Richard Donner’s Cut of ‘Superman II’ Reveals Clark Kent’s Identity in the Wildest Way

One of the most satisfying parts of many superhero movies is the eventual identity reveal of the man behind the mask. Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman are among those heroes who have hidden who they are, only for their love interest to put the pieces together and find out that the man they thought they knew so well has a very dangerous side job. One of the best instances of this is one you may never have seen. In 1978, Richard Donner directed what is still one of the best superhero movies ever made, Superman, starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. Donner was in the director’s chair for Superman II, but behind the scenes issues led to him being removed. When the film came out, audiences watched Lois Lane figure out that Clark Kent is the Man of Steel, but in Donner’s cut, seen years later, the reveal is as wild as you can imagine, with Lois pulling out a guy and shooting her man right in the chest.

Richard Donner Was Fired During the Filming of ‘Superman II’

The late Richard Donner is one of the most successful directors of all-time, but early in his career, he first hit big with his fourth film, The Omen, in 1976. As profitable as that movie was, it was nothing compared to his next outing, 1978’s Superman, which brought the world’s most famous superhero to the big screen. Supermanmade a whopping $134 million at the box office, and turned Christopher Reeve into a household name.

Superman II was actually filmed right after the first movie, with the writer of The Godfather, Mario Puzo, penning both screenplays. The problem was that Richard Donner clashed with father and son producers Alexander Salkind and Illya Salkind. A report from The New York Times said that the Salkinds claimed that Donner’s cut was behind schedule and way over budget. This resulted in him being fired, despite the fact that Superman II had two-thirds of its scenes already filmed. With Donner out, Richard Lester was brought in to finish the movie. No matter who the director was, audiences were still in, as Superman IImade an astounding $216 million worldwide.

Richard Lester’s Superman Reveal Involves Fire

With two different directors working on the same film, it led to Richard Lester replacing some of Donner’s scenes with his own vision. The biggest change came with the most important of scenes: the reveal to Lois Lane that Clark Kent is Superman. The lead up to the reveal goes down the same way, with Lois and Clark taking a trip to Niagra Falls. Sightseeing at the falls, a little boy falls over a railing and begins to plummet over the falls. When Lois calls for help, Clark in a flash dons his Superman cape and saves the child. As the Man of Steel flies away, the truth begins to hit Lois. How did Superman just so happen to be at Niagra Falls right when she and Clark were there at the same time. “Clark is not around as usual,” she says to herself, smiling.

Related

The Movie Christopher Reeve Is Most Proud of Isn’t ‘Superman’

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a Christopher Reeve period drama!

The reveal scene happens at a hotel, with Lois sitting at an open fire inside their room. When Clark brings a comb to her, he trips, falling right in the fire. Lois immediately goes to him to see how badly he’s burned, only to see that Clark is completely unscathed. She looks at him in shock. “You are Superman.” Clark walks away, frustrated, only to stop, take off his glasses, and turn around, showing Lois who he really is. It’s not overacted, but there is a quick moment as Reeve goes from a slouching Clark to a standing straight Superman which shows just how great of an actor he was. “We’d better talk,” Clark tells her. Lois then tells Clark that she’s in love with him. It’s a sweet, beautiful moment, with Lois and Clark being completely open with each other as their fears fall away, but as great as it was, it all happened by accident. Richard Donner had something much more intriguing in mind.

Lois Lane Tricks Clark Kent Into Revealing His Identity in Richard Donner’s Cut

In 2006, with the release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, fans got to see what the original director envisioned. Part of that involved seeing how he would show Clark Kent being outed as Superman. It wasn’t romantic or sweet, but much more jarring, and if you think about it, more appropriate. After saving the boy at Niagra Falls, Lois and Clark again go back to their hotel, but it’s not to sit around a fire this time.

Here, Lois and Clark are talking, this time dressed up, with Clark in a tuxedo, when Lois asks, “You are Superman, aren’t you?” A nervous Clark tells her that she’s hallucinating. Lois had jumped off the edge of a thirty-story building earlier in an attempt to get Clark to reveal himself as Superman, but despite being saved, she wasn’t able to prove that they were the same person. He tells her this was an almost tragic mistake, but Lois has quite the comeback. “I made a mistake because I risked my life instead of yours,” she tells him, pulling out a revolver and aiming it at him with a sly smile on her face. As Clark stammers, she tells him, “Don’t fall down because you’re just gonna have to get back up again.” Without hesitation, she shoots Clark right in the chest. Immediately, an anxious Clark disappears and is replaced by one serious and rigid. “It is you,” Lois says as Clark takes off his thick black glasses, showing who he really is. Superman tells her that if she had been wrong, Clark Kent would have been killed. Lois then springs another twist, telling Clark that she shot him with a blank. “Gotcha.” She tricked the strongest man in the world to reveal his true identity.

While a bit darker, and not as sweet and innocent, Donner’s Superman reveal scene works better than Lester’s. This is because, rather than it being happenstance, the power is put in Lois’ hands. Literally. She is done with her suspicions, and instead of waiting, decides to come up with a way to trick Clark. It is a little cruel on her part, perhaps, but Margot Kidder’s version of Lois Lane always did have more of an edge. It also shows why Clark would so easily fall in love with her. This isn’t just a pretty-faced “damsel in distress,” but a strong woman who is his mental equal. Superman might be physically stronger than Lois Lane, but he’s no match for her brains.

Superman II: The Ricard Donner Cut is available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.

WATCH ON PRIME VIDEO