Superman is one of the oldest and most beloved superheroes of all time!
Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938 before making his live action debut played by Kirk Alyn in a series of movie serials in 1948 and eventually the 1950 movie ‘Aton Man vs. Superman‘. George Reeves took over the role in 1952 on the television series ‘Adventures of Superman‘ and reprised his role in the movie ‘Superman and the Mole Men‘.
But it was 1978’s ‘Superman‘ starring Christopher Reeve that became the definitive movie based on the character. Reeve would go on to play the character in three sequels, while TV versions of Superman included 1988’s ‘Superboy‘ starring both John Haymes Newton and Gerard Christopher as the young Man of Steel, 1993’s ‘Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman‘ featuring Dean Cain, ‘Smallville‘ starring Tom Welling as a young Clark Kent, and ‘Superman & Lois‘ featuring Tyler Hoechlin.
Back on the big screen, actor Brandon Routh would take over the role for ‘Superman Returns‘, before being recast by Henry Cavill for ‘Man of Steel‘, ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice‘ and ‘Justice League‘. Now, the mantle has been handed off once again to actor David Corenswet in director James Gunn‘s ‘Superman‘, which opens in theaters on July 11th.
In honor of the new ‘Superman’ movie, Moviefone is counting down every live action Superman movie and TV show appearance ever made.
NOTE: For this list we are only including live action movies and TV shows featuring Superman (Or Clark Kent when he was Superboy), and not animated projects or documentaries. We are also not including his faceless cameos in ‘Shazam!‘, season 1 of ‘Peacemaker‘, or ‘Titans‘ final episode, but will include his appearances in ‘Black Adam‘ and ‘The Flash‘. Finally, we are also including theatrically released director’s cuts like ‘Superman II: The Donner Cut‘ and ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League‘.
Let’s begin!
18. ‘Superman IV: The Quest for Peace‘ (1987)
With global superpowers engaged in an increasingly hostile arms race, Superman (Christopher Reeve) leads a crusade to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), recently sprung from jail, is declaring war on the Man of Steel and his quest to save the planet. Using a strand of Superman’s hair, Luthor synthesizes a powerful ally known as Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow) and ignites an epic battle spanning Earth and space.
109917017. ‘Justice League‘ (2017)
Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) assemble a team of metahumans consisting of Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) and Victor Stone (Ray Fisher) to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and the Parademons who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth.
2007774416. ‘Black Adam‘ (2022)
Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods—and imprisoned just as quickly—Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
cAKImAUxggIpR5ZyKNuIz516. ‘Atom Man vs. Superman‘ (1950)
Superman (Kirk Alyn) battles Lex Luthor (Lyle Talbot), who is using a teleportation device and a new identity as Atom Man in his criminal plans.
3u2fmAUt8hyDZkvPhUiOI615. ‘Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman‘ (1993 – 1997)
A much more lavish version of the popular ‘Superman’ television series which had first aired forty years earlier, ‘Lois & Clark’ focused more on the Man of Steel’s early adult years in Metropolis. With the unknowing help of Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher), Clark Kent (Dean Cain) created Superman there in Metropolis after finding work at the world-famous Daily Planet newspaper, where he meets fellow reporter Lois Lane.
OQTIKdNmbKIErQ9aQ5ORY514. ‘Superboy‘ (1988 – 1992)
‘Superboy’ is a half-hour live-action television series based on Kal-El’s early years as Superboy (John Newton/Gerard Christopher). It depicted Superboy’s adventures during his college years, his meetings with Lex Luthor (Sherman Howard) and his romance with Lana Lang (Stacy Haiduk). The series was brought to the screen by executive producers Ilya and Alexander Salkind, who were the producers of the first three ‘Superman’ movies and the 1984 ‘Supergirl‘ movie.
xeKd1XPcqq32OWnPFgmw8313. ‘The Flash‘ (2023)
When his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. In order to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
GqvjtiR1Skzdp96PgxYKv513. ‘Adventures of Superman‘ (1952 – 1958)
Announcer: “The Adventures of Superman. Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!” Voices: “Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!” Announcer: “Yes, it’s Superman, strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands; and who, disguised as Clark Kent (George Reeves), mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.”
Pd46bMoDWrjvXTAg88ORK312. ‘Superman and the Mole Men‘ (1951)
Reporters Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) arrive in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well. The drill, however, has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, furry people who then come to the surface at night to look around. The fact that they glow in the dark scares the townfolk, who form a mob, led by the vicious Luke Benson (Jeff Corey), intent on killing the strange people. Only Superman has a chance to prevent this tragedy.
103433611. ‘Superman III‘ (1983)
Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman (Richard Pryor) to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yields some unexpected psychological effects. Between rekindling romance with his high school sweetheart and saving himself, Superman must contend with a powerful supercomputer.
103433810. ‘Superman Returns‘ (2006)
Superman (Brandon Routh) returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.
216539. ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice‘ (2016)
Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.
200568288. ‘Superman & Lois‘ (2021 – 2024)
After years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever: dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s society.
ciDTvy9anSqFmmLDRJsWm7. ‘Superman II‘ (1981)
Three escaped criminals from the planet Krypton, who have the same powers on Earth as Superman, test the Man of Steel’s mettle. Led by General Zod (Terence Stamp), the Kryptonians take control of the White House and partner with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) to destroy Superman (Christopher Reeve) and rule the world. But Superman, who made himself human in order to get closer to Lois (Margot Kidder), realizes he has a responsibility to save the planet.
49276. ‘Smallville‘ (2001 – 2011)
The origins of the world’s greatest hero–from Krypton refugee Kal-el’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s (Tom Welling) final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel.
IRDoSyD8bpcuaSgO07L6j5. ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League‘ (2021)
Determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), DeSaad, and Darkseid (Ray Porter) and their dreadful intentions.
cQsBgSVNq8lci8KEa2oB34. ‘Man of Steel‘ (2013)
A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man (Henry Cavill), he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.
522393. ‘Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut‘ (2006)
Superman (Christopher Reeve) agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
8Nfzt4on6FD45qPdPeoMA72. ‘Superman‘ (2025)
Superman (David Corenswet), a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.
OT00arSyAacXCGscjvNND4 SP95pQiY1. ‘Superman‘ (1978)
Mild-mannered Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder). Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) launches a plan to take over the world.
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