I'm a fan of Superman as created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Remember that Jerry and Joe created a character that was the biggest superhero of all.

He's this amazing ambassador for all superheroes. What we've made as a film not only examines that but is also an amazing adventure story. It's been an honor to work on. As a comic book fan, Superman is like the Rosetta Stone of all superheroes.

I knew very little about 'Spider-Man'. I grew up more in the 'Superman' generation. 'Spider-Man' - I didn't know so much. But it is a really successful franchise, and I'm happy to be involved with it.

When I was in middle school, some of my so-called friends found a catalogue ad I did for Superman pajamas. They made as many copies as they could and pasted them up all over school.

I did 'Batman v Superman' for one or two days.

When you grow up looking at Superman, Batman, and all those superheroes, you take it for granted that is what superheroes are supposed to be. So then, when I see art books at the library, and I'm seeing Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo and Rembrandt, I think that's what artists look like.

The thing that's been exciting about 'Superman' is to see how the character has developed through generations.

Did Superman really want to save the world, or did he just feel like he had to? Would he much rather be a farmer? Maybe. Would he much rather be hanging out with his dad and his mom and his dog? Probably.

To get to wear the costume of Evel Knievel, are you kidding me? When I was a kid, I had Superman. I had Spiderman. I had Evel Knievel.

My dad was not a footballer. He wasn't anything remotely what the average person would say was a role model - but in my eyes he was Superman.

For me, Batman is the one that can most clearly be taken seriously. He's not from another planet, or filled with radioactive gunk. I mean, Superman is essentially a god, but Batman is more like Hercules: he's a human being, very flawed, and bridges the divide.

Anyone can be a Superman, but nobody can be Jackie Chan.

We tried to approach this as though there's never been a Superman movie before, but at the same time respecting the canon and mythology. There are the pillars that you have to respect, and I'm not about to break them. But it is fun for me to bend them and mess with them.

The 'S' is because my freaks realized they weren't with a normal man but a Superman. That's why they called me the 'Big Bad Booty Daddy.'

I'm honestly as happy writing Superman Adventures as I am writing Wanted.

It was 1978 when Superman came out, and I kept thinking, Why don't they do something about it? They've done all these crappy attempts at comic book film adaptations. What can we do different? Why don't we just re-release this thing?

For me, growing up in a ridiculously poor family living in dead-end neighborhoods, Superman was a deeply personal icon, one that said you can do anything if you put your mind to it. What he stood for formed the core of who I wanted to be as I grew up, and informed how I view the world and my responsibilities to other people.

I really wasn't even aware that Batman and Superman had this kind of grudging friendship.

Gay people are all like Superman. You have to be quite strong to be gay - or to be different in any way. You build special muscles.

Every son's first superhero is his father, and it was the same for me. For me, he was Superman and Batman combined.