messes things up. Luthor accidentally causes a major power outage on the East Coast, which, in turn, puts the entire mission in jeopardy. With the plane burning up and about to send both the shuttle and the airplane crashing down, only a certain Kryptonian could save the day. Naturally, this leads to Superman leaving his retirement and introducing the world to Routh’s take on the Man of Steel. And what an introduction it was.
Immediately, the airplane sequence turns into the highlight of the entire movie. One common complaint I hear about Superman Returns concerns the movie’s terrible pacing. Returns spends most of its runtime as a slow-paced drama, doing very little to showcase Superman’s talents. The fact that the movie essentially begins with such an impeccable scene might set your expectations a bit too hard (space high, to be precise) from the get-go.
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Superman Showcases His True Power
The sequence showcases everything that we love about Superman. Forget all of Homelander’s babble about how it would be impossible for him to stop a falling plane: Superman makes the impossible possible – and he makes it look easy in the process. Sure, the physics don’t make sense, but neither does anything else related to the Man of Steel, so let’s cut Returns a little slack.
Not only does Superman save Lois Lane and a plane full of people in this scene: he also sends a space shuttle into orbit and saves an entire stadium from having their game (and their lives) cut short.
To top it all off, you can hear the epic Superman theme composed by John Williams all throughout the scene. It goes incredibly well with the action, really selling you the idea that this Superman is somehow a more “legendary” character than any other of his live-action incarnations.
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What Superman Returns Could Have Been
Superman Returns is far from being a perfect film – let alone the best Superman movie. But in this one perfect sequence, we see the shadows of what could have been. It’s an optimistic and genuine piece of comic book filmmaking that stands the test of time amazingly well – even the CGI looks better than whatever the hell was going on in The Flash.
Now that James Gunn is about to unleash a new live-action Superman into the world, the airplane scene from Returns becomes even more culturally significant. It’s the culmination of all things Superman in cinema, and easily the best the Man of Steel has looked on the big screen. Sorry, Cavill.
What do you think—does the plane scene in Superman Returns rank among the greatest Superman moments ever?
