The character Superman, first appearing American comic books in 1938, has appeared in many types of media since the 1940s. Superman has appeared in radio, television, movies, and video games each on multiple occasions, and his name, symbol, and image have appeared on products and merchandise.
Portrayals Among the actors who have played Superman / Superboy (and/or his alter ego, Clark Kent) are:
Portrayed by
Roy Middleton (1940) 1939 New York World's Fair Mayo Kaan (circa 1940) Fleischer Studios model for the original Superman short Karol Krauser (1941) Fleischer Studios promotional model for the Superman shorts Kirk Alyn (1948–1950) Superman Atom Man vs. Superman George Reeves (1951–1958, 2023) Superman and the Mole Men Adventures of Superman Stamp Day for Superman The Flash Johnny Rockwell (1961) The Adventures of Superboy Bob Holiday (1966–1968) It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (Broadway musical) David Wilson (1975) It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (TV special) Christopher Reeve (1978–1987, 2006, 2023) Superman Superman II The Richard Donner Cut Superman III Superman IV: The Quest for Peace The Flash John Haymes Newton (1988–1989) Superboy Gerard Christopher (1989–1992) Superboy Ron Ely (1991) Superboy Dean Cain (1993–1997) Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Tom Welling (2001–2011, 2019) Smallville Crisis on Infinite Earths Brandon Routh (2006, 2019/2020) Superman Returns Crisis on Infinite Earths Matt Bomer (2009) Toyota Prius Henry Cavill (2013–2023) Man of Steel Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Justice League Zack Snyder's Justice League Black Adam The Flash Tyler Hoechlin (2016–2024) Supergirl Elseworlds Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman & Lois Nicolas Cage (2023) The Flash David Corenswet (2025–present) Superman Supergirl Man of Tomorrow
Voice only
Radio and audio Superman appears in The Adventures of Superman (1940), voiced by Bud Collyer. Superman appears in The Adventures of Superman (1966), voiced by Bob Holiday. Superman appears in several vinyl albums released by Peter Pan Records during the 1970s and 1980s. Superman appears in the BBC radio adaptation of Superman Lives!, voiced by Stuart Milligan. Superman appears in the audio drama DC Comics Super Heroes – Attack of the Elementals, voiced by David Waterman. Superman appears in the audio drama The Never-Ending Battle, voiced by James Konicek.
Film
Animated film Superman appears in Fleischer Studio's Superman shorts, voiced again by Bud Collyer. Superman appears in Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation, voiced by Jonathan Winters. A Superman comic appears in The Iron Giant. Superman appears in Superman: Brainiac Attacks, voiced by Tim Daly. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Superman appears in Superman: Doomsday, voiced by Adam Baldwin. Superman appears in Justice League: The New Frontier, voiced by Kyle MacLachlan. Superman appears in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, voiced again by Tim Daly. Superman appears in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, voiced by Mark Harmon. Superman appears in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, voiced again by Tim Daly. Superman appears in Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam, voiced by George Newbern. Superman appears in All-Star Superman, voiced by James Denton. Superman appears in Justice League: Doom, voiced again by Tim Daly. Superman appears in Superman vs. The Elite, voiced again by George Newbern. Superman appears in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, voiced by Mark Valley. Superman appears in Superman: Unbound, voiced by Matt Bomer. Superman appears in Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, voiced by Travis Willingham. Superman appears in films set in the DC Animated Movie Universe (DCAMU). He is voiced by Sam Daly in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Alan Tudyk in Justice League: War, and Jerry O'Connell in subsequent films. Superman appears in Superman 75th Anniversary, an animated short created by Zack Snyder and Bruce Timm. Superman appears in The Lego Movie franchise, voiced by Channing Tatum. Superman appears in JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time, voiced by Peter Jessop. Superman appears in the Lego DC Comics film series, voiced by Nolan North. An alternate universe variant of Superman named Hernan Guerra, with elements of Chris Kent, appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, voiced by Benjamin Bratt. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Superman appears in DC Super Heroes vs. Eagle Talon, voiced by Kenichi Suzumura. Superman appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, voiced by Nicolas Cage. Superman appears in Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, voiced again by George Newbern. Superman appears in Superman: Red Son, voiced primarily by Jason Isaacs and by Tara Strong as a child. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Superman appears in films set in the Tomorrowverse, voiced by Darren Criss. Introduced in Superman: Man of Tomorrow, he makes subsequent appearances in Justice Society: World War II, Legion of Super-Heroes (2023), Justice League: Warworld, and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths. Superman appears in Batman: Death in the Family, voiced again by Nolan North. Superman makes a cameo appearance in Space Jam: A New Legacy. Superman appears in Injustice, voiced by Justin Hartley. Superman appears in DC League of Super-Pets, voiced by John Krasinski. Superman appears in Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, voiced again by Travis Willingham. Superman appears in Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!, voiced again by Nolan North. Additionally, the Legion of Super Heroes (2006) incarnation of the character makes a non-speaking cameo appearance. Superman appears in the two-part film Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, voiced by Chandler Riggs in Part One and again by Travis Willingham in Part Two.
Live-action film Superman appears in Superman, portrayed by Kirk Alyn. Superman appears in Atom Man vs. Superman, portrayed again by Kirk Alyn. Superman appears in Superman and the Mole Men, portrayed by George Reeves. Superman appears in Stamp Day for Superman, portrayed again by George Reeves. Superman appears in Superman (1978) and its sequels, portrayed by Christopher Reeve. The Return of Superman (also known as "Turkish Superman") is an adaptation of Superman from Turkey. Superman appears in Superman Returns, portrayed by Brandon Routh. Superman appears in films set in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), portrayed primarily by Henry Cavill and by stunt double Ryan Hadley in Shazam!. Introduced in Man of Steel, he makes subsequent appearances in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Shazam!, Zack Snyder's Justice League, Black Adam, and The Flash. Superman appears in Superman (2025), portrayed by David Corenswet.
Canceled Superman live-action films In 2017, Jordan Vogt-Roberts pitched a Red Son adaptation to Warner Bros., as an "offshoot" of the DC Extended Universe with different actors for Superman and Batman, but "was told no". Mark Millar responded by saying that two friends of his had been approached by WB to direct a live-action Red Son. An animated film ultimately came out in 2020 as part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies.
Television Live-action Superman appears in Adventures of Superman, portrayed by George Reeves. Superman appears in Superboy, portrayed initially by John Newton and later by Gerard Christopher. Superman appears in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, portrayed by Dean Cain. Superman appears in Smallville, portrayed by Tom Welling. Superman appears in media set in the Arrowverse, portrayed by Tyler Hoechlin. Introduced in Supergirl, he makes subsequent appearances in the crossover events "Elseworlds" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths". Superman appears in Superman & Lois, portrayed again by Tyler Hoechlin. This Superman is the doppelgänger of his Earth-38 counterpart from the Arrowverse. The DC Extended Universe incarnation of Superman appears in the Peacemaker episode "It's Cow or Never", portrayed by an uncredited actor. The DC Universe incarnation of Superman, taking place of the aforementioned DCEU Superman, appears in the Peacemaker second season premiere, "The Ties That Grind". A limited series centered on the Val-Zod version of Superman was in development for HBO Max from Michael B. Jordan and his company Outlier Society by the end of July 2021, with Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters hired as the series's writers and Jordan potentially starring in the series and executive producing alongside Elizabeth Raposo.
Animated television Superman appears in The New Adventures of Superman, voiced by Bud Collyer. Superman appears in The Batman/Superman Hour, voiced again by Bud Collyer. Superman appears in Sesame Street, voiced by Lennie Weinrib. Superman appears in The Brady Kids episode "Cindy's Super Friend". Superman appears in the Super Friends franchise, voiced by Danny Dark. Superman appears in Superman (1988), voiced by Beau Weaver. Superman appears in series set in the DC Animated Universe (DCAU), voiced by Tim Daly in Superman: The Animated Series, George Newbern in subsequent series, Jesse Batten as an infant, Shane Haboucha as a child, Jason Marsden as a teenager, and Christopher McDonald in Batman Beyond. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. Superman appears in the Krypto the Superdog pilot episode "Krypto's Scrypto", voiced by Michael Daingerfield. Superman appears in Legion of Super Heroes, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal. Superman appears in The Batman, voiced again by George Newbern. Superman appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Roger Rose. Superman appears in Young Justice, voiced by Nolan North. Superman appears in the Mad segment "That's What Super Friends Are For". Superman appears in Robot Chicken, voiced by Breckin Meyer. Superman appears in Justice League Action, voiced by Jason J. Lewis. Superman appears in DC Super Hero Girls, voiced by Max Mittelman. Superman appears in Harley Quinn, voiced by James Wolk. Superman appears in My Adventures with Superman, voiced primarily by Jack Quaid and by Kari Wahlgren as a child. Additionally, the versions of Superman from Earth-17 (Overman), the Fleischer cartoons, Super Friends, DC Animated Universe, and Justice Lords universe make cameo appearances in the episode "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal". Superman appears in Teen Titans Go!, voiced by David Kaye. Superman appears in DC Heroes United, voiced by Chris Hackney.
Canceled Superman animated series At one point, an untitled Superman animated project was in conceptual stage, with designs by James Tucker. There were plans to make an animated series featuring Superman and Batman. It would have been an origin story. Animator Genndy Tartakovsky was developing a Superman short for DC Nation back in 2013, but the block's cancellation in the following year resulted in this animated project getting cut. Early design work on the short was completed.