He’s an icon, he’s an alien, and he’s an American who represents humanity’s ideals through his actions and character. It’s been more than 80 years since his debut in Action Comics #1 and his blue bodysuit, red cape, boots, and briefs are still instantly recognizable among the growing list of comics characters with which mainstream audiences are acquainted. Superman remains the most powerful, most iconic, most misunderstood superhero in part thanks to his perceived perfection. The superfast, super-strong, invulnerable alienJerry SiegelandJoe Shustercreated all those years ago has since seen his mythology and list of powers balloon to satirical proportions.
Along with 1000+ issues ofAction Comics, the man of steel has been adapted into several television, radio, and film series. Superman movies spanning back to the iconic 1978 iteration have grossed more than two and a half billion dollars combined across nearly five decades. Witha new take on the character hitting theaters later this year courtesy ofJames Gunn, it’s time to map out where the character has been on the big screen before. For the uninitiated, the production order of these films is the recommended viewing order.
Superman Movies in Order of Release
First up, here are the Superman movies in order of release.
Superman Movies in Chronological Order
The Christopher Reeve Era
‘Superman: The Movie’
With a story byMario Puzo, writer of both the book and the filmThe Godfather, music byJohn Williams(Star Wars), and breathtaking special effects,Supermanset the standard for superhero cinema for decades to come. DirectorRichard Donnerpartnered with the animation team and the cinematographer,Geoffrey Unsworth, behind2001: A Space Odyssey, to replicate some visual effect techniques for the opening of the film.Christopher Reeveembodied the bumbling milquetoast Clark Kent and the confident, charming Superman beyond parallel in this origin story. It’s also the introduction of Krypton, Zod (Terence Stamp), andGene Hackman’s Lex Luthor to the series.
An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home’s first and greatest superhero.
‘Superman II’
Production forSuperman IIwas well underway beforeSuperman(1978) was released. Due to his dedication to the soon-to-be-releasedSupermanmovie, Richard Donner was removed as director during the final leg of filming and replaced byRichard Lester(The Three Musketeers). Production was further complicated by the passing of legendary cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth in 1978. Still, the movie is a direct follow-up toSuperman, and it features the Kryptonian villains introduced inSuperman, as well as a return by Gene Hackman. The sequel received a recut in 2006, dubbedSuperman II: The Donner Cut, which more accurately reflects Richard Donner’s original vision for the film. Either version will demonstrate whySuperman IIremains one of the bestsuperhero movies ever made.
Superman II
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‘Superman III’
The first entry in the series untouched by Donner, Puzo, or Unsworth,Superman IIItries to split screen time between Christopher Reeve,Richard Pryor, and an evil Christopher Reeve. It’s a wackier iteration that attempts to incorporate more humor into the already rather light-hearted series. It does away with the surreal, dream-like presentation of the previous two as it attempts to blaze a new path forward for the franchise.
Superman III
‘Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’
The final and shortest entry in Christopher Reeve’s tenure as Superman,Superman IV: The Quest for Peacefollows the Man of Steel on his path to ridding the globe of nuclear weapons. Framed during the Cold War, Superman sets out to denuclearize humanity while his archnemesis Lex Luthor, still played by Gene Hackman, once again escapes from prison. Luthor creates the Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow), a solar-powered soldier, in his fight against Superman. Frankly, the movie is not widely appreciated and is considered an unceremonious end to Christopher Reeve’s embodiment of the character.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
The Man of Steel crusades for nuclear disarmament and meets Lex Luthor’s latest creation, Nuclear Man.
‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’
The inclusion ofSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Storymay be a bit of a stretch for this list, considering the film is a documentary about Christopher Reeve, but considering the movie is an official release from DC Studios, and discusses the character’s impact on Reeves makes it worth including. Besides, this documentary is well worth watching. Directed byIan BonhôteandPeter Ettedgui, this biographical documentary talks about Reeve’s tragic accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. As the movie shows, Reeves was able to persevere and became a superhero in his own right, as an activist for those with disabilities.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story explores the life and career of the iconic actor known for his portrayal of Superman. The film delves into Reeve’s personal and professional journey, examining his lasting impact on Hollywood and his remarkable resilience following the accident that profoundly changed his life.
The Brandon Routh Film
‘Superman Returns’
Superman Returnsignores the continuity of the past two films and is intended as a spiritual follow-up toSupermanandSuperman II, so chronologically it could fit right afterSuperman II, but you’d then have to not count the following Reeve films. InSuperman Returns, Superman returns to Earth following a five-year trip to see what remains of Krypton, only to discover Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has been released from prison in his absence and is plotting something sinister. It was a box office success generating nearly $400 million in worldwide sales, but was also tremendously expensive (it cost at least $200 million), soSuperman Returnswas not hugely profitable.Brandon Routh’s turn as the son of Krypton is still celebrated by fans of the film who received another look at his Superman in the CW’sCrisis on Infinite Earthscrossover event. Unfortunately,Superman Returnshas become more problematic with time due to allegations of predatory behavior by the directorBryan Singerand star Kevin Spacey.
Superman Returns
Superman returns to Earth after spending five years in space examining his homeworld Krypton. But he finds things have changed while he was gone, and he must once again prove himself important to the world.
‘Man of Steel’
The first Superman film of the post-Dark Knightera of superhero films is the blockbuster sci-fi spectacle,Man of Steel. Directed byZack Snyder(Watchmen,300),Man of Steelfeatures all of his trademark stylings and introducesHenry Cavillto the world as Superman. The first film origin story sinceSuperman(1978) embraces the science fiction side of Superman, and it depicts him more realistically than past treatments. A star-studded cast, with a focused, villainous performance fromMichael Shannon, a beautifulHans Zimmerscore, and jaw-dropping visual effects made this more austere adaptation an explosive setup for the planned Snyder-verse.
Man of Steel
An alien child is evacuated from his dying world and sent to Earth to live among humans. His peace is threatened when other survivors of his home planet invade Earth.
‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justiceis the ambitious follow-up toMan of Steel, and it introduces Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Batman (Ben Affleck), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), The Flash (Ezra Miller), Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to the Snyder-verse. Set shortly after the devastating Kryptonian assault on Metropolis inMan of Steel, Superman stands alone as a godlike alien showing up unceremoniously across the globe to aid and save at his availability. The U.S. government attempts to wrangle in its efforts due to geopolitical concern, and Superman is stalked by his longtime comic book arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. Luthor manipulates a late-in-his-tenure Batman and freshly revealed Superman into a super fight before unleashing Doomsday, an alien abomination, on Metropolis. Controversy still surrounds the dark tone and the killer Batman, but Affleck ain’tthe first murderous Batman. A director’s cut dubbedBatman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Editionimproves the theatrical work by adding the extra 30 minutes this movie needs to balance the weight of its ambition.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman is manipulated by Lex Luthor to fear Superman. Superman´s existence is meanwhile dividing the world and he is framed for murder during an international crisis. The heroes clash and force the neutral Wonder Woman to reemerge.
