James Gunn's Superman is finally available to watch in theaters, kickstarting the new cinematic DC Universe (DCU) on the big screen. The latest movie stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, marking the fifteenth time the Kryptonian superhero has featured in a live action feature film. If you're in the mood to watch all of the Man of Steel's live action adventures, there's a huge list of Superman movies to watch online.
If you're looking for where to watch all of Superman's movies in order, check out this streaming guide – which includes all the latest offers from streaming services in the United States. This means you can find out where to watch Superman movies in order on services like Netflix, MAX, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+ and Apple TV+. We'll also let you know if there are options to watch Superman movies online for free.
Superman movies in order (live action features)
- Superman (1948)
- Atom Man vs. Superman (1950)
- Superman and the Mole-Men (1951)
- Superman (1978)
- Superman II (1980)
- Superman III (1983)
- Supergirl (1984)
- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
- Superman Returns (2006)
- Man of Steel
- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Justice League
- Zack Snyder's Justice League
- Superman
Superman's movies can be categorized by four different film series; the early years of Superman, the Superman franchise starring Christopher Reeve (and eventually Brandon Routh), the DC Extended Universe, and the DC Universe.
Early Superman movies (1948 - 1951)
Created by DC Comics in 1938, Superman had his first adaptation in 1941 when Paramount Pictures produced 17 theatrical animated shorts from Paramount Pictures. It stars Kirk Alwyn, who also reprised the role of Clark Kent for the sequel, Atom Man vs. Superman. The third instalment, Superman and the Mole-Men, starred George Reeves.
Superman film series (1978 - 2006)
The earliest Superman movie that most fans will remember is the 1978 adaptation starring Christopher Reeve. The hit movie, which saw Superman go up against Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) and General Zod (Terence Stamp) led to three sequels (Superman II, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) and a spinoff (Supergirl) in which he appears only in name. However, the fourth instalment performing poorly at the box office, it would be another nineteen years until Superman was reinvented for the big screen.
While that would be Reeve's final movie in the iconic suit, the franchise did continue with one more movie, even if it took several decades. The Bryan Singer-directed Superman Returns, which was released in theaters in 2008, is actually a soft reboot of the classic Superman film series. This time, Brandon Routh stars as Clark Kent / Superman, and Routh is tasked with playing a version of Superman that already has a rich history of saving the planet.
DC Extended Universe / DCEU (2013 - 2023)
By 2013, long-running sagas and expanded cinematic universes had became the latest Hollywood trend – and Warner Bros set its sights on a shared continuity for the DC Comics IP. Zack Snyder was tasked with kicking off the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) with Man of Steel. In an extremely popular casting decision, Henry Cavill became the new Superman alongside Amy Adams's Louis Lane, Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Michael Shannon as General Zod. It would be, surprisingly, the only Superman movie in the entire franchise, with Man of Steel 2 never coming into fruition. However, Superman played a key part throughout the DCEU, appearing in several movies between 2013 and 2021. This includes Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Henry Cavill also makes his final appearance (spoilers) as Superman with an uncredited cameo in Black Adam.
DC Universe (2025 - Ongoing)
While Henry Cavill was immensely popular with DC fans for his portrayal as Superman, he would hang up the red cape to make space for an entirely new DC universe, led by James Gunn and Peter Safran. In 2024, James Gunn announced that David Corenswet would play Superman in the new continuity, which includes live action movies, TV shows and animated adventures. The movie was originally titled Superman Legacy, which was then ultimately changed to just Superman.
Where can I watch Superman movies in order?
Check out the full list of Superman movies in order below to find out where you can watch them on streaming services. You can also apply filters to only see the movies that suit your preferences, with filters for age rating, year, and many more.