Smallville Star Defends Christopher Reeve's Superman Cameo In The Flash
Of every cameo in "The Flash" ranked worst to best, Christopher Reeve's appearance as Superman — along with "Supergirl" star Helen Slater — could easily come in near the top. At least from the standpoint of how vital Reeve's contribution was to Superman's live-action legacy, it would have been a travesty to not include him among the other Man of Steel iterations featured in "The Flash's" Chronobowl sequence.
However, some fans aren't seeing things that way, saying Reeve's cameo wasn't in good taste, considering the devastating spinal cord injury the actor suffered in a horse-riding accident in 1995. Reeve was left paralyzed from the neck down after the accident, but went on to raise awareness worldwide about spinal injuries until his death in 2004.
As such, Twitter users like @allstarsuperpod vented their anger over the actor's CGI cameo, writing, "#ChristopherReeve would have absolutely hated this. It goes against everything he stood for." Among the users responding to @allstarsuperpod's tweet was "Smallville" Lionel Luthor actor @RealJohnGlover, who defended the legendary film star's appearance. Glover had the rare opportunity to act opposite Reeve when he played Dr. Virgil Swann on "Smallville" in two episodes in 2003 and 2004.
"I think it's up to his family / estate and not anyone else," Glover wrote in regard to whether Warner Bros. got permission to used Reeve's likeness for "The Flash" scene. "Chris' dedication to the franchise led him to Smallville as [Dr. Swann]. He loved Superman and would have wanted to be included. And this is from someone who worked with him in plays and on Smallville."
Another Flash viewer called the posthumous CGI cameos 'tasteless and grotesque'
Christopher Reeve's posthumous appearance in "The Flash" wasn't the only one fans vented their feelings about on social media. In addition, CGI creations of George Reeves' Superman and Adam West as TV's Batman struck a raw nerve with Twitter users, including @elympus_mons.
The fan's tweet — accompanied by a photo of Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne with an angry look — noted, "Me, watching #TheFlash blatantly disrespect Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, and Adam West by bringing them back for a tasteless and grotesque cameos via CGI movie necromancy."
Glover answered another tweet by @allstarsuperpod, who questioned whether Warner Bros. Discovery cleared the cameos with the actors' respective estates.
"Good question, no idea on George or heirs. Looked like footage from the show for his moment," Glover wrote in response to the tweet. "As for Chris, if you don't know how WBD got clearance don't assume no one was consulted. Chris loved supporting the universe."
In addition to the criticism over the use of Reeve's, Reeves', and West's likenesses via CGI, fans battered "The Flash" over its lackluster visual effects. Looper wrote that the most embarrassing CGI moments in "The Flash" included the appearances by the various Superman actors in the film's Chronobowl sequence.