Supermanremains one of the world’s most iconic and beloved superheroes, largely thanks to his on-screen presence. While this is a “best of” Superman list, we will include Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Superman III with Richard Pryor. While these movies aren’t great, they still bring useful content. Here are the best Superman movies…
9. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
In Christopher Reeve’s final film as Superman, the Man of Steel confronts Nuclear Man, a super-powered villain created by Lex Luthor from the hero’s DNA. Unfortunately, Reeve’s character did not have a blast. Because this movie was ruined by its ridiculous storyline, glaring plot vulnerabilities, and terrifying special effects. Much like Batman & Robin, this fourth Superman movie is one of the worst movies ever made.
8. Superman III (1983)
This movie showed Superman facing off against evil industrialist Rob Webster, who, with the help of computer programmer Gus Gorman, is trying to get rid of the Kryptonian and take control of the world’s oil supply. During this conflict, Man of Steel’s mind is corrupted by a false shard of kryptonite created by Gorman that splits him in two and forces Clark to face his dark half in battle. Superman III was hampered by its over-camper vibe and Richard Pryor’s Gorman performance, but as always, Christopher Reeve gives his all as Superman, both good and bad.
7. Justice League (2017)
After Superman’s death at the hands of Doomsday, Batman attempts to assemble a meta-human team to fend off the alien Steppenwolf’s invasion of Earth. After director Zack Snyder left production following the death of his daughter, Joss Whedon sought to please fans by presenting a more comedic and lighthearted story. Unfortunately, this resulted in the film becoming an inconsistent mess, disappointing fans and casual moviegoers alike.
6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Ultimate Edition (2016)
Seeing Superman as a threat to humanity, cowardly and angry Batman goes to war with the Man of Steel, but realizes that the evil Lex Luthor is manipulating him to get rid of Superman. He and Superman finally teamed up with Wonder Woman to defeat Lex Luthor and his nearly unstoppable monster, Doomsday. A lot of people were disappointed with this movie when it hit theaters, but the longer “Ultimate Edition” restores some key scenes and lays a stronger foundation for the Justice League’s battle with Darkseid. Thanks to the “Ultimate Edition” and the #ReleasetheSnyderCut movement, Batman v Superman managed to gain a huge cult following.
5. Superman Returns (2006)
Set in the same universe as Christopher Reeve’s films, Superman Returns follows the protagonist five years after he leaves Earth to explore the ruins of his home planet, Krypton. While the people of the world welcome his return, the now married Lois Lane is struggling to mend her relationship with their son, Jason, especially when Lex Luthor returns to stir up trouble.
While the movie isn’t one of the more popular Superman movies, mainly due to its long running time and lack of action sequences, it’s still an underrated blockbuster whose more serious tone and enhanced visual effects helped rebuild the production for modern audiences. Brandon Routh also gave an excellent performance as one of the greatest live-action Supermen of all time, receiving a well-deserved spin on The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event in 2019.
4. Man of Steel (2013)
Warner Bros kicked off the DC Universe with this bold retelling of Superman’s origin story. Man of Steel offers dark realism by portraying the Last Son of Krypton as an illegal immigrant feared by the US government. While Supes is unsure of his place on Earth, he steps forward to become the planet’s greatest protector when General Zod arrives to transform his world into a new Krypton.
Not all audiences were fans of the film’s dark tone and muted colours, but Man of Steel has many uplifting fight scenes and terrific performances, especially from Henry Cavill. His retelling of Superman, while not the hero most people are familiar with, still holds hope for what he might be, not what he is, and inspires those he meets to believe in him.
3. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Just as Superman was resurrected from the dead, the Justice League version of Zack Snyder has finally come to light after four years of fans campaigning around the world. In the film’s own cut, Snyder brings the League together as it should in a four-hour superhero epic worthy of Earth’s greatest heroes. Compared to Joss Whedon’s version full of daring jokes, bad CGI, short runtime and little character development, Snyder Cut is a cinematic masterpiece.
Each character of the Justice League is given a much better portrayal in this movie, especially Superman. In a cool black suit, Superman returns in an awesome new way to join the Justice League in their battle against the forces of Apokolips. Not only that, Clark’s second chance at life allows him to discover who he is and become a symbol of hope the Earth desperately needs. This Superman truly feels like the hero comics fans know and love, and viewers are now happy to see more of him in the future.
2. Superman II (1981)
After Superman unknowingly rescues General Zod and his allies from the Phantom Zone, he decides to give up his powers in order to live a normal life with Lois Lane, which poses a danger to all of humanity when the evil Kryptonians arrive on Earth. Like the Justice League, Superman II experienced creative struggles when Richard Lester replaced director Richard Donner, resulting in a major change in the tone and plot of the film.
Aside from the motion picture Superman wiping Lois’ memory with a kiss and the hero somehow throwing an “S” in the chest at one of the villains, Superman II is still considered a superhero classic. However, “Donner Cuts”, released decades later, is arguably the better version due to its more balanced tone and less questionable ending.
1. Superman: The Movie (1978)
This movie made the world believe that a human can fly. Director Richard Donner created his first superhero blockbuster, Man of Steel, for the big screen, presenting the title hero’s birth as Kal-El, his upbringing as Clark, and his rebirth as Superman. After making a name for himself as a superhero, he falls in love with Lois Lane and fights Lex Luthor for the fate of America.
Every aspect of the movie, especially its visual effects, unrealistic storyline, and while Gene Hackman’s crazy Lex Luthor hasn’t aged well, is a classic story that continues to serve as the template for many superhero movies that have come after it. Christopher Reeve also established himself as the perfect Superman and set the bar for many other iterations that came after him.