10 Times Two Actors Perfectly Executed The Same Character

Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (1938) and has remained one of the best loved and most popular superheroes ever since. His debut appearance on screen was in the TV series Adventures of Superman (1952-1958) before The New Adventures of Superman animated show aired from 1966-1970. It was then only a matter of time before Hollywood produced the first live-action movie, with the Richard Donner-directed Superman (1978).

That film featured Christopher Reeve in the role of the heroic alien and his alter-ego Clarke Kent, and he immediately optimised the role, playing the character again in Superman II (1980) and a further two times, ending with Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987). At this point the quality of the movies noticeably dipped, and Warner Bros. would turn their attention to DC’s other significant comic book character, Batman. It wouldn’t be until Superman Returns (2006) that the character returned to the silver screen, in a largely forgettable movie.

Then, Man Of Steel (2013) arrived as DC looked to put together a series of films to rival the success of Marvel Studios, producing a fresh origin story grounded in a gritty realism to match the tone of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Henry Cavill stepped into the iconic suit and produced an engaging performance and a darker version of the character, to finally rival that of Christopher Reeve.