Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Trailer Reveals The Man Behind The Hero

For generations of fans, Christopher Reeve’s name has been synonymous with Superman. In 1978, Reeve was catapulted to stardom when he starred as the Man of Steel in Richard Donner’s Superman. Reeve reprised his role for three additional films, but the upcoming documentary, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, doesn’t end there. As seen in the first trailer below, Super/Man explores Reeve’s tragic accident that left him paralyzed before he overcame his despair to become an advocate for the disabled.

As shown in the trailer, Reeve was thrown from a horse in 1995, which left him unable to move from his neck down. In his own words, Reeve recalls how his overwhelming sadness about his disability was countered by his wife, Dana Reeve, who insisted that she still loved him as he was. Together, they formed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to speak out about the rights of the disabled and make a difference with his newfound advocacy.

The documentary features archival footage and home video of Reeve both before and after his life-changing accident. That includes clips of Robin Williams, the late actor who was friends with Reeve and lifted his spirits after the accident. All three of Reeve’s adult children participated in this film, including reporter Will Reeve who recently shot a cameo in James Gunn’s Superman.

McQueen directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui helmed Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which will get a limited theatrical release on September 21. It will also have an encore showing on September 25, which is Reeve’s birthday.