abc's chris connell lee reports. >> reporter: he's back.s nice. >> you okay? >> reporter: a classic character, headlining one massively anticipated summer movie, and we have behind the scenes access. >> that felt incredible. >> with the all-star cast. >> my heart was racing. >> did that really happen? >> his superpowers and do-good demeanor, that cape rippling through the air makes superman a pop culture icon. it's a legacy that would daunt any actor, especially on first hearing the news of his casting. >> i thought oh, my goodness. i've -- i'm superman. >> when he came out of that scene for the first time, i was like okay, this is crazy. we're making a superman movie. >> while snarky or obsessed comic book superheroes found 21st century box office gold, the straight arrow superman has not. >> statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel. >> is superman cool? >> is superman cool? it doesn't get any cooler. he's got all the cool superpowers. and he's cool. i mean, people say okay, superman is not cool. what? because he does th