Every Superman Movie in Order: How To Watch Chronologically and by Release Date

Superman is one of the earliest and most recognizable superheroes ever created. Similar to Batman, his popularity has been greatly boosted by his appearances in movies. Although he doesn’t have as many films as Batman, Superman’s movies have arguably had an even bigger impact on popular culture – you can even see athletes imitating his iconic pose when they score! While the quality of Superman movies has varied more than the Batman films, the character still enjoys a dedicated fanbase.

I first fell in love with Superman through the Justice League cartoon, and that led me to explore the comics. But everyone has their own way of discovering him! For a lot of people, it’s been through the movies – whether they grew up with Christopher Reeve or, like me, are excited about David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel. Just to show how long Superman’s been a part of our lives, here’s a list of every Superman movie ever made, organized by when they came out and the different eras they represent.

Superman Movies in Both Chronological Order and by Release Date

You can watch the Superman movies in the order they were released without worrying about plot holes or confusing continuity issues. They were released in a way that makes following the story easy.

1
‘Superman’ (1948)

Colombia Pictures

As a huge movie fan, I always love going back to where it all began! Superman actually first flew onto screens in 1941 with those classic Max Fleischer cartoons, but it wasn’t until 1948 that we saw a live-action Superman in a movie serial. Just like the early Batman films, it was released in fifteen weekly chapters for theaters. This serial tells Superman’s origin story – how Clark Kent discovers who he really is and starts becoming the hero we know. Kirk Alyn played Superman, though interestingly, he wasn’t credited by name! They actually credited ‘Superman’ himself to keep the magic alive. The villain he faces is a character called The Spider Lady, played by Carol Forman, and it’s pretty cool to learn that she was created for the serial and only recently made her way into the comics!

Despite having very limited budgets, the special effects in these early Superman films still hold up surprisingly well and have a unique appeal. Each episode ends with a suspenseful cliffhanger after establishing Superman’s backstory. Superman was already well-known, but these serials made him even more popular. The success of these short Superman movies led to a sequel just two years later and also paved the way for the Batman serials. While a bit campy by today’s standards, these early films are worth watching to see where Superman’s journey on the big screen began.

2
‘Atom Man Vs. Superman’ (1950)

Colombia Pictures

Two years after the initial serial, a new 15-chapter adventure featuring Superman was released, titled Atom Man vs. Superman. The story centers on Superman battling the villain known as Atom Man. However, Atom Man isn’t a completely new character – he’s actually Lex Luthor in disguise. This serial marks Lex Luthor’s first live-action appearance, with Lyle Talbot playing the role. Talbot had previously portrayed James Gordon in the 1949 Batman & Robin serial.

Kirk Alyn returns as Superman, though he doesn’t receive screen credit. This serial is more straightforward, relying on classic, dramatic cliffhangers at the end of each episode. But this actually enhances its appeal. Atom Man vs. Superman really captures the feel of those early Superman comics, and just like the previous serial, it significantly increased the character’s already widespread popularity.

3
‘Superman and the Mole Men’ (1951)

Lippert Pictures

Released in 1951, Superman and the Mole Men was a black and white film starring George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane. The story follows Clark Kent and Lois Lane as they investigate a small town where oil drilling has disturbed a race of underground creatures. Fearful residents threaten the creatures, and Superman must intervene to prevent a dangerous conflict.

The initial movie success spawned a television series, The Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves. This show cemented Superman’s place as a globally beloved hero. Reeves continued to portray the character until his untimely death on June 16, 1959. The details surrounding his death remain unclear, but his performance left a significant legacy.

4
‘Superman: The Movie’ (1978)

Warner Brothers

We often call things ‘legendary’ or ‘iconic,’ but the 1978 film Superman: The Movie truly earns those labels. It redefined the character of Superman and essentially launched the modern superhero movie genre. Remarkably, the film’s special effects still look good even now.

Christopher Reeve didn’t just play Superman – he became him, stepping straight out of the DC Comics pages and onto the big screen. Many fans still believe he is the definitive Superman. Reeve brilliantly portrayed both Clark Kent and Superman as distinct individuals. His Clark Kent was meek, awkward, and hesitant, while his Superman was powerful, confident, and approachable. Reeve’s performance remains the standard against which all other portrayals of Superman are measured.

If you love Superman, this is the definitive movie about him. While it might feel a little old-fashioned now, it’s the film that really launched the entire superhero movie genre. After watching it, you’ll genuinely believe a man can fly, and it inspired a generation to dream of becoming heroes themselves. It remains one of the best superhero films ever made, thanks to its strong cast, compelling story, and impressive special effects.

5
‘Superman II’ (1980)

Warner Bros.

The story of Superman II begins with events that happened before Krypton’s destruction. Jor-El exiled three criminals to the Phantom Zone, and they eventually break free and come to Earth, seeking revenge on Superman (Kal-El) for what his father did. Surprisingly, many fans actually like Superman II even more than the first Superman movie. Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman return as their original characters, and Terence Stamp delivers a memorable performance with a larger role as General Zod.

The movie skillfully combined drama, action, and humor. At its core, Superman II focused on the love story between Clark Kent and Lois Lane, and the difficult choice Clark faced: pursuing a relationship with Lois or continuing his life as an almost immortal hero. The film effectively explored the benefits and drawbacks of self-sacrifice and how even small decisions can have major consequences. This storyline – a superhero giving up their powers – proved so impactful that it later inspired similar plot points in films like Spider-Man 2 and Wonder Woman 1984.

6
Superman III (1983)

Although some people enjoy it, Superman III is generally considered the start of a decline in quality for the film series. It’s a noticeable departure in tone from the first two movies, leaning much more into campy humor. Instead of facing familiar villains like Lex Luthor or threats from other Kryptonians, Superman battles a greedy businessman. One of the film’s more unique ideas is the introduction of an artificial Kryptonite that actually splits Superman into two separate versions of himself.

With Lois Lane not appearing in this film, Lana Lang (played by Annette O’Toole, who later starred as Martha Kent in the Smallville TV series) becomes Clark Kent’s romantic interest. O’Toole was one of several actors from the earlier movies who also appeared in Smallville. Richard Pryor joins the cast as Gus, a comedic character many fans felt was unnecessary. This film marked the first time in the series that reviews were generally unenthusiastic.

7
‘Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’ (1987)

Warner Bros.  

Superman IV: The Quest For Peace mainly exists to promote a message against nuclear weapons. However, the film suffered from being produced by Cannon Films, a studio known for low-quality but sometimes entertaining movies in the 1980s. Some viewers might consider this film to fall into that “so bad it’s good” category.

This movie features Superman attempting to eliminate all nuclear weapons worldwide. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor tries to defeat him by launching Superman’s DNA into space alongside weapons, which bizarrely results in the creation of Nuclear Man – a new supervillain who sounds exactly like Luthor. Unfortunately, this sequel to the beloved original films was a critical and commercial failure. Its heavy-handed message overshadowed the already weak story, and even for 1987, the special effects were terrible. It also seemed like the actors weren’t particularly invested in the project.

Sadly, this movie marked Christopher Reeve’s final appearance as Superman. In 1995, a tragic accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.

8
‘Superman Returns’ (2006)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Following the disappointing performance of Superman IV, the Superman film series went on a nearly 20-year hiatus. In 2006, Superman Returns was released, directed by Bryan Singer, who was known for his work on X-Men. The film aimed to recapture the spirit of the original Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve, and largely ignored the storylines of Superman III and Superman IV. It wasn’t a complete restart, but rather a continuation of the first two films.

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Before the movie begins, Superman temporarily leaves Earth, hoping to find survivors from his home planet, Krypton. He returns five years later to discover Krypton is still gone and that Lex Luthor is causing trouble again. Although the film was a hit with both audiences and critics, Warner Bros. felt it could have been even more successful.

A sequel to the movie was originally planned for 2009, but those plans were cancelled and a fresh start with a reboot was chosen instead. Brandon Routh received a lot of positive attention for his performance as Superman and later reprised the role as an older version of the character in The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.

9
‘Man of Steel’ (2013)

Clay Enos/©Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

Following the end of the Dark Knight films and the huge success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Warner Bros. decided to create its own shared universe of films, leading to the launch of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The first film in this new universe was Man of Steel, which brought Superman back to the big screen after a seven-year absence. Henry Cavill starred as Superman, and many fans consider his portrayal to be as good as Christopher Reeve’s. The film offered a grittier take on the character, notably showing Superman taking a life. While Man of Steel received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, it was a financial success and marked a fresh start for DC fans.

Man of Steel tells the story of Clark Kent discovering and embracing his powers to defend Earth. Throughout his life, Clark hid his abilities, even isolating himself from the world. However, when a Kryptonian army, led by General Zod, arrives seeking retribution for their past imprisonment by Superman’s father, Clark must accept his fate. The film explores Superman’s journey to becoming a hero. The movie remains popular with fans, and Henry Cavill has become a beloved portrayal of Superman.

10
‘Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)

Warner Bros.

After Man of Steel, the second movie in the DC Extended Universe is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film explores how people react to Superman’s presence – some see him as a savior, while others, like Bruce Wayne, fear his immense power and the potential for destruction. The movie focuses on the conflict between the two most iconic heroes in the DC Universe.

Witnessing the devastation in Metropolis forces Bruce Wayne to come out of retirement and become Batman once more. This Batman is fiercer and more aggressive than before, drawing the attention of Superman. Their conflict is exactly what Lex Luthor intends, as he’s secretly creating his own powerful creature to distract them both. Ben Affleck reprises his role as Batman, and Henry Cavill returns as Superman in this often-debated film. Crucially, the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice lay the groundwork for the Justice League movie.

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2026-01-22 02:53