'Superman and I have a lot in common'
You did two wildly successful takes on the X-Men franchise -- was it a wrench not being able to do the third in the series?
It was difficult for me, yes -- the cast of X-Men are all friends. Ian (McKellen) and I have done movies together; Patrick (Stewart) is a friend, as is Hugh (Jackman), so it was certainly very difficult.
If I could have split myself in half, I would have done both. But when Warner Brothers was ready to hear my pitch for this movie and let me do it the way I wanted to, I had to make a choice.
Superman was a big inspiration behind my getting involved with X-Men in the first place, so my choice was clear even if it was a difficult one to make.
Did you see X-Men 3?
I did, and I thought it was very cool. To manage all those characters and then introduce new characters and juggle all of that... X-Men II was my third ensemble film (after Usual Suspects and X-Men), and I know from experience how difficult it is, so I was very impressed.
Superheroes have evolved considerably since 1938, when Superman was first created. By today's standards, his abilities are pretty basic -- so is he still relevant in 2006, enough for you to want to tell his story?
Firstly, I think if you make a good movie that has an emotional core and lots of cool things happening, people want to see it. In terms of Superman, specifically, the combination of his virtue, his indestructibility, his charisma and ability to fly are what made him popular then -- and the fact that he is a bit of fresh air right now in a real tough time in the world and in this country, is what will appeal to the young people of today.
To do the right thing, to be able to take on anything that comes at you and be able to soar up into the sky -- we have all imagined at some point in our lives what it would be like to be him. Sure, the kids of today have seen a lot of superheroes, it's not like in the 1930s when he was the only one around, so they might tend to be a bit sceptical -- but then they could get something they didn't expect.
In the picture: Brandon Routh (Superman) and Kate Bosworth (Lois Lane) in Superman Returns
Also read: Making of Superman Returns