Superman Actors in Order: Every Actor Who Has Played Superman

Four actors have led the modern theatrical Superman film series, and they arrive in a clean line: Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill and David Corenswet. Reeve carried the original run of four films, Routh stepped in for one standalone film, Cavill played the role across three films in the main Superman series with a darker tone, and Corenswet began a fresh start under James Gunn in 2025.

How many Supermans are there? Ten actors are usually named, but Nicolas Cage is on the list for the unmade Superman Lives, not a released Superman role. Four actors have led the modern theatrical films, and the other six names are Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, Tyler Hoechlin and Cage. If you are new to the series, start with Superman movies in order to see where each actor's films sit, then use Superman cast and crew for the full supporting casts.

Christopher Reeve played Superman in four films from Superman (1978) to Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), more than any other actor in the series. Richard Donner directed Superman (1978), which cost $55 million and earned about $300 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. It opened with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and Marlon Brando as Jor-El, and John Williams composed the score. The film held its world premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on December 10, 1978.

The sequels changed hands behind the camera. Richard Lester directed Superman II (1981 in the US) and Superman III (1983), and Sidney J. Furie directed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Superman II earned about $216 million worldwide on a $54 million budget, Superman III about $80 million on a $39 million budget, and the fourth film about $30 million on a $17 million budget. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace runs only 90 minutes and was the last film in the original series.

If you want the Reeve era in order, see Superman (1978), Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Brandon Routh played Superman in Superman Returns (2006), directed by Bryan Singer, a standalone film that picks up after the character has been away from Earth for five years. Routh stars opposite Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane and Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, with James Marsden as Richard White, Frank Langella as Perry White and archive footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El.

The film runs 154 minutes. Box Office Mojo lists a $270 million budget and about $391 million worldwide, while The Numbers gives a lower budget of $232 million, so the exact cost depends on the source. Much of the shoot took place in and around Sydney, and ABC News reported at the time that it was the largest film ever shot in Australia. John Ottman composed the score.

Routh is the only Superman actor in the series who starred in a single film. Details on the film sit at Superman Returns.

Henry Cavill played Superman in Man of Steel (2013), directed by Zack Snyder, and he went on to appear in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), which makes three films in the main Superman series. Man of Steel (2013) cost $225 million and earned about $670 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Amy Adams played Lois Lane, Michael Shannon played General Zod, Russell Crowe played Jor-El and Kevin Costner played Jonathan Kent. Hans Zimmer composed the score, and the film premiered at Alice Tully Hall in New York on June 10, 2013.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice earned the most of Cavill's films, at about $874 million worldwide on a $250 million budget, with Ben Affleck as Batman and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Justice League earned about $661 million on a $300 million budget and added Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa and Ray Fisher.

Why was Cavill replaced as Superman? No single official reason has been stated; Warner Bros. started a new version under James Gunn with David Corenswet. For the films themselves, see Man of Steel (2013).

David Corenswet is the current Superman, and he stars in Superman (2025), directed by James Gunn, which was released in the US on July 11, 2025. The film was first titled Superman: Legacy, according to Variety. It cost $225 million and earned about $619 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor, and the cast includes Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl and Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen. John Murphy composed the score.

The setup is a Superman who is beaten for the first time, retreats to the Fortress of Solitude with his dog Krypto, and has to deal with Luthor and the country of Boravia. Corenswet also appears as Superman in Supergirl (2026), directed by Craig Gillespie, where Milly Alcock leads and TMDB bills Corenswet seventh. That film was released in the US on June 26, 2026.

The next Superman film is Man of Tomorrow, set for July 9, 2027 in the US, according to James Gunn's announcement reported by ABC News. No UK or AU date has been published. For more, see Superman (2025), Supergirl (2026) and Man of Tomorrow.

The wider list of Superman actors includes six more names beyond the four who led the modern theatrical films: Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Dean Cain, Tom Welling, Tyler Hoechlin and Nicolas Cage. These six played Superman in serials, television series, voice work or unmade projects, outside the modern theatrical film series.

Search results for Superman actors often mix film, television and unmade projects into one list. A film by film guide such as Superman movies in order stays with the theatrical releases, and the Superman box office page compares what each lead's films earned.

In my opinion, Christopher Reeve is still the best Superman, David Corenswet is a close second, Henry Cavill is third and Brandon Routh is fourth. This is a ranking of performances, and it is opinion, not a box office table.

1. Christopher Reeve. The role is two parts, and Reeve plays both. In Superman II he gives up his powers for Lois and ends up beaten by a bully in a diner, and in Superman III he splits into a corrupted Superman and a gentle Clark Kent who fight in a junkyard. Those scenes ask for very different men, and he delivers each. Perhaps that range is why four films, including the weakest ones, still hold together around him.

2. David Corenswet. It could be argued that his Superman is the most human on screen: he loses twice to the Hammer of Boravia, then recovers at the Kent farm, where Jonathan tells him his choices define him. He has had one full film and a Supergirl (2026) appearance, so the sample is small, and Man of Tomorrow will settle whether he can sit above Reeve.

3. Henry Cavill. Man of Steel (2013) gives him the heaviest material, including the choice to kill Zod to save a threatened family. His Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice earned $874 million worldwide, the highest total of any Superman actor's film, but the scripts gave Clark little room for lightness.

4. Brandon Routh. He had the toughest brief: playing a Superman who comes back after five years to find Lois engaged. Superman Returns spent a $270 million budget, per Box Office Mojo, mostly on spectacle, and I think the film leaves him too little to do. Anyone who liked it should watch Superman (1978) next, since I think Routh plays the part in Reeve's mold.

The full film ranking sits at Superman movies ranked.