I am, and have always been a huge fan of Superman, from the comics, the animated releases, the theatrical serials, the movies and the TV series.
There are currently 13 actors who have been cast as Superman in live action films/series. These are the live action guys, not the animated guys.
I'll lay out who has been cast, and tell you my favorite actors and my favorite "Supe Suit", and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Kirk Alyn
Superman (1948) & Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Actor: The theatrical serials, which had 15 episodes each were the first live action Superman filmed. Have to give them credit, the serials hold up pretty well, though he's not my fave. As this was 1948 his flying scenes were actually animation/cartoon sequences.
Suit: The too long trunks look odd and his top looks like a sweater - but kudos for giving it a go! Of note is that the suit was NOT red and blue, it was gray and black. No color back then!
Note: Atom Man in the second serial was Lex Luthor.
George Reeves
Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
Actor: My favorite Superman. He was the Superman I grew up with. Reeves did his best to personify Superman in his acting both on screen and in personal appearances.
Suit: Better than the previous, but still looks kind of ill fitting. Reeves was physically built to fill out the suit and had the stature to carry it off.
David Wilson
It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman (1975)
Actor: This televised musical based on a broadway play with Leslie Ann Warren as Lois Lane was pure hokum, was played very campy, and was not really Superman in anything but name.
Suit: A comic Book rendition with a disproportionate S logo. Iron your belt man!
Christopher Reeve
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Superman II (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Actor: Reeves had the looks, the physique and the talent to make you believe he WAS Superman. My second favorite Superman after George Reeves.
Suit: Very good. The S logo was a bit oversized, but I don't think anyone could have asked for better at that point in history.
John Haymes Newton
Gerard Christopher
Superboy (1988-1992)
Actors: I have not watched this series with Newton in Season 1 and Christopher for the remainder. Newton was a better looking Superman than Christopher, though they both had pretty good physical characteristics.
Suit: Both were pretty Comic Book traditional, though Christophers suit had a pretty large S logo. In both cases (if you look at other photos online) it's pretty evident that they were trying very hard to emphasize the crotch bulge.
Dean Cain
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
Actor: Cain had the physique to pull it off, and though it was played a little campy, it wasn't a bad series.
Suit: The VERY oversized S logo, the bar type cape connections, and the obverted V on the patent leather boots, along with the mylar look of the suit makes this one of my least favorite.
Tom Welling
Smallville (2001-2011)
Actor: A good actor in a good series, they had a rule - "No flights, no tights" throughout the series. The focus was the relationship development of Clark and Lex Luthor and the coming of age of Superman on the farm.
Suit: You only got one brief glimpse of the suit in the series finale closing, so it's hard to judge.
Brandon Routh
Superman Returns (2006)
Actor: A good actor, Routh didn't have much to work with in the script. A shoddy movie in my opinion that broke the canon of the virtuous Superman.
Suit: The first iteration of the modern suit, breaking from the comic book tradition. I felt it was too darkly colored, and the 3D S logo doesn't fit with the cloth suit. The S logo on the belt looks redundant. The cape connection at the crew neck top looks unfinished.
Henry Cavill
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Justice League (2017)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Actor: Cavill was a great Superman in each of his appearances. A good looking guy with a great physique allowed him to easily make the role believable. He's my third favorite Superman, though I like the films immensely.
Suit: A much better modern take on the modern "body armor" type suit, in both the Man of Steel and Justice League versions. I don't care for the fake abs on the suit, and if you see Cavill without a shirt, it's obvious he doesn't need them.
Tyler Hoechlin
Supergirl, Superman & Lois & The Arrowverse (2016)
Actor: I have not seen this series, but Hoechlin appears capable of taking on the role, though in a swarthy kind of manifestation. He always look like he needs a better razor.
Suit: Don't like it at all. The emphasized cape connection bars, the shield on the front of the boots with the platform heels looks terrible. The Batman style belt, and the ribbing on the sleeves makes it look very cobbled together.
There are currently 13 actors who have been cast as Superman in live action films/series. These are the live action guys, not the animated guys.
I'll lay out who has been cast, and tell you my favorite actors and my favorite "Supe Suit", and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Kirk Alyn
Superman (1948) & Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
Actor: The theatrical serials, which had 15 episodes each were the first live action Superman filmed. Have to give them credit, the serials hold up pretty well, though he's not my fave. As this was 1948 his flying scenes were actually animation/cartoon sequences.
Suit: The too long trunks look odd and his top looks like a sweater - but kudos for giving it a go! Of note is that the suit was NOT red and blue, it was gray and black. No color back then!
Note: Atom Man in the second serial was Lex Luthor.
George Reeves
Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
Actor: My favorite Superman. He was the Superman I grew up with. Reeves did his best to personify Superman in his acting both on screen and in personal appearances.
Suit: Better than the previous, but still looks kind of ill fitting. Reeves was physically built to fill out the suit and had the stature to carry it off.
David Wilson
It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman (1975)
Actor: This televised musical based on a broadway play with Leslie Ann Warren as Lois Lane was pure hokum, was played very campy, and was not really Superman in anything but name.
Suit: A comic Book rendition with a disproportionate S logo. Iron your belt man!
Christopher Reeve
Superman: The Movie (1978)
Superman II (1980)
Superman III (1983)
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Actor: Reeves had the looks, the physique and the talent to make you believe he WAS Superman. My second favorite Superman after George Reeves.
Suit: Very good. The S logo was a bit oversized, but I don't think anyone could have asked for better at that point in history.
John Haymes Newton
Gerard Christopher
Superboy (1988-1992)
Actors: I have not watched this series with Newton in Season 1 and Christopher for the remainder. Newton was a better looking Superman than Christopher, though they both had pretty good physical characteristics.
Suit: Both were pretty Comic Book traditional, though Christophers suit had a pretty large S logo. In both cases (if you look at other photos online) it's pretty evident that they were trying very hard to emphasize the crotch bulge.
Dean Cain
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
Actor: Cain had the physique to pull it off, and though it was played a little campy, it wasn't a bad series.
Suit: The VERY oversized S logo, the bar type cape connections, and the obverted V on the patent leather boots, along with the mylar look of the suit makes this one of my least favorite.
Tom Welling
Smallville (2001-2011)
Actor: A good actor in a good series, they had a rule - "No flights, no tights" throughout the series. The focus was the relationship development of Clark and Lex Luthor and the coming of age of Superman on the farm.
Suit: You only got one brief glimpse of the suit in the series finale closing, so it's hard to judge.
Brandon Routh
Superman Returns (2006)
Actor: A good actor, Routh didn't have much to work with in the script. A shoddy movie in my opinion that broke the canon of the virtuous Superman.
Suit: The first iteration of the modern suit, breaking from the comic book tradition. I felt it was too darkly colored, and the 3D S logo doesn't fit with the cloth suit. The S logo on the belt looks redundant. The cape connection at the crew neck top looks unfinished.
Henry Cavill
Man of Steel (2013)
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Justice League (2017)
Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
Actor: Cavill was a great Superman in each of his appearances. A good looking guy with a great physique allowed him to easily make the role believable. He's my third favorite Superman, though I like the films immensely.
Suit: A much better modern take on the modern "body armor" type suit, in both the Man of Steel and Justice League versions. I don't care for the fake abs on the suit, and if you see Cavill without a shirt, it's obvious he doesn't need them.
Tyler Hoechlin
Supergirl, Superman & Lois & The Arrowverse (2016)
Actor: I have not seen this series, but Hoechlin appears capable of taking on the role, though in a swarthy kind of manifestation. He always look like he needs a better razor.
Suit: Don't like it at all. The emphasized cape connection bars, the shield on the front of the boots with the platform heels looks terrible. The Batman style belt, and the ribbing on the sleeves makes it look very cobbled together.
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