10 Movie Moments You've Always Misunderstood

8. Superman Doesn't Time Travel By Reversing The Earth's Rotation - Superman

Superman Christopher Reeve
Warner Bros.

What Everybody Thinks

When Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) dies in the third act of Richard Donner's seminal superhero classic, Superman (Christopher Reeve) takes a drastic step to save her, by using his powers to fly around the Earth and travel back in time.

The Earth is shown slowing its rotation and ultimately rotating backwards as Supes zooms around it, seeming to imply that the key to time travel is simply reversing Earth's rotation. Naturally, many fans have assumed this - and duly mocked the film for it - ever since.

The Truth

In actuality, Superman is flying so fast as to travel at the speed of light, one of the few conditions under which scientists agree that time travel is theoretically possible.

The Earth spinning backwards is simply a cause of time "reversing" like anything else, and though it makes for one hell of a visual, Donner doesn't do a great job letting the audience know what's actually going on.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.