Christopher Reeve's Superman costume, Michael Keaton's Batman suit up for auction
Clark Kent fans can own a piece of memorabilia from 1978 film “Superman,” as Christopher Reeve’s iconic costume will be up for auction on Jan. 26.
Interested buyers from all over the world can bid online for a piece that made Reeve famous at Nate D. Sanders’ website. Reeves was relatively unknown before he was cast at 25 years old, beating out nearly 200 other actors, and he forwent a muscle suit in favor of training with bodybuilder and “Star Wars” actor Dave Prowse to prepare for his role.
The auction winner will most certainly have to shell out a pretty penny for the costume, though: Bidding starts at $40,000. The suit, made of “a flexible formulated German-made fabric, which absorbed sweat stains” for the 6-foot-4 actor, was designed by Academy Award-winning designer Yvonne Blake and constructed by Noel Howard for London-based Bermans and Nathans. The piece has a label that is typed “CHRISTOPHER REEVE / 12312 WITH MUSCLES / SUPERMAN.” Reeve played Superman four times and reused costumes for sequels.
Reeve, an accomplished equestrian, became paralyzed when he was thrown from a horse in 1995. His career only grew from that point: He wrote the best-selling autobiography “Still Me,” directed films, launched the Christopher Reeve Foundation and became a powerful lobbyist for medical research. He died in 2004 at 52 after going into cardiac arrest and falling into coma.
Michael Keaton’s Batman suit from 1992’s “Batman Returns” will also be up for auction, which includes the trademark cape and cowl-style mask with long black leather gloves, boots and gold plastic belt and bat symbol. Bidding for Keaton’s costume begins at $35,000 on Jan. 26.