Happy weekend, everyone! With James Gunn’s Superman opening wide in theaters this weekend, I thought I’d rank all of the live-action SUPERMAN movies that I’ve seen since the 1978 Richard Donner movie. I’m excluding animated movies and Justice League, which is more of an ensemble cast, and Supes barely even appear in the movie.

My Superman ranking list on Letterboxd

So here’s my ranking from BEST to WORST:

1. Superman II (1980)

Directed by Richard Lester

The first movie with Christopher Reeve will always be special in my heart, but Superman II is no doubt the better movie with a perfect ending. This is also the Superman movie I’ve seen the most out of all others. A hero’s greatness is often measured by the villain’s strength in a superhero film, and here we’ve got a great Terrence Stamp as General Zod, playing Superman’s formidable Kryptonian villain who shares his strength but not his benevolence. The Metropolis battle is a lot of fun to watch, and Superman uses his ‘mind over muscle’ to finally defeat Zod, Ursa, and Non.

2. Superman: The Movie (1978)

Directed by Richard Donner

This is the first Superman live-action movie I’ve ever seen, so despite the problematic and ridiculous ending, I will always love this movie, and Christopher Reeve remains the definitive Superman for me. It’s also the first time I heard John Williams’ iconic score… as Reeve himself said, Williams’ score transformed Superman from a comic book character into a mythic figure, capable of inspiring audiences worldwide.

The casting of Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor creates the perfect trio of the three main characters that hasn’t been perfected again until James Gunn did in 2025.

Donner sure made us all believe a man could fly! Plus, it’s got one of the most iconic superhero rescue scenes ever with the helicopter scene!

3. Superman (2025)

Directed by James Gunn

James Gunn takes plenty of bold swings, and a few don’t quite hit the mark, but he did mostly right with his adaptation. There’s a heightened sense of benevolence in his interpretation of Superman…he doesn’t stand at arms length but walks amongst regular folks, he even knows a street food vendor by name. Yet there’s also a charming goofiness and layers of vulnerability, especially when it comes to Lois.

Gunn’s biggest achievement is finding the ideal trio of actors to bring to life the three main characters: Superman, Lois, and Lex, with David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult.

Never has so much been riding on the success of a Superman film like this one. This is the first movie from the newly created DC Studios’ shared universe, so its success is crucial for gaining traction and sparking renewed interest in Superman and the DC brand. Let’s just say the new DCU is off to a flying start!

4. Superman III (1987)

Directed by Richard Lester

Hiring Richard Pryor to amp up the comedic tone is perhaps not the best idea. Even when Pryor wasn’t around, the goofiness is off the charts. Instead of a Lex Luthor, we’ve got another tycoon named Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn) which is not at all menacing. The part about Clark Kent returning to Smallville and reconnecting with Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole) is sweet but Superman’s relationship with her is borderline creepy (but then again again this is when he’s infected by Kryptonite).

My favorite scene is the duel between the good + bad Superman and the fact that Christopher Reeve never looks more manly + super attractive with a stubble, so it’s still watchable overall.

5. Superman Returns (2006)

Directed by Bryan Singer
This is the rom-com version of Superman as our Kryptonian hero is reduced to a forlorn, love-sick puppy around Lois. Brandon Routh’s Superman even acts like a stalker, listening in on her private conversation. Meanwhile, Kate Bosworth is not at all believable as a hard-hitting journalist, let alone one who has won a Pulitzer! Kevin Spacey, on the other hand, is believable as a villain (for obvious reasons)

The whole ‘Superman kid’ bit is preposterous and off-putting, with Routh reciting Marlon Brando’s Jor-El’s line from the original movie ‘You will make my strength your own. You will see my life through your eyes…’ that doesn’t feel earned.

The only bright spot is the romantic flying scene, as it was beautifully shot and John Williams’ score is used beautifully once again.

6. Man of Steel (2013)

 

Directed by Zack Snyder

This is a movie I really loved when I first watched it (my original review backs that up), but each time I rewatch it, I find myself liking it less. The first half of the film, before we even see Kal-El put on the suit, is way more engaging for me compared to the second half, where Superman does all sorts of amazing heroic feats.

The film is missing that one memorable moment that really shows Superman as the ‘savior of humanity.’ Henry Cavill definitely has the look, but he doesn’t quite come off as the kind, caring, and hopeful hero who’s always there to lend a hand. The one bright spot is Russell Crowe’s casting as Jor-El, more because I love Crowe in pretty much anything, and he adds so much gravitas to the role, and Superman’s biological dad has more screen time here than ever before.

The action also gets way too bombastic and annoyingly relentless. As soon as Zod descends on Earth with his small band of Kryptonian army, all hell breaks loose, and not in a good way. So even though I gave the movie a 3/5 in my original review, this is the rating I’d give it now.

7. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2013)

Directed by Zack Snyder

Dawn of Justice is such an ugly movie with garish colors, even more gloomy than Man of Steel, if you can believe that. Zack Snyder is known for his visual flair, but I can’t even think of a single truly spectacular scene that took my breath away. It’s so haphazardly constructed, the transition from one scene to the next is so mind-numbingly jumpy and disconcerting.

What’s unforgivable is that Snyder & co. have made a formidable hero like Superman so tedious and impossible to root for. It’s not Henry Cavill’s fault, as Superman’s written that way, far from the kindhearted and compassionate superhero we’ve come to expect.

The only memorable bit that made me smile is when Wonder Woman shows up during a climactic battle…

Superman to Batman, “Is she with you?”
Batman replies, “I thought she was with you”

8. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Directed by Sidney J. Furie

While Gene Hackman was persuaded to still appear in this one, we don’t see him as much; instead, we get the ghastly Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow) as a lame villain. We barely see the great Margot Kidder either, replaced by a much younger and prettier Mariel Hemingway, which is a travesty! I always prefer Lois Lane to be central in a Superman story, but the whole script is just a mess to begin with.

Christopher Reeve seems pretty uninterested throughout most of the film, as if he wasn’t really into it. It’s said that he took on Superman IV just to get the go-ahead for the serious drama Street Smart, where he stars as a reporter who has a run-in with the legendary Morgan Freeman, who plays a pimp. Thankfully, Reeve’s legacy as Superman didn’t get tarnished by this terrible adaptation.

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What do you think of my ranking? How would YOU rank the Superman live-action films?