Superman Movies in Order: How To Watch Chronologically and By Release Date

The Man of Steel has had a prolific, and here are all of the Superman theatrical movies in order of release.

One of the first superheroes to exist, Superman remains one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time. That is the ultimate truth. Like Batman, much of the character's success is owed in part to the silver screen. While Superman may not have as many movies as Batman, his films are arguably more important in terms of cultural impact (and just the long development history to bring the character to life). There is a reason why athletes like to celebrate touchdowns and dunks with a Superman celebration. The Superman movies are much more hit or miss than Batman's, though, but the series still has fiercely loyal fans.

Update July 1, 2023: With the recent announcement of the casting for Superman: Legacy, this article has been updated by Timothy Lindsey to include even more details on the Superman film history.

While it has been almost ten years since Superman had his own solo movie. While it was originally believed Henry Cavill would reprise his role as Superman after Black Adam, the decision was soon made to reboot the franchise. Superman: Legacy was announced by DC Studios co-president James Gunn, and the film recently cast its Superman and Lois Lane. Audiences are once again excited at the prospect of more Superman films. For audiences looking to get in the Superman mood following the announcement, here is every Superman film, from simple serials to huge crossovers, and every theatrically released Superman film in order of release. Since the character has been rebooted a few times, there are a few different chronological timelines for fans to follow and choose from.

Superman Movies in Both Chronological Order and by Release Date

Superman - January 5, 1948

Atom Man vs. Superman - July 20, 1950

Superman and the Mole Men - November 23, 1951

Superman: The Movie - December 15, 1978

Superman II - June 19, 1981

Superman III - June 17, 1983

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace - July 24, 1987

Superman Returns - June 28, 2006

Man of Steel - June 14, 2013

Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice - March 25, 2016

Justice League - November 17, 2017

Superman: Legacy - July 11, 2025

Superman (1948)

Superman first appeared outside the comics in 1941 with the famous Max Fleischer cartoons, and seven years later he made his live-action debut with Superman. Like Batman, Superman's first live-action appearance was in a 15-part serial released in weekly theatrical episodes. This original serial chronicles the origins of Superman. The titular hero is played by Kirk Alyn, who went uncredited; to maintain the illusion of Superman, Superman was credited as himself in the film. The story follows Clark Kent learning who he is, as well as facing The Spider Lady. The Spider Lady is an original creation and only just recently appeared in the comics.

The film's budget was very small, which didn't help the special effects. While a far cry from the blockbusters of today, these effects are still passable for the time and just add to the charm. After his origin is given in the first three parts, the episodes end with cliffhangers. Superman was already a popular character, but these serials boosted him to new heights. The success of these small Superman films not only led to a sequel two years later but also inspired the Batman serials. This early form of Superman is very cheesy and a product of the time, but fans should check it out to see his humble big-screen beginnings.

Atom Man Vs. Superman (1950)

Two years later, a new 15-part serial was released featuring the Man of Steel. Atom Man vs. Superman features Superman going up against the titular Atom Man. While this may seem like another original character, his alias is a name all too familiar. Atom Man is the alter ego of classic baddie Lex Luthor. Lex's first live-action appearance is portrayed by Lyle Talbot, who previously appeared as James Gordon in the 1949 serial Batman & Robin. Kirk Alyn reprises his role as Superman, once again going uncredited. This serial was much more traditional, being gimmicky and with each episode being a cliffhanger. However, this once again simply adds to the charm. Atom Man vs. Superman truly feels like an early Superman comic has come to life, like with the previous serial, Atom Man Vs. Superman gave the already highly popular character a huge boost.

Superman and The Mole Men (1951)

In 1951, Superman and the Mole Men were released in theaters. The black and white film featured George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane. Clark Kent and Lois Lane arrive at a small town whose recent oil drillings have unearthed a mysterious race of creatures from the Earth, and the townsfolk are scared of these creatures, and Superman must step in to prevent a conflict between the two sides.

This led to a television series starring George Reeves named The Adventures of Superman, which helped solidify Superman as one of the most popular heroes on the planet. George Reeves played the character until his death on June 16, 1959. The circumstances around his death still remain a mystery to this date, but he left a lasting mark on the character.

Superman: The Movie (1978)

The words 'legendary' and 'iconic' are thrown around fairly often. If there is one film that truly deserves these titles, it is Superman: The Movie from 1978. This film changed the character forever and paved the way for other superhero films to follow. The film's groundbreaking special effects still hold up today and are a masterclass in the art. The film stars Marlon Brando as Jor-El; adding this icon and juggernaut of an actor just elevated the film's legendary status, and audiences quickly took the film seriously because of it.

Another well-known actor to join the film was Gene Hackman. Gene played classic Superman villain Lex Luthor, in a performance that is often compared as the touchstone to other portrayals of Lex. While these two actors took top billing, the titular role was given to a then-unknown actor. While he wasn't known yet, he would soon become synonymous with the name Superman.

Christopher Reeve seemed like the character of Superman had actually left the pages of DC Comics and made a movie. To this day, so many fans claim Christopher Reeve doesn't simply play Superman, he is Superman. He manages to play Clark Kent and Superman as two different characters. His Clark is hunched over, clumsy, and speaks in an unsure and nervous manner. As Superman, he stands tall, has a deep voice, and is an imposing but warm figure. Christopher Reeves is, and always will be, the portrayal that all other versions of Superman will be compared to. Margot Kidder plays Lois, and her sassy and independent attitude would be the groundwork for all other versions from that point forward.

The film features one of the best John Williams scores, and in doing so created arguably the most iconic superhero theme of all time. This theme song has stuck with the character for decades, even appearing in Superman projects that aren't connected to this one, such as Smallville and the theatrical cut of Justice League. It was recently featured in the end credits of Black Adam which saw the return of Henry Cavill as Superman. For fans of the character, this is the Superman story. It may be corny at times, but this is the film that truly started the superhero film. One viewing, and you will truly believe a man can fly. It made fans want to become superheroes in their own right. Simply put, it is one of the great superhero films of all-time because of its great cast, storyline and special effects.

Superman II (1980)

Superman was such a popular character, that late director Richard Donner filmed a sequel while simultaneously filming the first movie. Due to rising tensions between Donner and the producers, production on the second film was halted in order to complete the first. Over 70% of the film was completed when it was halted. After the first film proved successful, Richard Donner was fired, and Richard Lester was brought on to finish Superman II, most of which he re-shot. The majority of the cast and crew objected to this decision, and they only returned to do re-shoots due to contractual obligations. If this sounds familiar, that is because a very similar incident occurred decades later with Justice League.

Also like that film, the original director eventually returned to complete his vision for the film. Both the theatrical and Donner cuts have the same plot, however. Before Krypton was destroyed, Jor-El helped banish three criminals into the Phantom Zone. These criminals, led by General Zod, eventually escape and travel to Earth, seeking revenge on Kal-el for his father's sins. More than 40 years later, Superman II is actually preferred by many fans over the original film. Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman all reprise their roles, and Terence Stamp gets an expanded role as General Zod, giving a fantastic performance.

The film blended drama, action, and comedy in a perfect manner. At the heart of Superman II was the relationship between Clark and Lois. Clark is faced with a dilemma: choose to be with the woman he loves or remain a nearly immortal hero. The film does a great job of showing the pros and cons of sacrifice and how the smallest decisions can have devastating repercussions. This outline for a superhero giving up their powers in the sequel has been so influential to the genre it is featured in Spider-Man 2 and Wonder Woman 1984.

The biggest change between the theatrical and Donner cuts, however, is the ending. The Donner ending is essentially the same as the first movie, where Superman travels around the world so fast that he reverses time. In the theatrical cut, Superman kisses Lois so hard that she loses her memory. Neither ending is great, and fans are split as to which one is better and are sour notes to end otherwise great films.

Superman III (1983)

While the third entry in the Superman film series has its fans, most agree that this is where the quality began to dip. Richard Lester returns to the director's chair, much to the disapproval of the cast, namely Margot Kidder. She was so outspoken against the producers firing Richard Donner that her role was reduced to a mere cameo. Richard Donner had big plans for the series, and none of them were used, the most interesting of which being Donner's original plan to involve Brainiac.

Superman III features a huge tonal shift from the previous two and is much campier, featuring some jarring comedic moments. The film follows Superman as he fights not Lex Luthor, not a Kryptonian threat, not even Brainiac. Instead, he fights a corrupt business tycoon looking to gain wealth. Perhaps the most interesting element of the film is the introduction of a synthetic Kryptonite. When exposed, the Kryptonite literally splits Superman into two.

Due to the absence of Lois, Lana Lang is depicted as Clark's love interest, played by Annette O'Toole, who would go on to play Martha Kent in Smallville and was one of several performers from the films to appear in Smallville, others include Terance Stamp, Margot Kidder, and of course Christopher Reeve.

Also new to the cast is Richard Pryor as Gus, a bumbling bit of comedy relief that most fans agree is not needed. This was the first film in the franchise to receive mostly mediocre to negative reviews. There are still some things to like in the film, however. At the end of the day, this film did nothing to further the story of Superman and is a mostly forgotten entry. It wasn't as praised as the first two, but it didn't earn the level of infamy the following film did.