As the most iconic superhero of all time, it's only natural Superman has seen his share of movie adaptations. The most famous is the four movies begun under Richard Donner with Christopher Reeve becoming a star as Superman/Clark Kent. We've had other live-action adaptations since along with a score of animated films.
Some movies are terrific, making you believe in Superman and boasting great action alongside what makes him so special. Others range from disappointments to frankly awful, ignoring Superman's character and failing to connect. Here are the best Superman movies to watch and a few to skip to show how the Man of Steel hasn't always soared high on film.
Superman has had a lot of movies, but which are the best and which are the worst?
10 Best Superman movies to watch
Superman
Where else to start than this hit? It's amazing how near-perfect a superhero movie this is. Richard Donner's direction is stunning and the opening sequences of Krypton's destruction are gripping. Donner takes his time showing a young Clark coming into his own with his powers, and Marlon Brando makes his role of Jor-El commanding yet warm.
The reason it all works is Christopher Reeve. His Clark Kent is a genius, making the mild-mannered persona work so naturally that you can believe people not looking past the glasses. As Superman, he's bold and powerful yet warm and relatable and he and Margot Kidder match up nicely.
Gene Hackman is a superb Lex Luthor with his scheming and ruthless plot. Add in John Williams' now iconic score and a wild climax and this is what superhero movies should be and still the best big-screen outing for the Man of Steel.
Superman II
This sequel had an infamously troubled production with Donner fired and Richard Lester finishing it up. That shouldn't distract from this fine sequel with the setup of Superman tangling with three criminals with his powers. Terrance Stamp is chilling as General Zod, whose cold dominance makes him a terrifying foe.
The romance of Superman and Lois is wonderful to watch with Superman giving up his powers at the worst possible time. Reeve finds new depth in his performance and Kidder is just as great. The ending is a little goofy yet this still ranks as one of the best superhero movie sequels ever.
All-Star Superman
If you're going to adapt a Superman story, it might as well be one of the greatest ever. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's masterpiece is given vibrant life in an animation style replicating Quitely's art. The story is mainly about Superman getting an overdose of solar radiation that will kill him and thus live out his last days.
The voice cast is top-notch (Christina Hendricks as Lois Lane), and the movie nails what makes Superman so special. His humanity, his caring for the world, his trying to see the good, even in Lex Luthor—it all comes together well. Even in a condensed form, the story hits you hard, as this movie does more justice to Superman than any live-action effort.
Superman vs The Elite
Adapting a single-issue storyline into a 75-minute movie may be challenging. Thankfully, this 2012 effort is worthy of a powerful storyline. Superman tangles with the Elite, a pack of "heroes" whose methods include killing enemies and saying Superman is too old-fashioned for the dangers of the world. The fact the general public seems to be on their side makes Superman question himself.
The movie has a splendid message, tackling fandom complaints about Superman not using his powers properly. It then shows why Superman doesn't just take out dictators or wipe out those before him because that only creates bigger problems. The showdown with the Elite is delicious to watch and the movie, more than others, sums up why we always need a Superman more than any other hero.
The Death of Superman/Reign of the Supermen
These two movies wonderfully tell the biggest Superman story of the 1990s. The Death of Superman feels truly epic, complete with Doomsday beating down Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor joining Superman in fighting the monster. The animation shows how crazy this fight can be, and the emotional stakes feel greater. You truly feel it when Superman sacrifices himself and why his loss is so huge.
That leads to the sequel as four would-be Supermen arrive on the scene. The movie takes a few liberties from the comic yet still holds up nicely to show how it's the humanity of Clark Kent that makes Superman who he is. The last twist at the end is surprisingly effective and we get awesome action. Both films put together are a fun watch that adapts a classic Superman epic.
Red Son
Another adaptation, this time of what remains probably the best Superman Elseworlds story. It's a simple yet brilliant question: What if instead of Kansas, Kal-El's rocket landed in Stalin-era Russia? This takes the "man of steel" label in a new direction as Superman becomes the hero of the Soviet Union only to take it over. Cue a unique partnership with Wonder Woman and Superman dominating the globe.
The film expands on the comic in unique ways, building on this alternate world well. The story unfolds over decades and the animation captures each era in lush detail. There's also the character theme that, no matter where he landed, Superman somehow would still retain that inner spirit that makes him a hero and still stand tall for others.
Man of Steel
This may be a controversial choice as Zack Snyder's take on Superman is divisive with fans. Kicking off the troubled DCEU and its muddled history, the movie has a dark tone and mixed messaging. Pa Kent (Kevin Costner) hinting Clark should have let classmates die to keep his secret going against the character and his sacrifice is senseless. There's also the controversial move at the end of Superman breaking his code.
Put those aside, and the movie offers some good stuff. Henry Cavill is second to Reeve in the live-action portrayal of Superman, tough yet warm and his development into this hero is well done. Amy Adams is a good Lois Lane, Michael Shannon chews it up as Zod while Russell Crowe tones it down for Jor-El. Krypton's look is original and the action and music fit Superman well. Despite how it all ended, this does hold up as a good Superman movie and the wish Cavill had continued in the role.
Man of Tomorrow
Kicking off a new series of animated DC films, this is a back-to-basics take on Superman's early days. It's not a complex plot and can feel cheesy which works as a throwback to the old DCAU. The animation is crisp and clean, a classic look for Superman and his friends and foes with Darren Criss coming into his own as Superman.
to focusWe get Lex Luthor, the Parasite, even Lobo and the Martian Manhunter as the movie nicely tells a more modern version of the classic origin story. It's also smart focusing on Clark as much as Superman to remind audiences who matters. It doesn't try to reinvent the Superman mythos rather than do them justice and in that regard, more than succeeds.
Superman movies to skip
Superman III
After two classic films, the Superman movie franchise took a severe nose dive. The huge misstep was crafting the movie around Richard Pryor as a nerdy computer genius who aids a poor Luthor knock-off in creating a supercomputer for world domination. Pryor is way too hammy in the role and his antics distract from a weak storyline.
The plotline of Superman turned into a darker, lazy jerk by Kryptonite lets Reeve flex his acting muscles more, but is let down by how it's played more for comedy. We get the fantastic sequence of Clark and Superman fighting in a junkyard, which is a highlight of the series. That's the one bright spot amid a video game battle, an anti-climax and Pryor taking up too much screen time. It was a sad comedown for the movies.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace
Not just the worst Superman movie but one of the worst comic book movies of all time. Done on what amounted to a shoestring budget by The Cannon Group, Reeve himself later regretted the film. The idea of Superman taking away all of Earth's nuclear weapons goes against his code to not interfere so much and the plotline of the Daily Planet turned into a tabloid doesn't work. Gene Hackman does offer some entertainment as Luthor and it's funny seeing future Luthor actor Jon Cryer as his nephew.
Nuclear Man is a horrible villain and his battles with Superman are marred by special effects that even in 1987 were laughably bad. The script isn't much better, sidelining Margot Kidder and others with terrible dialogue. It more than earns its reputation as a bomb bigger than any of the film's nukes and sad it was Reeve's final outing in that costume.
Superman Returns
Talk about a missed opportunity. Bryan Singer taking on Superman should have been a dream for fans of his X-Men movies. The key error was Singer deciding to make this a direct sequel to the Donner films. That meant a 2006 movie trying to replicate the feel of 1978, which simply didn't work. Brandon Routh wasn't bad, yet he lacked Reeve's charisma and presence. Meanwhile, Kate Bosworth was totally miscast as Lois Lane, and the subplot of her son wasn't well received.
Kevin Spacey hammed it up too much as Lex Luthor while the film dragged on without a compelling threat. The action wasn't awful but trying to copy the Donner movies down to Williams-like music held Singer back. A more original take on Superman would have suited him far better.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Let's get the positives out of the way. Ben Affleck silenced the doubters to be an actually good Batman. Gal Gadot was instantly captivating as Wonder Woman. That's where the praise ends, as this film remains a mess. Jesse Eisenberg's take on Lex Luthor made him a poor Joker knock-off rather than the evil schemer and outrageous moments such as bombing Congress and a plot that made little sense.
The heroes' showdown has its moments, but the now infamous "Martha" bit that's become a meme undermines it. The final battle is supposed to mimic the Death of Superman storyline, but it falters due to poor storytelling. This was supposed to be a turning point for the DCEU, but it led to its downfall, and while it has its defenders, it's just not a good movie.
Injustice
Based on the hit video games and comics, the plotline is surely the stuff for a movie. On an alternate Earth (one where Lex Luthor is a good guy), Superman is tricked by the Joker into killing Lois, which sets off a nuclear bomb that destroys Metropolis. A grief-stricken Superman basically takes over the world with other heroes while Batman leads a resistance against him.
Sounds great, doesn't it? Too bad the movie fails to deliver. It deviates from the game's plotline too much, trying to cram the comic story in as well and gives short shrift to various characters. An evil Superman is a compelling idea yet the movie can't quite make it work and the last-minute battle against an alternate Earth-good Superman is an anti-climax. This might have been okay as a limited series but it says something the video games' cutscenes offer a better cinematic experience.
Superman Doomsday
You know what we said on how great the Death of Superman movie was? Take the opposite tact with this 2007 film. The animation seems too low-key for the story and lacks the emotional and visual impact. It's not helped that Superman dies very early and the movie shifts to Lois and Lex Luthor's cybernetic replacement for Superman.
This should have been a great film for such a landmark moment in the Superman mythos. Instead, we got a clunky, truly direct-to-video letdown. Thankfully, DC was able to redo it properly, so forget this bad attempt at a classic tale.
Brainiac Attacks
Don't be fooled into thinking this is a strict continuation of the beloved DCAU series despite Tim Daly being back as Superman. The plot is bare bones of Brainiac, well, attacking Earth. The subplot of Lois facing death, rather than played for drama and pathos, has Superman feeling too much guilt and whining rather than heroic. A Superman willing to quit? That doesn't fit him.
Worse is rather than Clancy Brown's sinister Lex Luthor, Powers Boothe plays the role too much like Hackman in a campy turn. The animation looks worse than the TV show and has a weak finish. It's a truly forgettable film for good reason.