20 Best Performances In Superhero Movies

3. Christopher Reeve - Superman (Superman)

The saying goes that Christopher Reeve convinced an entire generation of moviegoers that a man could fly, and even four decades on, his performance still remains the high bar by which all subsequent interpretations are measured.

Reeve nailed the dichotomy of Clark Kent and Superman better than anyone: the affected, goofy clumsiness of his Clark Kent and the fundamentally good-natured heroism of the Man of Steel.

Superman has always been the most hopeful and optimistic of heroes, and no actor has conveyed it as convincingly as Reeve. That his performance doesn't seem corny or badly aged 40 years later speaks to its timelessly charming quality.

Best Moment: After Lois Lane (the late Margot Kidder) free-falls following a helicopter accident, Superman effortlessly catches her with all the selfless heroism you'd expect.

He tells her he's got her, and her classic response, of course: "You've got me? Who's got you!?" If you weren't already on-board with Reeve by this point in the movie (somehow), you sure were now.