21 Superman Movies, RankeD

(Photo by WB/Courtesy Everett Collection. SUPERMAN.)

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The latest: James Gunn’s Superman is now playing in theaters.

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As Superman returns to theaters once again, it marks another chapter in the long and storied history of the iconic Superman character on the big screen. For decades, audiences have been captivated by the adventures of the Last Son of Krypton, a journey that began with his leap from the pages of DC Comics to the silver screen. The enduring appeal of the various Superman film series — both live action and animated — is a testament to the character’s powerful mythos and his status as a symbol of hope.

It all began with the landmark first film, a project brought to life by director Richard Donner and star Christopher Reeve, with his earnest portrayal of both the powerful hero and his mild-mannered alter ego, Clark Kent. Along with telling Superman’s origin story and making audiences believe in the spectacle of Superman flying, Reeve, paired with Margot Kidder‘s Lois Lane, created a cinematic chemistry that remains a benchmark for the genre. But ultimately Christopher Reeve’s Superman films hit both high and low notes, the original series bookended by 1978’s Superman: The Movie and 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest For Peace.

Over the years, many actors have had the honor of playing Superman in live action or voicing the Man of Steel in animated projects, each bringing their own interpretation of how to bring Superman to life. The cinematic landscape has also evolved, with the hero being a cornerstone of Warner Bros.’ DC Extended Universe (DCEU), where he faced baddies like the Kryptonian villain General Zod and Lex Luthor, while teaming up with other fan-favorite heroes like Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Batman. Now, as a new cinematic universe has officially launched with the release of James Gunn’s Superman, the excitement to watch Superman is as high as ever.

Here’s an overview of some of Superman’s greatest cinematic appearances, followed by a Tomatometer ranking of his entire filmography. (Kyle Moss)

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978): This is the one that started it all, introducing Superman to the masses on the silver screen. Christopher Reeve shines in this origin story as both the bumbling Clark Kent and the titular hero, paving the way for himself to star three more times and for decades of Superman movies to follow. It was directed by Richard Donner and also stars Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando and Margot Kidder. Despite the film’s age and the ever-evolving world of special effects since the late-’70s, it remains Certified Fresh.

Detroit Free Press’ Susan Stark on Superman: The Movie: “What was fun in the comic books, what is still fun in the comic books 40 years later, is also fun in the movie.”

SUPERMAN II (1980): Superman flew into the ’80s with Reeve, Hackman and Kidder once again leading the way, as Richard Lester joins in after a contentious production period with original director Donner. This second installment puts Superman up against General Zod (Terence Stamp), and mixes in plenty of humor along the way that sometimes borders on slapstick – at least according to some critics. But that doesn’t stop them from loving this Certified Fresh gem, which some say is an improvement upon the first thanks to strong acting and a fun story.

LA Times’ Sheila Benson on Superman II: “Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder give their roles a careful delineation, and they have the support of a delightful script.” 

THE BATMAN-SUPERMAN MOVIE (1998): Anchored by a strong fan score on the Popcornmeter, this late-’90s animated movie lets both Superman and Batman shine equally, as they take on the Joker and Lex Luthor just as Batman begins…dating Lois Lane. The epic voice cast includes Tim Daly as Clark Kent and Kevin Conroy as Bruce Wayne, with Dana Delany, Clancy Brown and Mark Hamill also voicing major parts.

Cinema Crazed’s Felix Vasquez Jr. on The Batman-Superman Movie: “It’s a treat to see Warner cross over both properties with an entertaining and action packed adventure, and years later it’s still a raucous and entertaining action film and spin off.”

SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006): Nearly two decades after Superman Quest for Peace, this appropriately titled film from director Bryan Singer came in with plenty of expectations, and managed to live up to them for the most part. This time Brandon Routh donned the red cape and Kate Bosworth starred as Lois Lane, with names like James Marsden and Frank Langella also filling out the supporting cast. Returns is not an origin story but rather a look at Superman as he returns to an Earth that may have moved on without him.

BBC.com’s Neil Smith on Superman Returns: “Logical progression, intelligent reappraisal, and nostalgia trip all in one, Superman Returns is better than we dared hoped.” 

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN (2011): Based on the comic book series of the same name by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, this animated offering stars James Denton as Superman, as he ponders his future after a rescue mission to the sun exposes him to radiation. With Anthony LaPaglia as the voice of Lex Luthor and Christina Hendricks as Lois Lane, this is the first film in this particular animated series to not receive a PG-13 rating, instead being rated PG.

Common Sense Media’s Jeffrey M. Anderson on All-Star Superman: Veteran superhero director Sam Liu sustains the thoughtful, reflective mood of the movie throughout.

SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE (2012): Directed by Michael Chang, this animated Superman movie focuses largely on a set of characters known as The Elite, consisting of Manchester Black, Coldcast, Menagerie, and Hat. These superpowered heroes appear on the scene in a helping fashion, but eventually pose some problems for Superman and become the enemies themselves. Frequent Superman voice actor George Newbern handles the lead for this one, with stars like Robin Atkin Downes, Pauley Perrette, and Tara Strong also voicing key roles.

Common Sense Media’s Jeffrey M. Anderson on Superman vs. The Elite: “An exceptional animated superhero movie. It’s violent and has some adult subject matter, but it also has a strong, thoughtful story and worthwhile messages.” 

SUPERMAN: UNBOUND (2013): Featuring Matt Bomer as the voice of Superman, this animated hit from director James Tucker finds the Man of Steel up against Brainiac (John Noble) in a battle to save the Krypton city of Kandor, which is miniaturized and held aboard Brainiac’s ship. Superman: Unbound has been one of the most well-received animated flicks on this list, which is really saying something considering this list is filled all-stars.

Aisle Seat’s Mike McGranaghan on Superman: Unbound: “Feels cinematic, despite the fact that it wasn’t made for the big screen.”

MAN OF STEEL (2013): Serving as a reboot of the Superman film series and depicting the character’s origin story, this was the first film in the DCEU. Directed by Zack Snyder, it features Henry Cavill in the title role, with Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne and Russell Crow rounding out the star-studded cast. The grittier, more violent take on the character has had a lasting cult impression on a subsection of the comic book movie audience, but wasn’t quite enough to please the critics overall.

The Atlantic’s Christopher Orr on Man of Steel: “There’s plenty to like in Snyder’s hectic, rowdy film. But by the time we reach the bludgeoning excesses of the last half-hour it’s hard to shake the sense that this was an opportunity at least partially missed.”

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN (2018): A stacked cast headlines this animated installment, with Jerry O’Connell as Superman, Rebecca Romijn as Lois Lane, Rainn Wilson as Lex Luthor, Rosario Dawson as Wonder Woman, Shemar Moore as Cyborg. This time, Superman comes together with the Justice League to take on Doomsday, which ends up with the two titans squaring off in the heart of Metropolis.

CinemaDebate’s Sheraz Farooqi on The Death of Superman: “The Death of Superman gives fans what they want. A strong Superman story, a great adaption of an iconic comic, awesome DC cameos and and homages to the works of the past.”

SUPERMAN: RED SON (2020): Serving as an alternate take on the traditional Superman character and story, this Fresh animated flick was directed by Sam Liu and portrays the Man of Steel as a Soviet hero after his rocket lands in the USSR. Jason Isaacs (White Lotus Season Three shoutout!) serves as the voice of Kel-El in this one, with Amy Acker as Lois Lane and Diedrich Bader as Lex Luthor.

CNN.com’s Brian Lowry on Superman: Red Son: “What Red Son does, in an effective and perhaps unexpectedly timely way, is consider the extent the flag to which one pledges allegiance defines and shapes the man.” 

SUPERMAN: MAN OF TOMORROW (2020): Kicking off an impressive tenure of Darren Criss as the voice of Superman, this animated hit also stars Alexandra Daddario as Lois Lane and Zachary Quinto as Lex Luthor, and tells the story of a young Clark Kent who works as an intern at the Daily Planet while learning how to save the city of Metropolis. With high scores on both the Tomatometer and Popcornmeter, this offering from director Chris Palmer is deserving of its high ranking on our list.

Flickering Myth’s Ricky Church on Superman: Man of Tomorrow: “Fans who are well versed in Superman will enjoy this modern retelling while those who are completely new to the character will likely become a fan after viewing this.”

ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE (2021): This is the director’s cut of the 2017 film Justice League, as the original director (Snyder, who was replaced with Joss Whedon) intended it before he left during post-production following a family tragedy. After the Whedon-driven result was not well-received in 2017, the movement to release the Snyder cut began almost immediately, with fans creating an online petition that gained hundreds of thousands of signatures along with a viral hashtag across social media. The Zack Snyder Cut went Fresh, an improvement on the Rotten rating of the original, along with receiving a much better reception from the fans.

Boston Globe’s Ty Burr on Zack Snyder’s Justice League: “A major improvement when all is said and done, and Snyder has conclusively proved his point.” 

BATMAN AND SUPERMAN: BATTLE OF THE SUPER SONS (2022): Directed by Matt Peters, this animated installment in the lore of Superman movies revolves around the Caped Crusader’s son, Jonathan Kent (Jack Dylan Grazer), who discovers on his birthday that his dad is Superman, and ends up teaming up with the son of Batman, aka Damian Wayne (Jack Griffo). The adventure escalates from there, with a mix of new and familiar characters thrown in along the way to keep things interesting for the many adoring fans and critics.

SuperHeroHype’s Luke Y. Thompson on Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons: “It’s only 79 minutes long and the story is so simple that it’s impossible to spoil. And the film remembers, crucially, that comics are fun. Or they should be.”

SUPERMAN (2025): Written and directed by James Gunn and coming in both Certified Fresh on the Tomatometer and Verified Fresh on the Popcornmeter, this is the first film in the DC Universe. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. In the movie, Superman tries to prove to the world that he is their protector after billionaire Lex Luthor (Hoult) conducts a plan to turn public opinion against him.

MovieFreak.com’s Sara Michelle Fetters on Superman: “Gunn delivers a fun, goofy, irreverent, and heartfelt motion picture overflowing with empathy and kindness.”

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