An 86-year-old keeps making waves in Cleveland. He might also be melting pay phones, reversing the Earth’s rotation and working as a journalist. It’s Superman, and his latest adventure is filming not on Krypton or in Smallville, but in his real-life hometown - disguised as Metropolis.
This week, crews have been inside Progressive Field and on the Detroit-Superior Bridge.
Filming started with the creation of a retro Army base at Mentor Headlands State Park. Production then moved to Public Square, near Will Tabar’s office.
"Looks like they’ve got Metropolis official park benches here in the middle of Public Square,” he said. “We also have multiple new bus stops going in, replacing our RTA with the Metropolis MTAs."
His brother, Jon, works nearby and usually joins him.
“A lot of the buildings that are being billed as Metropolis buildings, they actually serve the same purpose here in Cleveland,” he said. “So, the Leader building is being advertised as the Daily Planet newspaper headquarters. City Hall being Metropolis City Hall is pretty neat.”
There were also retro storefronts near the Old Stone Church: a book store, pet shop and appliance emporium.
“It's been really cool just to see all the new designs and the signage on some of our main streets,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. “It feels kind of neat to see a city from maybe the ‘40s, ‘50s era in 2024 in a legacy city like Cleveland, Ohio.”
As a comic book fan, he’s lately been calling himself “The Mayor of Metropolis.” He’s also thrilled for this recent movie makeover for Public Square: It stood-in for Stuttgart for 2012’s “The Avengers” and it was a wintry pre-war wonderland for 1983’s “A Christmas Story.”
Behind the lens
The new film, simply titled “Superman,” stars David Corenswet alongside Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Director James Gunn is best known for the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. The project, which will also shoot in Cincinnati, received $11 million in state tax credits - a third of this year’s total for productions. The Greater Cleveland Film Commission estimates that a total of $147 million of movie money from various productions is coming to Northeast Ohio in 2024.
That taste of Tinseltown is what brought Dante Pinkard to visit the set Downtown, but he experienced more movie making than movie stars.
"I saw a lot of rubble set up,” he said. “A lot of trucks; crew. I was able to catch the main actor playing Superman one time - a side glimpse of him. But that's about it so far."
The 39-year-old is excited for the finished product, and he said he is glad the Man of Steel is being rebooted for young people.
"I think they are more about Henry Cavill,” he said. “What they saw in 'The Justice League.'"
The important questions
Pinkard was roaming the area where the Siegel & Shuster Society is working to place a massive Superman statue next year paying homage to creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who met at Glenville High School.
Bailey Urbach was visiting the same spot while getting her first taste of Cleveland. The New Hampshire native just arrived here to start her medical residency. She’s not sure how she’d react to a patient literally made of steel.
"Oh, I have no idea,” she said. “They don't teach us that in medical school."
Cole Berry, walking his dog on Public Square, isn’t sure about legalizing Kryptonite for medicinal use.
“I would have to know the benefits and the risks,” he said. “I would have to say, probably not.”
Limo drivers Renee Dibble and Dana Struna were hoping to see some of the film stars while waiting for their clients near the old May Company building. Behind the wheel of a giant party bus, Struna isn’t sure if her vehicle is faster than a speeding bullet.
“Depends on who’s driving!” she said.
Joyce Dzik was a fan of the Christopher Reeve films of the 1970s and ‘80s. Given a choice between “Superman IV” or a Superman coloring book with four pages missing, she still chose the critically panned 1987 film.
“Four pages missing?” she said. “That’s not good.”
Her sister, Jackie Gockel, was hoping to be chosen for scenes which filmed this week on the Detroit-Superior bridge. Casting agents put out a call for people willing to bring their dark-colored vehicles and sit in traffic, for pay. Her black Hyundai didn’t make the cut, and neither did her husband’s vintage auto.
“He’s got a 1957 Imperial, but it doesn’t go anywhere,” she said. “He thought, ‘Do you think they would put it on a flatbed?’ I said, ‘Maybe Superman can fly it.’”
