All 12 Superman actors ranked from worst to best

7. Tim Daly

Appeared in: Superman: The Animated Series

While we’ve only included the actors to play Superman in live-action on this list up until now, it would be wrong of us to go on without appreciating the performance of Tim Daily in Superman: The Animated Series. The often underappreciated spinoff of Emmy-winning juggernaut Batman: The Animated Series , this classic show ran from 1996 until 2000 and it was part of the iconic DC Animated Universe.

Daly provided the voicework for Clark Kent and his heroic alter-ego, and he really helped shape the idea of what a modern Man of Steel should sound like. Gone were the days of bellowing voiceover and movie-star accents, and in its place was a gentle, reassuring, and soft-spoken hero. As the series showcased the beginnings of Superman, it was important that those around him, including Lois Lane, as well as those watching at home, could understand that he wasn’t a threat. He really was there to do good, and Daly’s gentle, nuanced performance went a long way in capturing that.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to reprise his role for Justice League and Justice League Unlimited (likely due to his work on the series The Fugitive at the time), but his successor George Newburn was a worthy one, channelling Daly’s beloved performance while also approaching it from a more authoritative angle, which worked perfectly now that the character was one of the leaders of the Justice League.