Christopher Reeve, as an actor, never really got his due. Partially that’s because his performance was one of the best things about the 1978 Superman; Reeve nailed everything we know and love about the character and made it effortless, so to many people, he was Superman. Depending on who you ask, that might include Man Of Steel‘s visual effects team.
Granted, it pretty much all comes down to this GIF:
Some are arguing that, for a few frames, Henry Cavill’s face is tweaked to look like Reeve’s. If you need a frame-by-frame breakdown, you can find that right here.
But did it actually happen? Did the effects team, or at least one effects artist, decide to pay a little tribute to Reeve? We’re a bit back and forth. Cavill isn’t a dead ringer for Reeve, but by the same token, it’s likely not an accident that they’re the same kind of good-looking guy. It could be a deliberate tribute, or it could be a simple trick of the light. Either way, especially in light of Reeve’s difficulties later in life, it’s nice to think that Reeve was Superman again, even if only for a few frames.