All 15 Superman suits ranked from worst to best

6. Superman Returns

Worn by: Brandon Routh, Tom Welling (Smallville finale)

Superman Returns is the often-forgotten always-underappreciated legacy sequel to Christopher Reeves' films. The movie that was good and successful but apparently not enough of either to warrant a sequel. And that was a darn shame, because Brandon Routh was absolutely brilliant - and, again underappreciated - in that role.

It's no easy feat carrying on the legacy of those earlier Superman movies, but Routh did a great job of it. He also looked amazing in the suit that was designed for the movie. And speaking of the suit, this one was, in many ways, the first modern Superman suit (to actually make it onto screen), as it ditched all previous designs and did something completely different.

It was thicker than its predecessors, with a rubber texture that complemented Routh's muscles (while also featuring little creases and nuances to add to them). It was also a lighter blue with a longer, more maroon cape (that flowed rather lusciously, let's be honest). There was a House of El emblem on the belt, which looked far sleeker than all previous versions, and the symbol on the chest wasn't sewn in; it was a separate piece, fixed to the suit perfectly. The only issue was that it was a little small, which occasionally saw it getting overlooked in the midst of all that blue. Resizing it ever so slightly would have made it look much better.

Nevertheless. Routh looked amazing in the suit, and so did Tom Welling when he briefly wore the top in the Smallville finale.