Superman Returns Henry Cavill as Superman. For the previous five years, Superman has mysteriously abandoned his adopted home of Earth while on a journey into outer space to investigate what astronomers believed to be an intact Krypton. In his absence, journalist and past love Lois Lane wrote a scathing article "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman", winning her the Pulitzer Prize. Lois is engaged to Richard White, the nephew of "Daily Planet" editor-in-chief Perry White, and with whom she shares a young asthmatic son, Jason. Notorious criminal mastermind Lex Luthor secured an early release from prison due to Superman not appearing as
Superman: Secret Origin an enemy. Superman leaves anyway, and Sam orders the Army to attack. The soldiers do little to Superman, but John, in the Metallo suit, manages to weaken him by exposing him to the kryptonite. Ricocheting bullets hit the kryptonite, which explodes and injures John and allows Superman to escape. Sam and his troops arrive at the "Daily Planet", and orders it shut down until they can get definitive answers about Superman. Lex takes John into surgery and replaces his heart with a kryptonite generator, turning him into Metallo. Sam reveals to Lois, Perry, and the "Daily Planet" staff that Superman