Superman: All 10 Clark Kent actors ranked from worst to best

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(Original Caption) Gangsters become puppets. Superman (Kirk Alyn), captures gangsters who are after secret weapon developed by Professor Leeds and handles them like mere puppets, in scene from “Superman,” Columbia serial Produced by Sam Katzman. (Photo by George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images) /

8. Kirk Alyn

Appeared in: Superman, Atom-Man vs. Superman

Kirk Alyn holds the honor of being the very first actor to ever portray Superman on the silver screen. Heck, he holds the honor of being the first actor to play the role on any screen, headlining the movie serial Superman in 1948 before returning two years later for the 1950 sequel serial Atom Man vs. Superman.

While many of the super elements of the serials haven’t aged well (which is understandable given the limitations of productions at the time), Alyn really nailed the triumph of the character, and he looked like he had just leaped off the pages of a comic book. His greatest performance, however, might just have been his approach to Clark Kent.

Being the first actor to bring him to theaters, there was a lot of pressure on Alyn to succeed, particularly because of how popular the comic books were, but he pulled it off. He successfully captured the intricacies of the clumsy Clark Kent persona, making him a lot more timid and less confident than the man with the cape. It worked well on screen and kickstarted a legacy that every other actor would have to live up to.

A great start for the Man of Steel and the Daily Planet reporter.

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