Cleveland's Progressive Field's "Superman Moment"

[Diamond_Dog]

I hope this is the right forum for this post.

CLEVELAND -- Superman is fighting for his reputation and life. Lex Luthor has manipulated the public to sway opinion against the Man of Steel, and dispatched Ultraman and The Engineer to defeat him.

A battle breaks out in Metropolis. Superman crashes through a massive light fixture and onto a grass field. Amid a skirmish, The Engineer knocks him to the ground, leaving a divot behind a dirt mound. As hope begins to wane, with Superman seemingly overmatched, he bursts into the sky as his foes give pursuit.

This is a climactic scene in this summer’s biggest blockbuster film, and it all begins at … Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians?

That’s right. In DC Studios' 2025 film, “Superman” -- which is directed by James Gunn and has grossed over $600 million at the box office -- Cleveland's home ballpark is transformed into LordTech Field, and its playing surface is the setting of a high-stakes battle.

(snip)

It’s truth, justice and the American League on the big screen, and here is the story of how it happened.

Superman has deep ties to Cleveland. The character was created in the 1930s by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who became friends while attending Glenville High School on the city’s east side. Superman first appeared in 1938, in Action Comics #1.

That history is proudly celebrated and showcased with a Superman exhibit at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Two statues were also recently unveiled at the newly-minted Superman tribute plaza outside the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland. One statue is of the Man of Steel, and the other depicts Shuster, Siegel, and Siegel’s wife, Joanne, who inspired the character Lois Lane.

That history organically led DC Studios to travel to Cleveland, as it considered potential cities to shoot its Metropolis.

“As soon as we started walking around and got feet planted in Cleveland,” said Beth Mickle, the film’s production designer, “it was really clear that not only did it have the perfect look for us, as far as what we were trying to aim for with Metropolis, but [it also had] all the rich history with the original artists. It was a really great fit.”

That fit prompted the studio to send a scout to the ballpark in September 2023 to take photos of the field and the surrounding area. Caitlyn Burkart, the Guardians’ director of events, recalled, “It was blue skies, the most beautiful day you could ask for.”

Continued ….

https://links.mlb.mlbemail.com/s/vb/KSxx_KF6zZN7fI8aiFHhI2oTRUETBErvF7NcsuLboa2b55a-qmV-aXLlpl_7Ft_jsXBzTSYmEiP30SQrzg-77lLImiwYAqNDRChV8gxEv8FLKsyN_jFHPVV29_7hCtwkHqTvkDH2ZnyS12otOMzUUJDdlOLInXv74Bgmvw/__DYrPtbJ1waVRFMBkaRT8ExfL71w6Qa/12