Superman is the first major superhero ever created, one of pop culture's biggest icons, and here are all the actors who played him.
Kirk Alyn (1948 Superman And Atom Man Vs Superman)
Kirk Alyn became the first actor to portray Superman. Aline first played the Man of Steel in a 1948 theatrical series, simply titledSuperman, and then returned to a subsequent 1950 series calledAtom Man vs Superman. Alyn later received a small tribute in Richard Donner's film aboutSuperman 1978, making an uncredited cameo role. Alin passed away in 1999 at the age of 88.
George Reeves
George Reeves' time as Superman began with the theatrical film "Superman and the Mole People", published in 1951. The film was a promotional pilot for the television series "Adventures of Superman" starring Reeves, which premiered in 1952 and ran until 1958. produced six seasons and 104 episodes in total. Tragically, Reeves died in 1959 at the age of 45, allegedly by suicide, but some believe he was actually murdered. Reeves' story was documented in the film "Hollywoodland"where he was played by future Batman actor Ben Affleck.
Christopher Reeve (Superman 1978 - Superman 4)
Christopher Reeve made his debut as Superman in Richard Donner's iconic 1978 film, and would reprise the role in the 1980sSuperman 2, 1983Superman 3, and 1987 - xSuperman 4: In Search of Peace. To this day, Reeve is considered by many to be the quintessential Superman actor, and that view is likely to continue decades from now.
Christopher Reeve is an actor who played Superman and became disabled.
Superman made Reeve a star, but his life was irreparably changed in 1995, when a horse accident left him paralyzed. After that, Reeve rarely acted in films, but courageously became an activist in the study of spinal cord injuries, until his death in 2004 at the age of 52.
John Haymes Newton & Gerard Christopher (Superboy Series)
A little unclear,Superboy" is a television show that ran in syndication for four seasons, from 1988 to 1992. The series was a kind of trial run forSmallville, which focused on a younger version of Superman. John Haymes Newton starred during season 1 but was recast with Gerard Christopher for seasons 2-4 as the producers were unhappy with Newton's performance. None of the actors actually made much of an impact thoughsuperboy on really propelled them to greater heights of fame. On the decision to do away with "Superboy" partly influenced the decision to create "Lois and Clark" on the ABC channel.
Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman)
Dean Cain is often in the news these days more thanks to his outspoken political right-wing views than his acting career, but that doesn't make him time as Superman on the popular ABC TV seriesLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman any less memorable. Opposite Teri Hatcher's Lois Lane, Kane played Clark Kent for four seasons, until the show's cancellation in 1997, which ended embarrassingly with an unresolved plot thread.
Tom Welling (Smallville and Crisis on Infinite Earths)
While most of the Superman movies and TV shows focus on a fully realized Last Son of Krypton,Smallville told the story of teenager Clark Kent and his eventual fate as Metropolis' regular superhero. Tom Welling played Clark for ten seasons and 217 episodes and was often approached to play Superman in the DCEU. Welling was at least able to play Superman again during the grandcrisis Arrowson Infinite Earths.
Brandon Routh (Superman Returns & Crisis On Infinite Earths)
Brandon Routh played Superman in director Bryan Singer's 2006 blockbuster "Return of Superman", which failed financially due to a gigantic production budget despite critical acclaim. Though "Return of Superman" — the sequel to Reeve's films — isn't most fans' favorite Superman movie, Roth's portrayal really won him fans who were excited to see him return in "Crisis on Infinite Earths".
Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman & Justice League)
The last actor to play Superman on the big screen, Henry Cavill was cast by Zack Snyder back when Snyder was planning the DCEU course. Cavill made his debut in "Man of Steel" 2013, returned to "Batman againstSuperman: Dawn of Justice" 2016 and then returned tojustice league 2017. Cavill remains under the DCEU contract, but it's unclear when he'll return to the role of Superman other than he'll be in the upcomingLeague Snyder.
Tyler Hoechlin (The Arrowverse Show)
Tyler Hoechlin first playedSuperman in seriesSupergirl from the Arrowverse, and then transferred the character toThe Flash andArrow within the crossoverElseworlds andCrisis on Infinite Earth. He also appeared inLegends of Tomorrow andBatwoman as part of the latest crossover. Hoechlin to helm new The CW series soonSuperman and Lois" along with Lois Lane of Elizabeth Tulloch.
