The Last Son of Krypton, the Man of Steel, the original superhero. Superman has been a part of the very fabric of pop-culture since he first arrived on the comic book scene in 1938 when he truly made people believe that a man could fly. It's no surprise that the awe, the wonder, and the hope that the DC Comics legend has inspired has lasted through the generations, entertaining audiences and readers around the world for almost a century.
We say "audiences" because, yes, the Man of Tomorrow has transcended his genre to become a movie legend, a TV legend, an animated legend, and a video game legend. There are so many fields that the hero has become a part of over the years (and so many more that we haven't mentioned) that it's hard to imagine what they all looked like without him. But that's just another clear example of the legacy that Supes has amassed over the years.
He's more relevant today than ever, as his enduring message of Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow is more important - and necessary - than it has ever been. And he's constantly been on our screens to remind us of that in recent years, from Tyler Hoechlin's four-season stint on Superman and Lois to David Corenswet's new take on the character in James Gunn's Superman - the first installment in the new DC Universe.
Speaking of the Man of Steel's on-screen legacy, let's take this opportunity to revisit the legendary superhero's cinematic and TV showdowns and deduce who played him the best? Is Christopher Reeve's timeless portrayal still the greatest of all time, or has Corenswet's DCU hero taken the crown? Let's rank the Men of Steel and find out.
Note: While many actors have voiced Superman in animated TV shows, movies and video games, this list will feature all of the live-action adaptations and the one animated adaptation that transcended its genre.
13. Nicolas Cage
Appeared in: The Flash (2023 movie cameo appearance)
It’s hard to believe that a star the level of Nicolas Cage was once attached to a Superman movie that never came to pass. How does that casting come to fruition only for the movie to never come to fruition? Well, the Kevin Smith-penned Superman Lives that was set to be directed by Tim Burton for a 1998 release ultimately didn’t happen because of studio interference.
Nevertheless, it’s become a huge focal point of Superman conversations as images of Cage in the Superman suit have made their way around the internet, treating fans to a what could have been. But that “what could have been” eventually became something of a reality as Cage appeared as the Man of Steel via a CGI de-aged cameo in The Flash in 2023.
Cage did do the motion capture and apparently suited up for the role as well, and questionable CGI aside, he certainly looked the part as the Man of Steel. And seeing him get to play the role for all of a few seconds was worth it – we just wish we got to see what he was really like as the character in Superman Lives.
We can’t rank the cameo any higher, but since he’s got such an incredible presence as an actor, we have a feeling he could have been much higher on this list if Superman Lives hit theaters in the ’90s.