What is the order of the Superman movies?

In 1938, Superman made his debut in the pages of Action Comics #1. The story – simply titled ‘Superman‘ – was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster, and was a big hit with readers.

From this initial appearance, Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent would feature in more stories published by National Publications (later known as DC Comics). The character had struck a chord with readers in a way that few others did, and this soon pushed him to the forefront of the newstands and beyond.

Due to the success of the character on the printed page, it wasn’t long before he took the leap onto the cinema screen. Initially this was via a couple of film serials, but eventually Superman starred in his own feature-length movie, as well as a string of sequels.

But if you’re new to the character, you may be a little confused as to how many Superman movies there are, and what order they appeared in. Various actors have played the role of Superman/Clark Kent on screen too, and it can be difficult to keep track of them all.

Hopefully this post can clear everything up. Below you’ll find a run-through of all the live-action Superman movies, including the most famous Superman films, as well as a couple of lesser-known titles.

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The Superman movie serials

Before taking a look at the feature-length Superman movies, it’s important to talk about the Superman serials. Prior to receiving his own feature-length film, Superman popped up in two movie serials, beginning with 1948’s ‘Superman‘.

For those who are unfamiliar with movie serials, these were essentially live-action, multi-part stories which played in cinemas. Serials were divided into chapters, with one chapter playing each week for multiple weeks (sort of like a television show), and were very popular during the 1930s and 1940s.

As noted above, Superman appeared in two film serials: 1948’s ‘Superman‘ and 1950’s ‘Atom Man vs. Superman‘. Kirk Alyn played the role of Clark Kent/Superman in both serials, while his supporting cast included Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Tommy Bond as Jimmy Olsen, and Pierre Watkin as Perry White.

If you wish to watch the Superman serials, then watch them in the following order:

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

Are the Superman serials must-see viewing? No, they are not.

While the serials have their place in history, and are notable for providing the first live-action appearance of Superman on film, they are for completists only. The serials were very much in-keeping with their time, but by today’s standards they are not particularly engaging.

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All of the Superman movies in order

Following on from the release of the Superman serials, Superman’s next brush with live-action came in 1951, via the black-and-white super hero movie, Superman and the Mole Men. The movie – which starred George Reeves as Clark Kent/Superman and Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane – was conceived as a trial run for a new live-action TV series, titled Adventures of Superman.

That TV series did get off the ground in 1952, and proved hugely successful, running for six seasons (four of which were filmed in colour). As for the film, that received a theatrical run in late 1951 and is notable for being the first feature-length movie based on any DC Comics character.

Superman and the Mole Men (1951)

Directed by Lee Sholem and running at just under an hour long, Superman and the Mole Men centred its story around a small town which has seemingly been infiltrated by a race of humanoid creatures (aka the titular Mole Men). In the film, Clark Kent and Lois Lane arrive in town to investigate, while Superman is called in to help calm down an angry mob. (58 mins)

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Although Superman and the Mole People did what it was intended to do, by helping to kick-start the television series, Adventures of Superman, it did not launch Superman into a successful movie career. The character largely remained on television screens and in comic books for the next couple of decades, and wasn’t taken all that seriously.

However, things changed dramatically in 1978, thanks to the arrival of Superman: The Movie. The big budget, action-adventure epic from director Richard Donner, would elevate the character to a whole new level in the eyes of mainstream audiences, and would become a milestone in super hero cinema.

Starring Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Marlon Brando as Jor-El, and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, Superman: The Movie was a huge picture, which detailed Superman’s origin story. Beginning on the doomed planet of Krypton, before moving to the US town of Smallville, and then onto the bustling city of Metropolis, Superman: The Movie told an expansive tale that was part sci-fi blockbuster, part melodrama, and part disaster movie.

Released to a positive response from critics and audiences alike, as well as a healthy box-office, Superman: The Movie was a huge hit. The film – which took the character of Superman very seriously – altered many peoples’ perception of super heroes, and is still considered to be one of the greatest comic book movies of all time. (143 mins)

Superman II (1980)

While Superman: The Movie was in production, so too was its sequel, Superman II. The original plan was to film both movies back-to-back, with all the cast and crew remaining on board to complete the twin project.

However during production of Superman II, two key things occurred. Firstly, director Richard Donner and his team decided it was best to finish the first film before completing work on the sequel; and secondly, Donner was fired from the project mid-shoot, after he fell out with the producers of both movies.

With Donner out, a new director in the shape of Richard Lester stepped into the director’s chair to take over completion of Superman II. Using material that Donner had already filmed, along with some new content, Lester delivered Superman II to cinemas in 1980.

Christopher Reeve reprised the role of Clark Kent/Superman for this sequel, taking the lead in a story which saw three criminals from his former home planet of Krypton arrive on Earth to become its new rulers. The only person capable of stopping them is Superman, but he has recently given up his super powers to live a mortal life with Lois Lane. (127 mins)

Superman III (1983)

With Superman II being another box-office hit, as well as a firm favourite with audiences, it wasn’t long before a third film followed. Arriving in 1983, under the title Superman III, this next movie pitted Superman against a wealthy industrialist, as well as a misguided computer programmer.

Christopher Reeve returned to the role of Superman for this third entry, while Robert Vaughn played tycoon Ross Webster, and Richard Pryor took on the role of reluctant programmer, Gus Gorman. Richard Lester remained on board as the director, taking the film down a slightly more comedic route in the process. (125 mins)

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Unlike its two predecessors, Superman III was not as well-received by critics. While Christopher Reeve’s performance was praised, with a junkyard battle between an evil Superman and Clark Kent being a highlight, the film was criticised for its underwhelming plot, as well as its over reliance on slapstick humour.

However, despite the response to the film there was still an appetite for Superman movies, and in 1987 a fourth movie arrived in cinemas under the title Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. The film would see Christopher Reeve take on the part of Superman/Clark Kent one final time, for a story involving the emergence of new supervillain, Nuclear Man! (90 mins)

Superman Returns (2006)

Following on from the release of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, the Superman movie franchise went into development hell as various attempts were made to bring the character back to the big screen. It took almost twenty years, with various actors and directors attached to potential Superman projects, but finally in 2006 two Superman movies arrived – one of which was a new film, and the other was a reworking of a classic.

The first was Superman Returns – a big screen reboot of the Superman film series starring Brandon Routh as Superman/Clark Kent. Pitched as a loose sequel to Superman: The Movie and Superman II, but ignoring the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, the film saw the Man of Steel locked in battle with old foe Lex Luthor, as part of the villain’s scheme to develop some Krytonite-infused land on Earth. (154 mins)

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

With Superman Returns playing in cinemas during summer 2006, Warner Bros. Pictures were keen to capitalise on renewed interest in Superman. And one way to do this was through the release of a special movie, which long-time Superman fans had been requesting for some time.

Ever since Richard Donner was fired from the set of Superman II in the late 1970s, fans had often wondered what the film would have looked like if the director had been able to complete his work. Keen to answer that question (finally), Warner Bros. gave the go-ahead for Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut – a reworking of Superman II, with Donner overseeing the project.

Utilising discarded footage, alternate takes, and some story beats not included in the theatrical version of Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut gave fans a new take on an existing film. It wasn’t a perfect reworking of the movie, as Donner had to make a few allowances here and there, but it was released direct-to-home-video and was well-received by fans. (116 mins)

Man of Steel (2013)

Although Warner Bros. Pictures had high hopes that Superman Returns would ignite the box-office in 2006 and place Superman back at the top of the chart when it came to comic book movies, the film did not perform as well as expected. Superman Returns did OK at the box-office, and critics and audiences thought it was fine, but it didn’t really wow anyone, and as such, the Superman movie series went back on hiatus.

However, shortly after Superman Returns stalled, the face of cinema altered considerably. Disney was having great success with the development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – an interconnected collection of super hero movies – and the new trend in Hollywood was to make everything part of a cinematic universe.

Warner Bros. Pictures wanted to get in on the action, and saw Superman as a potential way in. The studio figured if it could get another Superman movie off the ground, and it was successful enough, then perhaps it could pave the way for a wider universe.

So a new Superman film was put into production under the title, Man of Steel. However, at this point in time, the studio was very much focused on just getting Superman right, without worrying about anything beyond this, and with director Zack Snyder on board, Man of Steel made its debut in 2013.

Starring Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman, Man of Steel took the Superman story back to the very beginning to explore Superman’s origins. The film detailed Superman’s journey to become a super hero, as well as his battle against an army of villainous Kryptonians, led by General Zod. (143 mins)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Upon release, Man of Steel did decent numbers at the box-office, and was met with a generally positive response from critics. This convinced Warner Bros. Pictures that it finally had a Superman movie that could work, after years of trying to develop unsuccessful Superman projects, and the studio decided to push ahead with a follow-up.

But rather than greenlight Man of Steel 2, Warner Bros. Pictures took the opportunity to start developing the DC Extended Universe – an interlocking universe comprised of films featuring the likes of Aquaman and the Suicide Squad. This new universe would get off the ground with a team-up movie featuring Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Released in cinemas in 2016, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice would pit Superman against Batman, in a story that would see the two heroes begin as enemies before eventually finding common ground. Henry Cavill reprised the role of Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck took on the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne, while Gal Gadot played Wonder Woman, and Jesse Eisenberg popped up as Lex Luthor. (152 mins)

Justice League (2017)

Following on from his role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman next appeared in the heroic team-up movie, Justice League. The film was promoted as a big screen cross-over adventure, which would see Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman come together to fight an alien invasion, and it was hoped that it would be the pinnacle of the DC Extended Universe.

Zack Snyder – the director of both Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – was hired to direct Justice League, however, after shooting a significant amount of the movie, a family tragedy caused him to step down from the film. Joss Whedon was brought in as a replacement director, and using Snyder’s existing footage, as well as some newly-shot material, he completed the film. (120 mins)

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

The release of Justice League was not met with the response that Warner Bros. Pictures had hoped for. Rather than being a huge success as envisioned, the film was considered a bit of a misfire and fans and general audiences didn’t really care for it.

According to die-hard fans, Justice League’s shortcomings were a result of the change in directors mid-shoot. A very vocal corner of the fanbase believed Justice League would have been a stronger picture had Zack Snyder remained on board the project (without Joss Whedon getting involved), and they wanted to see Snyder’s version of the film.

After campaigning online to get Warner Bros. to revisit the film and give Snyder the opportunity to finish what he started, the studio agreed and gave the director a small budget to finish his original version of Justice League. This new, alternate take – titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League – was released direct-to-streaming and on home video, and would be twice the length of the theatrical cut, with expanded scenes, new footage, and a more serious tone. (242 mins)

Superman (2025)

Although Zack Snyder’s Justice League was met with a warm response from fans, the DC Extended Universe continued to struggle with general audiences. The universe hadn’t taken off in the way Warner Bros. had expected, and although more DC movies were due in theatres (Black Adam, The Flash, etc) the studio was in a period of flux.

Keen to get things back on track, in 2022 Warner Bros. Pictures implemented a change in management. This change in management saw James Gunn and Peter Safran appointed as the new co-CEOs of DC Studios.

Shortly after taking over their new roles, James Gunn announced the DCEU would be coming to a close. The cinematic universe which existed from Man of Steel onward would be ending and a new cinematic universe would take its place, complete with a new Superman movie, and a new actor taking on the title role.

This new cinematic universe would begin in 2025 with the film, Superman (originally titled Superman: Legacy). The movie would become the first film entry in the DC Universe, would reintroduce Superman for a new audience, and would star David Corenswet as Superman/Clark Kent.

Joining Corenswet on screen would be Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film would also include a number of DC Comics characters, including Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho, as well as Krypto the Superdog! (129 mins)

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The Superman movies in order

Should you wish to watch the Superman movies in release order, the list of films is as follows:

• Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
• Superman: The Movie (1978)
• Superman II (1980)
• Superman III (1983)
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
• Superman Returns (2006)
• Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)
• Man of Steel (2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
• Superman (2025)

Outside of the main Superman movies above, Superman has also appeared in brief cameos in three DC Extended Universe movies: Shazam! (2019), Black Adam (2022), and The Flash (2023). Stunt actor Ryan Hadley played Superman for a faceless appearance in Shazam!, Henry Cavill briefly reprised the role of Superman for a mid-credit scene in Black Adam, and a computer-generated version of Cavill’s Superman appeared briefly in The Flash.

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Are all of the Superman movies part of the same series?

The Superman movies belong to different collections, which break down as follows:

The Adventures of Superman/George Reeves era

• Superman and the Mole Men (1951)

The Christopher Reeve era of Superman movies

• Superman: The Movie (1978)
• Superman II (1980) or Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)
• Superman III (1983)
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
• Superman Returns (2006)

The DC Extended Universe Superman movies (including cameos)

• Man of Steel (2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Shazam! (2019)*
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
• Black Adam (2022)**
• The Flash (2023)***

*Faceless cameo scene in Shazam!/ **Mid-credit scene cameo in Black Adam/***CGI cameo in The Flash

The DC Universe Superman movies

• Superman (2025)

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Superman-related movies

In addition to the above Superman movies, the live-action Superman film series has also inspired a number of movies which are viewed as ‘Superman adjacent’ tales. These are films/spin-offs which are not actually about Superman, but feature Superman-related characters (i.e characters who originated in Superman comics or Superman media).

The films include:

• Supergirl (1984) – A spin-off movie from the Christopher Reeve-era of Superman movies, starring Helen Slater. The movie takes place between the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, but does not feature Superman. (124 mins)
• Steel (1997) – A stand-alone movie featuring Shaquille O’Neal as Steel. The film is inspired by Steel, a Superman-related character, but the movie does not feature Superman. (97 mins)

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Who are the Superman actors in each movie and who are the directors?

During the course of the Superman movie series, the actor playing Superman/Clark Kent has changed many times. Some of these actors have played the character multiple times, while others have done brief stints.

The Superman actors are as follows:

• George Reeves played Superman in Superman and the Mole Men
• Christopher Reeve played Superman in Superman: The Movie, Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
• Brandon Routh played Superman in Superman Returns
• Henry Cavill played Superman in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League
• David Corenswet played Superman in Superman

As for the Superman directors, they are as follows:

• Lee Sholem directed Superman and the Mole Men
• Richard Donner directed Superman: The Movie, parts of Superman II, and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
• Richard Lester directed parts of Superman II, and Superman III
• Sidney J. Furie directed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
• Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns
• Zack Snyder directed Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, parts of Justice League, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League
• Joss Whedon directed parts of 2017’s Justice League
• James Gunn directed 2025’s Superman

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Which is the best Superman movie?

The Superman movie series has had a bit of a bumpy ride over the course of time, however, the general consensus is that Superman: The Movie and Superman II are amongst the strongest entries in the franchise. According to IMDb, the Superman films are rated as follows:

• Superman and the Mole Men (1951) – 5.5/10
• Superman: The Movie (1978) – 7.4/10
• Superman II (1980) – 6.8/10
• Superman III (1983) – 5.0/10
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) – 3.7/10
• Superman Returns (2006) – 6.1/10
• Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006) – 7.6/10
• Man of Steel (2013) – 7.1/10
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – 6.5/10
• Justice League (2017) – 6.1/10
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) – 7.9/10
• Superman (2025) – Not yet rated

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Editor/writer

Alex Wiggan

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the Superman movie series. For more movie posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads below.