It took about 40 years from Superman first gracing the pages of a comic book guide to lastly getting his personal, full-fledged live-action blockbuster. Within the 40 years since that, the Man of Metal has appeared on the massive display 9 instances, if you happen to embrace this week’s newest iteration by James Gunn. By that math, we could also be in for a lot of, many extra Superman films over the following few a long time. So, earlier than that does or doesn’t occur, we thought it will be time to place them up in opposition to one another.
Under, we now have our rating of the 9 fashionable, live-action Superman movies, in addition to the prolonged model of 1 that debuted on streaming. We’re skipping a number of of the prolonged serials from the Fifties as a result of, frankly, we haven’t seen them, however our buddies at Screencrush say they’re fairly good. Do you agree with these rankings? Tell us beneath.
Extra Than Honorable Point out—Tremendous/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Simply so we will all begin this listing on a contented observe, I didn’t rank—however completely love—this unimaginable 2024 documentary about Superman actor Christopher Reeve. It’s not solely poignant and heartwarming; it captures every part magical about Superman occurring in actual life. It’s great and, most likely, the most effective Superman film ever. I’m not going to depend it right here simply because we’re specializing in the fictional variations, however I did need to give it a shout-out. Watch it right here.
10. Superman III
I lately wrote about this at size, however I detest this film. It’s a Richard Pryor film with Superman in it that does no favors to both. At the very least among the lesser films on this listing after this truly revered the character of Superman. Superman III doesn’t. Learn extra right here.
9. Batman v Superman: Daybreak of Justice
Think about telling your 8-year-old self that Hollywood would make a film the place Batman fought Superman however that it will be unhealthy. Appears wild, but it surely occurred. The most important situation with Batman v Superman is that it’s simply attempting to do an excessive amount of. We introduce Batman, reintroduce Superman, there’s Marvel Girl for some motive, Lex Luthor, Doomsday—it’s like 15 films in a single, one thing director Zack Snyder would get a grasp on later in his profession, however not with this film.
8. Justice League
Sticking within the Snyderverse, I’m one of many few individuals round who doesn’t hate Justice League. Sure, it’s a large number. And sure, after we received to see Snyder’s full imaginative and prescient years later (extra on that in a number of), it was a lot, a lot better. However though the theatrical Justice League is a little bit too goofy and underbaked, it has a sure energy about it simply because we get to see all these characters—Batman, Superman, Marvel Girl, Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg—on display collectively directly. It’s form of enjoyable, however not enjoyable sufficient.
7. Superman Returns
The one that point forgot. Whereas followers are nonetheless continuously speaking in regards to the Henry Cavill/Zack Snyder Superman movies, and we’ll always remember the Reeve movies, there was a film directed by Bryan Singer (yikes) starring Kevin Spacey (uh-oh) with a reasonably good Superman, performed by Brandon Routh. Sadly, the film made the odd option to be the sequel to the primary two Reeve movies however not the second two, which left it on this bizarre void of authority. However it seems to be cool, has a strong forged, and made the good selection to completely embrace the John Williams rating.
6. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
I do know. I do know. Should you clicked over to my Superman III takedown piece, you’ll see that I name this film horrible. And it form of is. However I prefer it greater than these different movies as a result of, flawed as it could be, it was the Reeve Superman franchise attempting to be an actual Superman film as soon as once more. It has an enormous, highly effective villain; Margot Kidder is again as Lois Lane; and even Gene Hackman makes his return. There was a very good film in there. It’s simply not on display.
5. Zack Snyder’s Justice League
There are loads of good issues to say about Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the prolonged supercut model of Snyder’s unique imaginative and prescient. Largely, it takes that goodwill having all these heroes in the identical film collectively buys and allows you to spend extra time with every of them. Because of this, the payoffs on the finish carry extra weight and easily work higher. It’s not the masterpiece some take into account it to be, but it surely’s a lot better than one might count on and continues Superman’s story in a darkish, satisfying method.
4. Man of Metal
“An epic and heartfelt journey that efficiently reboots the Superman character in a sensible and humanistic method.” That was me in 2013 once I reviewed Man of Metal for a earlier employer. I’m undecided I nonetheless stand by that rave wholeheartedly, however I do know that Snyder’s movie—and specifically the casting of Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, and Diane Lane—works as a strong, distinctive Superman origin story. It will get the character largely proper. Certain, he snaps a dude’s head on the finish. However that was this Superman, and we’re cool with it.
3. Superman (2025)
As I used to be scripting this, I flipped numbers 3 and a couple of. Initially I had James Gunn’s new movie at quantity two, however after writing what I simply did about Man of Metal, I noticed possibly this new film remains to be too recent in my head. Sitting with a film—seeing what number of instances you watch it, quote it, give it some thought—is an enormous a part of lists like this. So, whereas my preliminary intuition was to place the brand new Superman at quantity two, I’m going to place it at quantity three, simply because it’s solely been part of my life for a short while. It’s, nevertheless, the kind of movie that’s positive to develop on you, similar to the following and ultimate two films on this listing.
2. Superman 2
Director Richard Donner famously considered his Superman film as two films. It was conceived as one lengthy story, and while you watch them collectively, that’s fairly apparent. So, whereas Donner didn’t find yourself ending this sequel, the best way it continues and builds on the story of the unique actually works. Reeve, Kidder, and Hackman all shine. Additionally, we lastly get the full-on superhero battle lacking within the first one, because of Terence Stamp’s Basic Zod. It’s an excellent strong Superman film, however largely, we like it due to its hyperlink to…
1. Superman: The Film
Was there ever any doubt? Richard Donner’s 1978 unique is simply so past epic. The way in which it tells the complete Superman story in such an enormous, sweeping method is daring and thrilling. The performances and casting are out of this world. The consequences nonetheless maintain up nearly 50 years later. And the story builds at such an attention-grabbing tempo, you nearly can’t consider it. I wouldn’t name Superman: The Film “excellent,” but it surely’s shut, and it’s simply the most effective Superman film ever.
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