Those may be the chief performers in Superman (1978), but it’s important to highlight the awesome supporting cast. Marlon Brando adds majestic gravitas to Krypton as Superman’s biological father Jor-El, and Glenn Ford has rustic charm to spare as the alien’s adoptive human father.
Jackie Cooper is remarkably natural at portraying the beleaguered, bombastic boss of The Daily Planet, and Mark McClure has the perfect mix of friendly enthusiasm to play Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen.
Aside from the fact that Superman came out in 1978 (a full 11 years before Tim Burton’s Batman), one of the reasons it is considered the first superhero blockbuster is its box office. Against a budget of $55 million, the film went on to earn $300.5 million.
To Warner Bros. and other major studios, this served as a clear sign that superhero films could be big business, and if not for Superman’s success, we might not have ever gotten an MCU.
