Look! Up in the Sky! It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s … Superman! The “man of steel” made a huge impact when he first appeared in the pages of DC’s Action Comics #1. Published in 1938, he was America’s first superhero. Ever.
Although faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, he has two weaknesses – kryptonite and smart, good-looking news reporters.
Superman has also been a difficult character to “get right”. He has been portrayed in the movies and on TV by nine different actors (not counting the animated versions). Here are the men who have become Superman over the years:
Kirk Alyn
Superman (1948)
Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Kirk Alyn was the first actor to portray the superhero on film through 15 episodes of Superman, a serial by Columbia Pictures. He was also the oldest actor to don the cape.
In 1999 at the age of 88, Alyn told The New York Times, “I thought it was a publicity stunt. I didn’t think you could ever put Superman on film. They brought the people from D.C. Comics over and they said, ‘Hey, he looks just like Clark Kent.’ They said take off your shirt, so I did and flexed my muscles. Then the guy said, ‘Take off your pants’ and I said, ‘Wait a minute.’ I was 37 when I played Superman. I picked up that girl and ran up that flight of stairs like it was nothing.”
Kirk played Superman one more time two years later for a second serial, Atom Man vs. Superman. Lyle Talbot played Lex Luthor, aka the Atom Man who created a disintegrating machine which reduced humans down to basic atoms.
George Reeves
Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
I Love Lucy (1957)
Having appeared in such films as Gone With the Wind, the Charlie Chan movie, Dead Men Tell, five Hopalong Cassidy films and the Oscar-winning From Here to Eternity, George Reeves was offered the role of Superman for the Adventures of Superman TV series. At first, Reeves was resistant to the idea thinking that TV was less important than movies. But this role had its start in the movies.
Reeves starred in the feature film Superman and the Mole Men by Lippert Pictures. It was used as a pilot for the TV series. Immediately after filming the movie, the crew went to work on the new show.
Although the show had a very low budget, it was terribly popular making Reeves a big star, but not the kind of notoriety he was looking for. A total of 104 episodes were created with some edited together to become theatrical feature films shown in theaters outside of the U.S.
In 1957, Reeves appeared in an episode of I Love Lucy. Lucy dressed up as Superman as a birthday surprise for her son, Little Ricky, but she got herself locked out on the ledge of her apartment building. Reeves as the “real” Superman saved the day.
Christopher Reeve
Superman (1978)
Superman II (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Christopher Reeve (no relation to George Reeves), auditioned for the role of Superman even though he wasn’t really a fan of the comic book series. Other than being good-looking and tall, but Reeve didn’t really fit the part. He was pretty thin, so he wore a heavy sweater to the audition to appear bigger, and he used Cary Grant’s role in Bringing Up Baby as inspiration for the Clark Kent persona. After winning the role, Reeve chose to work with a trainer to bulk up rather than wear a muscled bodysuit.
The first movie was a huge success. Audiences really enjoyed Christopher’s performance, and the movie was nominated for three Academy Awards. It demanded a sequel. Superman II was also a big hit.
For the third film, comedian Richard Pryor was brought on to play a prominent role which changed the movie’s dynamic. Critics were not too keen on the end result. Reeve even expressed regret for being a part of it. He described the movie as a “dated Richard Pryor comedy” and thought that his version of Superman appeared less heroic in it. However, that was nothing compared the fourth movie in the series.
It was Reeve who pitched a storyline focused on the nuclear arms race for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Unfortunately, it featured an even weaker storyline and cheap special effects. Jon Cryer, who played Lex Luthor’s nephew, told CNN that Reeve took him aside said, “This is going to be terrible.”
Not only was the movie a flop, but it was also nominated for two Golden Raspberry awards and Reeve expressed that it had become a significant disappointment in his career. When it came to the 5th movie, Superman Reborn, Reeve had it good. The movie was never made.
Dean Cain
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
When auditioning to play Superman for ABC’s new series, Lois & Clark, the casting director thought that Dean Cain looked too young for the role. She has been quoted saying “We’re casting Superman, not Superboy! However, after auditioning hundreds of other “super-men” who also didn’t fit the role, Cain got a callback.
Cain was cast alongside Teri Hatcher who played Lois Lane. The show focused a lot more on the couple’s romantic side while keeping in mind that it was first and foremost, a superhero show. The show even gave more screen time to Clark Kent than Superman at times.
Dean’s interpretations of the iconic character had a blend of charm, humor and vulnerability which resonated with audiences. However, after Clark and Lois tied the knot at the beginning of season 4, the ratings for the show tanked leading to its’ cancellation.
Tom Welling
Smallville (2001-2011)
After auditioning for the role of Clark Kent for the TV series Smallville, Tom Welling turned down the role. Twice. But he finally gave in and it’s a good thing that he did too. Smallville became The WB’s highest-rated series to debut on the network. It also became TV’s longest-running Superman-themed show in history.
What makes this series so unique is that Clark never dons the Superman costume during the show’s entire 10-season run. Instead, the show decided to focus more on the character’s origin stories.
Welling wasn’t a Superman fan before getting the part and never really became one. He purposefully chose not to read any Superman comics while working on the show either. And it worked. According to MTV’s Karl Heitmueller, Smallville‘s Clark Kent was a better representation of the original material and remained “true to the heart of the story”.
Brandon Routh
Superman Returns (2006)
The Flash (2019)
Batwoman (2019)
After the disaster of Superman IV, Warner Bros. had attempted another Superman movie for over 10 years before settling on Superman Returns. Some of the men auditioning for the main role included Smallville’s Tom Welling and future Superman, Henry Cavill. Brandon Routh had actually auditioned for a different role entirely, but because he looked a lot like Christopher Reeve, he won the part. Superman Returns’ storyline is set after Superman II, so it made sense.
Generally, critics liked the film but a few felt that Routh lacked charisma. Ticket sales for the movie weren’t huge either, so Warner Bros. went back to the drawing board to rethink how to successfully reboot the film series.
After Superman Returns, Routh went on to play the hero again, but not for another movie. Instead, he played Superman for two episodes of TV’s The Flash and Batwoman.
Henry Cavill
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Justice League (2017)
Henry Cavill was first cast to play Superman for the movie, Superman: Flyby which apparently was inspired by Disney/Pixar’s animated UP. Fortunately, that movie was scrapped. Then Cavill auditioned for Superman Returns but lost that role to Brandon Routh. However, the third time was the charm when he won the role for the film, Man of Steel.
Cavill became the first non-American to play the role of Superman. He also became the first to not wear the red trunks! Unlike previous Superman movies, this one was a lot more serious. Even his red and blue suit was muted. Cavill told Yahoo of his character: “He’s alone and there’s no one like him. That must be incredibly scary and lonely, not to know who you are or what you are and trying to find out what makes sense. Where’s your baseline? What do you draw from? Where do you draw a limit with the power you have? In itself, that’s an incredible weakness.”
Despite his brooding character, Cavill continued to play the iconic role for two more movies – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. However, these films continued to disappoint Warner Bros. executives, so they went to work on yet another reboot of the Superman character.
Tyler Hoechlin
Supergirl (2016, 2018-2019)
The Flash (2018)
Arrow (2018, 2020)
Batwoman (2019)
Legends of Tomorrow (2020)
Superman & Lois (2021-2024)
Unlike other actors who wanted to play Superman – Hoechlin didn’t have to audition for the role for the TV series, Supergirl. He was producer Greg Berlanti’s first choice. And unlike Cavill’s rendition of the character, Hoechlin’s portrayal has been described by some as a “breath of fresh air.” He has been seen as a balance of heroic qualities and relatable human flaws.
Hoechlin’s character only appeared in six episodes of the show, but the role afforded him to replay the character again and again for appearances in other DC TV series like The Flash, Arrow, Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow.
In 2021, Hoechlin got the chance to play Superman as a leading man for a new series, Superman & Lois. In this series, Clark Kent and Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) with their sons, Jonathan and Jordan, move to Smallville. So yeah, this show features Superman as a dad. On one hand, it was a show about work/life balance while also fighting supervillains and aliens.
David Corenswet
Superman (2025)
After years of missing the mark on reboots, James Gunn seems to have won over audiences and critics with his 2025 summer film. Although he gets beat up a lot in the movie, David Corenswet’s version of Superman seems to contain the best features of all of the previous Super-men combined.
Gunn told Variety that he was looking for a Superman who had humanity, kindness, compassion and “somebody who you want to give a hug.” Corenswet seems to have been in agreement as he has said that he had hoped to see a “bright and optimistic version of the character”. Fans seem to have approved too. We will most definitely being seeing more of Corenswet’s Superman in the near future.
Which version of Superman is your favorite?
Main Image: On the set of 2025’s Superman (Warner Bros.)
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