How do you watch the all Superman movies in order? On paper, that seems like an easy question to answer, but when you get into it, it becomes a little more difficult to explain. You see, there have been a lot of films featuring the Man of Steel, and the continuity has become snarled as a result.
Let’s start with the DCU basics of Clark (aka: one of the best DC characters). Superman was born Kal-El, to Jor-El and Lara, on the doomed planet Krypton. He was launched into space as a baby to save him from his dying world. His ship crashed in Kansas, where he was adopted by the Kents, who named him Clark and taught him the values of truth, liberty, and freedom for all. All this resulted in some of the best superhero movies ever made.
Clark soon discovered he had incredible powers, including super strength, invulnerability, and flight. Taking on the name Superman, Clark used his abilities for the good of humanity. All caught up? Right, let’s get into watching the Superman movies in order. (Editor: For the record, we’re not including the superhero movies from the ‘40s as they were released as serials or pilots for TV series, not feature films.)
Here are all the Superman movies in order:
- Superman
- Superman II
- Superman III
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
- Superman Returns
- Man of Steel
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Justice League
- Shazam!
- Black Adam
1. Superman (1978)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
The first Superman film had the unenviable task of explaining Clark’s origin and introducing us to the Man of Steel’s extensive expanded cast. Director Richard Donner handled this mammoth task with astounding ease, and he made one of the best Supes movies of all time.
The film’s secret weapon is its cast. A lot of ink has been spilled explaining just how good Christopher Reeve’s interpretation of Superman is, but the whole cast is incredible. Particular praise has to go to Margot Kidder, whose acerbic take on Lois Lane helped to define the character in the comics and Gene Hackman’s campy but deliciously ruthless depiction of one of the best DC villains, Lex Luthor.
2. Superman II (1981)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
A direct sequel to Superman (1978), this ’80s movie sees Clark abandon his powers to be with Lois Lane just as the warlike Kryptonian General Zod (Terence Stamp) invades the planet.
Superman II had the potential to be even better than Superman, but Donner was fired halfway through filming, and the tone was a bit uneven as a result. Still, it’s a fun romp, and Stamp’s Zod is easily one of the best movie villains of all time. If you can, watch the Donner cut of the film, which was released in 2006.
3. Superman III (1983)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
This is when the wheels came off the Reeve’s Superman movies. Richard Donner had been fired, Hackman left, and Kidder’s Lois Lane had her screentime dramatically cut. Making matters even worse was the decision to pivot from Donner’s more serious Superman movies to a more comedic tone, with Richard Pryor being brought on as comic relief.
Unfunny, confusing, and downright dull, Superman III was a critical disaster and is only saved from being one of the worst movies ever made by its sequel. Still, at least Reeve was good in it, and it gave us a Superman versus Clark Kent fight, which has to count for something.
4. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
Gene Hackman’s return isn’t enough to save The Quest for Peace from going down as one of the worst movies of all time.
Honestly, only watch this if you’re a completionist. It’s overly preachy, full of plot holes, and looks like it was made for pennies.
5. Superman Returns (2006)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
It took about two decades, but Superman finally returned in 2006 with Brandon Routh wearing the cape. While it’s technically a reboot, Superman Returns is kind of semi-canon to the first two Richard Donner Superman movies but outright ignores the third and fourth films.
The film’s been maligned over the years. Its biggest crime really is that it’s just a bit dull. I mean, Lex Luthor may be one of the best comic book villains of all time, but even he can’t make real estate schemes interesting twice. It also made the rather strange decision to make Superman a deadbeat dad, which wasn’t the smartest movie.
Still, the 2000s movie captured the spirit of the first two Donner films, and Routh was really good as Superman. So good, in fact, he reprised the role in the Arrowverse, so you know fans had to like him.
6. Man of Steel (2013)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
Seven years after the last Superman reboot, Warner Bros jabbed the reset button once again. Directed by Zack Snyder, this new gritty retake on Superman retells his origin and was supposed to set up the DC Cinematic Universe. Things didn’t exactly go to plan, but it’s widely agreed this is probably the best movie in Snyder’s DC.
While it’s a bit dour for this writer’s tastes, the film is at least brave enough to step away from the accepted origin of Superman, and Henry Cavill was a superb choice to play Clark.
7. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
Two movies in, and the DCEU had already started to collapse. Overly long, pretentious, and just boring, Batman v Superman’s biggest problem is that it fails to tell a coherent story.
Still, it’s an important chapter in the life of Cavill’s Superman, and it introduces Batman, and who doesn’t love Batman? If you’re a completionist, there’s an extended cut that’s better than the theatrical release, but it does add to an already bloated run time.
8. Justice League (2017/2021)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
There are two Justice League movies. The 2017 version was released theatrically, and the 2021 version got a home release. Don’t watch the 2017 theatrical cut. It’s rubbish, and the Snyder cut improves on it in almost every way.
Technically this is the last time we saw Cavill in the Superman suit for a substantial appearance (although the character has returned), and it brings the character’s arc to a sort of satisfying end.
9. Shazam! (2019)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
OK, this one’s a bit of a cheat, but the DCEU Superman (not Cavill) does make a cameo appearance from the neck down at the end of Shazam! The Man of Steel makes a trip to Billy Batson’s school to eat lunch with Captain Marvel and his foster brother Freddy Freeman.
There are multiple ways you can enjoy Superman movies without having to sit through nine different films and three different Superman actors. You can easily break the continuity down into three different distinct timelines.
10. Black Adam (2022)
Where to watch: Max and Apple TV
This one is slightly less cheeky than the Shazam! Appearance, in that we at least see Superman’s face and hear him speak. However, it’s a similarly brief and pointless cameo, as Cavill returned to the role for the Black Adam post-credit scene and will never be seen as Superman again.
All signs pointed to Supes and Black Adam facing off in an epic fight if Black Adam 2 ever happened, but with the announcement of the new DCU Chapter 1, there’s no room for either Cavill or Dwayne Johnson at this time. Ah, well, you could always check out our Black Adam review to hear more about this flick.
Original Superman timeline
The original Superman timeline is the simplest of them all. Start at the beginning and stop watching once you’ve got to the end of The Quest for Peace. If you watch the films this way, you’ll get the full story of Christopher Reeve’s version of the Man of Steel.
How do I watch the original Superman timeline?
- Superman
- Superman II
- Superman III
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Superman Returns timeline
The second is the Superman Returns timeline. There are only three films in this particular continuity, but two Supermen. While it’s never explicitly said, this version of Superman uses the broad strokes of Richard Donner’s first two movies but completely ignores III and IV (for obvious reasons) before telling its own story. This one’s probably the most cohesive continuity, but it does have Clark abandoning his kid, which feels a little odd for a Superman film.
How do I watch the Superman Returns timeline?
- Superman
- Superman II
- Superman Returns
DCEU Timeline
The third and final timeline is the most recent. This is a full continuity reboot, and it completely ignores the events of the previous Superman movies. Instead tries (tries being the optimum word) to build a shared universe between Superman and the rest of the expanding DCEU.
How do I watch the DCEU timeline?
- Man of Steel
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Justice League
- Shazam!
- Black Adam
What’s next for Superman?
The next Superman movie, Superman: Legacy, will be set in the new DCU, and for once, it won’t be an origin story.
Instead, when the Superman Legacy release date comes around, we will see Superman as an already-established hero in a world full of superheroes. James Gunn’s set to direct while David Corenswet is set to play the new Man of Steel, and Rachel Brosnahan will play Lois.
Sadly, this means there is no Man of Steel 2 release date anymore, but we have high hopes for what Gunn and Peter Safran have to bring to the iconic character.
With the Aquaman 2 release date fast approaching, the DCEU will soon be dead (we’ll have to rewrite our DC movies in order article), and we’ll have the new DCU to look forward to. To learn more about that, take a look at our guides to the Swap Thing release date and Brave and the Bold release date. We’ve also got individual articles revealing what we know about the Lanterns release date and the Waller release date.
If you’re a Superman fan, you probably like visitors from other worlds, then check out our list of the best alien movies, or if you want to know more about the other company, we have a guide explaining how to watch all the Marvel movies in order as well as a list of all the new movies coming in 2023.