On April 18, 1938, Action Comics #1 hit newsstands. With it, a creation of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster by the name of Superman entered the public consciousness. This character and his grand abilities immediately became so popular that it was no time at all before he leapt over not just a tall building in a single bound, but into other forms of pop culture. 1940s radio plays and the Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons immediately made it clear that this character could live on well beyond the comics page.
Since then, countless actors have portrayed Superman/Clark Kent in live-action film and television. Not all of them have been revered by Superman fans or become instant pop culture classics. However, when ranking them from worst to best, it becomes immediately clear they’ve all had some form of impact on the larger world. Superman doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither do the actors who’ve portrayed him in live-action.
8) Henry Cavill
Everything went wrong with Henry Cavill’s Superman, and not because of any controversies over “comics accuracy.” Henry Cavill’s Superman just didn’t work from top to bottom, including with his terrible supersuit. The textures on this Superman outfit just looked unpleasant to the eye while the removal of the red trunks was a big mistake. One little contrasting garment kept the default Superman outfit from being a garish blob of unending blue. Meanwhile, Cavill struggled selling discernible fun or dramatically compelling variations in the Clark Kent and Superman personas.
His Superman also wasn’t very compelling thanks to Cavill’s limited chops as a performer, a drawback that sank other movies like Argylle and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. His lack of any concrete aura in the role made his Superman a black hole of personality. Needless to say, that just wasn’t very interesting to watch across Superman’s various DC Extended Universe appearances. Genuine props to Cavill and company for trying something new with this character, but the execution was woefully tedious. When even the Superman suit looks lackluster, you know you’re in trouble.
7) George Reeves
There’s an innate intensity to the George Reeves Superman that’s hard to get past. Maybe it’s because of how often he came crashing through various walls, or perhaps it’s just that Reeves had a decidedly older face than many of the other men who’ve portrayed this character. That quality and Reeves (much like Cavill) struggling to provide concrete differences between his Clark Kent and Superman personas make this one of the weakest takes on Superman in live-action. Still, George Reeves deserves roses for proving that this character could work in the “real world” over a long-form TV show. Tom Welling, Dean Cain, and so many others owe their careers to this man.
6) Dean Cain
There are undeniably fun charms in Dean Cain’s main performance as Clark Kent/Superman across four seasons of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He’s got amiable energy befitting a ’90s genre TV show that aired on ABC. However, he’s undeniably overshadowed on the program by Teri Hatcher’s infinitely more acclaimed work as Lois Lane. Plus, the inherent limits of what kind of writing or depth a TV program from this era could accomplish mean Cain’s Superman was always on the shallow side. There’s fleeting entertainment in this Superman, but nothing that leaves a lasting impression.
5) Brandon Routh
Thank God for the Arrowverse. If it weren’t for that sprawling continuity of DC shows, Brandon Routh’s Superman would only be judged by his Superman Returns appearance. On those grounds, Routh would’ve ranked even lower than Cavill on this list. Returns is a morose slog of a movie that saddles Routh with a flatly written version of Superman too enamored with channeling the Christopher Reeve incarnation of the character. Neither the film’s mopey tone nor the reverent yesteryear-obsessed writing gave Routh room to make the character his own.
When the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover rolled around in 2019, though, Rotuh returned to the Superman role as a version of the character inspired by the Kingdom Come comics miniseries. This iteration of the character gave Routh so much more to work with, particularly in how this Superman has lost so many people (including Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen) over the years. The small screen gave Routh a memorable chance for redemption that finally washed away the sour taste of Superman Returns.
4) Tyler Hoechlin
After exuding so much charm in his scene-stealing supporting turn in Everybody Wants Some!!, it was no surprise that Tyler Hoechlin made such an awesome Superman in his various appearances across the Arrowverse, including his own solo show, Superman & Lois. An unabashedly old-school take on the character, Hoechlin made irony-free crusades for truth and justice something easy to invest in. Though not the most complex rendering of the character, Hoechlin was still a delight to watch as a classical take on this superhero.
3) Tom Welling
The duality of Superman and Clark Kent has been at the forefront of most live-action incarnations of this character. For Tom Welling’s take on this figure in Smallville, though, Clark Kent was the centerpiece of the entire production. This lengthy origin story for Superman gave Welling a chance to compelling depict what it’s like to grow up as a teenager with superpowers. His extraordinary chemistry with co-stars like Kristen Kreuk and especially Erica Durance (as Lana Lang and Lois Lane, respectively) further exemplified how much Welling excelled in Smallville’s intimate confines. This actor didn’t even need to constantly rock a cape to emerge as one of the great live-action versions of Clark Kent/Superman.
2) David Corenswet
After so many years, it turns out somebody else can deliver an outstanding Superman on the big screen besides Christopher Reeve. David Corenswet, in his first leading role in a film, absolutely crushed playing Clark Kent/Superman in every respect. For one thing, he embraces the role without even a crumb of snark. Potentially hokey lines in the hands of other actors emerge from his lips as genuine, moving displays of Superman’s commitment to goodness.
Plus, whereas Henry Cavill was built like a tank yet didn’t seem like a normal person, Corenswet’s Superman comes off as an immensely affable person (both in physicality and demeanor) that Metropolis citizens would adore. He’s not just tailor-made for action sequences. He truly radiates hopefulness. The fact that Corenswet has such incredible chemistry with everyone in Superman’s cast (from Rachel Brosnahan to Nathan Fillion to CG Krypto) just sweetens the deal. Whereas Cavill’s Superman was a blank slate and Routh’s Superman was too devoted to the past, Corenswet’s Superman is something endlessly entertaining and new that captures your heart.
1) Christopher Reeve
Who else on Earth could have topped this list? Christopher Reeve wasn’t the first actor to portray Superman/Clark Kent in a live-action movie (George Reeves will forever have that honor), but he is the one all subsequent live-action versions of the character in any medium will have to live up to. Reeve’s Superman was just such a joyful treat, conveying such a warm, lovable personality. He’s just the sort of kind-hearted soul you’d want to encounter in times of strife. Plus, his costume still reigns supreme above all other Superman outfits; the colors and textures absolutely pop.
Reeve was also unparalleled in the way he shifted between the Clark Kent and Superman personas with immense ease and believability. This incredible balancing act is one so many actors can’t come close to achieving, yet Reeve made it look so effortless. Even weaker Superman movies couldn’t diminish this man’s dedication and talent in inhabiting this role. There’s simply no end to the compliments one could pay to Christopher Reeve’s take on Superman. He’s not just the champion of live-action Superman incarnations, he’s also one of the greatest pieces of casting in any comic book adaptation.
Superman (2025) is now playing in theaters.
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