How Superman Returns' Scandalous Behind-The-Scenes Rumor Became An Urban Legend

Since his first big-screen appearance in 1978, Superman has long been plagued by the same issues: adapting to his new planet, fighting bad guys, and keeping a certain part of his physique in check. Given the DC hero's skintight suit, it's been an ongoing battle on set to make sure the audience's gaze isn't drawn to those red trunks.

Such concerns began in the era of Christopher Reeve, who sported a codpiece in those early films. As the franchise grew, and Brandon Routh took on the role for 2006's "Superman Returns," scandalous behind-the-scenes rumors began swirling. Was CGI used to shrink Routh's red-trunked area? In fact, this was such a hot topic of conversation that tabloids coined the term "superpackage" when discussing this theory.

However, "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer shut down the rumor in an interview with The Globe and Mail. He said, "I can confidently tell you that is not the case. If we spent the money to digitally alter every shot of Brandon's, uh, Superman's [long pause] crotch ... that would be money not well spent."

Though CGI wasn't used for de-enhancing purposes, Brandon Routh's "superpackage" was a major discussion point when creating the suit for "Superman Returns." According to costume designer Louise Mingenbach, getting this right was more stressful than drafting the suit's iconic red and yellow "S." In an interview with Newsweek, Mingenbach said, "It was somebody's job for about a month just working on codpiece shapes. It was crazy."

Once the suit (and codpiece) was finalized and precisely fitted to Rouch, nothing was altered — physically or digitally — throughout the duration of filming. Director Bryan Singer told The Globe and Mail, "The reality is ... that in designing the suit, the initial design, which did not change once we started shooting, there were lots of conversations about the package. Because on one level, you want the character to have a sense of modesty. On another level, he's Superman. But that was it."

By the time Henry Cavill took over the role in 2013 for "Man of Steel," it was time for a redesign of the costume. Though Cavill didn't have to worry about any "superpackage" showing through the red shorts, the new one-piece suit did give Cavill a different problem: since there was no fly on the costume, bathroom breaks had to be severely limited.