Superman Returns (2006)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
After returning to Earth after a five-year absence, Superman must confront a world that has moved on without him while facing a desperate plot by Lex Luthor.
The story
Superman returns to Earth after a five-year absence following his search for the remains of Krypton. Upon his return, he finds that his love interest, Lois Lane, has moved on from him and is engaged to another man. Simultaneously, his archenemy, Lex Luthor, has been released from prison and is plotting to kill Superman and reshape North America. The film follows Superman as he resumes his life as Clark Kent at the Daily Planet while navigating the complexities of his reappearance and the growing threat posed by Luthor's ambitious and dangerous schemes.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After spending five years searching for the remains of Krypton, Superman returns to Earth and resumes his role as Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. He discovers that Lois Lane is now engaged to Richard White and has a son, Jason. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor, recently released from prison, steals Kryptonians crystals from the Fortress of Solitude to power an experiment. This causes a massive power outage, and during a rescue mission involving a space shuttle, Superman is forced into the public eye. Luthor's plan involves using the crystals and stolen Kryptonite to create a new landmass in the Atlantic to replace the United States. Lois and Jason are captured on Luthor's yacht, where Luthor reveals his plan. Superman eventually confronts Luthor at the site of the growing landmass. Weakened by Kryptonite, Superman is beaten and stabbed by Luthor. He is rescued by Lois and Richard, and after the Kryptonite is removed, he regains his strength and destroys the landmass. Luthor and his henchwoman, Kitty Kowalski, escape but are left stranded. Superman is later hospitalized and, after being revived by Lois's kiss, he reassures her he is staying, before flying into orbit to watch over the world.
- First release year
- 2006
- Runtime (minutes)
- 154
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Bryan Singer
- Writers
- Michael Dougherty · screenplay; Dan Harris · screenplay; Bryan Singer · story
- Cast and characters
- Brandon Routh · Clark Kent / Superman; Kate Bosworth · Lois Lane; James Marsden · Richard White; Frank Langella · Perry White; Eva Marie Saint · Martha Kent; Parker Posey · Kitty Kowalski; Kal Penn · Stanford; Sam Huntington · Jimmy Olsen; Kevin Spacey · Lex Luthor; Tristan Lake Leabu · Jason White
- Genres
- superhero; science fiction
- Themes
- Identity; Sacrifice; Legacy
- Tone and mood
- Heroic; Somber; Epic
- Premise and plot tags
- Superhero; Sci-Fi; Action; Romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- DC Comics
- Franchise connections
- Superman
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its visual effects, storyline, and Singer's direction, but criticized its screenplay and runtime.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 72% · scale: percentage · review count: 290; Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 40
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Fantasy Film · Win; Saturn Award · Direction · Win; Saturn Award · Best Actor · Win; Saturn Award · Writing · Win; Saturn Award · Music · Win; Academy Award · Best Visual Effects · Nomination; BAFTA Award · Best Special Visual Effects · Nomination; Razzie Award · Worst Supporting Actress · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was the first film produced by Legendary Pictures.; The production used a fake working title, 'Red Sun', during filming to avoid public attention.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…