Superman - Watch Order: Release Order

1978 - 202512 Films25h 36m3.4 Average

This list features the complete Superman film saga as it unfolded over multiple decades, beginning with the first feature-length entry in 1978 and continuing through multiple reboots and reimaginings. The watch order showcases the evolution of Superman on screen, from Christopher Reeve's classic portrayal to Henry Cavill's modern interpretation in the DCEU.

The release order includes different timelines and continuities. While this creates some narrative discontinuity, it provides the complete historical journey of how filmmakers have approached the Last Son of Krypton across different eras.

1
Superman poster

Superman

19782h 23m4.1
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty

Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.

Science FictionActionAdventure
2
Superman II poster

Superman II

19802h 7m3.8
Director: Richard Lester
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Terence Stamp, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty

Three escaped criminals from the planet Krypton, who have the same powers on Earth as Superman, test the Man of Steel's mettle. Led by General Zod, the Kryptonians take control of the White House and partner with Lex Luthor to destroy Superman and rule the world. But Superman, who made himself human in order to get closer to Lois, realizes he has a responsibility to save the planet.

Science FictionActionAdventure
3
Superman III poster

Superman III

19832h 5m2.8
Director: Richard Lester
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O'Toole

Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yields some unexpected psychological effects. Between rekindling romance with his high school sweetheart and saving himself, Superman must contend with a powerful supercomputer.

ComedyScience FictionActionAdventure
4
Supergirl poster

Supergirl

19842h 4m2.7
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Cast: Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro

After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.

AdventureFantasyActionScience Fiction
5
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace poster

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

19871h 30m2.1
Director: Sidney J. Furie
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Mariel Hemingway, Jackie Cooper

With global superpowers engaged in an increasingly hostile arms race, Superman leads a crusade to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But Lex Luthor, recently sprung from jail, is declaring war on the Man of Steel and his quest to save the planet. Using a strand of Superman's hair, Luthor synthesizes a powerful ally known as Nuclear Man and ignites an epic battle spanning Earth and space.

ActionAdventureScience Fiction
6
Superman Returns poster

Superman Returns

20062h 34m3
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Parker Posey

Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.

Science FictionActionAdventure
7
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut poster

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

20061h 56m4.3
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty

Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.

Science FictionActionAdventure
8
Man of Steel poster

Man of Steel

20132h 23m3.7
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner

A young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.

ActionAdventureScience Fiction
9
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice poster

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

20162h 32m3.2
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

ActionAdventureFantasy
10
Justice League poster

Justice League

20172h3.3
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller

Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince assemble a team of metahumans consisting of Barry Allen, Arthur Curry and Victor Stone to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and the Parademons who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth.

ActionAdventureScience Fiction
11
Zack Snyder's Justice League poster

Zack Snyder's Justice League

20214h 2m4.9
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa

Determined to ensure Superman's ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne aligns forces with Diana Prince with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions.

ActionAdventureFantasy
12
Superman poster

Superman

2025
Director: James Gunn
Cast: David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan

Superman, a cub reporter in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.

ActionScience Fiction