Every Superman Movie, The Definitive Ranking
The Man of Steel. The Last Son of Krypton. The Man of Tomorrow. Kal-El. Whatever you choose to refer to him as, Superman remains arguably the most recognizable name in all of comic book fandom.
Along with fellow DC mainstays like Batman or Wonder Woman, Superman lives on as an integral part of comic book history and DC’s expansive universe, his popularity and fame rivaling other notable comic creations like Spider-Man, Captain America, and the X-Men’s Wolverine.
Of course, one key reason behind Superman’s iconic status today has to do with the numerous movies, TV shows, radio serials, and celebrated comic books that have seen a release since the character’s official debut in 1938’s Action Comics #1. As audiences eagerly await the arrival of James Gunn’s highly anticipated Superman, we decided to put together a helpful guide of the Man of Steel’s greatest solo movies to date, ranking them in order from worst to best.
7. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
The fourth and final entry in the Christopher Reeve-led Superman quadrilogy, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace ultimately ended Reeve’s tenure as the Man of Tomorrow on an agonizing flat note. A far cry from the original two Superman films that preceded it, The Quest for Peace’s nonsensical plot and hackneyed special effects were just two of its most glaring weaknesses. Toss in a dated anti-nuke plotline and Lex Luthor’s sun-powered superhuman minion (ugh, Nuclear Man) and you have the makings to a truly horrendous Superman movie most people rightfully try hard to forget about.
6. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
As audiences counted down the days to see Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice in theaters, most viewers enthusiastically expected to see the DCEU equivalent to the MCU’s Avengers. Sadly, the finished film wound up sinking far below fans’ expectations, ushering in an overstuffed, melodramatic, unevenly-paced superhero film as corny as it was flat-out boring. From Jesse Eisenberg’s over-the-top performance as Lex Luthor to its plodding two and a half-hour runtime, Dawn of Justice almost single-handedly derailed Zack Snyder’s plans for the DCEU, leaving the entire franchise in creative limbo for most of the decade that followed.
5. Superman III (1983)
The moment Richard Pryor entered talks to star in Superman III alongside Christpher Reeve, the third installment in Reeve’s Superman series was essentially doomed to failure. Introducing a more comic-heavy tone reminiscent of Pryor’s comedic background, Superman III made for a puzzling picture that left viewers at the time equally angered, disappointed, and – above all else – hopelessly confused. (For an apt comparison, imagine going to see Return of the Jedi in 1983, only to find the movie transformed into a watered-down version of Stir Crazy – that’s essentially the unwelcome surprise audiences received when they watched Superman III for the first time in the summer of ‘83.)
4. Man of Steel (2013)
Having witnessed first-hand the success of Christopher Nolan’s grittier Dark Knight Trilogy, Zack Snyder made the bold decision to adapt the Superman mythos using the same grizzled tone as Nolan’s Batman films. As ambitious as Snyder’s plans might have been, something ultimately got lost in translation when it came to the director’s 2013 film, Man of Steel. Far too dark to attract fans of Marvel’s lighter superhero films and yet not dark enough to satisfy those looking for a viable alternative to the comedy-laden MCU, Man of Steel relied far too extensively on immersive special effects in lieu of a tangible storyline, falling flat whenever audiences expected it to soar high.
3. Superman Returns (2006)
After nearly 20 years of live-action inactivity, Superman officially flew back into the public spotlight with 2006’s surprisingly terrific spiritual sequel, Superman Returns. Serving as a direct follow-up to Superman II, Superman Returns’ loose canonical approach allowed audiences to ignore the grating quality of Superman III and Superman IV before it. Thanks to this, the entire film felt like a satisfying send-off to a series that had begun nearly 30 years prior. The only real injustice was that it arrived two decades too late, preventing the late great Christopher Reeve from reprising his role as Metropolis’s intrepid savior.
2. Superman II (1980)
In an era defined by weak sequels, middling spin-offs, and formulaic continuations, Superman II somehow managed to exceed expectations, delivering a smashing blockbuster film as unwaveringly entertaining as its immediate counterpart. Following in the larger-than-life footsteps of Superman: The Movie, Superman II eloquently expands upon the internal conflict Christopher Reeve’s Superman experienced as he battled the twin forces of Lex Luthor and General Zod, as well as his growing desire to live an innocuous life as Clark Kent. The Spider-Man 2 of its day and age, it’s a captivating superhero film as thoroughly enjoyable now as it was upon its release in 1981.
1. Superman: The Movie (1978)
There’s a reason most people use Superman: The Movie as the baseline for every subsequent Superman movie that followed. Featuring what might very well be the definitive portrayal of the Superman character, Superman: The Movie also established the archetypal cinematic superhero storyline used by contemporary filmmakers to this very day. With Christopher Reeve handing in a career-defining performance as the Man of Steel, Superman: The Movie forever changed comic book adaptations, helping sell the idea that superheroes could feasibly make the leap from two-dimensional comic book panels into the world of three-dimensional film. Without it, it’s almost certain we would never have received half the superhero movies clearly influenced by Superman: Movie, from Tim Burton’s Batman and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy to The Dark Knight, the X-Men series, and James Gunn’s upcoming Superman reboot.
