How to watch the Superman movies in order: the ultimate guide to streaming the Man of Steel's films (chronological, release date, and more)
Working out how to watch the Superman movies in order doesn't need to be your Kryptonite. In fact, with my help, you'll be on your way to watching the Man of Steel's various big-screen outings in no time.
Indeed, this guide is your one-stop shop for finding out how to stream the Superman films in the order of your choosing. Below, I've outlined the two best ways to watch them – those being chronological order and release date order – and which one you should stick to if you're a Superman newbie.
That's not all you'll learn about. There's also information on which of the world's best streaming services they're available on, and what Superman movies are the best (based on their Rotten Tomatoes scores). So, throw on your blue spandex and red cape, and let's take flight together.
This is a really easy question to answer. In short, it doesn't matter whether you watch the Superman movies in order of chronology or by their release dates.
How come? Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the now-defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU), whose movies and TV shows have different orders depending on whether you watch them chronologically or in release date order, the Superman films don't jump around. That's because there's no weird timeline shenanigans that mean you have to, say, watch 2013's Man of Steel before Christopher Reeve's first outing as Clarke Kent/Kal-El in 1978's Superman.
No matter which method you pick, then, the Superman movies – which are also part of our much larger DC movies in order guide – are arranged in the exact same sequence. The only thing you need to be aware of is which era each of the Kryptonian's big-screen adventures are a part of. Speaking of which...
Want to know how to watch the Superman movies in order of chronology? Here's how.
As I previously outlined, it's not difficult to work out how to stream them in chronological order. All you need to know is that I've categorized the Man of Tomorrow's various live-action films via the actor who played them at the time. For example, Christopher Reeve portrayed one of DC Comics' most iconic heroes first, so I've grouped his four outings as Superman together.
The same is true of the other actors – Brandon Routh and Henry Cavill – who've played him, too. Once James Gunn's Superman movie, which officially kickstarts the rebooted DC Universe (DCU) when it arrives in theaters in mid-July, I'll add the David Corenswet era below, too.
For now, here's how to watch the Superman movies in chronological order:
The Christopher Reeve era
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Superman II (1981)
Superman III (183)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
The Brandon Routh era
Superman Returns (2006)
The Henry Cavill era
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Justice League (2017) / Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Interested in streaming the Superman movies in release date order instead? This is the only guide you need.
Again, it's not a difficult process to follow. Rather than round up the Man of Steel flicks into groups based on the actor who played them, they're simply listed in the order of the year they were released.
So, 1978's Superman film is the first one you need to check out. Until its namesake Superman – aka one of 2025's most anticipated new movies – arrives, the Kryptonian's most recent movie appearance came in 2021's Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Superman II (1981)
Superman III (183)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Superman Returns (2006)
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Justice League (2017) / Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Now that you've learned how to watch the Superman movies in order, you'll need to know where you can stream them.
Here's where fans in the US, UK, and Australia can currently watch them without having to rent or buy (NB: viewers in other nations can head to justwatch.com to find out where they're available where you live):
Superman (1978) – Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), N/A (Australia)
Superman II (1981) – Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), iView (Australia)
Superman III (1983) – Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), iView (Australia)
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987) – Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), iView (Australia)
Superman Returns (2006) – Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), N/A (Australia)
Man of Steel (2013) – Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), Binge/Prime Video (Australia)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – Max (US), Sky (UK), Netflix/Binge/Prime Video (Australia)
Justice League (2017) – Max (US), Now TV (UK), Binge/Prime Video (Australia)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) – Max (US), N/A (UK), N/A (Australia)
As supremely popular as Superman is, he's not exactly received his fair share of top-tier films. In fact, there's only one that's good enough to appear on my best superhero movies guide. Maybe Gunn's Superman, the first movie to be released as part of DCU Chapter One, aka Gods and Monsters, will change that.
For now, this is how you could watch the Superman movies in order if you streamed them based on their Rotten Tomatoes scores. I've listed them in the order of their critical ratings first, but I've also included their general audience scores to give you a better idea of how ordinary cinemagoers perceive them.
Superman: The Movie – 93% / 86%
Superman II – 82% / 76%
Superman Returns – 74% / 60%
Zack Snyder's Justice League – 71% / 92%
Man of Steel – 57% / 75%
Justice League – 39% / 67%
Superman III – 29% / 23%
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – 28% / 63%
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace – 10% / 16%
For more entertainment-based content, read our other 'how to' guides, including how to watch the Marvel movies in order, how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order, how to watch the X-Men movies in order, and how to watch the Batman movies in order.
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