Heading to the States this summer? Thanks to Superman’s latest superpower – tourism marketing – Cleveland is back on the map, after being transformed into Metropolis last summer.
‘Cleveland goes Hollywood with #Superman’, declares the city’s official X account, challenging fans to recognise its famous landmarks in the new Superman film, released on 11 July. Starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, the $225-million production spotlights not just the actors, but the city itself.
Cleveland goes Hollywood with #Superman out now in theaters! See how our city was transformed into Metropolis after the Man of Steel came back to the birthplace of the character last summer to film in the Land. See how many Cleveland landmarks you can recognize! pic.twitter.com/QQsKG2vpuq
— City of Cleveland (@CityofCleveland) July 11, 2025
Why Cleveland?
Because this is where Superman was born.
‘See how our city was transformed into Metropolis after the Man of Steel came back to the birthplace of the character last summer to film in the Land,’ continues the post on X.
Superman was the product of the imagination of two Cleveland teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. In the 1930s, they created the superhero in a modest house on Kimberly Avenue. While not open to the public, the house remains a pilgrimage site for comic book fans, often decorated with memorabilia and the iconic ‘S’ symbol.
It would take more than 40 years for Superman to fly onto the big screen in the now-classic 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve. But in 2024, the character returned home. While the production went by the decoy name Genesis, fans quickly spotted the cape-clad Corenswet filming in the streets of Cleveland.
‘See how many Cleveland landmarks you can recognise!’ the city teased. Here are five of the most iconic spots featured in the film:
1. The Leader Building
This 1913 Beaux-Arts tower on Superior Avenue doubles as the Daily Planet, the fictional newspaper where Lois and Clark work. It once housed The Cleveland Leader and Cleveland News.
More images of the Daily Planet Globe being installed at the Leader Building for ‘SUPERMAN’
— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) June 20, 2024
[📸 @MidwestMovies] pic.twitter.com/D64xfSOr2Y
2. Cleveland City Hall
Designed by J. Milton Dyer (a graduate of Paris’s École des Beaux-Arts), this 1916 government building on Lakeside Avenue plays a key role in several scenes.
One year ago this week, the Man of Steel landed at the corner of 9th and Euclid in @DowntownCLE.
— Michael Collier (@MikeACollier) July 11, 2025
SUPERMAN finally lands in theaters worldwide today. #LookUp pic.twitter.com/wGxvVzOxJ0
3. The Arcade
Another magnificent building and America’s first indoor shopping mall. Opened in 1890, it hosts a romantic moment where Lois and Superman literally float mid-kiss. It’s also Cleveland’s first building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
I will see Superman just to see him kissing at The Arcade. pic.twitter.com/fKU4WWJvUz
— Ben Fulkman (@Benfulkman99) December 20, 2024
4. Progressive Field
Home of the Cleveland Guardians, this 34,800-seat stadium appears in the trailer as the scene of a fierce aerial battle.
The Guardians' Progressive Field is featured in the new Superman movie 👀 pic.twitter.com/jBz8b6scYj
— MLB (@MLB) December 19, 2024
5. Detroit – Superior Bridge
The 1917 double-deck bridge spans the Cuyahoga River and features in several key action sequences – including a dramatic collapse. Its main arch rises nearly 30 metres above the water.
First look at the Superman scene(s) being shot on the Detroit-Superior Bridge in downtown Cleveland. It looks like cars and pedestrians are escaping Metropolis.
— Everything_DCU (@EverythingDCU_) July 8, 2024
(Via @clevelanddotcom ) pic.twitter.com/bod5044lFe
Other backdrops include the Terminal Tower, ‘essentially the centre of Cleveland’, as ThisIsCleveland.com puts it, and the still-under-construction Sherwin-Williams HQ, rumoured to play an intriguing role in the plot.
So why Ohio? The answer lies partly in its generous tax incentives: 30% back on eligible production costs. Warner Bros. received $11 million in credits and spent nearly $80 million locally, employing thousands of crew and extras.
As Greater Cleveland Film Commission president Bill Garvey told Axios, ‘the impact this will have for the region and the state both economically and culturally is incredible’.
