Ranking Every DC Comic Book Movie - From Worst to Best

2. Superman (1978)

Going through several directors, multiple writers and an endless search to find an actor suitable for the title character, the production of Superman had been nightmarish before a single frame had even been shot. With the cast and crew finally in place, things somehow managed to get even worse; the most expensive movie ever made at the time, the shoot went massively over-schedule and ultimately lasted 19 months, resulting in one of the most tortured productions in history. Somehow, Superman turned out to perfectly capture the heart and spirit of the comic book icon. The casting of Christopher Reeve turned out to be a masterstroke. The unknown actor made for a suitably chiseled and square-jawed Superman, yet also proved to be a talented comic actor that was perfect for the bumbling Clark Kent. Given solid support by established veteran Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, the movie is one of the ultimate feelgood blockbusters. Richard Donner directs with confidence and deftly balances the action, humor and emotion, as well as the groundbreaking special effects to make audiences truly believe a man can fly. Superman is one of those movies where all of the pieces just fell into place; you wouldn't even be aware of the troubled pre-production based on the quality of the final product. The cast are all pitch-perfect, the action scenes are suitably thrilling and the movie has a solid emotional core. Christopher Reeve's iconic performance, John Williams' memorable score and Donner's skilful direction all combine to create a relentlessly optimistic and entertaining superhero blockbuster.