Ever since he debuted in Action Comics #1 (1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman has enjoyed a lot of attention on both the DC comic pages and on screen. Considered the world’s most popular superhero (Batman fans would disagree), Superman has been in more adaptations than any other DC character. He moved from the comics to the screen via a series of animated shorts beginning in 1941 and was the central character serials in 1948 and 1950.
In 1951, the independent studio, Lippert Pictures, released the first Superman feature film, Superman and the Mole Men, starring the great George Reeves, in 1951. The film rights to the character were then purchased by Ilya Salkind, Alexander Salkind, and Pierre Spengler, in 1973, resulting in the production of Richard Donner’s Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeves. Since then, there have been plenty of Kryptonian delicacies on the menu. If you intend to catch every Superman movie on streaming, here is where you should land.
10
‘‘Superman and the Mole Men’ (1951)
Superman and the Mole-Men
- Release Date
-
November 23, 1951
- Runtime
-
58 Minutes
- Cast
-
George Reeves
, Phyllis Coates
, Jeff Corey
, Walter Reed
, J. Farrell MacDonald
, Stanley Andrews
, Ray Walker
, Hal K. Dawson
, Phil Warren
, Frank Reicher
, Beverly Washburn
, John Baer
, Stephen Carr
, John T. Bambury
Superman and the Mole Men finds the reporters Clark Kent (George Reeves) and Lois Lane (Phyllis Coates) in the small town of Silsby, where the drilling of the world’s deepest oil well is about to happen. They have all their journalism tools ready, but then the drill penetrates the underground home of a race of small, bald humanoids who keep climbing to the surface at night. They are harmless, but the townfolk start panicking. They plot to kill the creatures, causing Superman to intervene.
A Simple Superhero Movie Bearing Political Discourse
The first Superman feature was shot in 14 days on a minuscule budget. All the actors give resounding, authentic performances, with Coates a stand-out. On a grander level, this is a commentary piece about The Red Scare, disguised as a superhero movie. The fear that the residents have about the mole men is the same fear that people had about alleged communists after World War II. Has it aged well? Certainly, as the story was simple enough to not require any major visual tweaks. No scene appears forced.
Superman and the Mole Men is currently unavailable for streaming, but you can rent or buy it on Flix Fling, Apple TV+, Fandango at Home, or Amazon.
9
‘Superman: The Movie’ (1978)
- Release Date
-
December 15, 1978
- Runtime
-
143 Minutes
Producer Alexander Salkind went big with Superman: The Movie, casting big names like Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman, and hiring The Godfather author Mario Puzo to pen the script. The results were great. Fans got a beautiful origin story, followed by a white-collar story, and then a superhero story where Superman battles a missile-obsessed Lex Luthor, who has neither honor, nor a shred of morality.
Heralded the Big Budget Superhero Movie Craze
The most expensive film at the time of its release, Richard Donner’s masterpiece screams extravagance from every frame; the prepossessing sets and plush costumes are indeed spectacular. Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, admitted that the movie inspires him greatly, and that he and his team have a habit of watching it before working on any new franchise installment.
Stream Superman: The Movie on Max, or rent it on Amazon, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
8
‘Superman II’ (1980)
Superman II
- Release Date
-
June 19, 1981
- Director
-
Richard Lester
- Runtime
-
127 Minutes
It’s always annoying when superheroes claim to be tired of saving the world and express their desire to live a normal life. Well, “Here we go again,’ said audiences watching Superman II. Here, Superman wants to live happily with Lois, but that’s impossible because Zod and his gang have arrived on Earth after getting released from the Phantom Zone. Plus, Lex Luthor is still out there.
No Time to Love
The proven formula of breathtaking flight choreography and the winning Reeves-Hackman combination is further augmented by an energetic, infectious Terence Stamp, who dominates throughout in his role as General Zod. But as good as the movie is, there was Snyder-like chaos behind the scenes. Richard Donner was fired after making 75% of the movie, causing most of the cast members to go on a go slow. Thankfully, most of the issues were soon resolved.
Stream Superman II on Max, or rent it on Amazon, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
7
‘Superman III’ (1983)
- Release Date
-
June 17, 1983
- Director
-
Richard Lester
- Runtime
-
125 minutes
Fans got to see Evil Superman in Superman III, thanks to a botched experiment by industrialist Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn. After Superman prevents his plan to monopolize the coffee market, Webster tries to destroy the Man of Steel using kryptonite, but only ends up triggering split personalities in the Kryptonian.
Not the Most Memorable Superman Film
Despite nabbing the great Richard Pryor for a role as a computer programmer, Superman III failed to impress. Behind-the-scenes factors were to blame once again. Gene Hackman refused to return in protest of how Donner had been treated. Additionally, Margot Kidder’s role was reduced for tabling the same lamentations, so there was less Lois Lane. What’s a Superman movie without Lois Lane? The movie performed poorly at the box office, and critics gave it the same kind of beating we often see Superman giving baddies.
Stream Superman III on Max, or rent it on Amazon, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
6
‘Superman IV: The Quest for Peace’ (1987)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
- Release Date
-
July 24, 1987
- Director
-
Sidney J. Furie
- Runtime
-
90 minutes
- Cast
-
Marc McClure, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Jon Cryer, Jackie Cooper
- Genres
-
Sci-Fi, Superhero, Action, Adventure
- Rating
-
PG
As if fans hadn’t been dragged through enough pain, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace presented arguably the worst Superman movie villain. In the film, Superman decides to destroy all nuclear weapons. This angers Lex, who creates the bizarre-looking Nuclear Man as his attack dog.
A Poor Conclusion to a Once-Great Film Series
The stark simplicity of Superman IV makes it one of the more eloquent anti-nuclear statements ever put on film. Here we also get an early glimpse of John Cryer as Lex Luthor’s nephew, long before he would be cast as the Superman villain in the Arrowverse.
Unfortunately, the movie fails in almost every other area. Gene Hackman returns but struggles to make an impact because of a poor script. The special effects look cheap, and the action is hardly inspiring. And according to writer Mark Rosenthal’s commentary on the 2006 DVD, things could have been much worse. The test screening was so poorly received that 45 minutes had to be cut.
Stream Superman IV on Max, or rent it on Amazon, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
5
‘Superman Returns‘ (2006)
- Release Date
-
June 28, 2006
- Director
-
Bryn Singer
- Runtime
-
2h 34m
After several unsuccessful projects to resurrect Superman following the failure of The Quest for Peace, Warner Bros. Pictures hired Bryan Singer to direct Superman Returns in 2004. The movie paid off, as the film was a hit among critics and audiences. On this occasion, Superman tries to win back the love of Lois Lane after she pairs up with another man. Additionally, there is the never-ending migraine: Lex Luthor.
A Return to Form
Famed as much for its plot and memorable scenes (such as when Superman prevents a plane from crashing into a stadium), Singer’s picture still stands out as the best Superman cinema story in the 21st century. Beyond that, the visuals are stunning. A total of 1,400 visual effects shots were reportedly created, and we can easily see that from the film.
Stream Superman Returns on Max, or rent it on Amazon, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
4
‘Man of Steel’ (2013)
- Release Date
-
June 14, 2013
- Runtime
-
143 minutes
DC’s urge to kickstart every new universe with a Superman movie needs to be studied. Following the success of Watchmen, Zack Snyder was hired to direct the first installment of the DCEU, Man of Steel. It’s a standard Superman origin story, coupled with a feud with General Zod.
One of the Best-Looking Supermen
Visually, Man of Steel looks great. Additionally, the costume work is superior to everything we’ve ever seen in a Superman movie. Regrettably, Zack Snyder suffers from the same ailment as Ridley Scott. He is never as consistent in storytelling as he is in spectacle. Still, this was a great introduction to Superman for the new age, and Henry Cavill fits the role perfectly.
Stream Man of Steel on Max, or buy/rent it on Amazon, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
3
‘Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Release Date
-
March 24, 2016
- Runtime
-
152 minutes
DC fans had always yearned for a clash between Batman and Superman, and they got one in Dawn of Justice. After the Man of Steel’s fight with Zod results in plenty of collateral damage, the Caped Crusader confronts him, resulting in an all-out fight between the two. Elsewhere, Lex Luthor launches a crusade against Superman.
A Clash for the Ages… Almost
Brutal and beautifully photographed, Dawn of Justice is the kind of picture that ought to have worked, but once again, plot failings ruined everything. You’ll enjoy it though. With its edgy moral leitmotifs and exquisite angled lighting, the film will make you think. Ben Affleck soars as the chiseled, revenge-minded Bruce Wayne, while Gal Gadot gives us the Wonder Woman intro we always waited for.
Stream Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on Max, or buy/rent it on Amazon, Vudu, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
2
‘Justice League’ (2017)
- Release Date
-
November 17, 2017
- Runtime
-
242 minutes
- Cast
-
Jeremy Irons
, Gal Gadot
, Amy Adams
, Jesse Eisenberg
, Ciarán Hinds
, Ben Affleck
, Henry Cavill
, Ezra Miller
, J. K. Simmons
, Jason Momoa
, Ray Fisher
DC’s behind-the-scenes stories deserve a movie. A Donner-like situation played out during the making of Justice League, with Snyder exiting before completing the movie and Warner Bros bringing in Joss Whedon, instructing him to do the same good things here that he did in the MCU. Things didn’t go so well, but we got a movie, a movie where Bruce Wayne gathers various superheroes to form the Justice League and stop Steppenwolf.
Too Many Cooks
From Henry Cavill’s CGI mustache to juvenile banter, there were many laughable things about Justice League. No one pretended to be happy about the film, so hardcore fans demanded a Snyder Cut, claiming it was better than what Joss Whedon had presented to the world. Warner Bros remained coy for a long time but eventually yielded to the demands.
Stream Justice League on Prime Video or Max. Or buy/rent it on Amazon, Vudu, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.
1
‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ (2021)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
- Release Date
-
March 18, 2021
- Runtime
-
242 Minutes
- Cast
-
Ben Affleck
, Henry Cavill
, Amy Adams
, Gal Gadot
, Ray Fisher
, Jason Momoa
, Ezra Miller
, Jesse Eisenberg
, Jeremy Irons
, J.K. Simmons
, Willem Dafoe
After Snyder got his way, he made a few changes to Whedon’s film, though the basic framework remains the same. For example, Silas Stone dies in the theatrical cut but survives in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. There is also an incredible Knightmare sequence featuring Jared Leto’s Joker.
Writing the Wrongs
There aren’t many changes to Superman in the Snyder Cut, but the rest of the characters benefit greatly from the adjustments. There are elaborate character backstories, hence Cyborg and the Flash appear smarter and more agenda-driven than they did in the original film. Additionally, the movie is much longer, giving fans a bladder-punishing but mind-nourishing experience.
Stream Zack Snyder’s Justice League on Max, or buy/rent it on Amazon, Vudu, Apple TV+, Google Play, Spectrum, Plex, and Fandango at Home.