Christopher Reeve Wanted to Die After His Accident. He Said 7 Words from Wife Dana 'Saved My Life'

Reeve's life story and activism is chronicled in the upcoming documentary film 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,' in select theaters Sept. 21

Christopher Reeve was not in a place where he wanted to continue his life once he realized what it would look like following the equestrian accident that paralyzed him.

But in legacy footage that plays in a new trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, the late actor revealed the seven words from his wife, Dana Reeve, that changed his outlook.

As Reeve recalled thinking at the time, " 'I ruined my life and everybody else’s. I won’t be able to ski, sail, throw a ball to Will. Won’t be able to make love to Dana. Maybe we should let me go.' "

“And then she said the words that saved my life: 'You’re still you. And I love you,' " added the Superman actor.

On Monday, Aug. 26, DC Studios released the first trailer for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, a documentary that had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival back in January.

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The movie is an emotional journey that portrays the late actor and his family’s unwavering support after the 1995 horseback-riding accident that left him paralyzed. The star died in 2004 at age 52.

"We said goodbye, he gave this wave," Reeve's son Matthew, 44, recalls in a clip previously released from the film, describing his final exchange with his father before the accident. "That was the last time I saw him on his feet."

Super/Man includes intimate interviews with Reeve’s three children Matthew, Alexandra, 40, and Will, 32, as well as late wife Dana, who died in 2006 from lung cancer.

It also features memories from Reeve’s friends including Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Daniels and Glenn Close.

Related: Christopher Reeve’s Son Will Confirms Cameo in Upcoming Superman, Says He Was ‘Nervous’ Shooting It

Through extensive personal footage from the Reeve family and audio clips of the late icon, viewers can feel like they are by the actor's side before, during and after his accident.

"We knew ... if we were ever going to do this, it had to be the right time and the right team," Will said at Sundance in January, "and that we were going to give over our archive, our home movies, sit for some raw and vulnerable interviews, and then place all of our trust and faith in the team that had assembled around us and see what they came back with."

"And the end result here is remarkable, so our trust has certainly been rewarded," he added, as the audience broke out in applause.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is in select theaters on Sept. 21, with an "Encore Presentation" on Sept. 25, Reeve's birthday.

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