Superman Reborn

With the success of "The Death of Superman" comic book storyline, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights of Superman from the Salkinds in 1993, and hired producer Jon Peters to develop a new Superman film. Peters in turn hired Jonathan Lemkin to write a new script.[11]:188 Major toy companies insisted on seeing Lemkin's screenplay before the deadline of the 1993 American International Toy Fair.[11]:188

Lemkin's script, titled Superman Reborn, featured Lois Lane and Clark Kent with relationship troubles, and Superman's battle with Doomsday. When Superman professes his love to Lois, his life force jumps between them just as he dies, giving Lois a virgin birth. Their child, who grows 21-years-old in three weeks, becomes the resurrected Superman and saves the world.[11]:188–189 Warner Bros. did not like the script because of the similar underlying themes with Bruce Wayne's obligations of heroism found in Batman Forever.[11]:189[12]

Peters hired Gregory Poirier to rewrite the script.[11]:189 Poirer's December 1995 script had Brainiac creating Doomsday, infused with "Kryptonite blood". Superman has romance problems with Lois Lane and visits a psychiatrist before he is killed by Doomsday. An alien named Cadmus, a victim of Brainiac, steals his corpse. Superman is resurrected and teams with Cadmus to defeat Brainiac. Powerless, Superman wears a robotic suit until his powers, which, according to the script, are a mental discipline called "Phin-yar", return.[11]:189 At Peter's request, Poirier had Superman wear an all-black suit at the end of the script.[11]:189 Other villains included Parasite and Silver Banshee.[10] Poirier's script impressed Warner Bros.,[12] but Kevin Smith was hired to rewrite.[13] Smith thought that Poirier's script did not respect the Superman mythos properly.[11]:189