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Well well well.
Here’s the spoiler-free “how it came together” version:
They shot I and II at the same time. The Salkinds (producers) hired Richard Donner to film a two-part epic in 1977. He finished Superman: The Movie and—by most accounts—about 75% of Superman II before production was paused to get the first film out. Wikipedia+1
Big fallout, new director. After Superman (1978) opened, Donner and the producers split for real—Donner was fired in March 1979. Richard Lester (who’d been around as a mediator/2nd-unit hand) took over and re-shot a large portion of the sequel so the Directors Guild would credit him as director (you had to shoot ~40% yourself). Wikipedia
That’s why the tone can feel different. Donner’s footage tends to play straighter/romantic-mythic, while Lester adds more broad comedy and slapstick beats. The theatrical film is a hybrid of both men’s footage, stitched together in places. (It even intercuts material shot years apart.) Wikipedia
Cast complications shaped what you see. Gene Hackman (Lex) reportedly didn’t return for Lester reshoots out of loyalty to Donner, so body-doubles and voice looping are used in a few spots; Marlon Brando’s filmed scenes were removed from the theatrical cut amid a payment dispute. Wikipedia
Different music vibe. John Williams didn’t score II; Ken Thorne was hired to adapt and rework Williams’ themes for the sequel, which contributes to the “same but a bit different” feel. filmtracks.com+3Wikipedia+3JWFan+3
Staggered release & credits. Superman II rolled out December 4, 1980 in much of Europe/Australia and June 19, 1981 in the U.S., credited to Richard Lester (with a substantial amount of Donner footage still in there). Wikipedia
So what’s the “Richard Donner Cut”? In 2006, Warner Bros. assembled Donner’s intended version as closely as possible from the 1977–78 material—restoring Brando footage, dropping much of Lester’s reshoots, and in one pivotal moment even using a Reeve/Kidder screen test because Donner never shot the final take. It’s not a brand-new movie so much as a reconstruction of the original plan, and it plays with a more serious, romantic tone. Wikipedia
If you thought the first film was “a little silly,” know that the theatrical II leans harder into comedy than the Donner Cut, which aims for a cleaner dramatic through-line. Either way, the behind-the-scenes tug-of-war explains why two legitimate versions exist—and why the sequel can feel uneven in places. Wikipedia+1
Want a one-line viewing tip (no plot): if you’ve got time, sample the opening 10 minutes of each version someday—the tonal split is immediately clear.