Superman movies in order: How many are there, and the best way to watch them

The Superman origin story is practically a modern myth at this point. He rockets in from Krypton, lands in Kansas, and is the face of hope since 1938. He went from a dorky comic book boy scout in Action Comics #1 to Hollywood icon.

One can track the entire history of superhero movies just by watching how Superman has been reimagined over the years. Every era leaves its fingerprints on his movies. He’s always shifting—sometimes he’s all sunshine and hope, other times he’s brooding and fighting existential crises. The guy is a mirror for whatever the world’s stressing over at the time.

And let’s not pretend these movies haven’t had their share of drama. You’ve got the old-school black-and-white serials, then the 1978 film that invented the modern superhero blockbuster, and then a rollercoaster of reboots, sequels, and whatever you call Zack Snyder’s approach.

Every time they cast a new Superman, the internet explodes. Christopher Reeve is a legend, sure, but then you get Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, and now David Corenswet—each one sparks a whole new round of “Who wore the cape best?” debates.

Directors keep mixing it up too: Richard Donner made it all earnest and magical, Snyder went dark and moody, and now James Gunn seems ready to flip the script again.

With Gunn’s Superman dropping—premiere was at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 7, 2025, it feels like the perfect time for a rewatch. Or a first watch, if you’re one of those people who’s never seen a Superman movie.

This rundown will break down every live-action Superman flick, and the best way to dive into the saga. Whether you’re a total newbie or you’ve been wearing Superman pajamas since you could walk, there’s something here for you.

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The complete list of Superman movies: A chronological journey

Superman’s movie journey is a four-act Broadway show. First up, those ancient black-and-white serials. Fast forward to Christopher Reeve, who made everyone believe a man could actually fly.

Then there are some hits, some misses, and a few questionable CGI choices. Now we’re deep in the big-budget DC Universe era, where everything’s super intense and nobody cracks a grin.

The early Superman serials and features (1948–1951)

Superman (1948 serial): So, 1948 rolls around, and we get Kirk Alyn doing his thing as Superman/Clark Kent. Fifteen chapters, black-and-white, budget so low you could probably see the strings holding him up.

He’s up against the Spider Lady and juggling with his dual identity. It might look goofy now, but audiences back then were eating it up—post-war America just wanted a man in tights saving the day.

Atom Man vs. Superman (1950 serial): A Couple of years later, we get the same guy in the suit, but now Lex Luthor’s here, running around as “Atom Man.” The serial format meant every episode ended with Superman in some danger. Today, you can see the DNA of every superhero TV show in these things.

Superman and the Mole Men (1951): Fast forward to ’51, and George Reeves steps in. While Mole Men is not exactly Thanos, still, the movie still tries for some social commentary. Superman is dealing with subterranean folks popping up in a small town, and everyone loses their minds. There’s a lesson in there, somewhere between the rubber suits and dramatic music.

These early flicks are the reason we see Superman as Mr. Morality: always doing the right thing, saving the day, looking out for the little guy. They’re a little cheesy now, but without them, we probably wouldn’t have half the superhero stuff we binge-watch today. Plus, you've got to love how they capture all that old-school hope and a bit of paranoia bubbling under the surface back then.

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The Christopher Reeve era (1978–1987)

Superman: The Movie (1978): It was directed by Richard Donner and starred Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and Marlon Brando. The “You’ll believe a man can fly” tagline was not just hype. People left theaters genuinely jazzed, eyes wide like superheroes can look cool on the big screen. It invented the superhero origin story formula—big drama, but also heartfelt moments that somehow totally work.

Superman II (1980/81): The drama behind Superman II could fill its own movie. Richard Donner gets canned mid-way, then Richard Lester swoops in to finish the thing. The movie cranks up the feels: Superman gives up his powers for Lois Lane, and then you’ve got him throwing down with Zod and his space goons, which is just iconic. And that “Donner Cut” that popped up years later was like a what-could-have-been peek at Donner’s original vision.

Superman III (1983): This one went off the rails. Richard Pryor as some kind of computer whiz was a wild choice. The whole vibe flips to comedy, dealing with ideas like corruption, and Superman gets to show off his angsty, split-personality side. Not everyone was into it—some people downright hated it—but Christopher Reeve pulled it off. The studio clearly wasn’t afraid to get a little weird and shake things up, for better or worse.

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987): Reeve came back one last time—he even helped write the thing, taking a swing at the whole nuclear disarmament issue. The movie got slapped with a shoestring budget and critical panning. The fallout was so bad, Superman went MIA in theaters for almost twenty years.

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The post-Reeve revival and reboots (2006–2013)

Superman Returns (2006): Bryan Singer took the helm on this one, and Brandon Routh rocked the cape. They just pretended Superman III and IV never happened. So, Superman crashes back to Earth after ghosting for years, only to discover Lois Lane has a whole new thing going on and, well, the planet’s kind of moved on without him.

The movie worshipped Richard Donner’s OG style, but it got stuck in nostalgia mode and never really figured out what it wanted to be. Critics were all over the place, and the box office wasn’t exactly blown away.

Man of Steel (2013): Zack Snyder rolls in with Henry Cavill in the cape. It marked the beginning of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).

Snyder leaned hard into Superman’s outsider status and gave us a hero who feels just as lost as the rest of us. Some people loved the wild action and all those philosophical bits about power and responsibility; others just rolled their eyes. Either way, it got people talking about Superman again.

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The DC extended universe and beyond (2016–2025)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016): This movie went for it—Superman and Batman going at each other. Power trips, trust issues, a whole lotta paranoia—they crammed it all in. Also, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) just kinda strolls in, steals a few scenes, and sets the stage for the Justice League. The whole thing was way moodier than your usual superhero flicks. People couldn’t decide whether it was genius or a total mess.

Justice League (2017): Zack Snyder started off steering the ship, but then Joss Whedon jumped in to finish the job, so you ended up with this mash-up of styles. The Justice League squad’s all there, facing some cosmic threat, but the movie never really figured out what way to go. The tone’s all over the place, and half the characters feel like they barely got an introduction, let alone a real story.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021): After a bunch of fans stormed the internet, HBO Max finally dropped Zack Snyder’s four-hour cut. Superman got some depth this time, and loose plot threads actually got wrapped up.

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Superman (2025): A new era begins

James Gunn’s Superman just dropped its big premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater on July 7, 2025, and the global release hit July 11. David Corenswet suits up as Clark Kent and fills out the tights pretty well. Rachel Brosnahan’s rocking it as Lois Lane, too.

Gunn is mashing up that old-school, Boy Scout optimism with a boatload of modern attitude. And the cast is not just Superman and Lois this time. We also have Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho rolling through, plus some deep-cut villains like The Engineer and Ultraman.

People at the premiere were pretty hyped. Gunn keeps things fun, there’s heart, and plenty of epic showdowns. The Internet is loving how it brings back that hopeful Superman vibe, but with enough edge that it doesn’t feel stuck in the past. Feels like DC is finally getting its act together.

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How many Superman movies are there?

If you’re just talking about the big, live-action Superman movies that actually hit theaters, there are thirteen of them as of July 2025.

• Superman (1948 serial)
• Atom Man vs. Superman (1950 serial)
• Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
• Superman: The Movie (1978)
• Superman II (1980/1981)
• Superman III (1983)
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
• Superman Returns (2006)
• Man of Steel (2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
• Superman (2025)

Now, if you want to toss in all the animated flicks, TV specials, or things like that Supergirl movie from '84, the number balloons up.

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The best way to watch Superman movies: Release order vs. chronological order

With all those movies out there, it’s no wonder newbies get lost. So, how do you even start? You’ve got two main options: watch them in the order they hit theaters, or follow the story’s actual timeline.

Release order

Going by release order? That’s kind of the classic way, as it lets you see how the character changes over time. You get all the big reveals and surprise moments just as audiences did back in the day. If you’ve never seen any of these, this is probably your best bet.

• Superman (1948 serial)
• Atom Man vs. Superman (1950 serial)
• Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
• Superman: The Movie (1978)
• Superman II (1980/1981)
• Superman III (1983)
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
• Superman Returns (2006)
• Man of Steel (2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Justice League (2017)
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
• Superman (2025)

Chronological (story) order

Some people just want to watch these movies in the order Superman lives through them, especially with the DCEU stuff—like, you start with Man of Steel, then Batman v Superman, and Justice League.

The older flicks, though, most of them kinda do their own thing. Except for all those Christopher Reeve movies—they stick together as a series, which is pretty rare for superhero stuff back then. Pre-2006 is a free-for-all.

For the DCEU:

• Man of Steel (2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
• Justice League (2017) or Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
• Superman (2025) (Serves as a reboot and starting point for the new DCU)

Standalone and alternate cuts

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is the “what could’ve been” version—Donner’s actual vision, not the studio-messed version.

And then there’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League from 2021. It’s the same basic story as the 2017 movie, but way more fleshed out, and it just hits different. Like, finally, the guy got to show what he wanted in the first place.