For over 80 years now, Superman has been the ultimate symbol of hope, truth, and justice. He’s a symbol, a moral guide, and a towering hero who has filled our TV screens and movie screens countless times. But who embodies the Man of Steel most? This has been a debate that has been on going for decades as every single actor to play the role has added his own interpretations to the character.
Though each interpretation has its naysayers and proponents, there has been a general consensus over the years. We’ve delved into the fan argument, the critic’s opinion, and the lasting legacy of each performance to provide you with a list of the most significant on-screen Supermen, from five down to number one. It’s not the *best* film, but the *best* performance—the one that best embodied Kal-El and Clark Kent and spoke to the greatest number of people.
Thus, we shall take a glance at the men who had the audacity to don the cape and occupy space in the hearts of the masses.
5. Dean Cain
For the majority of fan, their first true relationship to the identity came from one version, Dean Cain’s Superman, from the show on ABC in the 1990s, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Cain’s portrayal of Superman differs from past iterations significantly, as instead of demonstrating heroics it focused more on the developing romance between Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Cain’s Superman is charming, witty, and suave, as opposed to the standard farming boy portrayal for the character. The show’s emphasis on his journalism and private life permitted him to be more of a “man” than a “super” man. Though this strategy was popular with many at the time, others felt that the show strayed too far from the epic proportions of the character, and his Superman did not have the authority and raw power we’re accustomed to. In the modern critical light, some feel that the performance did not age as well. With few very specific fan rankings and niche arguments as the exception, he’s usually at or near the end of the list, with one common criticism being the lack of establishing a clear difference between his Clark Kent and Superman personas, a big deal for many fans.
4. Brandon Routh
Brandon Routh’s 2006 appearance in Superman Returns was a fascinating case study. He was charged with filling the legend’s shoes and was almost *too* successful at it. The film was a direct continuation of the classic Christopher Reeve films, and Routh was hired as much for his eerie physical similarity to Reeve as for the fact that he was actually a pretty good actor. He delivered a performance that was a perfect impression, accurately capturing the gangly, stumbling Clark Kent and the stoic, heroic Superman.
The issue, though, wasn’t Routh. Most critics and fans felt he was a great Superman. The fan reaction to Routh is usually split down the middle, but overall positive, with a clear division. He is greatly admired by those who appreciate the tribute to Reeve’s classic approach, but others just think he was hindered by a script that was more about copying than creating. He gets a huge increase in fan approval for the return in the *Crisis on Infinite Earths* crossover event, where he was able to be a more forceful and adult interpretation of the character, demonstrating a range many felt he couldn’t in his movie.
3. Henry Cavill
Now we fast forward to the present. When Henry Cavill was cast in Man of Steel, it was announced to a loud ovation and for good reason. He has the perfect chiseled jaw, the broad shoulders, and street cred enough to make you believe he’s an alien god in the midst of men. Cavill presented a dark, brooding, and grounded interpretation of Superman, a Superman still figuring himself out in an untrusting world. His Superman role is the most divisive of the group.
On the positive side, he physically resembles Superman more than any other actor. His action scenes are breathtaking, and he brings to the part the gravitas and loneliness of being a creature of immense power who wishes to do good. Cavill’s fan ratings are bitterly polarized. A dedicated and vocal fan base has him at the top, praising his acting as a much-needed and welcome reinterpretation of the character for the contemporary viewer. However, many audience members thought that he was unable to inject the character with the optimism and hope it needs, and they felt that his Clark Kent character was largely forgotten. This corresponds to the very disparate ratings he has received, from almost perfect in some reviews to scathing in others and solidly leaves him somewhere in the midfield.
2. David Corenswet
The latest addition to this roster, and perhaps an intriguing one to rank. David Corenswet rose to the occasion of redefining the character for today’s era in James Gunn’s Superman. It’s still early, but the early buzz has been huge. Corenswet has been lauded for bringing just the right mix of the best traits from the best Supermen that came before him. He has Cavill’s athleticism, Reeve’s boyish charm, and an authentic, relatable humanity that many thought was missing from the DCEU.
The rumor is that Corenswet’s Superman is a hero driven by a deep need to serve others, and not necessarily in some grand, world-changing way. His acting, rumor has it, is concerned with the little things that matter and the pure, unadulterated optimism that has always characterized the character. The fans are responding to this return to a more traditional, positive Superman, and early critic and audience review averages are through the roof, usually putting him right behind Reeve. Already, many are calling him the “1A” to Reeve’s “1B,” with his acting being called a pitch-perfect blend of old and new.
1. Christopher Reeve
Was there ever any question? Christopher Reeve not only nailed the role of Superman but also likely gave the best single superhero acting performance of all time! His performance as Superman in *Superman: The Movie* (1978) is still the standard by which all subsequent actors have been evaluated. Why does he still rank supreme among the fans? It’s all about the duality. In a very short time, Reeve was able to show two different, believable characters. His Superman was a man of strength and hope; a very self-assured gentle giant who made you want to believe a man could fly. But his Clark Kent was a completely different fellow: awkwardly charming, clumsy, and shy. He pulled off a simple disguise of glasses and slouch while we all believed he wasn’t doing it because we were all fools, but he was simply different giving a connection tuned to Clark Kent and life of a superhero it is just a guy who stands up and continues.
In fan conversations, fan podcasts, polls, and markets and most, by the ratings, Christopher Reeve is frequently at the end of the list if not in first place, and without a doubt usually by some considerable margin. His pace of acting is always fresh, is understood with time as a masterclass of acting, in particular in character, with still core character attributes. In most conversations on how many say that he wasn’t the best Superman; he was the only live-action Superman, and that feeling by many is a conversation from almost 50 years ago.
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