7 best Superman actors, ranked
Over the years, Superman has become more than just a superhero, transcending into a symbol of hope, justice, and strength that encompasses the world of fiction.
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character made its debut in National Allied Publication's June cover-dated Action Comics #1 on April 18, 1938. Superman was among one of the first major superheroes created, and almost instantly became a popular character among readers.
He was the glaring torchbearer of the superhero archetype who led American comic books into its Golden Age. With his iconic blue and red costume, with a red cape swaying on his back, Superman has been a fan-favorite superhero for multiple generations.
Superman was originally an alien named Kal El from the distant planet of Krypton. With the planet on the verge of destruction, he was sent to Earth by his parents with the hope of survival. Found by Martha and Jonathan Kent, Kal El was adopted as their son and named Clark Kent.
He grew up with high morals and used his superpowers to stand up for truth and justice, taking on the mantle of Superman.
With the immense success that the character garnered, he was adapted into multiple other works. The adventures of the Man of Steel inspired multiple films from the early 1940s, with the first live-action feature coming in 1948. Since then, many actors have portrayed the iconic superhero.
In this article, we look at some of the most iconic portrayals of the Man of Steel and rank them in terms of their impact and popularity.
George Reeves and 6 other best portrayals of Superman
7) Dean Cain
Dean Cain played the Kryptonian superhero in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Created by Deborah Joy LeVine, the series premiered on ABC in 1993 and aired four seasons till 1997. Instead of being a superhero action series, it was a lighthearted superhero action rom-com that focused on romance.
Cain's performance was not in line with the original character and other adaptations. With an overly dramatic performance as Clark Kent, he could not bring the adequate amount of authority and presence as the superpowered character demands.
6) Brandon Routh
Superman Returns was Warner Bros.' 2006 reboot and the sixth film under their 1970s film series. Directed by Bryan Singer with a screenplay from Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, Brandon Routh was signed on to play the titular character.
The film was made as a love letter to Christopher Reeve's Superman and Routh's resemblance to Reeve played a huge role in his casting. Being a relatively new actor in the industry, Routh did not have much experience and could not bring a whole lot of originality to the table.
With a more toned-down performance that relied heavily on CGI and the action sequences, Routh takes the sixth spot in the list.
5) Tom Wellington
Tom Wellington plays the lead character in The CW's Smallville, a TV series that ran from 2001 and 2011. The series aired 10 seasons during its run and focused on the growth of the Kryptonian alien, from his younger days to him donning the mantle of the iconic superhero.
As Wellington has said time and again, Smallville was essentially a coming-of-age story that focused not on Superman, but more on Clark Kent and his time growing up dealing with the changes and powers within him.
This made Wellington's portrayal a very unique one compared to other adaptations. His performance was also filled with the nuances and complexities of a young boy who is different from everyone else around him. It also paved the way to Kent's next phase in life of donning the red cape.
4) George Reeves
While many contemporary fans of the Kryptonian superhero might not be aware of George Reeves playing the character, he was all the rage in the 1950s. Adventures of Superman was a TV series developed by Whitney Ellsworth and Robert J. Maxwell. The show aired between 1952 and 1958 with a total of 104 episodes over six seasons.
Reeves was the first actor to convincingly play the role and rise in popularity for the same. Fans loved the show and him in the role, and his popularity as the superhero fighter for justice even got him other similar roles in his career.
However, his performance was not very comic-accurate as his portrayal of Clark Kent was not as timid.
3) Tyler Hoechlin
Tyler Hoechlin first played the character of Superman in Supergirl, under The CW's Arrowverse. He then went on to reprise the role in the spin-off solo series Superman & Lois, which premiered in 2021 and has since aired three seasons, with another season already greenlit.
Hoechlin's Superman wins the third spot in this list because of the nuances of his performance. While most other portrayals were focused on the superhero duties and crime-fighting action sequences, Hoechlin's character shone a light on a different aspect of the character.
The series revolved around Clark Kent balancing his family life alongside his crime-fighting duties. Hoechlin gave a strong performance as a man with god-like powers who still struggles to do the perfect job as a father.
2) Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill is the latest actor to have donned the red cape and blue suit in a film franchise. His first time playing the titular character in DC Extended Universe's first installment, Man of Steel. Zack Snyder directed the movie with a screenplay from David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan working as a producer.
Cavill convincingly portrayed the superhero in three more titles under the DCEU banner before exiting the franchise. With his noteworthy performance and the depth of character and origin, Cavill takes a close second spot in this list.
1) Christopher Reeve
While some might argue with this, Christopher Reeve deserves the top spot in the ranking. Reeve first played the character in the first big-budget adaptation, Superman: The Movie, that released in 1978. Richard Donner directed the film with a screenplay by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Mario Puzo.
Reeve subsequently appeared in three more sequels, between 1980 and 1987. Although Reeve's performance was received extremely well, the films could not match up to it. He also made guest appearances in CW's superhero TV series, Smallville.
Reeve was the first one to immortalize the character in mainstream films, and has to date held on to the mantle. While he has seen many successors, none of them have been able to reach the success that his portrayal received.
This was our ranking for the most iconic portrayals of Superman till date. Does your list match ours or would you make some changes? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.
The mantle of Superman has just been passed on to its latest bearer. With Henry Cavill's exit from the role, James Gunn's DC Universe has just announced David Corenswet to become the next Man of Steel. He will be debuting in the upcoming 2025 release, Superman: Legacy.
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Prem Deshpande