Kevin Smith’s script for Superman Lives! may have been scrapped by Warner Brothers, but the director got a chance to stage a shoot with the man in tights for Playboy. The photo shoot is part of a special issue (in stores now) to celebrate the magazines 50th anniversary. The magazine asked several directors (including Spike Lee, McG, Brett Ratner and Michael Bay) to shoot photos of whatever turned them on.

According to Smith, his biggest turn-ons are his wife and super-heroes. Yes, the woman is the photo is actually married to Silent Bob. Smith told the magazine:

After a day of thwarting supervillains’ attempts at world domination, our hero pays a rooftop visit to his favorite metropolitan-newspaper reporter to give her the scoop. After years of flirtation, suddenly their longing gets the better of them. Let’s just hope for her sake that he’s not always faster than a speeding bullet. That Jen plays the reporter has a sentimental significance, because we met when she did a story on me for USA Today. She was beautiful, brainy and Lois Lane--y.

Small wonder that, given my predilection for comics, this visual actually ran through my head during our interview. Considering my level of geekiness, it’s a wonder I landed a wife at all.

An uncensored view of the photo is available at News Askew.>>