Superman Returns: Gabriel Hardman Left Because of the Script

Comic book artist Gabriel Hardman, known for his work on things like Star Wars Legacy and Hulk, was also one of the production artists on Superman Returns…briefly.Hardman and a team of animators designed the iconic sequence of Superman’s big return to Metropolis, in which he saved the falling plane that carried Lois Lane among its occupants. The sequence, seen in ads and promotional materials, gave a lot of fans hope for the film–but it was hope that Hardman didn’t share, and he left the film shortly after.That he was a part of the production is fairly well-known, but we had never heard an explanation for why he left until the following series of tweets, made after veteran comics writers Ron Marz and Mark Waid praised his work on the plane sequence:I designed it and directed the previs with a team of animators from PLF. What we did is what’s in the movie.I don’t know if our animatic is on the dvd or not. I should post it.I designed the sequence and directed the previs with a team of animators…with no script, almost no input from the director.After I finished that sequence, I chose to leave based on how the script was shaping up.While the film wasn’t an unqualified critical failure, time hasn’t been kind to it. It’s probably safe to say most comic book fans would probably argue that leaving when he saw the Superman Returns script wasn’t that bad an idea…But who else is excited by the prospect of seeing those animatics?