COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman! A bipartisan bill has flown into the Statehouse to make the character Ohio’s official superhero, after the comic book hero’s new movie filmed in the state last year.

House Bill 270 calls for Superman to be adopted as the official superhero of Ohio beginning on April 18, 2033, when the character enters the public domain. Rep. Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon), one of the bill’s sponsors, said Superman is one of Ohio’s most notable cultural exports, originating in Cleveland where writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster created the hero while attending Glenville High School in 1933.

“Superman has become a cultural phenomenon, a testament to the impact of Ohio’s creators and innovators, and the character has served to showcase Ohio’s culture, art, and architecture on a global stage,” said Mathews during H.B. 270’s first hearing in the House General Government Committee on May 20.

Mathews argued now is the time to honor Superman given the DC Studios move titled simply “Superman” is flying into theaters this July after filming in Cincinnati and Cleveland last summer. Watch a previous NBC4 report on ‘Superman’ in Ohio in the video player above.

The film, which was awarded $11 million in Ohio tax credits and hired several thousand locals, rolled cameras at Cleveland’s Public Square, Progressive Field, Headlands Beach State Park and in Sandusky. Actor David Corenswet, cast as Superman, was seen donning the character’s iconic costume while walking down the steps of City Hall.

Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland), the bill’s other sponsor, said he hopes the movie will cause Cleveland to become a hub for talent recruitment throughout the film industry.

“I am extremely proud to be from a city with such rich history and achievement and am honored that the new ‘Superman’ movie is being filmed in our city, transforming our downtown into Metropolis,” said Upchurch during the May hearing. “I may be biased, but I believe Cleveland has one of the most beautiful downtowns in the state and this film provides the opportunity to showcase it.”

Director James Gunn, who previously helmed Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” trilogy, is relaunching DC’s cinematic franchise with Corenswet as Clark Kent, replacing British actor Henry Cavill, who first starred as Superman in 2013’s “Man of Steel.” Gunn took to social media last July to thank Cleveland, writing that when he came to scout the city’s filming locations in 2023, Terminal Tower was lit up with Superman’s signature colors.

“Cleveland — today we are leaving you after six amazing weeks of shooting,” Gunn’s post read. “I would walk down your streets and someone would stop me and tell me how grateful they were we were shooting in their city — not once, not twice, but dozens of times.”

Filming in Ohio kicked off on June 17 last year, with the last possible production date in the state marked for Aug. 23, according to the tax credit application. Broken down, the application said the production in Ohio accounted for 133 days for preparation, 37 for shooting and 31 for wrap. That means 25% of Gunn’s movie was filmed in Ohio.

Gunn’s Ohio-related expenses were projected to exceed $36 million, which makes up about 10% of the movie’s total budget of more than $363 million. Gunn also briefly filmed in Cincinnati, where crews were spotted at Union Terminal, known to be the inspiration for the Justice League’s headquarters in the 1970s animated “Super Friends” series.

Just as people travel to New Zealand to see the rolling hills on the Shire, we want them
to travel to Cincinnati to see the Hall of Justice, Mathews said.

“Ohio is the birthplace of flight, both for airplanes and superheroes, and this bill honors one of our key cultural achievements with the recognition it has earned,” said Mathews. “Highlighting the gift that Superman is, as a force for truth, justice, and the American way, could not be any more Ohio.”

H.B. 270 could receive additional hearings in the House General Government Committee hearing. “Superman” is scheduled to be released in theaters on July 11.