The first time I saw the first Superman Movie (with Christopher Reeve), I almost fell out of my seat – the film director or someone in makeup decided to switch his hair part from right to left when going from weak and bumbling Clark Kent, to strong and perfect Superman.

Now it turns out that the new Superman movie, Man of Steel, keeps superman’s hair on the right, which according to the Hair Part Theory isnt as strong and will probably lead to a more feeling and thoughtful Superman. The plot summaries I have seen so far have to do with struggle with ultimate questions like “what is my destiny”…not exactly typical Superman. May make interesting drama, but audiences will want to see the Super part of Superman, and the right part makes that harder.

The last big Superman movie, Superman Returns, with Brandon Routh also had this same right hair part, and while the movie did ok commercially and critically, the franchise sort of died out after that one. It also was noted that the movie “isn’t about a savior returning to Earth to protect us from evil (sound familiar?). No, this Superman film has as much to do with romance and self-discovery as it does with combating evil. There’s a lot of heart and soul in the story of Superman Returns, and the hero feels real pain and isolation in being the only one of his kind in existence.” (http://movies.about.com/od/superman/fr/superman062706.htm ). So the same kind of theme as the new Man of Steel movie.

Other roles typically have Clark Kent and Superman both with left parts, and only the glasses and maybe a hat forming the disguise. I wonder how no one figured it out that Clark was Superman?

here are pictures of the Superman through the ages.

Man of Steel:

Clark Kent – right part

Superman keeps right part

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Smallville

Clark Kent with left part

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Superman Returns

Clark Kent and Superman both with right parts (Brandon Routh)

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Superman Movies (1-4)

Clark Kent, right part, Superman Left part (Christopher Reeve)

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Superman TV Series

Clark Kent – mostly straight back or slightly left (but does he wear the hat to the right?)  George Reeves

Superman has left part or straight back  (George Reeves)

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Superman in the comics

Clark Kent, left part

Most comic book Supermen have a left part