In 1998, a television series called Superboy aired, which followed Kal-El, Clark Kent’s birth name from his home planet of Krypton, as a young superhero, hence the name Superboy. This was a bit different than other storylines about Superman. If you’ve read comic books or are versed in DC lingo and stories, you’ll know that Superboy and Superman are two different characters. Sure, there may be a few comic issues where both boy and man are one person, but that’s usually not the case.
Regardless, John Haymes Newton was the first to portray a young Superman, or, more accurately, Superboy. The show was definitely of its era, and the stories were straightforward and simple. So, in short, you get what you pay for. Newton played Superboy with as much gusto as he could muster, and despite the show's flaws, it’s earnest, nostalgic, and a good background show!
John Newton didn’t don the red cape for very long because after his one year as Superboy, Gerard Christopher took his place for the rest of the show from 1989 to 1992! Later on in the series, he even became a writer and producer, so it’s safe to say people enjoyed his performance as a young Kal-El, aka Superman.
Nothing changed about the show except for the main actor, so it still had its usual limitations, such as short and sweet storylines. Despite this, Christopher took his role as Superboy seriously and worked with the small budget that he had. Many claim the show was like a comic book taken off the page, and that’s what makes a depiction of Superman in film great: cough, cough, Superman 2025. If you take into consideration the time of the show and what budgets were like for film and TV, you’ll likely enjoy the nostalgic ride of Superboy!
The first actor to portray Superman is Kirk Alyn. Dated back in 1948, Alyn worked with what he had and made the most of it! Sure, his performance wasn’t the best, and perhaps the film could have done things differently, but Alyn laid the groundwork for the DC superhero’s enduring character and story.
The second and last film in which Kirk portrayed Superman was Atom Man vs. Superman. This 1950 film features Lex Luthor, who disguises himself as Atom Man, and Superman in a harrowing battle. Even though Alyn’s portrayal of Clark Kent and Superman may not have been the best among many, he started what will become decades of Superman movies and shows everyone continues to appreciate today!
Brandon Routh had the looks and potential to be one of the best Supermans. He really did look the part, but his movie, Superman Returns, didn’t do as well as the studio had hoped. This movie was Routh’s one chance to don the cape, or so he thought. He returns as Superman in the CW Arrowverse crossover, and he also takes on another super role as Atom Man in Legends of Tomorrow.
The 2006 Superman movie featured awesome visuals and scenes that could immerse the viewer in the film; however, the story had its flaws. Would a comic book accurate Superman spy on his ex? What about becoming a deadbeat dad? I don’t think so, as do many others, which is likely what sets Routh’s performance low on this ranking.
Dean Cain starred as Superman in the 1990s TV show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. It took a new spin on previous depictions of the character, focusing more on Clark Kent rather than his superhero persona. The show highlights the love triangle between Clark, Lois Lane, and Superman; unbeknownst to Lane, she doesn’t know they’re one and the same.
Cain had the opportunity to do something different with the comic book hero, and he did it well! He infused Superman’s powerful character with soapy, rom-com vibes, but this also made the show less super and more corny. True, Superman is already somewhat corny in comic books - he loves those dad jokes - but the show took it to a different level, to the point that it overshadowed the potential of the show. Despite receiving good rating scores, other iterations of Superman and Clark Kent were more accurate, even if only slightly.
The 1950s TV show, Adventures of Superman, starred George Reeves as the DC hero. As the title implies, it follows Superman fighting for justice and truth, while Clark Kent leads a seemingly normal life as a reporter at the Daily Planet, working alongside friends Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. Reeves brought one of the first portrayals of Superman to TV, and it’s one many won’t forget.
With a noir-ish vibe to the show, Reeves conveyed a Superman that filled space with his power and likeability, and his alter ego, Clark Kent, who pulled in his silhouette to work with friends and fight for justice with honesty and truth. Today, depictions of Superman far outweigh this ‘50s show; the CGI and resources of modern TV and film are unmatched, but Reeve’s performance as Kent and Superman are worth getting to know the nuances of the comic book hero.
Another TV show portrayal of Superman is Tyler Hoechlin in Superman & Louis from 2021 to 2024. Tyler’s depiction of the comic book character was downright pleasing and quite accurate! In the show, Clark Kent and Lois Lane are faced with more than just intergalactic villains; they must navigate their roles as working parents while also anticipating when or if their sons, Jonathan and Jordan, will inherit their father's Kryptonian powers.
We’ve always known Superman as the unstoppable hero and Clark Kent as a Daily Planet journalist, but we don’t often see him on screen as a father or husband, rather more as a lover or boyfriend of Lois. Hoechlin embodies all of this along with the empathic, justice-driven, and optimistic manner of Superman. While his performance was good and the media also enjoyed the TV show, there were other actors who did somewhat better with the resources they had at their disposal. Regardless, Superman & Lois is worth a watch and can bring something new to depictions of modern live-action Superman.
It was a battle of biases and opinions when deciding where to put Henry Cavill. I couldn’t decide between him and Welling, and it did pain me to do so, but I evidently ranked the latter higher due to Cavill’s Superman being quite out of character. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved Henry’s portrayal of the heroine, and probably the few who did, but, as the media pointed out, his Superman is dark.
He played the part well and, perhaps out of all the actors, looks the most like Superman due to his build. However, he portrayed the nuances of Superman in a morose and brooding manner. He was the antithesis of optimism! Not to mention, he hardly saved civilians in his movies, besides Louis Lane, of course. Perhaps it was good to see a different side of Superman; he has storylines that are darker and more morbid, but the immortalized trait of the hero is his willingness to save everyone and avoid brutal confrontation whenever possible. Unfortunately, Cavill’s Superman was the opposite of this. I won’t let that stop me from enjoying his movies as Superman, though!
Tom Welling portrayed Superman in Smallville from 2001 to 2017. This interpretation focused more on Clark Kent as a young boy in high school, while he discovered and perfected his otherworldly abilities. Many continue to love this show, regardless of its highs and lows. Welling’s portrayal of Superman is ranked third primarily because it was so accurate to the comic book character, and not to mention its decent IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes scores.
Superman is always saving people and doing everything in his power to help people out; he’ll find a way no matter the obstacles standing before him. In Smallville, Welling’s Superman did all of that and more. In every episode, Clark was helping people and saving at least one person in need.
Is it too early to name the latest iteration of Superman this high in the ranking? I know we only have one film of him as the character, whereas everyone else has many more years, movies, or TV seasons, but if you’re a comic book reader and have seen the 2025 film, then you’ll understand why Corenswet is ranked this high. James Gunn’s new movie, Superman, is like if a comic book were picked off the pages and plastered onto film.
If you’ve been in the loop for this movie, then you know Gunn used a couple of popular comic books as his source material, such as All-Star Superman and Superman for All Seasons. Remember those character traits I mentioned in the introduction? Well, David Corenswet embodies those as if he were Superman pulled off the page in a comic. Superman saves anybody and anything, from people to dogs and squirrels, and he gladly takes on the responsibility of helping humanity with his immense empathy and as a bearer of justice. Corenswet portrays exactly that, and if you’re still not convinced he’s a good Superman, just listen to all the love the movie is receiving!
A legend for a reason. Even if you’ve never seen his Superman movies, Reeve cemented his portrayal of the character as one that tops all others, and you’ll inevitably hear talk of his performance in those movies. Christopher Reeve played Superman from 1978 to 1987 in Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman III, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Many perceive Reeve as their definitive Superman! His movies set the bar high for not just the DC character, but superhero movies as a whole. Reeve was also able to embody the two personas of DC’s blue boy scout: Clark Kent and Superman. The effortless portrayal of this duality brought depth to the comic book heroine that many hadn’t seen before. Even if you don’t favor Reeve’s performance as Superman, you have to admit his legacy and portrayal of the character are still the talk of the media for a reason.
