Look, up in the sky!
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a systematic ranking of every “Superman” movie.
With the release of James Gunn’s “Superman,” ostensibly beginning a new era in superhero movies (and in DC Comics superhero movies, specifically), we thought it was a great excuse to look back at the cinematic history of the Man of Steel.
For the purposes of this list, we’re beginning with Richard Donner’s 1978 “Superman.” Yes, the character appeared in serials beforehand, but Donner’s movie kickstarted the modern age of superheroes, which would see the character remixed and repurposed, again and again, in the years since. Also, we aren’t counting cameos (so “Shazam!” and “Black Adam” are left off the list), and we are sticking with mainline DC projects (meaning that the “Lego Movie” appearances by Superman are also out). We also stayed away from the direct-to-video animated movies, of which there are roughly 5,000.
Still, we feel like this list is comprehensive and in-depth, and we welcome commentary. Now let’s get on with it – for truth, justice and the American way.
17. “Steel” (1997)
Before you say, But “Steel” isn’t a Superman movie! Well, yes, it is – kind of. To explain: following the “Death of Superman” comic book event in 1992, four imposters claimed the throne – a Superboy, a cyborg Superman, a moodier Superman known as the Eradicator, and Steel, a brilliant African American engineer, John Henry Irons (played here by Shaquille O’Neal).
The movie version, produced by Quincy Jones, omits any overt Superman references (although Shaq’s real-life Superman tattoo does get showcased), instead focusing on a white arms dealer (Judd Nelson) who is threatening the safety of the inner city. Despite a supporting cast that includes Annabeth Gish and the always-great Richard Roundtree (“I boogie around danger like a Soul Train dancer” is an actual line of dialogue) and cinematography by David Cronenberg regular Mark Irwin, “Steel” often feels cheap and uninspired. Maybe one day the “Death of Superman” arc will be properly represented on film. Just wait until we see that creepy cyborg in a movie!
16. “Justice League” (2017)
The theatrically released version of “Justice League,” reshoot and constructed by Joss Whedon, is a tonal and visual mess. But perhaps its biggest sin is its treatment of Superman (Henry Cavill). Following the events of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” the newly formed Justice League (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.) decides to resurrect the Man of Steel to fight a looming threat. But both the threat and the decision to bring Superman back to life are only barely sketched out and leave much to be desired. And when Superman does return, he’s kind of a jerk, beating up the team (it does leave for one of the few inspired moments in this version – when Ben Affleck’s Batman says, “Definitely bleeding”) and before eventually joining. Thankfully, all of these issues are addressed – and then some – with Snyder’s much better director’s cut.
15. “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” (1987)
What a weird movie. After the disappointment of “Superman III” and “Supergirl,” producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind sold the rights to the character to the Cannon Group, known mostly for their cheapo action movies that played well internationally. But shortly before the film was set to be released, Cannon found itself in a major financial crisis, and poor test screenings led to a considerable amount of footage being deleted.
The new producers, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, attempted to get Richard Donner to return before briefly hiring Wes Craven (who didn’t get along with Christopher Reeve) and getting journeyman director Sidney Furie to ultimately direct the movie. And you know what? You can feel all of that behind-the-scenes chaos in the movie, which is weirdly about nuclear de-escalation and makes very little sense otherwise. At least Gene Hackman returned as Lex Luthor and some of the Nuclear Man stuff is fun. But otherwise… no.
14. “Superman Returns” (2006)
After years of struggling with the property, including a splashy reinvention from J.J. Abrams called “Superman: Flyby,” they settled on something unexpected and honestly still baffling – a direct sequel to “Superman II,” where Superman has been missing for five years and returns to a very different Metropolis. Why anybody thought this was a good idea, let alone scores of producers and executives, is mystifying. And the resulting movie, directed by Bryan Singer (who had effectively launched this era of superhero cinema with 2000’s “X-Men”), is a sleepy bore.
Kevin Spacey was, at the time, the big coup as Lex Luthor, with newcomer Brandon Routh as the Man of Steel and Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, who has moved on and is now engaged to Perry White’s (Frank Langella) nephew (James Marsden). The movie is decidedly light on action (save for a plane sequence borrowed from the “Flyby” script) and of any real human drama, too. Luthor is back to being a real estate swindler; Superman is even more dopey. Nothing really works, except for one element – the return of Marlon Brando – that would facilitate a much more important part of the “Superman” saga. More on that in a minute.
13. “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
Like Snyder’s “Justice League,” the theatrical cut of the clunkily titled “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” feels thinner and less essential. Instead of giving “Man of Steel” a proper sequel, the executives got twitchy and decided to introduce a new Batman (this time played by Ben Affleck) just four years after Christopher Nolan had concluded his Dark Knight trilogy. Not only that, but the movie was meant to introduce the Justice League (hence the title), including giving Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) a full-on supporting role and, among other things, tell a condensed version of the “Death of Superman” comic book arc that saw the hulking villain Doomsday (here a computer-generated behemoth) take down the Man of Steel.
That’s a lot to cram into 152 minutes. And while there are some fascinating diversions, including an opening sequence that relitigates the climax of “Man of Steel” from Batman’s perspective, it feels cramped and cluttered, particularly when it reaches the infamous “Martha” moment during the fraught climax. But don’t worry, a better version would emerge …
12. “Superman II” (1981)
“Superman II,” as it was released, is neither fish nor fowl. What happened was that, partway through the production of “Superman II,” original director Richard Donner, who was shooting the sequel alongside the original, was fired. Producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind decided to hire Richard Lester to replace him, which caused a minor revolt in the cast and the production to scrap most of the completed photography due to DGA regulations. So Lester, an underrated American director who had helmed early films for the Beatles (doing much to establish their personality in mainstream pop culture) and two fantastic “Three Musketeers” movies, was forced to reshoot what Donner had already completed, alongside finishing the rest of the movie.
Story-wise, it circled back on the Kryptonian criminals that you see in the cold open for the first movie (led by Terence Stamp’s General Zod), but as an imitation of the first movie mostly fell flat. (The score by Ken Thorne is particularly egregious.) Still, it made a ton of money and was shown on a nearly endless loop on HBO in the early 1980s. And the story of “Superman II” would have a happy ending – Donner’s version would eventually see the light of day, and Lester would return for a third film that feels much more him.
11. “DC League of Super-Pets” (2022)
Krypto has become a huge part of the marketing for the new “Superman” (not to mention the merchandising), but he actually appeared in his own animated movie just a few years ago. “DC League of Super-Pets” feels frustrating given the talent involved, including director Jared Stern (a veteran of some of the Lego movies) and a voice cast that includes Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves and Diego Luna.
As for the Superman of it all, he’s voiced by John Krasinski, and Krypto (Johnson) gets jealous when Clark starts spending more time with Lois (Olivia Wilde). Of course, Krypto gets involved with his own adventure, alongside some other super-heroic animals, including a dog that will eventually be adopted by Batman. The whole thing is cute and funny enough, but the animation (by Australian studio Animal Logic) is surprisingly stiff, and overall, the film feels like it could have been better under different circumstances. This new Krypto is a much, much better Krypto for a number of reasons, first and foremost by making him a mutt.
10. “Supergirl” (1984)
Maybe “Supergirl” should be higher on the list. There are a lot of things to love about the movie – Mia Farrow on a weird alien planet, Faye Dunaway serving tiki drinks in an abandoned spooky carnival ride, Jerry Goldsmith’s phenomenal score that rivals John Williams’ music, the movie’s general horniness and the charming central performance from Helen Slater, one of the era’s more underrated leading ladies. Unfortunately, the slack direction and uninspired staging from Spielberg protégé Jeannot Szwarc (who died earlier this year, on the same day as David Lynch) does a lot to lessen the fun, and the magical doodad plot doesn’t add up to much. (The flying sequences are also considerably duller.) Christopher Reeve was meant to appear in the film but backed out at the last minute; the movie still makes mention of him, and a poster featuring the star as Superman hangs prominently in Supergirl’s dorm room (Marc McClure, the mainline franchise’s Jimmy Olsen, also shows up). Still, the movie is light, bright fun.
9. “The Flash” (2023)
We’re including “The Flash” on this list for a few reasons – for one, Supergirl (played here by an underrated Sasha Calle) is a main character and, as we have established, Supergirl is a big part of the Superman mythos. There’s also that weird sequence at the end, where multiple Superman variants (to borrow a Marvel Studios term) appear, including George Reeves (in black and white no less), Christopher Reeve and Helen Slater uniting on screen for the first time, and Nicolas Cage from Tim Burton’s unmade “Superman Lives” project (battling a giant spider, which is from a Kevin Smith anecdote of all things). And this sequence with the multiple versions of Superman is a full-on, five-minute sequence of the movie, not some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo.
It’s also perhaps fitting that this was the last hurrah for the previous iteration of the DC Universe (known then as the DC Extended Universe) – it throws everything in the soufflé, including an extended bit with Ben Affleck’s Batman. Sure, it’s overstuffed and occasionally inedible, but Michael Keaton was Batman again, and they can never take that away from us.
8. “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies” (2018)
One of the best DC superhero movies from the past phase, “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” adapts the long-running, extremely goofy animated series for the big screen. It involves the Teen Titans longing for – what else? – their own film franchise and getting dismissed by the real superheroes, led by Superman (voiced, years before “The Flash,” by Nicolas Cage). It’s the kind of inside joke that “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies” does best – a subtle wink and nod to a part of Superman lore that isn’t outlined explicitly but instead just inserted to surprise and delight a knowing audience. And by this, we mean it doesn’t spend two minutes showing him fight a giant spider.
The rest of the movie is delightful – the songs (we throw on “Upbeat Inspirational Song About Life” sometimes just to feel something), the design (largely overseen by original concept artist Dan Hipp), and the speed at which the jokes flow and collide. It’s a great superhero movie anyway you slice it, and its depiction of Superman, voiced by the man who was destined to play him (and denied), makes it one of the sweeter and more sincere versions of the character.
7 “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” Ultimate Edition (2016)
As is the case with most Zack Snyder projects, his “Batman v. Superman” benefits from an extended director’s cut. Adding an additional 30 minutes and pushing its runtime past the three-hour mark, “Batman v. Superman” is deeper, darker and more complicated, earning itself an R-rating. Both Superman (Henry Cavill) and Batman (Ben Affleck) get more time to develop as characters, and the plot is given more runway to unspool. Instead of everything being crammed together, with plot points crashing into one another and largely losing their clarity and purpose, the narrative is given more time to breathe, and the eventual conflict between the two heroes takes on an appropriate amount of dread and unease, instead of just happening. Even the laughable “Martha?” moment makes more sense and isn’t as laughable under these circumstances.
It still feels like an odd hodgepodge, where corporate priorities and studio mandates are stitched together to loosely form a movie, but the extra time leads to a big improvement. It certainly has more personality than most movies that came out around that time. And while its darkness made the studio uncomfortable, leading to the disastrous reverse course during post-production on “Justice League,” it’s the thing that makes the latter two movies in Snyder’s trilogy so singular.
6. “Man of Steel” (2013)
“Man of Steel” happened because, during a lull in production on Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” writer David S. Goyer pitched the filmmaker his version of a Superman movie. Nolan was so taken with the idea that he agreed to produce it, eventually hiring Zack Snyder, who had already made the comic book movies “300” and “Watchmen” for Warner Bros.
The approach is a generally solid one – depict Superman’s origin story in a way that is both more grounded and bombastic. (The emphasis on action was a direct response to the sleepier “Superman Returns.”) It works … until it doesn’t. Earlier sequences have an earthiness that is a break from Snyder’s usual slickness, although the script occasionally betrays that realism with baffling choices (like Clark’s human father, played by Kevin Costner, dying in a tornado???) and a third act that goes hard in the opposite direction, culminating in a battle sequence with General Zod (Michael Shannon) that probably led to thousands of civilian deaths and Superman snapping Zod’s neck, a move that alienated hardcore fans.
Still, there is plenty to enjoy about “Man of Steel,” in particular a bonkers opening sequence on Krypton where Superman’s dad (Russell Crowe) rides a dragon, but in light of the creative success of this year’s “Superman,” the decision to make Superman so burdened with solemnity, feels like a wrong turn.
5. “Superman III” (1983)
What makes “Superman III” so special is that it is a Richard Lester film through-and-through. Unlike the oddball mutation that was “Superman II” – part Lester do-over, part Donner leftovers – “Superman III” is a triumph of Lester’s sensibilities, chiefly his adeptness at physical comedy and his ability to work with actors.
Instead of adapting some comic book arc, the general idea of “Superman III,” expressed in its marketing materials, is “what if Richard Pryor came to Metropolis?” (Earlier, the comedian had expressed interest in being in “Superman,” while appearing on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.) Pryor plays a con artist and computer whiz, whose shenanigans could have dire consequences for the world. It’s goofy as hell but wholly engaging, even if the movie (without Hackman and with Margot Kidder in a glorified cameo) feels a little wobblier without some of the pillars of the franchise.
Still, it is a favorite among filmmakers like Michel Gondry and Pryor’s scheme, to steal money by rounding up transactions and collecting the spare change, has been referenced countless times since, most notably in Mike Judge’s “Office Space.” “Superman III” has real cultural purchase, even if you have to dig a little harder to find it. And it remains a left-handed highlight of the franchise.
4. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” (2021)
After years of campaigning, Warner Bros. finally buckled and allowed Zack Snyder to finish the long-rumored “Snyder Cut” of “Justice League,” the movie that he had to leave due to a family tragedy. The resulting film is a four-hour mega-movie that looks and feels unlike any superhero movie before or since.
Almost all of the problems of the original version – the uneasy pacing, tone and look – are fixed here, with Snyder embracing an R-rating (it premiered on HBO Max, after all) and an odd, boxy frame (maybe one day it’ll be shown in IMAX). But the biggest plus of this new, epic structure is that it gives the resurrection of Superman the proper weight and importance. The moment when the team brings up the potential return of Superman, there’s a hushed awe that rolls over the viewer. This is a big deal, worthy of contemplation, and the way that they bring him back, bungled in every way, has real repercussions.
There are other huge quality-of-life improvements, like the chief baddie no longer looking like he popped out of a PlayStation 2 cut scene and a number of supporting characters that were reinstated after being cut, but it’s the treatment of Superman that serves as the most noticeable (and appreciated) improvement. Also of note is the fact that we finally got to see Superman in his post-resurrection black suit, a bit of comic book-accurate fan service that is actually really cool. When Superman shows up in the third act, on the side of the other heroes, the character soars like he was never able to in the previous two Snyder movies. His arc is complete. The world needs him. And he’s happy to oblige.
3. “Superman II” – The Donner Cut (2006)
Here’s what happened – when Warner Bros. licensed unused Marlon Brandon footage from “Superman II” for Bryan Singer’s “Superman Returns,” it gave them access to all of the footage originally shot for that movie. That meant that a reconstruction of Richard Donner’s version of the movie, which he had completed about 80% of before being fired, was possible. This reconstructed version, using most of the Donner footage along with some notable stitching (one sequence, which takes place at a Niagara Falls hotel room, utilizes audition footage), was a true discovery when it was finally released in 2006. Not everything came together (Donner asked Williams to return to score the new version, which he was unable to do, so the filmmaker cobbled together a new score with new and reused cues), but the movie was a really remarkable accomplishment.
The resulting movie is like seeing a new photo of an old friend – much of it feels familiar but better, more consistent and totally in line with the previous film. The tonal anomalies are smoothed out, the performances are better and the versions of the scenes that were originally shot by Donner have more weight and texture. There’s a longer prologue, fewer slapstick moments and more heart. It was something that fans of the franchise never thought they’d see. The fact that it exists at all is miraculous – the fact that it’s as good as it is feels nearly impossible.
2. “Superman” (1978)
The tagline of “Superman” was “You’ll believe a man can fly.” And boy, did it deliver.
Richard Donner, working with a small army of Hollywood’s best and most celebrated screenwriters (led by “The Godfather” author Mario Puzo), gave the story real gravitas. It told the story of Superman from the beginning – as a baby on Krypton, to his childhood as a young boy in Smallville, to moving to Metropolis and discovering who he is, the Last Son of Krypton.
Utilizing a combination of wirework, rear projection and optical compositing, Donner created the illusion that Superman was flying through the city (and around the world). That part was, on a technical level, challenging but achievable. But where Donner should really be given credit is for creating an emotionally grounded, believable world that felt real. Much of this has to do with his excellent casting – Reeve is absolutely incredible in the dual role of Superman and Clark Kent; his switching back and forth between the characters is genius and something that no other actor playing the characters has ever been able to properly achieve. And the fact that he surrounded Reeve with Marlon Brando, as his Kryptonian father; Gene Hackman, as Lex Luthor, (who was asked to be over-the-top but, given his everyman sensibilities, still gave him dimension); and Margot Kidder, in perhaps the most underrated performance of the movie, as a whip-smart reporter who is still probably going to misspell something, gave Superman – and the audience – someone to fall in love with.
Donner also suggested a larger world beyond the borders of “Superman.” It’s incredible that the next real superhero origin story, Tim Burton’s “Batman,” wouldn’t arrive for more than a decade after “Superman” debuted. That’s the long shadow of the Man of Steel.
1. “Superman” (2025)
It might feel like sacrilege to award James Gunn’s new movie the top spot, but it really is the best “Superman” movie ever. Instead of burdening the movie with backstory and an unnecessary amount of personal baggage, Gunn sets up the story with a “Star Wars”-style crawl that brings you up to date (on the destruction of Krypton, the arrival of Superman and where he is in his life).
Elsewhere, pieces fall into place without much fuss – Lex Luthor (a terrific Nicholas Hoult) is a billionaire who is obsessed with getting rid of Superman (David Corenswet); Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) is in love with Clark Kent and knows about his superheroic identity; his dog, Krypto, also has superpowers. Gunn populates a world that is rich and vitally alive, full of robots and spaceships and mystical portals and other superheroes (like the slightly B-tier Justice Gang), but nothing ever feels cluttered or forced. It all feels effortless and so easy, which makes the decades of creative meandering that happened around the character feel even more like wasted opportunity.
The look of the film, too, should not be overlooked – Gunn’s camera zooms around characters and objects but always clearly establishes geography and the spatial relationship between characters, and the way that he lets light bleed through the frame (from windows, the sun, some unseen shimmer) is a perfect analogy for the brightness and the hope that comes through Superman’s character (and the general outlook of the film). It’s all of a piece – it’s busy, brilliant, and, crucially, boldly moving. It’s a movie that eschews the darkness and cynicism of the Snyder films, in a way that doesn’t come across as hokey or insincere. It’s not that Superman isn’t tortured; he definitely is. But he’s also able to look inward in a way that feels like he’s trying to be better, so that he can reflect something that the world desperately needs. He loves humanity. And we love him.
