Superman Movies: Every Film in the Franchise

The Superman movies are the live action films about DC's Superman, and the main series stands at 7 films plus 1 spin-off, Supergirl (2026). The 7 main films and the Supergirl (2026) spin-off have grossed more than $2.4 billion worldwide. Superman (1978), directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve, reached US theaters on December 15, 1978 and is the first film of the modern theatrical series. The most recent release is Supergirl (2026), directed by Craig Gillespie, which opened in the US on June 26, 2026.

The Reeve era covers four films: Superman (1978), then Superman II (1981) and Superman III (1983), both directed by Richard Lester, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), directed by Sidney J. Furie. Reeve, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane and Jackie Cooper as Perry White appear in all four. The money shrank as the run went on, from $300 million worldwide on a $55 million budget for Superman (1978) to $30 million worldwide on a $17 million budget for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Superman Returns (2006), directed by Bryan Singer, put Brandon Routh in the suit and used archive footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El. It carried a $270 million budget according to Box Office Mojo and took $391 million worldwide. Man of Steel (2013), directed by Zack Snyder, started again with Henry Cavill and earned $670 million worldwide, the highest gross of the seven main films and the spin-off. Cavill's Superman then appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), two ensemble films that sit beside the main saga rather than inside the count.

The current era belongs to James Gunn. Superman (2025), originally titled Superman: Legacy, stars David Corenswet with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, and it opened in the US on July 11, 2025. It took $619 million worldwide on a $225 million budget. Supergirl (2026) followed with Milly Alcock in the title role, Jason Momoa as Lobo and Corenswet's Superman in the cast, and Man of Tomorrow continues Gunn's story next.

The full breakdown of grosses sits on the superman box office page. Each era has a different cast and director, and the connections that do exist run through shared actors and, for Cavill's films, a continuing story.

All eight Superman films stream on HBO Max in the US, the UK and Australia, according to JustWatch data checked on November 3, 2026. Superman (2025) also streams on Amazon Prime Video in the US, and every film can be rented or bought from the usual digital stores.

In the UK, Superman Returns and Man of Steel (2013) are also on Netflix, with Now TV Cinema and Sky Go carrying several of the others. In Australia, Netflix carries Superman Returns, Man of Steel (2013) and Superman (2025), and Amazon Prime Video carries Superman Returns. Streaming rights move often, so the country by country table on the where to watch superman page is the one to check before you press play.