One of the first superheroes to exist, Superman remains one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time. Like Batman, much of the character’s success is owed in part to the silver screen. While Superman may not have as many movies as Batman, his films are just as (if not more) important in terms of cultural impact. There is a reason why athletes like to celebrate touchdowns and dunks with a Superman celebration. Superman movies are much more hit-or-miss than Batman films, though, but the series still has fiercely loyal fans.
For audiences looking to get in the Superman mood following the release of the trailer for James Gunn’s upcoming revival of the character, here is every theatrically released Superman film in order of release. Since the character has been rebooted a few times, there are a few different chronological timelines for fans to follow and choose from.
Updated February 14, 2025: This article has been updated with additional information about the beloved superhero and the many movies he’s appeared in.
Superman Movies in Both Chronological Order and by Release Date
The Superman films have been released in chronological order, meaning you can comfortably watch them in a single order without any major continuity concerns.
1
Superman (1948)
Superman
Release Date
July 15, 1948
Runtime
244 Minutes
Director
Spencer Gordon Bennet, Thomas Carr
Writers
Lewis Clay, Royal K. Cole, George H. Plympton, Arthur Hoerl, Joseph F. Poland
Superman first appeared outside the comics in 1941 with the famous Max Fleischer cartoons, and seven years later he made his live-action debut with Superman. Like Batman, Superman’s first live-action appearance was in a 15-part serial released in weekly theatrical episodes. This original serial chronicles the origins of Superman. The titular hero is played by Kirk Alyn, who went uncredited, because in order to maintain the illusion of Superman, the superhero was credited as himself in the film. The story follows Clark Kent learning who he is, as well as facing The Spider Lady (played by Carol Forman). The Spider Lady is an original creation and only just recently appeared in the comics.
A Quirky But Iconic Intro to Superman
The budgets were incredibly small, which didn’t help the special effects. While a far cry from the blockbusters of today, these effects are still passable for their time and just add to the charm. After his origin is given in the first three parts, the episodes end with cliffhangers. Superman was already a popular character, but these serials boosted him to new heights. The success of these short Superman films not only led to a sequel two years later, but also inspired the Batman serials. This early form of Superman is very cheesy and a product of the time, but fans should check it out to see his humble big-screen beginnings. Currently unavailable for streaming
2
Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950)
Two years later, a new 15-part serial was released featuring the Man of Steel. Atom Man vs. Superman focuses on Superman going up against the titular Atom Man. While this may seem like another original character, his alias is a name all too familiar. Atom Man is the alter ego of classic baddie Lex Luthor. Lex’s first live-action appearance is portrayed by Lyle Talbot, who previously appeared as James Gordon in the 1949 serial Batman & Robin.
A Gimmicky-Yet-Charming Serial
Kirk Alyn reprises his role as Superman, once again going uncredited. This serial was much more traditional, being gimmicky and with each episode being a cliffhanger. However, this once again simply adds to the charm. Atom Man vs. Superman truly feels like an early Superman comic has come to life, like with the previous serial, Atom Man Vs. Superman gave the already highly popular character a huge boost. Currently unavailable for streaming
3
Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
Release Date
November 23, 1951
Runtime
58 Minutes
Director
Lee Sholem
-
George Reeves
Superman / Clark Kent
-
Walter Reed
Bill Corrigan
In 1951, Superman and the Mole Men was released in theaters. The black and white film featured George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane. Clark Kent and Lois Lane arrive in a small town whose recent oil drilling has unearthed a mysterious race of creatures from the Earth, and the townsfolk are scared of these creatures, and Superman must step in to prevent a conflict between the two sides.
Reeves Becomes the Face of Superman
This led to a television series starring George Reeves named The Adventures of Superman, which helped solidify Superman as one of the most popular heroes on the planet. George Reeves played the character until his shocking death on June 16, 1959. The circumstances around his death still remain a mystery to this date, but he left a lasting mark on the character. Rent/Buy on Prime Video
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4
Superman: The Movie (1978)
5
/5
Release Date
December 15, 1978
Runtime
143 Minutes
The words ‘legendary’ and ‘iconic’ are thrown around fairly often. If there is one film that truly deserves these titles, it is Superman: The Movie from 1978. This film changed the character forever and paved the way for other superhero films to follow. The film’s groundbreaking special effects still hold up today. It stars Marlon Brando as Jor-El; adding this icon and juggernaut of an actor just elevated the film’s legendary status, and audiences quickly took the film seriously because of it.
Another well-known actor to join the film was Gene Hackman. Gene played classic Superman villain Lex Luthor, in a performance that is often hailed as a touchstone to other portrayals of Lex. While these two actors took top billing, the titular role was given to a then-unknown actor. While he wasn’t known yet, he would soon become synonymous with the name Superman.
Christopher Reeve Is Superman
Christopher Reeve seemed like the character of Superman had actually left the pages of DC Comics and made a movie. To this day, so many fans claim Christopher Reeve doesn’t simply play Superman, he is Superman. He manages to play Clark Kent and Superman as two different characters. His Clark is hunched over, clumsy, and speaks in an unsure and nervous manner. As Superman, he stands tall, has a deep voice, and is an imposing but warm figure. Christopher Reeves is, and always will be, the portrayal that all other versions of Superman will be compared to.
Margot Kidder plays Lois, and her sassy and independent attitude would be the groundwork for all other versions from that point forward. The film features one of the best John Williams scores, and in doing so created arguably the most iconic superhero theme of all time. This theme song has stuck with the character for decades, even appearing in Superman projects that aren’t connected to this one, such as Smallville and the theatrical cut of Justice League.
For fans of the character, this is the Superman story. It may be corny at times, but this is the film that truly started the superhero film. One viewing, and you will truly believe a man can fly. It made fans want to become superheroes in their own right. Simply put, it is one of the great superhero films of all-time because of its great cast, storyline and special effects. Stream on Max
5
Superman II (1980)
Release Date
December 4, 1980
Runtime
127 minutes
Superman was such a popular character that director Richard Donner shot a sequel while simultaneously filming the first movie. Due to rising tensions between Donner and the producers, production on the second film was halted in order to complete the first; over 70% of the film was completed when it was halted. After the first film proved successful, Richard Donner was fired, and Richard Lester was brought on to finish Superman II, most of which he re-shot. The majority of the cast and crew objected to this decision, and they only returned to do re-shoots due to contractual obligations.
If this sounds familiar, that is because a very similar incident occurred decades later with Justice League. The original director eventually returned to complete his vision for the film. Both the theatrical and Donner cuts have the same plot, however. Before Krypton was destroyed, Jor-El helped banish three criminals into the Phantom Zone. These criminals, led by General Zod, eventually escape and travel to Earth, seeking revenge on Kal-el for his father’s sins. More than 40 years later, Superman II is actually preferred by many fans over the original film. Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman all reprise their roles, and Terence Stamp gets an expanded role as General Zod, giving a fantastic performance.
An Influential Superhero Sequel
The film blended drama, action, and comedy in a perfect way. At the heart of Superman II was the relationship between Clark and Lois. Clark is faced with a dilemma: choose to be with the woman he loves or remain a nearly immortal hero. Superman II does a great job of showing the pros and cons of sacrifice and how the smallest decisions can have devastating repercussions. This outline of a superhero giving up his powers in the sequel has been so influential for the genre, it was even featured in Spider-Man 2 and Wonder Woman 1984.
The biggest change between the theatrical and Donner cuts, however, is the ending. The Donner ending is essentially the same as the first movie, where Superman travels around the world so fast that he reverses time. In the theatrical cut, Superman kisses Lois so hard that she loses her memory. Neither ending is great, and fans are split as to which one is better. Stream on Max
6
Superman III (1983)
Release Date
June 17, 1983
Runtime
125 minutes
Director
Richard Lester
-
Christopher Reeve
Clark Kent / Superman
-
Richard Pryor
August ‘Gus’ Gorman
-
Jackie Cooper
Perry White
While the third entry in the Superman film series has its fans, most agree that this is where the quality began to dip. Richard Lester returns to the director’s chair, much to the disapproval of the cast, namely Margot Kidder. She was so outspoken against the producers firing Richard Donner that her role was reduced to a mere cameo. Richard Donner had big plans for the series, and none of them were used, the most interesting of which being Donner’s original plan to involve Brainiac.
Superman III features a huge tonal shift from the previous two and is much campier. The film follows Superman as he fights not Lex Luthor, not a Kryptonian threat, not even Brainiac. Instead, he fights a corrupt business tycoon looking to gain wealth. Perhaps the most interesting element of the film is the introduction of a synthetic Kryptonite. When exposed, the Kryptonite literally splits Superman into two.
Great New Characters
Due to the absence of Lois, Lana Lang is depicted as Clark’s love interest (Annette O’Toole) who would go on to play Martha Kent in Smallville and was one of several performers from the films to appear in said series. Also new to the cast is Richard Pryor as Gus, a bumbling bit of comedy relief that most fans agree is not needed. This was the first film in the franchise to receive mostly mediocre to negative reviews.
There are still some things to like in the superher flick, however. At the end of the day, this film did nothing to further the story of Superman and is a mostly forgotten entry. It wasn’t as praised as the first two, but it didn’t earn the level of infamy the following film did. Stream on Max
7
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Just like the Batman series, Superman’s fourth film has gone down as one of the worst comic book movies in history. Superman IV: The Quest For Peace exists purely to deliver an anti-nuclear weapons message. The film’s first issue is that the production company is none other than Cannon Films, one of the most infamous movie studios of the ’80s. Cannon was famous for churning out tons of “so bad it’s good” movies, and to some, this could be considered one of them.
Shortly before production began, the studio suffered a massive financial blow that negatively affected this film. While the first movie was filled with groundbreaking effects, this film cut corners in the worst ways possible. Most famously is the shot of Superman flying that is reused numerous times throughout the film. Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman all returned, although none of them really wanted to. Reeve only agreed to return if he received a huge pay increase and had a hand in writing the story.
A Sad Last Look at Reeve’s Superman
The film follows Superman as he sets out to destroy every single nuclear missile on the planet. Looking to rid the world of his foe once and for all, Luthor sends some of Superman’s DNA into space with weapons. This inexplicably creates Nuclear Man, a superbeing with Lex Luthor’s voice, for some reason. Needless to say, the disappointing sequel to the classics bombed both critically and financially. The movie’s forced message heavily distracted from what little plot there was, and the special effects were laughably bad even in 1987, while none of the returning actors seemed to care.
This film was, unfortunately, the last Superman film featuring Christopher Reeve. In 1995, Reeve had an accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. For the remainder of his life, he still sought to entertain the masses. Reeve is remembered not for this film but for bringing the character of Superman to life in a way that had never been done before and probably won’t be done again. His final days were spent running various organizations, namely ones specializing in Stem Cell Research. Christopher Reeve passed away in 2004 and will always be remembered as a superman. That is for certain. Stream on Max
8
Superman Returns (2006)
After the humiliating failure that was Superman IV, the franchise laid dormant for nearly 20 years. During that time, all four of the Burton/Schumacher Batman films were released. An attempt was made to bring Superman back to the big screen in the ’90s with Tim Burton directing and Nicolas Cage playing Superman. However, the failure of Batman & Robin killed the project.
After the success of the TV show Smallville, which lasted 10 seasons, it was clear that there was a renewed interest in the character. Following in the footsteps of 2005’s Batman Begins was Superman Returns in 2006, helmed by X-Men mastermind Bryan Singer. Rather than being a full reboot, Superman Returns loosely follows the first Christopher Reeve movies while disregarding the third and fourth films.
An Underperforming Return
Sometime before the events of the film, Superman leaves Earth when he believes Krypton may have survived. He returns five years later after discovering this is not the case and that Lex Luthor is up to his old tricks. The movie is a huge step-up in quality from the previous two films. Many criticize it for various reasons, but most agree it is a solid entry in the series, with Superman’s plane rescue being one of the best depictions of the character put on screen.
While the film was successful both financially and with critics, Warner Bros. was disappointed as the movie didn’t perform to their expectations (while it performed on par with Batman Begins, that film was much cheaper than Superman Returns). The movie was set to have a sequel in 2009, but the plans were scrapped in favor of a reboot. Brandon Routh has been highly praised for his turn as Superman and later returned as a future version of his Superman in The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Stream on Max
9
Man of Steel (2013)
After the conclusion of The Dark Knight Trilogy and with the success of the MCU, Warner Bros. decided to make their own cinematic universe, thus launching the DCEU Universe. The movie to kick it off was Superman’s first film in seven years, Man of Steel. For the first time since 1980, General Zod is the villain, with Lex Luthor not appearing.
Henry Cavill appears as Superman, and most fans agree his performance is comparable to Reeve’s. The movie does take a darker look at the character, particularly regarding Superman taking a life. Man of Steel was a mixed film with critics and audiences, but still a box office hit that kickstarted a new cinematic universe. It was the start of something new, something refreshing for DC fans.
A Dark Introduction to Snyder’s Vision of Superman
Man of Steel follows Clark Kent as he learns not to be ashamed of his powers but to use them to protect his new home. For his entire life, Clark Kent was ashamed of his abilities, and, as an adult, went into exile from the rest of the world. Once he learns his true destiny, a Kryptonian army led by General Zod arrives to seek revenge for their capture at the hands of Superman’s father. Throughout the film, Superman learns what it takes to be a hero.
Through loss, sacrifice, and doing unspeakable things, he realizes that in order to be a true hero, he must embrace his human side. As stated before, the film isn’t nearly as cheerful as the Christopher Reeve-led films, and many agree it is too preachy at times. The movie still has a loyal fan base, and Cavill became a fan-favorite version of Superman. Stream on Max
10
Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Release Date
March 24, 2016
Runtime
152 minutes
Following Man of Steel, the second film in the DCEU is Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which shows how the world is split by the existence of Superman. Many believe they have been blessed with a protector who will fight tooth and nail to ensure their safety. Others, such as Bruce Wayne, believe that Superman is a ticking time bomb who will just attract more destruction and will destroy Earth should he see fit. The two greatest and most popular heroes in the DC Universe take center stage.
After seeing the destruction of Metropolis firsthand and up close, Bruce comes out of retirement and takes to the streets as Batman. The caped millionaire is much more brutal than ever, and this gets the attention of Superman. These two titans being pitted against each other is all part of Lex Luthor’s plan, which is to create his own Kryptonian monster to keep them occupied.
A Disappointing Goodbye to Superman?
Ben Affleck is Batman and Cavill returns as Superman in this polarized entry. The film disappointed many fans, although, over time, it has gained more and more fans. The biggest complaint is the fact that the film feels more like a feature-length post-credits scene than its own movie. Most of the movie is more concerned with building up to its sequel than telling its own story. Nevertheless, Zack Snyder’s extended cut, the Ultimate Edition, is a far better film than the theatrical cut was.
The biggest thing that happens in the film is that Superman sacrifices his life in order to defeat Doomsday. Seeing Superman die not only affects the audience, but it affects Bruce Wayne as well This was the first time the character was seen dying on the big screen, and is a loose adaptation of the Death of Superman comics. Inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce decides to form a team along with the help of Wonder Woman, setting the stage for Justice League. Stream on Max
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11
Justice League (2017)
2
/5
Release Date
November 17, 2017
Runtime
242 minutes
For a while, the final appearance of Cavill as Superman was in Justice League. The theatrical cut of the film may have brought back parts of John Willams’ legendary score, but it also featured Superman with his infamous CGI-affected face. Zack Snyder left the film during post-production, and Joss Whedon took over. He heavily re-shot the film and created a hostile environment on set.
The underwhelming flick takes place after the shocking events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and focuses on Batman and Wonder Woman as they set out to assemble the titular superhero team consisting of Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg in order to protect the planet from destruction when Steppenwolf and his brutal minions known as Parademons threaten to eliminate humanity.
Justice League Becomes a Notorious Box Office Bomb
Justice League was released to mixed reviews from critics and fans and the DCEU suffered the backlash that would eventually spawn the quest for the Snyderverse. The film grossed just $661.3 million against a $300 million budget, losing Warner Bros. roughly $60 million since it was unable to reach the break-even point of $750 million. The real question is: is Whedon’s cut that bad? Is anything worth recycling from that? What’s undeniable is that it’s the most divisive moment in the history of the superhero. Stream on Max
12
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is also known as the Snyder Cut. It’s basically the most important director’s cut in film history, one for which Warner Bros. invested $70 million, regardless of the film’s direct-to-streaming release schedule. Plot-wise, there’s not much that’s not Batman forming the team after Superman is brought back to life, and then coming together to fight against Steppenwolf.
Snyder’s Cut Delights Critics & Fans
The film has a running time of 242 minutes. That’s four hours of superhero bliss. The Snyder Cut was much better received than the theatrical cut of Justice League, and while it remains a cool experiment by Warner Bros., it also represents the beginning of the end for the DCEU. It went on to become the fourth-most-streamed film of the year on Max, and both critics and audiences largely agreed it far surpassed its predecessor, receiving a 71% Rotten Tomatoes score in comparison to the former version that landed just a 39% score. Curiously, the film doesn’t feature a whole lot of Superman. Stream on Max
13
Superman (2025)
Release Date
July 11, 2025
Director
James Gunn
Producers
Lars P. Winther, Peter Safran
The next Superman film is set to be released on July 11, 2025. Superman stars David Corenswet, who will take on the leading protagonist role and will be paired with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. It is set to be the true start of the new DCU that James Gunn has planned, which will apparently reboot the entire franchise, and give a fresh start to the most important IP owned by Warner Bros.
James Gunn’s Superman Launches the New DCU
This new film will explore Superman’s upbringing and heritage, from both his Kryptonian parents but also his adopted human family. It has been a long time since Superman got his own solo film. Judging by the trailer, things are looking up for the superhero from planet Krypton, who will return to the tune of John Williams’ signature score. Superman features the additional talents of stars like Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor), Nathan Fillion (Green Lantern), and Isabela Merced (Hawkgirl), and will be the first entry in the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
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