These 7 Superman moments from movies are actually funny

Superman, as a character, isn't what comes to mind when the idea of ‘humour’ is considered as a characteristic feature. Yet, from the classic Christopher Reeve films to the DC Universe, the Man of Steel has delivered moments of genuine fun and unexpected laughs. The vision behind making the Superman movie franchise has always been about presenting Superman as an inspiring figure, but clever writing, charismatic performances, and light-hearted scenes have proved that even an invincible alien can also be funny at times. Whether it’s witty banter, awkward undercover moments as Clark Kent, or ironic encounters with other heroes, Superman proves that the responsibility of saving the world can be dealt with a bit of humour.

Here is a list of 7 Superman moments from movies that are actually funny.

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Lois Lane interviewing Superman in Superman: The Movie (1978)

In this scene from the 1978 Christopher Reeve movie, Superman floats onto her balcony out of nowhere, causing her to get startled. The humour in this scene comes from how effortlessly Superman appears, completely calm and polite, while Lois tries to act all calm and composed but is visibly flustered. Just as Lois is about to light a cigarette, Superman tells her that she shouldn’t smoke and Lois asks him if he was referring to the chances of getting lung cancer, and Superman at that moment uses his X-ray vision to get a look of her lungs and sees that they were still in good condition.

This moment sets the premise for the whole scene, and is actually funny - how he says reassuringly that she needn’t worry about lung cancer, at least, not yet. Superman’s stoic responses to the questions make the scene funnier, for he seems composed in contrast with Lois’ visible awkwardness.

The funniest part of the scene is when Lois asks him about his X-ray vision and if he could tell her the colour of her underwear. He actually responded to that question by saying that he couldn’t say properly, for she was standing behind the planters, which had a very high lead content, which would disrupt his X-ray vision. However, as she moves away, he uses his powers. Before answering the next question, he actually resorts to telling her how the colour of the underwear was actually pink. The humour remains in the romantic tension, and Lois is absolutely overwhelmed by Superman’s presence.

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Lois risks her life to prove that Clark is Superman in Superman II (1980)

This scene from the movie, Superman II, is inarguably hilarious to the core, if one has the taste for a bit of dark humour. Lois kicks off the scene by being adamant about how she’s sure that Clark is, in actuality, Superman. So, she actively resorts to succumbing to danger to prove her theory as correct. This blend of professional ambition and recklessness makes the scene funny, accompanied by Clark’s desperate attempts to conceal the fact that she is actually right.

He screams at Lois’ direction and tries to make her stay afloat, and then uses his power to cut through a log of wood, and throws it in her direction, all while Lois is on the verge of drowning and doesn’t have the slightest idea that her hunch was right. He throws the log into the river. Lois clings to it, and Clark goes towards her, acting as if he weren’t the one who just saved her. The contrast between Lois’ adrenaline-fueled recklessness and Superman’s uneventful gallantry gives the scene a comedic edge.

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Superman vs Nuclear Man in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

Nuclear Man’s lightning-fast transformation effects look quite unconvincing by modern standards, with electrical flashes, exaggerated magnetics, and cheesy visual cues. The contrast between the dramatic sound design and the hockey visuals is extremely comedic. The dialogue delivery feels exaggerated too, it crosses the campy territory, unintentionally poking fun. They bash through buildings, and yet go unnoticed. The chaos deserves an alarm; the characters remain nonchalant. The sheer disconnect between chaos and calm delivery gives the scene a surreal and ridiculous edge.

Overall, the film treats this battle as the ultimate dramatic climax, but everything from pacing to special effects feels outdated. This epic mismatch between intent and the cheesy execution creates a vibe that is so bad that it actually ends up becoming good. The reduced budgets for the movie led to ridiculous fight scene moments, like the fight scene on the moon, where Nuclear Man pounds Superman into the ground and then covers him with dust. To conclude, this scene can be described as the sweet spot of unintentional comedy.

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Superman turning back time in Superman: The Movie (1978)

Christopher Reeve as Superman plays it dead serious, as the character is devastated, Lois is dead, and the background music in this scene swells heroically. However, when the viewer delves deep and thinks about it from an unbiased point of view, the scene comes off as unintentionally funny.

Superman literally spins the entire Earth backwards to reverse time. It’s visually dramatic, but at the same time, scientifically ridiculous. The sheer defiance of physics makes it a prime example of charming old-school comic book logic. In the 70s, when the movie actually came out, the facial close-up shots, dramatic zooms, and spinning globe shots were actually mind-blowing VFX. However, in today’s day and age, the shots look dated and inarguably comedic to the very core. Furthermore, it's also funny because the scene depicts the ultimate cheat code to dying - spinning the world to undo someone’s death. The humour comes from the mismatch, a serious and tragic narrative wrapped in hilarious comic-book science logic.

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Superman gets drunk in Superman III (1983)

In the movie Superman III, there comes a point when Superman gets exposed to synthetic kryptonite, and he turns into a sloppy, petty version of himself. In one of the scenes, he drunkenly sits at the bar, flicking peanuts so hard that they end up shattering the bottles. The image of the world’s greatest hero acting like a rebellious, misbehaving jerk makes the scene absolutely hilarious to witness.

Superman uses his Godlike powers to vandalize the bar simply because he’s tipsy. This makes the scene even funnier. Reeve as Superman delivers it perfectly, by playing the ‘evil dark Superman,’ which is the primary contributing factor in making the scene funny. There is absolutely no logic behind how exactly tar-infused synthetic kryptonite ends up making the superhero drunk, but it somehow does. The scene is comedic because it shows Superman as bad without being scary.

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Superman’s first flight with Lois in Superman: The Movie (1978)

In the movie, Superman: The Movie, Superman’s first flight with Lois Lane is an absolutely classic moment, and it's funny as well, mostly because of Lois’ reactions and Superman’s playful charm. After the balcony interview, Superman goes on to ask Lois if she would like to go flying with him, and she seems excited, but at the same time hilariously nervous. She squeals, laughs, and tries to talk while the pair soars above the city. Superman teases her with dips and swoops that make her shriek and giggle.

Christopher Reeve’s confident grin and Lois’ wide-eyed terror make the scene absolutely hilarious. The scene is intended to be romantic, but the humour comes from the sheer absurdity of a normal person trying to keep her cool while dangling in the sky.

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Superman and the revolving door in Superman II (1980)

In this movie, directed by Richard Lester and partially by Richard Donner, Clark Kent tries to maintain his mild-mannered disguise while entering the Daily Planet. In one scene, he awkwardly fumbles with a revolving door, and he keeps getting stuck behind people, bumping into them, and tries not to draw any attention to himself. Christopher Reeve’s physical comedy shines here. In this scene, his clumsy act contrasts hilariously with the demeanour of Superman. It’s a classic slapstick that shows Reeve’s genius for making Superman’s secret identity both believable and funny.