Who Is the Best Superman Actor?

In the pantheon of American culture, there’s nary quality much globally recognizable than Superman. After making his comic debut successful 1938, Clark Kent rapidly jumped to radio, television, the movies, and beyond, practically successful a azygous bound. For astir 90 years, he’s been a awesome of goodness, and the prototype for the modern superhero. He’s besides changed and evolved done decades of storytelling portion a big of actors person portrayed the Man of Steel connected screen, begging the question, who has played Superman best?

Superman archetypal made it to the existent satellite astatine the World’s Fair successful 1940, erstwhile histrion Ray Middleton became the archetypal idiosyncratic to play him for a Superman Day celebration. For arsenic agelong arsenic there’s been a Superman, he’s had a elemental formula: A cape, tights, boots, the iconic ‘S’ and those strongman trunks—which would yet go optional. But much importantly, the quality arrived afloat formed and bloomed during World War II, arsenic a paragon of information and justness with a colorful supporting cast. As an alien raised by a kindly midwestern couple, Superman is each astir going supra and beyond to bash the close thing, and the actors who’ve played him person captured that ethos to antithetic degrees.

With apologies to Ray Middleton and in-person Supermen everywhere, for this ranking, we’re focusing connected the pb actors of large unrecorded enactment movies and TV shows. We’re besides limiting it to the quality of SuperMAN, truthful that means nary younger versions of the character, and nary shows titled Superboy—sorry Joaquin Phoenix—and it besides means nary video games oregon cartoons either, different we’d beryllium present each day. We’re besides limiting this database to authoritative adaptations, truthful nary unlicensed Turkish Superman Returns, oregon the galore versions retired of India, which could capable up their ain piece. However, we volition person a mates of honorable mentions on the way, who don’t rather acceptable the criteria, but we couldn’t person this speech without ‘em.

The question of “What makes a large Man of Steel?” is simply a pugnacious one, but the reply usually comes down to 2 wide categories: the actors themselves, and the communicative oregon adaptation they’re a portion of. So, with that successful mind, instrumentality our hand, and articulation america arsenic we countdown from the actors we deliberation missed the people each the mode to the definitive Superman.

9. Dean Cain

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)

Superman has been played by a fig of large performers, but we’d beryllium lying if we said helium was a deed each azygous time. Lois & Clark ran for 4 seasons successful the aboriginal ‘90s, and portion it combined romance and journalism with villains of the week, it was besides wholly of its era: which is to say, the epoch of Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place. On the surface, it has each the elements of a Superman story, but it seemed acold much funny successful creating a caller ‘90s bosom throb than a Man of Steel, down to the character’s hairstyle.

As Superman, Dean Cain has an unluckily constricted range, with occasionally stilted delivery. He says each the close things — “I similar your costume”/“Thank you, my parent made it for me”/“Who are you?”/“A friend” — but whether oregon not he’s convincing is different matter. A defining trait of a bully Superman show is the favoritism betwixt Superman and Clark Kent, and portion Cain technically has that, it’s not precisely a show acrophobic with fidelity. His Clark Kent is… suave, and fast-talking, and occasionally charming, portion his Superman is… straightforward, and stern, but without overmuch extent oregon authority, and there’s thing awkward astir his stature, similar he’s ne'er rather comfy successful the suit, astir similar the 2 personas are flipped.

Cain’s mentation of Clark says helium wants to acceptable in, but there’s truly thing stopping him from being a mean guy—at slightest by the standards of ‘90s TV dramas. In these moments of attempted emotion, the euphony tends to bash the dense lifting. Lois & Clark isn’t a unspeakable amusement by immoderate stretch—in fact, Terri Hatcher makes for an ambitious and accomplished Lois Lane—but erstwhile it comes to portraying the Man of Steel, it doesn’t truly unrecorded up to what came earlier it, contempt Cain claiming to person based his mentation of Clark connected our adjacent entry…

8. George Reeves

Superman and the Mole Men (1951), Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)

The astir celebrated of the aboriginal Supermen, George Reeves (no narration to Christopher Reeve) played the quality for astir a decade—across the B-movie Superman and the Mole Men, and the long-running TV bid Adventures of Superman—but possibly Dean Cain should person sought inspiration for his Clark Kent elsewhere. Reeves was an accomplished actor, having appeared successful Best Picture victor Gone With the Wind, but his mentation of Clark wasn’t peculiarly antithetic from his Superman, contempt the show’s opening narration. “Superman, who tin alteration the people of mighty rivers, crook alloy successful his bare hands, and who, disguised arsenic Clark Kent, mild-mannered newsman for a large metropolitan newspaper.”

But erstwhile it comes to Superman, Reeves—who was 38 erstwhile helium archetypal played the part—was precisely what the bid called for. He was an older, barrel-chested histrion successful the vein of Western superstar and American myth-maker John Wayne, and his iconic stature inactive remains a portion of the character’s quality today, similar erstwhile he’s drawn by comic creator Alex Ross.

The bid began erstwhile the U.S. had rising tensions with the USSR, truthful portion of its ngo was to instill a consciousness of patriotism successful its viewers. It was the archetypal mentation of the quality to see the present iconic “the land way” portion of Superman’s pledge to combat for “truth and justice,” and determination was besides a determination by the U.S. Treasury Department to get Superman to person radical to put successful stamps and savings bonds. For amended oregon worse, these authorities efforts weren’t usually reflected successful the wide plot, but for 1 episode. The bid mostly saw Superman tackling regular, mundane criminals—a acold outcry from the wacky, metallic property antics successful the comics astatine the time—while the movie, which was folded into the show, revolved astir Superman trying to halt radical from discriminating against subterranean beings with a calm consciousness of authority.

The show’s decade-long tally happened astatine a important time. It saw the quality modulation to color, and it helped origin an detonation successful mainstream popularity, with the Man of Steel adjacent crossing implicit with I Love Lucy. For respective generations, Reeves was the definitive Superman, a relation helium played good into his forties, until his tragic demise… which brings america to our archetypal honorable mention.

Honorable Mention: Ben Affleck

As George Reeves successful Hollywoodland (2006)

To date, nary histrion has played some Batman and Superman, but Ben Affleck comes close, since helium really played George Reeves successful the 2006 enigma movie Hollywoodland, which treats the actor’s imaginable termination arsenic a murder. Despite his unhappiness with the relation astatine times, Reeves often stayed successful quality arsenic the Man of Steel, particularly astir children, which is thing Affleck’s mentation of the beloved histrion gets perfectly right.

Something indispensable person been successful the h2o successful 2006, due to the fact that Hollywoodland wasn’t the lone movie that twelvemonth filled with nostalgia for an older Superman…

7. Brandon Routh

Superman Returns (2006), The CW’s Arrowverse (2019-2020)

Made arsenic an homage to the Richard Donner original, Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns sees the Man of Steel returning to the large surface aft a 22 twelvemonth absence, successful a communicative wherever helium comes backmost to Earth aft 5 years away. Now, whether Brandon Routh is playing the aforesaid mentation arsenic Christopher Reeve is up to your interpretation, but there’s nary avoiding the comparisons, fixed Reeve’s power connected the character—more connected that successful a bit.

Routh has an unthinkable gentleness astir him, and helium embodies some the wistful farmboy and the “mild mannered reporter” portion of Clark Kent to a tee, bumbling his mode done scenes successful a mode that some feels similar an act, and similar he’s channeling who Clark genuinely is. As Superman, helium has this otherworldly prime to him that makes him genuinely consciousness similar an alien removed from humanity—but possibly that doesn’t rather suit this interpretation.

It’s fantastic to spot him execute feats of strength, but his lumbering quality mightiness beryllium a small excessively polished, betwixt the sleek suit, his perfectly curled fastener of hair, and the bluish contacts that springiness Routh an uncanny appearance, similar he’s a Superman enactment figure. It’s a movie that has thing but nostalgia for Reeve, and conscionable 2 years aft the legendary histrion died, you tin consciousness the consciousness of yearning for a big-screen Superman, though Singer’s romanticist mentation is usually a small excessively outstretched, with agelong periods of thing truly happening, and neither Lois Lane nor Lex Luthor really coming look to look with the Man of Steel until past the hr people and astir 2 hours in, respectively. Routh would concisely reprise the relation successful The CW’s Infinite Crisis, a crossover betwixt 5 of its ongoing shows, which made for a bully reminder of however good suited helium could person been, successful a amended movie.

But, portion Warner Brothers whitethorn not person had a deed with its caller large surface Superman, determination was really different Superman flying around—well, moving around—on TV astatine the aforesaid time.

6. Tom Welling

Smallville (2001-2011)

We’re benignant of bending the rules a spot to see him, but Tom Welling played a younger mentation of the Man of Steel for 10 years connected Smallville, successful the longest physique up to a costume alteration successful recorded history—and since helium technically became Superman, it has to count. Like Lois & Clark, the amusement acceptable close into the TV scenery of its time, coming disconnected teen dramas similar Dawson’s Creek, but besides genre shows similar Buffy and Angel, which allowed it to clasp the much sci-fi and phantasy parts of the Superman mythos.

Despite being 24, Welling acceptable close successful arsenic a moody, delicate highschooler trying to find his spot successful the world, portion fearing however helium mightiness bring harm to those astir him. He was somewhat awkward, and benignant of angry, but mostly well-meaning, arsenic helium became the concealed vigilante The Blur, earlier his eventual translation successful the last episode. Also, it indispensable beryllium said that Smallville has what mightiness beryllium the champion on-screen mentation of Lex Luthor, successful the signifier of Michael Rosebaum. The amusement featured a fig of recognizable Superman characters—Jimmy, Lana, Lois, and of course, a unreality mentation of Darkseid, arsenic was the benignant astatine the time—but it’s really Clark’s dynamic with Lex that forms the show’s affectional backbone, arsenic a benignant of yin and yang, who some prevention each different successful the aviator episode—from definite death, and evident Christ imagery, respectively.

Welling’s withheld mentation of Clark worked, up to a point, successful a communicative astir a young antheral hiding from the world, and helium besides got to flex his melodramatic chops connected occasion. But isolated from a fewer hints of processing the “mild mannered” newsman persona, Welling’s Clark doesn’t alteration each that overmuch implicit the show’s 10 twelvemonth period, which mightiness usually enactment for a fully-formed Man of Steel, but makes him a small little absorbing successful an extended origin.

On the different hand, a much modern mentation dived close successful to Superman’s communicative conscionable a fewer years later, and came achingly adjacent to getting it right:

5. Henry Cavill

Man of Steel (2013), Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017)

You tin statement endlessly astir whether a dour adaptation of Superman is the mode to go, but determination was a batch riding connected Henry Cavill arsenic The Man of Steel successful a post-Avengers world, with DC looking to acceptable up its ain Marvel-style universe. It didn’t precisely cookware out, but Cavill himself flirted with being a large prime for the iconic character. There’s a batch of sound successful Man of Steel—a batch of chaos and a batch of scowls, but successful the midst of it all, Cavill’s Superman has hints of a calming presence, making him the benignant of superhero that fits Zack Snyder’s “benevolent god” interpretation.

That mentation gets a spot literal astatine times, and tin thin a spot excessively heavy connected the aggravated Greek deity broadside of things, arsenic good arsenic immoderate overt Christ imagery, but there’s astir apt immoderate mentation of Cavill’s Superman that works perfectly successful a antithetic instrumentality connected the DC mythology that isn’t bogged down by nihilism.

The sequel, Batman v Superman, would treble down connected the misery, presenting a drone-strike mentation Superman who doesn’t look peculiarly blessed astir helping people—that is, erstwhile helium would assistance radical astatine all—but the bigger occupation is that his Superman ends up truthful afloat of rage that adjacent the movie’s nightmare scenes, and the character’s eventual, mindless resurrection successful Justice League, don’t extremity up each that antithetic from his usually scowling default setting.

While we don’t ever truly spot a Clark Kent that’s immoderate antithetic from his Man of Steel, we bash yet get hints of what a bright, sunny Superman played by Cavill mightiness person looked like. But by the clip helium shows up, 3 movies deep, it’s a small excessively precocious for this version, contempt the last-minute effort to spell backmost to the character’s roots…

4. Kirk Alyn

Superman (1948), Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)

Most radical mightiness not person heard of Kirk Alyn, but his 1948 theatrical serial (and its 1950 sequel) were pivotal to getting Superman to the metallic surface successful unrecorded enactment form. The archetypal flesh-and-blood histrion to play him astatine the movies, Alyn nails the mild-mannered newsman facet of Clark Kent close from his archetypal country with the character’s parents, and helium adjacent embodies Superman’s powers—like X-ray imaginativeness and ace hearing—in delightfully silly ways.

Much similar George Reeves, Alyn’s Superman usually goes up against much grounded villains, who helium defeats by bonking their heads together. There’s besides a wide quality betwixt his Clark and his Superman—who’s often animated by manus erstwhile helium flies—and portion his pantomime carnal show whitethorn not beryllium what we’d expect successful the modern era, Alyn’s impishness, enthusiasm and graceful exaggerations make a Superman who delights successful leaping retired of windows, and successful maintaining the ruse of a antheral with a treble life—a antheral who changes successful the Daily’s Planet’s filing country aggregate times per episode.

But what’s particularly fascinating astir Alyn’s works is however perfectly helium nails the character’s vocal transformation, adjacent during a azygous line: “This looks similar a occupation FOR SUPERMAN.”

It’s an underrated facet of the character, and precise fewer live-action actors really nailed it to the grade that Alyn did. In fact, the lone aboriginal Superman to outdo him is our adjacent honorable mention:

Honorable Mention: Bud Collyer

The Adventures of Superman vigor amusement (1940-1951), Fleischer Studios’ Superman (1941-1942), The New Adventures of Superman (1966-1970)

Photo by CBS via Getty Images

We’re sticking with live-action performers for the authoritative list, but there’s nary mode to speech astir aboriginal Superman without discussing dependable histrion Bud Collyer. He was the archetypal histrion to springiness Superman a voice, successful his precise archetypal non-comic adaptation, the decade-long vigor serial The Adventures of Superman (which began successful 1941), and helium besides voiced the Man of Steel successful not lone the 9 iconic cartoon episodes of Fleischer Studios’ Superman, produced betwixt 1941 and ‘42, but the New Adventures of Superman, which ran for 4 seasons until 1970.

As the dependable down Superman and Clark Kent for 30 years, he’s a captious portion of the character’s history, adjacent though we can’t technically springiness him a slot here. But his power tin beryllium felt each crossed our apical 3 entries…

3. David Corenswet

Superman (2025)

As the newest Superman connected our list, there’s inactive plentifulness of clip for David Corenswet to emergence oregon autumn successful our rankings, but we consciousness beauteous assured with what we’ve seen. James Gunn’s Superman flies by a small excessively rapidly to truly dive into the character, but successful each azygous scene, Corenswet gives america hints of a fully-formed Clark-slash-Superman 3 years into his nationalist career.

He’s a fast-talking, “aw, shucks” benignant of feline who exudes a lovable energy, and portion we haven’t spent capable clip with his awkward, good-natured Clark Kent conscionable yet, the histrion slips effortlessly into some modes: mild-mannered, and Man of Steel.

He’s vulnerable, and helium has a consciousness of wit and 1 of his defining traits is that he’s a canine person. Very fewer adaptations extracurricular of the cartoons person truly touched connected this portion of him, but it makes cleanable sense, since Superman is benignant of what you’d get if you turned a aureate retriever into a person, astatine slightest earlier successful his career.

But there’s truly lone 1 live-action mentation that’s explored what Superman’s beingness would beryllium if he’d stuck astir for a agelong time…

2. Tyler Hoechlin

The CW’s Arrowverse (2016-2020), Superman & Lois (2021-2024)

Right from his archetypal scenes successful The CW’s Supergirl, Tyler Hoechlin nails the temper and mannerisms of some sides of the Man of Steel, but it’s truly his ain series, Superman & Lois—a amusement afloat of gumshoe journalism—that allows him to genuinely shine.

The bid doesn’t transverse implicit with the others successful the Arrow-verse, but it uses the classical iconography of Superman to contiguous a caller instrumentality connected Smallville, arsenic a modern American municipality suffering a post-recession economical downturn, making it the cleanable modern update. Superman and Lois Lane person teenage sons, and erstwhile they determination from Metropolis backmost to Kansas, Clark starts bearing the brunt of surviving a treble life, and gradually reveals himself to his neighbors implicit the people of 4 seasons.

All the while, the amusement tells the communicative of Superman learning and astatine times struggling to beryllium a bully father, thing the comics person focused connected a batch successful caller years. Along the way, the quality is shown to beryllium worldly, a protector of the susceptible and innocent, and idiosyncratic trustworthy connected the surface, but helium struggles with surviving up to this ideal, since his concealed individuality involves lying to those astir him.

Despite its villain-of-the-week structure, what makes Superman & Lois enactment is its absorption connected friends and family, which it frames arsenic Superman’s biggest strength. Well, that and punching of course. Hoechlin has a righteous anger, and arsenic a father, he’s stern, but ne'er cruel. Ultimately, he’s a jovial, loving and forgiving idiosyncratic who struggles with what it means to love, and to beryllium mortal—but without losing show of his humanity successful the process.

This humanity is what makes Superman who helium is, and the assorted actors who’ve played him crossed the decades person each understood that to varying degrees. But there’s 1 idiosyncratic who stands caput and shoulders supra them all, arsenic history’s definitive Superman, and the golden modular for the big-screen superhero…

1. Christopher Reeve

Superman: The Movie (1978), Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1984)

Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie added a batch to what we deliberation of arsenic Superman’s story, from his iconicthe ‘S’ logo being the crest ofof the House of El, to the crystal crystal versiony of fortress of solitude seen successful astir each adaptation since. But much than immoderate of that, it was the cleanable equilibrium that Reeve struck betwixt a bumbling, warmhearted, susceptible Clark Kent, and a steadfast but welcoming—and somewhat flirtatious—Man of Steel. Even the mode helium differentiates Clark and Superman’s postures ended up becoming portion of immoderate of the character’s astir iconic comic moments.

Reeve was an unthinkable actor, but a immense portion of the film’s occurrence besides rests connected Margot Kidder arsenic the perfect Lois Lane. She’s the perfect, strong-headed foil to Reeve’s timid Clark. People whitethorn beryllium nostalgic astir the movie today, but Superman: The Movie was already filled with nostalgia by the clip it came retired successful 1978. The Lois-Clark dynamic is simply a cleanable throwback to screwball comedies from Hollywood’s aureate age, and its folksy, Norman Rockwell Smallville was a phantasy of immoderate mislaid American virtuousness that—whether oregon not it genuinely existed—was afloat captured by Superman himself, adjacent successful the bid later, goofy entries.

Reeve embodied the quality some connected and off-screen, with his disablement activism successful aboriginal years, but his show is arguably the crushed determination are inactive superhero movies today, with each 1 of them trying to unrecorded up to the unquantifiable magic helium brought to the screen—the benignant that could marque you judge a antheral tin fly. Which is wherefore helium takes the apical spot successful our hunt for the definitive Superman. He was 1 of a kind.

But what bash you think? Vote successful our canvass and let's sermon successful the comments! And beryllium definite to cheque retired our ranking of the Superman movies too.