10 Fan-Favourite Deleted Scenes (That Are Secretly Terrible)
5. The Prototype Nuclear Man Fight - Superman IV: The Quest For Peace
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace was supposed to redeem the character after a weak reception to part three, only to end up killing the series for twenty years. A major problem is how relentlessly low-budget it is, which affects every single element from the locations (Milton Keynes stands in for New York) to special effects. A fight scene on the Moon has the illusion spoilt by the fact space can be seen fluttering in the background; almost like it was a large black curtain covering a set. A poor test screening resulted in the producers hacking 45 minutes out of it, including an entire subplot about the first Nuclear Man. This prototype was Lex Luthors first attempt at creating a villain that could destroy Superman. The rumour was the two had an epic fight that cost millions to produce with the producers cutting it so it could be used for Superman V instead. When the scene finally surfaced it revealed the opposite was true; the fight is just as stilted and cheap as the rest of Superman IV. The actor playing the prototype Nuclear Man mugs like crazy, the score playing over it is atrocious and Christopher Reeve looks embarrassed by the whole fiasco.
