Every 'Superman' movie, ranked by critics

Business Insider

11-07-2025

The beloved character, who first appeared in a 1938 comic, got his first big-screen depiction forty years later, when Christopher Reeve took on the role in 1978's "Superman: The Movie," cementing Superman's place in pop culture lore.
Since then, many more actors have played Superman, to varying degrees of critical acclaim.
More recently, director Zack Snyder's now-defunct DC Extended Universe era showcased a darker side of Superman through Henry Cavill 's performance.
Now, "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise director James Gunn is trying his hand at a Man of Steel movie, with David Corenswet playing the character in the latest era. Gunn's "Superman," which also stars Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, harkens back to the lighter tone of the Reeve era, when Superman's priorities were striving for truth, justice, and preserving the American way.
How does the new movie compare to previous depictions of the comic-book icon? Here are all the "Superman" movies, ranked by critics' scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
Three years after Henry Cavill came on the scene as Superman in "Man of Steel," director Zack Snyder put together the ultimate faceoff: Superman versus Batman.Two comic-book icons finally sharing one screen meant the hype for the movie was through the roof. But ultimately, Snyder couldn't deliver. Cavill plays a Superman who is too tortured, and though Ben Affleck is impressive as Batman, the corny connection between Superman and The Dark Knight (both their mothers are named Martha!) is unforgivable.Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%
After the massive success of "Superman II," a third movie was fast-tracked. Gene Hackman didn't return as Lex Luthor, but Richard Pryor was added as a bumbling tech whiz who goes up against Superman, getting a $5 million paycheck for his efforts.It resulted in a flat story that lacked the high stakes of the previous films.Rotten Tomatoes score: 29%
Aside from "Zack Snyder's Justice League," Cavill hasn't been seen in the DC universe since 2017's "Justice League." He appears in a shocking mid-credits scene where he introduces himself to Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam and tells him they should talk.According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Rock pushed to bring Cavill back as the Man of Steel, even going over the head of former DC Films' head Walter Hamada to make it happen because he believed that was what fans wanted. Johnson has been immensely vocal about wanting to go toe-to-toe with Cavill's Superman in a future film.You can read our explainer on his return here.
Routh had the deck stacked against him from the moment he put that "S" on his chest.Playing the first Superman on the big screen since Christopher Reeve played the character in the 1980s, audiences suddenly had to adapt to a new actor in the role.With a par-for-the-course movie, plus Routh's performance hardly giving audiences a "wow" factor, his Superman is pretty forgettable.It also didn't help that Routh was one-and-done with the character.
Everything about 1978's "Superman: The Movie" is perfection. After decades of trying to get Superman to the big screen, director Richard Donner was the man to finally pull it off. He cleared the biggest hurdle by casting Superman right with the choice of Reeve, a physically impressive actor who also had the acting chops to land the emotional scenes.A cast filled out by heavyweights like Marlon Brando as Superman's father, Jor-El; Glenn Ford as his Earth father, Jonathan Kent; Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane helped cement the movie a beloved work decades later.Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
One of the rare sequels that's better than the original, the dual storylines of Superman being willing to let go of his powers to be with Lois (Kidder), and General Zod (Terence Stamp) escaping exile to come to Earth to destroy Superman with the help of Luthor (Hackman) are perfectly crafted.Plus, the big showdown between Superman and Zod on the streets of New York City is a feat of 1980s practical effects.Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%