Every Live-Action Superman Movie & TV Show Ranked

Following the success of The Dark Knight Trilogy, Warner Bros decided to take a similar approach to with Superman. Taking the well-known character and placing him in a realistic, gritty world. This meant the tone of Man of Steel was extremely serious, showing Superman in a new light.

Henry Cavill takes centre stage in this film, showing a new side to the Man of Steel. He was much more human and vulnerable, with Cavill conveying a lot of sadness and conflict through this performance.

The film also has a terrific supporting cast. Michael Shannon makes a terrific General Zod. He is both terrifying and justified in his actions, which always makes a villain more menacing. Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner both steal scenes as both Jor-El and Jonathan Kent, both adding a new layer of depth to Superman’s backstory.

Finally, we get to see Superman throwdown on the big screen for the first time. Even though Christopher Reeve had a few fights in the original Superman films, this is the first time we get to see the full capacity of his powers.

YES! There are questions to be asked about the fact Superman basically levels Metropolis, but the fight ultimately shows this new version of Superman in a very interesting way.