The best and worst Superman movies, ranked by Rotten Tomatoes
From Donner to Gunn to Snyder to Singer.
The DC Universe reboot is already a reality. Since the beginning of this week, specialized critics began to share their opinions about Superman, the new film directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet.
The history of the Man of Steel in cinema is extensive. From the Fleischer Studios animated shorts - which contributed significantly to the development of the character’s mythos and abilities - to the 1950s serials starring George Reeves. However, the big breakthrough came with the 1978 film directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve, which not only fulfilled the promise of making you “see a man fly” on screen, but also cemented the foundations of modern superhero cinema.
Almost 50 years later, we now have eight films, five different actors who have played the last son of Krypton, and multiple visions of the modern superhero, with very varied receptions. On this occasion, we review how all the Superman films from 1978 to date rank according to their Rotten Tomatoes scores:
Superman movies ranked by Rotten Tomatoes scores
- Superman II: 88%
- Superman (1978): 86%
- Superman (2025): 83% (at time of writing)
- Superman Returns: 73%
- Man of Steel: 57%
- Superman III: 29%
- Batman v Superman – Dawn of Justice: 28%
- Superman IV – The Quest For Peace: 14%
The two films starring Christopher Reeve top the list. The original film, directed by Richard Donner, set the standard for big-budget superhero movies. Superman II perfected the formula with a more dynamic story and a screenplay by Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather.
Closing the podium, it stands out to find already so something the version directed by James Gunn, which our colleagues in Spain commented that “action, special effects and tachycardic rhythm are the hallmarks of James Gunn in this film, which marks the successful beginning of the DC Universe. Without a lot of frills and without innovating too much, ‘Superman’ has earned its place among the great superhero movies for its storytelling, introspection, character-drawing and love of doing things right.”
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