Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection; Clay Enos/Warner Brothers; Jessica Miglio/Warner Brothers Every generation gets its ownSuperman— or multiple Supermen, in some cases. One of our most enduring pop culture figures, the super-powered do-gooder has inspired moviegoers, TV viewers, and comic book readers since his invention in 1938. After all, an alien from the planet Krypton coming to help save our conflict-ridden world has never really gone out of style. More than a dozen actors have etched their names in history by inhabiting the role of Superman through various film and TV adaptations. The latest isDavid Corenswet, whom critics and audiences have praised for his warm, sincere interpretation of the title character in 2025'sSuperman. Ahead, we look back on 15 of the most notable actors to portray Superman since 1940. Bud Collyer was the voice of Superman for years, lending his vocals to the character in 1940s radio programs likeThe Adventures of Superman,The Magnetic Telescope, andThe Bulleteers. He returned to the role in the '60s, voicing Superman inThe New Adventures of Superman,The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure,Aquaman, andThe Batman/Superman Hour. Kirk Alyn madehis debut as the superheroin 1948, playing Clark Kent/Superman in Columbia Pictures'Superman. He donned the cape once more for 1950's 15-part serialAtom Man vs. Superman. George Reeves started playing Superman in 1951 with the debut ofSuperman and the Mole-Men. He returned to the hero soon after, appearing as Superman on the six-season seriesAdventures of Superman, for a guest spot onI Love Lucy, and in the short filmStamp Day for Superman. Danny Dark spent much of his career voicing Superman. He earned credits forSuper Friends,The All-New Super Friends Hour,Challenge of the Superfriends, andThe World's Greatest SuperFriendsin the '70s, as well asSuper Friends,SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, andThe Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardiansin the '80s. Perhaps the most famous Superman,Christopher Reevefirst appeared as Clark Kent and his alter ego in 1978'sSuperman. He went on to star inSuperman II(1980),Superman III(1983), andSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace(1987). John Haymes Newton made his onscreen debut as the title character on the late-'80s TV showSuperboy. He also voiced Superman in two animated fan films,Superman Classic(2011) andBizarro Classic(2012). Gerard Christopher took over the reins from Newton, playing Clark Kent/Superboy onSuperboyfrom 1989 to 1992. Dean Cain played Superman in the '90s, spending four years onLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Supermanas the superhero. Tim Dalyhas had a prolific career voicing the Man of Steel, including in the TV moviesSuperman: The Last Son of Krypton(1996) andThe Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest(1997), onSuperman: The Animated Seriesfrom 1996 to 2000, in the video gamesSuperman(1999) andSuperman: Shadow of Apokolips(2002), and in the direct-to-video filmsSuperman: Brainiac Attacks(2006),Superman/Batman: Public Enemies(2009),Superman/Batman: Apocalypse(2010), andJustice League: Doom(2012). George Newbernvoiced Superman for five years in the early-2000s on theJustice Leagueseries, earning additional credits onJustice League UnlimitedandThe Batmana few years later. He continues to voice the Man of Steel in Superman videos and games, including 2022'sMultiVersus. A small-screen Superman,Tom Wellingplayed the famed character for 10 years. He appeared as Clark Kent and Superman onSmallville, returning in 2019 in an episode ofBatwomanfor the Arrowverse crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Brandon Routhbecame Superman for 2006'sSuperman Returns. He also lent his voice to the movie's video game tie-in and donned the red cape once more in 2019 for "Crisis on Infinite Earths" via an episode ofThe Flash. One of the more famous actors to save the day on the big screen,Henry Cavilldebuted as Superman in 2013'sMan of Steel. He returned to the cape forBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice(2016) andJustice League(2017), plusZack Snyder's Justice League(2021). He also has a cameo in 2022'sBlack Adamand a CGI-created appearance in 2023'sThe Flash. Tyler Hoechlinjoined The CW's Arrowverse in 2016 asSupergirl's Man of Steel. In addition to guest-starring on the show, Hoechlin has also worn the cape in episodes ofArrow, The Flash,Batwoman, andDC's Legends of Tomorrowas part of the "Elseworlds" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths" sagas.Hoechlin starred as the iconic character on his own series,Superman & Lois, which aired from 2021 to 2024. DC Studios/ Warner Bros. David Corenswet took over for Cavill as the new Superman of the multiplex in 2025'sSuperman. Following the film's financial and creative success, Corenswet is expected to reprise his role in a potential sequel,the actor revealed viaVanity Fairin June. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
