Superman: All 10 Lois Lane actresses ranked from worst to best

3. Margot Kidder

Appeared in: Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

If you’re one of the countless people who see Christopher Reeve as the definitive Superman, then you probably see Margot Kidder as the definitive Lois Lane. Honestly, it’s hard to argue with that, because Superman: The Movie and the movement it started is nothing short of game-changing, and that success starts and ends with the sheer quality of performers bringing the iconic pair to life.

Margot Kidder was very much the first modern version of Lois Lane, redefining the character for a new generation on a much bigger stage than ever before. That radiated through her performance, because she brought everything that made the character so revered in the first place, while also adding to that in her own way. She could be relentless in her reporting and inquisitive in her nature, but she could also be gentle, funny, even a little silly at times, and it all came together to produce what you could very much call the perfect Lois Lane.

Like Reeve’s Man of Steel, the later movies in the franchise did not serve Lois well, but Kidder remained a shining light throughout the franchise, and the pair’s chemistry ensured that they will remain one of the finest examples of the Clark Kent and Lois Lane relationship for all of time. What a pair. What a Lois.