Watch order guide · Superman

How to watch the Superman movies in order

Updated October 21, 2026 · 11 min read · 11 titles · 314 hours

Watch the Christopher Reeve films in order from Superman (1978); Superman Returns (2006) is a sequel to Superman II that ignores the third and fourth films. Lois & Clark, Smallville and Superman & Lois each stand alone.

Titles

11

Films

7

Series

4

Watch time

314 hours

Box office

$1.04 billion

Avg IMDb

6.2

Superman movies in release order

Here is every Superman title in the order it came out, 1951 to 2021: 7 films and 4 series. Optional entries are marked; you can skip them on a first watch.

Superman timeline: movies in chronological order

The same titles in story order, by when they take place, with the year or era each one is set in.

Release or chronological: which order is best?

Release order and story order disagree on 3 titles here. In release order you start with Superman and the Mole Men (1951); in story order you start with Superman and the Mole Men, set in 1951.

First time through, watch in release order. That is how the twists, returning characters and callbacks were built to land, and later entries assume you have seen the earlier ones. On a rewatch, try story order. It turns Superman into one continuous story and makes the prequels play as setup instead of backstory.

Superman also runs 6 separate continuities: George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Superman Returns, Lois & Clark, Smallville, and Superman & Lois. Each has its own line on the timeline, so you can watch them on their own without breaking the main story.

Where to start

Every Superman movie, explained

One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.

No. 01 · 1951 · Film · 58m · optional

Superman and the Mole Men

Reporters Clark Kent and Lois Lane arrive in the small town of Silsby to witness the drilling of the world's deepest oil well. The drill, however, has penetrated the underground home of a race of small, furry people who then come to the surface at night to look around. The fact that they glow in the dark scares the townfolk, who form a mob, led by the vicious Luke Benson, intent on killing the strange people. Only Superman has a chance to prevent this tragedy.

Why it matters: George Reeves' first outing as Superman; optional.

Starring

George Reeves, Phyllis Coates, and Jeff Corey

Director

Lee Sholem

Scores

IMDb 5.5

No. 02 · 1952 · Series · 41h 34m

Adventures of Superman

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a syndicated TV adaptation of the beloved DC Comics superhero! You know the drill: When he isn't fighting for truth, justice and the American way, the man in tights dons a suit and glasses for his secret identity as Daily Planet newspaper reporter Clark Kent, who works alongside friends Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen for gruff boss Perry White.

Why it matters: The 1950s TV series with George Reeves.

Starring

George Reeves, John Hamilton, and Jack Larson

Creator

Whitney Ellsworth and Robert Maxwell

Scores

IMDb 7.7

Episodes

104 across 6 seasons

No. 03 · 1978 · Film · 2h 24m

Superman

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.

Why it matters: Christopher Reeve's classic; the place to start.

Starring

Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman

Director

Richard Donner

Box office

$300 million on a $55 million budget

Scores

IMDb 7.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 87%

No. 04 · 1980 · Film · 2h 7m

Superman II

Three Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod team up with Lex Luthor to conquer Earth, forcing a depowered Superman to regain his strength and stop them.

Why it matters: Zod and the Phantom Zone villains.

Starring

Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Terence Stamp

Director

Richard Lester

Box office

$216 million on a $54 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 88%

No. 05 · 1983 · Film · 2h 5m

Superman III

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.

Why it matters: Richard Pryor co-stars; lighter.

Starring

Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, and Annette O'Toole

Director

Richard Lester

Box office

$80 million on a $39 million budget

Scores

IMDb 5 · Rotten Tomatoes 31%

No. 06 · 1984 · Film · 2h 4m · optional

Supergirl

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

Why it matters: A spin-off in the Reeve continuity; optional.

Starring

Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, and Peter O'Toole

Director

Jeannot Szwarc

Box office

$14 million on a $35 million budget

Scores

IMDb 4.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 19%

No. 07 · 1987 · Film · 1h 30m

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace

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.

Why it matters: Reeve's last outing.

Starring

Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Gene Hackman

Director

Sidney J. Furie

Box office

$37 million on a $17 million budget

Scores

IMDb 3.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 17%

No. 08 · 1993 · Series · 67h 30m · 9th in story order

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

A much more lavish version of the popular Superman television series which had first aired forty years earlier, Lois & Clark focused more on the Man of Steel's early adult years in Metropolis. With the unknowing help of Lois Lane, Clark Kent created Superman there in Metropolis after finding work at the world-famous Daily Planet newspaper, where he meets fellow reporter Lois Lane.

Why it matters: A 1990s romance-first series.

Starring

Dean Cain, Teri Hatcher, and Lane Smith

Creator

Deborah Joy LeVine

Scores

IMDb 6.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%

Episodes

87 across 4 seasons

No. 09 · 2001 · Series · 152h 55m · 10th in story order

Smallville

The origins of the world’s greatest hero–from Krypton refugee Kal-el’s arrival on Earth through his tumultuous teen years to Clark Kent’s final steps toward embracing his destiny as the Man of Steel.

Why it matters: Clark Kent's journey before the cape, over ten seasons.

Starring

Tom Welling, Allison Mack, and Kristin Kreuk

Creator

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar

Scores

IMDb 7.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 78%

Episodes

216 across 10 seasons

No. 10 · 2006 · Film · 2h 34m · 8th in story order

Superman Returns

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.

Why it matters: A sequel to Superman II that ignores III and IV.

Starring

Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, and Kevin Spacey

Director

Bryan Singer

Box office

$391 million on a $223 million budget

Scores

IMDb 6.1 · Rotten Tomatoes 72%

No. 11 · 2021 · Series · 38h 20m

Superman & Lois

After years of facing megalomaniacal supervillains, monsters wreaking havoc on Metropolis, and alien invaders intent on wiping out the human race, The Man of Steel aka Clark Kent and Lois Lane come face to face with one of their greatest challenges ever: dealing with all the stress, pressures and complexities that come with being working parents in today's society.

Why it matters: Clark and Lois as parents.

Starring

Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, and Alex Garfin

Creator

Greg Berlanti and Todd Helbing

Scores

IMDb 7.8 · Rotten Tomatoes 88%

Episodes

53 across 4 seasons

Superman box office and budgets

The 6 Superman films with reported numbers have grossed $1.04 billion worldwide on about $423 million in combined budgets, roughly 2.5 times what they cost. The biggest is Superman Returns at $391 million, 38% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Superman ($300 million) and Superman II ($216 million).

Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Superman, which made 5.5 times its $55 million budget. The weakest was Supergirl at 41% of its $35 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.

The best and worst rated Superman movies

Across 11 rated titles, Superman averages 6.2 on IMDb. The top of the list is Superman & Lois at 7.8, then Adventures of Superman (7.7) and Smallville (7.5). At the bottom: Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (3.8) and Supergirl (4.4). Money and quality don't line up perfectly: the highest grosser, Superman Returns, is only the 7th best rated.

1. Superman & Lois7.8 · RT 88%
2. Adventures of Superman7.7
3. Smallville7.5 · RT 78%
4. Superman7.4 · RT 87%
5. Superman II6.8 · RT 88%
6. Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman6.7 · RT 86%
7. Superman Returns6.1 · RT 72%
8. Superman and the Mole Men5.5
9. Superman III5 · RT 31%
10. Supergirl4.4 · RT 19%

Who appears in the most Superman movies

Christopher Reeve leads with 4 appearances as Superman and Clark Kent, ahead of Margot Kidder (4) and Jackie Cooper (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.

Superman directors and creators

13 filmmakers have directed or created Superman; Richard Lester has the most, with 2.

• Richard LesterSuperman II (1980) and Superman III (1983)
• Lee SholemSuperman and the Mole Men (1951)
• Whitney EllsworthAdventures of Superman (1952)
• Robert MaxwellAdventures of Superman (1952)
• Richard DonnerSuperman (1978)
• Jeannot SzwarcSupergirl (1984)
• Sidney J. FurieSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
• Deborah Joy LeVineLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993)
• Alfred GoughSmallville (2001)
• Miles MillarSmallville (2001)
• Bryan SingerSuperman Returns (2006)
• Greg BerlantiSuperman & Lois (2021)
• Todd HelbingSuperman & Lois (2021)

How long it takes to watch every Superman movie

All 11 titles add up to 314 hours: 14 hours of film and 300 hours of series, counting every episode. That is about 158 two-hour evenings, or 32 days of ten-hour binges. The essentials cut it to 311 hours. The longest film is Superman Returns at 2h 34m.

Which Superman movies can you skip?

2 titles can go without losing the main story. They are side stories, spin-offs or entries the later films ignore. Dropping them saves 3 hours.

• Superman and the Mole Men1951 · Film · 58m · optionalGeorge Reeves' first outing as Superman; optional.
• Supergirl1984 · Film · 2h 4m · optionalA spin-off in the Reeve continuity; optional.

Common questions

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