It’s finally here! The new Superman movie is in theaters tonight (actually, it was in theaters a couple of nights ago, but this is the date they put on all the marketing materials)… and to celebrate, we’re gonna take a look back at some of the best Men of Steel to ever grace the silver and/or small screens! 

Admittedly, this is a pretty subjective ranking, but… well, if you can figure out a way to OBJECTIVELY measure the quality of a Superman, then by all means, knock yourself out.

5. Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 1992)

          It’s a shame that the actor turned out to be such a scumbag in real life, because Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman‘s take on the character actually has a tremendous amount of charm to him. Leaning into the post-Crisis notion that Clark Kent is the true personality and that Superman is a theatrical facade, this show gave us a Clark who was confident, cosmopolitan, and explicitly sexy. Admittedly, the Superman scenes tended to be stilted and artificial– Cain has easily the least commanding presence of all of the Supermen listed here– but it doesn’t matter too much, because the show isn’t ABOUT Superman; it’s about Lois, Clark, and their journalistic hijinks. 

4. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, 2006; Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2019)

          While in his weirdly desaturated, oddly-tailored Superman suit, Brandon Routh is, at best, doing a serviceable Christopher Reeve impression. He’s confident, he’s sincere, but he doesn’t really stand out. What DOES work for Routh, though, is his deeply goofy and equally sincere Clark Kent. While Reeve was always clearly putting on an act as Clark Kent, Routh’s Clark actually seems to be a huge, bumbling nerd for real— in particular during the scenes where the lovesick dweeb is trying to get the attention of his Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth). One gets the impression that this version of the character is specifically just clumsy and awkward with people and social situations, but straightens up and flies right when a job for Superman rears its ugly head. (Also, bonus points for being in the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover!)

3. George Reeves (Superman and the Mole Men, 1951; Adventures of Superman, 1952)

          Superman as a friendly TV dad who personally steps in to settle a bully’s hash. While he may have resented the role, there’s no denying that George Reeves has an avuncular charm that defined the Man of Steel for an entire generation. Reeves boasts a warm smile and a commanding voice in his padded leotard as the Man of Steel, and as Clark Kent, he… also has a warm smile and a commanding voice (Reeves let the glasses and the boxy ’50s suit do all the work of disguising his identity). But the most striking thing about his performance is his athleticism: Reeves acrobatically LEAPS into his flying take-offs and landings (hopping feet-first through windows to make his entrances), and runs, smashes, and fights through the scenes himself, with very little in the way of camera trickery. His Superman feels like an actual circus strongman, giving his adventures a weird sort of groundedness.

2. Christopher Reeve (Superman: The Movie, 1978; Superman II, 1981; Superman III, 1983; Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, 1987)

          What’s this?! An Internet-friendly hot take? Christopher Reeve ISN’T at the top of this list?

          Yes, while Christopher Reeve has been seen as the Platonic Ideal of Steel for decades since the release of Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie… and while he does, in fact, capture a mercurial combination of warmth, playfulness, sincerity, charm, and integrity in a way that no other actor had managed to do in the role before OR since… there’s always been a nagging sense of emotional distance with his interpretation of the character. His Clark Kent is 100% a bumbling affectation, less a glimpse at his underlying human foibles than a comedy routine… and his Superman is so inhumanly self-assured that it almost seems as if unshakable self-confidence is one of his superpowers. BOTH of these roles feel constructed and theatrical. But his underlying humanity comes through the clearest in his flirtatious interplay with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder); his story soars the highest when it’s a romantic fantasy, when he finally displays a vulnerability that isn’t physical, but emotional.

1. Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl, 2015; Superman & Lois, 2021)

          And coming in at number one is a dark-horse contender: the last guy to take on the role prior to David Corenswet, who’s been toiling away on the CW and quietly giving us the best take on the character we’ve gotten in DECADES. 

          Tyler Hoechlin brings an incredibly down-to-Earth charm to Superman that is immediately disarming. He has a relaxed, soft-spoken bearing unlike any of the previous actors to play the role; rather than presenting himself as an authority figure or a pillar of strength– as someone who stands ABOVE others– he seems like an approachable, friendly guy… an EQUAL, not a superior. And his Clark Kent is an excitable, enthusiastic dork in a way that feels completely authentic. His body language is looser as Clark… bouncier, like an excitable dog. And because his Superman series is a family drama first and foremost, we get to see Hoechlin in roles most Supermen never get to play: the doting husband to Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch), and the harried but loving father of teenaged twins. 

          This is possibly the richest, most well-rounded interpretation of the Man of Steel to ever come from Hollywood. Now let’s see if they can do any better…!

(Dis)Honorable Mention: Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, 2013; Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016; Justice League, 2017; Black Adam, 2022)

          Y’know, I honestly do think that Henry Cavill might have made a decent Superman. There were moments here and there where he ALMOST manages it. But with the dour, morose material he was stuck with… not only does he NOT work, but he is easily the worst Superman we’ve ever gotten. (And don’t even get me started on how much of a nothing-burger his Clark Kent was… He’s just Superman in a plaid button-down shirt and glasses!)