EXCLUSIVE: How Christopher Reeve Became a Hero On and Off the Screen After Tragic Paralysis — 'He Rewrote What Courage Looks Like'
Christopher Reeve is a hero on and off screen after paralysis, proving courage can be powerfully redefined.
Dec. 16 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Christopher Reeve helped revitalize the superhero genre with the 1978 blockbuster Superman, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
It made over $300 million at the box office – the equivalent of $1.5 billion today – and was so successful Reeve reprised the role in three sequels.
The 1978 blockbuster 'Superman' made over $300 million and led Christopher Reeve to star in three sequels.
But it's the star's personal strength that fans remember after he was paralyzed, falling from a horse during an equestrian competition in 1995.
His passionate advocacy for research into spinal cord injuries made him a real-life hero.
Since his death from cardiac arrest in 2004 at the age of 52, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation has raised over $140 million for scientific studies.
Carrying His Legacy
After Reeve's 2004 death, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation has raised over $140 million for spinal cord research.
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After the Hollywood icon’s death, his wife Dana, who was his caregiver throughout his injury, carried on his legacy by championing spinal cord injury research and advocacy through the Christopher Reeve Foundation.
In August 2005, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in March 2006, at the age of 44.
Following her heartbreaking death, the foundation was renamed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to honor both their contributions.
