Recently,Supermanwas released in theaters, bringing with it David Corenswet’s Man of Steel. Far from the first actor to take on the role, he is set to bea central figure in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s rebooted DC Universe. Prior to Corenswet, Superman debuted on the big screen in 1948, headlining several films and television series.
All of them generally share the same core origin story, coming from the doomed planet of Krypton and being adopted by Kansas farmers. With so many iterations of the iconic hero, each has their own unique elements and a separate fanbase. Even so, some stand out from the pack.Here are all 11 actors who have portrayed Clark Kent/Superman ranked:
10Kirk Alyn
First Appeared In Superman (1948)
Kirk Alyn portrayed Superman in two film serials, 1948’sSupermanand 1950’sAtom Man Vs. Superman.The first retold his origin story, while the second pit his Man of Steel against Lex Luthor. His portrayal comes early in the hero’s history, but audiences still got a glimpse of both his Superman and his Clark Kent.
Through no fault of his own, however, Alyn’s Superman is a surface-level portrayal. The character was still being shaped into what audiences today know him as, something that happened over time, in part due to later media depictions. On top of that, the special effects of the era were not yet convincing, stacking the odds against Alyn.
Nonetheless,Alyn filled those red boots well for the time.His legacy was later honored when he made a brief cameo as Sam Lane inSuperman: The Movie.
9John Haymes Newton & Gerard Christopher
First Appeared In Superboy (1988)
Superboyis unique for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very difficult to watch today due to a rights dispute between Warner Bros, Viacom, and the rights holders, Alexander and Illya Salkind. Secondly, the series underwent a significant overhaul after its debut season. John Haymes Newton played Clark/Superboy at first before being recast with Gerard Christopher in the role.
The easiest way to defineSuperboyis that it wasSmallvillebeforeSmallville.Running from 1988 to 1992, the series followed Clark as he attended Shuster University in Siegelville, Florida, and began his career as a superhero. Later seasons shift to Clark and his love interest Lana Lang becoming investigators of paranormal and extraterrestrial encounters.
Both actors were suitable leads who represented the Superboy of the Silver Age wellwithin the series' campy setting, and Christopher differentiated himself with its later tonal changes. However, the series maintained a more surface-level exploration of Clark as a character, making their portrayals less memorable compared to other Superman actors.
8Dean Cain
First Appeared In Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
In the early 1990s,Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Supermanreimagined the hero’s story as a workplace romantic comedy starring Dean Cain and Teri Hatcher.Cain’s iteration of the hero was successful in one major way: he shifted the narrative that Clark was the disguise and Superman was the true personality by centering the reporter, not the hero.
More time was dedicated to showing Clark’s dynamic with his parents, and his relationship with Lois was given more attention. Additionally, the Daily Planet crew and Clark’s relationship with them developed in a more realistic way than in prior adaptions, with them feeling like genuine friends and coworkers.
Playing a more modern, romantic version of the character did mean that Cain’s Clark lost some of the nerdy charm present in Superman actors that came before and after him.Nonetheless, both halves of Cain’s hero make for a likable leading man suited to the worldLois & Clarkestablishes.
7Henry Cavill
First Appeared In Man of Steel (2013)
Henry Cavill is decidedly the most unique version of Superman. Originating inMan of Steel, his version of the hero was brooding and burdened by his powers.While most Superman stories depict the hero as choosing to save people because he genuinely wants to,Man of Steel’s Clark is compelled to do so out of necessity throughout the film.
Additionally, this Superman is more focused on results than rescues.His fights are more brutal, with more collateral damage, as a result of director Zack Snyder’s desire to depict a more realistic and violent Superman.His longer arc throughout the DCEU grapples with his status as a lonely godlike figure, only tethered by his relationships with Lois and his mother.
The Daily Planet element of Clark’s story is less relevant within the DCEU. Lois is introduced through her job as a reporter, and Clark becoming a reporter is teased at the end, setting up a future exploration of his human side. Unfortunately, this thread isn’t given much room to develop inMan of Steel’ssequel,Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
With Superman taking a backseat to Batman and then dying, Clark is hardly given room to be a separate side of his personality. Superman is then absent for the majority of both cuts ofJustice League, which features his resurrection as a major plot point.
Cavill’s Superman struck a chord with many fans, but he is far from a definitive take on the character.Given that Snyder never finished out his vision for Superman’s arc, it’s hard to say whether he would have become more like the classic hero or remained more of an Elseworld adaptation.
6George Reeves
First Appeared In Superman and the Mole Men (1951)
The second actor to tackle the role of Superman,George Reeves debuted in the hero’s first full-length film,Superman and the Mole Men.He continued in the part for the six-season seriesAdventures of Superman, during which he became a household name. Reeves starred opposite Phyllis Coates and Noel Neill as Lois Lane, as well as Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen.
As opposed to Clark’s characterization as a mild-mannered reporter, Reeves made his version more assertive and charismatic. Reeves' Superman, meanwhile, came across as dynamic and fearless. A lack of convincing special effects doesn’t matter because Reeves' acting sells him as the Man of Steel.
The most meaningful moment in Reeves' tenure as Superman was his empathy towards the Mole Men in his debut. As an angry mob attempts to storm a hospital to kill one of the poor creatures, Superman blocks their way to defend him.This action is quintessentially Superman, and through his delivery, Reeves cements himself as the hero.
Superman and the Mole-Men
Cast
Superman and the Mole-Men, a 1951 film, features George Reeves as Superman and Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane. The story involves Superman defending peaceful subterranean creatures, the Mole Men, who are misunderstood and persecuted by humans after emerging from an oil well. Directed by Lee Sholem, this film marked the first feature-length appearance of the iconic superhero, paving the way for the Adventures of Superman television series.
Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman follows the iconic superhero as he battles foes and protects humanity. Disguised as Clark Kent, a reporter, Superman uses his extraordinary powers for justice. Adapted from DC Comics, the show starred George Reeves as the titular character and epitomized 1950s superhero television.
5Tyler Hoechlin
First Appeared In Supergirl (2015)
Tyler Hoechlin had a rocky start as Superman. Introduced as a supporting character for Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl/Kara Danvers, he was an awkward fit for the preexisting dynamic of her series. Moreover, episodes would often feature excuses for why Kara was more powerful than Clark or why he wasn’t around to help her.
Hoechlin did the best he could with this clunky writing, and glimmers of a promising Clark came through from time to time, butit wasn’t until Superman started participating in larger Arrowverse crossovers that he had a chance to shine.In “Elseworlds,” Lois was introduced, Superman properly joined the fray, and Hoechlin got more time to establish his hero.
Thereafter, he was a central figure in “Crisis on Infinite Earths” before receiving his own spinoff series,Superman & Lois. Despite only being in his mid-30s,Hoechlin’s Man of Steel was aged up and moved into the role of a married Clark with two sons.Though this take on Superman was different, Hoechlin led the show well.
His Clark was defined by warmth; this hero was first and foremost a nice guy.Debuting so shortly after Cavill’s Superman, Hoechlin took the hero back to his optimistic roots, something immediately demonstrated in the pilot as he smiles at a child he saved, calls him a friend, and endearingly notes that his mother made his suit after being complimented.
Supergirl
Supergirl made her first appearance in the comics in 1959’s Action Comics #252 and has gone on to become one of DC’s most popular characters. This TV series, which stars Melissa Benoist as Supergirl, first aired on CBS in 2015. It ran on that network for one season, before moving to the CW so it could become part of the Arrowverse - a collection of DC Comics shows that also includes Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow, among others. Supergirl has been part of several crossover events between all the series.
Superman & Lois
Superman & Lois follows the Man of Steel, Clark Kent, and journalist Lois Lane as they navigate the strains of contemporary parenthood while confronting threats from supervillains and alien invaders, blending personal challenges with heroic responsibilities in this 2021 television series.
4Brandon Routh
First Appeared In Superman Returns (2006)
A few years ago, Brandon Routh would likely have placed much lower in the ranks of Superman actors.His turn inSuperman Returnsremains underrated as it is sandwiched in a movie that fails most of its characters.Routh’s Man of Steel is intended to be an older version of Christopher Reeve’s after the events ofSuperman: The MovieandSuperman II.
Despite this, Routh brought his own energy to the dual role to varying degrees. He excels at playing the nerdy, clumsy Clark side of the character, but his Superman is very stoic and melancholy. He still manages to deliver as a romantic lead despite the lack of chemistry between him and Kate Bosworth’s Lois.
However,the key redemption for Routh Superman came just under 15 years afterSuperman Returns, when he reprised his role as Superman in “Crisis On Infinite Earths.“In this version, Clark lost everything when the Joker gassed the Daily Planet, killing Lois and his friends. He dons a red and black emblem in honor of those he lost.
Though the special somewhat underutilizes his potential, it gave Routh the chance to play Superman again and bring a more satisfying, hopeful end to both his arc and Reeve’s.His Superman legacy was shifted to represent hope overcoming all odds,and that is reflected in his second time donning the cape.
Superman Returns
Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns follows the events surrounding the hero’s return to Earth after a five-year absence. When Superman (Brandon Routh) arrives back on Earth, he discovers that Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has developed a plan to use kryptonite crystals to establish a new landmass that he intends to sell off to the highest bidder. With Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) now married with a child, Superman must come to terms with everything he left behind to stop Luthor’s villainous scheme.
Arrowverse
The Arrowverse is a shared universe centered on multiple television series airing on The CW and web series based on characters from DC Comics. It began with Arrow in 2012 and expanded to include shows like The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, creating a vast interconnected narrative that includes numerous crossovers and parallel universes.
3Tom Welling
First Appeared In Smallville (2001)
Smallvilleis responsible fora whole generation of Superman fans,in large part due to the performance of series lead Tom Welling.The actor steps into the role of a pre-Superman Clark as he grapples with discovering his heritage, forming a friendship with his eventual nemesis Lex, and pining after Lana.
Welling’s portrayal brings a boyish charm to Clark; he’s a good kid who wants to help people and live up to his parents' morals. He then learns more about his Kryptonian heritage, forms allyships with key DC characters, and becomes the hero he’s destined to be. Over time, he matures, developing some skepticism along the way but never losing those values.
With 10 years in the role,Welling managed to portray many versions of the Man of Steel in one, from the Superboy-inspired high school years to the more Superman-inspired young adult era. Throughout this, the actor channeled a sense of optimism and faith in humanity that screams Superman.
Welling’s Clark changed a lot over the series, and his performance became stronger as he grew with the character. For many,he remains the most relatable Superman, something likely enabled by the fact that audiences saw him through so much of his life.
2David Corenswet
First Appeared In Superman (2025)
Drawing inspiration fromAll-Star Superman, David Corenswet’s Man of Steel is kind, optimistic, and brave.His hero is defined by a drive to save others, and he values life above all else. While this could be cheesy, the actor brings a sweetness to the role that sells him as genuine.
Beyond that,Supermanputs Clark into many situations that test his morals, from an amazing interview scene opposite Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois to a kaiju fight where he tries his hardest to save people and the monster itself. Corenswet plays all of these moments with conviction but never comes across as put upon or brooding.
The actor feels like Superman flew straight from the comics onto the screen. Unfortunately, he only has a few scenes as Clark Kent, so his full range has yet to be realized. Nonetheless,Corenswet has the potential to become the best Superman actor of allas he continues to grow in the role.
1Christopher Reeve
First Appeared In Superman: The Movie (1978)
Christopher Reeve’s Superman is among the best superhero portrayals of all time. The actor set the standard by which both those who also play the Man of Steel and other comic book movie leads are judged. Reeve crafted two separate personas for Clark and Superman, becoming the first to genuinely sell that the glasses disguise would work.
Perhaps the best moment showing off Reeve’s acting skill involves a brief moment of contemplation as he debates sharing his identity with Lois. Clark removes his glasses, then, with just a shift in posture and tone, he’s suddenly Superman. Afterward, he thinks better of confessing his secret and reverts to his Clark persona without missing a beat.
No other actor who has played Superman has delivered a moment that epitomized the difference between Clark and the Man of Steel so well. Another highlight of his tenure as the hero includes his scream of pure heartbreak at Lois' (temporary) death, but there are moments of brilliance throughout his performance.
Reeve’s philosophy on heroes may feed into why he personified Superman so strongly:“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”
While the Man of Steel is hardly an ordinary individual, his message of hope and optimism in the face of adversity comes through in full force with Reeve’sSuperman, who continues to inspire over 40 years later.
