I understand that the whole "time reversal" ending in the first movie was originally intended to be the ending for Superman II. So my question is, what was the original ending for Superman I going to be?
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I thought there was no other ending planned. I heard the two films were originally one big script, but when it was split the time travel ending got used it 1. Maybe Lois just never would've died?
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I heard that the original ending was supposed to be where superman stops the two missiles but one of them gets sent off into space and blows up near the Phantom Zone releasing Zod and co. With a final shot of them flying toward Earth to end on a cliffhanger leading into the second.
Like I said that is what I heard but I unfortunately can't remember the source.
Correct.
Superman threw the missile in to space (as seen in the film) and then rescues Lois, who does NOT die in the earthquake - he saves her before she can. Then the missle releases the Kryptonian villians, and it's a cliffhanger for II.
It would be cool if they re-cut the first movie to end on that cliffhanger like originally planned, and tie into the Donner cut of SII.
shareSuperman throws the first missile into outer space and is unable to stop the second, He fixes the San Andreas fault and saves people (Jimmy, Lois, etc. - Lois doesn't die).
We then see the first missile hit the Phantom Zone and Zod, Ursa, and Non are freed. Zod goes "FREEEE!" and then it was supposed to say "Superman will return in Superman II".