VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 15 (UPI) -- The "Man of Steel" was likely shot largely on green screens in order to avoid references to well-known North American cities, pop culture experts said.
The latest Superman film was shot partly in Vancouver and Chicago, though none of the cities' recognizable landmarks are apparent in the finished movie, the Vancouver Sun reported Friday.
Vancouver's cityscape is frequently featured in summer blockbusters, particularly action movies like "X-Men," "Final Destination 5" and "Mission Impossible."
Not so in "Man of Steel," where much of the shooting in Vancouver took place in Burnaby's Mammoth Studios on green screens, the Sun said. Even scenes shot outdoors on the North Shore will be transformed by technology.
"A movie like Superman, it creates its own universe and you want to control that whole universe. You don't want to have to be a slave to the entire history of a real city," said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.
Neil Cole, webmaster of Supermansupersite.com, said "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder likely chose Chicago for other scenes because he previously directed "The Watchman" there.
Another theory Cole has is that Chicago was chosen because portions of the Batman Dark Knight franchise were shot there and there's some speculation the two superheroes are operating "in the same universe" and could join forces in the future.
