6 titles · 6 films · 0 TV series · 12h 44m
Christopher Reeve’s Superman films establish a screen tradition built around sincerity, romantic chemistry, and the tension between an extraordinary hero and an ordinary working identity. Supergirl expands that film family, while Superman Returns revisits its emotional and visual legacy through an alternate continuation. This group is therefore best understood as related cinematic branches, rather than an entirely seamless timeline.
Begin with Superman and Superman II to discover the foundation shared by the principal viewing routes. Afterward, continue through the Reeve-era releases for the original series experience, or choose Superman Returns for a different continuation. Allow the films’ varying comic and dramatic registers to stand on their own; their relationship is richer than a checklist of matching continuity details.
1978 · 2h 24m · ★ 7.2 ★ ESSENTIAL PICK
Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush, Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.
1980 · 2h 7m · ★ 6.8 ★ ESSENTIAL PICK
Three Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod team up with Lex Luthor to conquer Earth, forcing a depowered Superman to regain his strength and stop them.
1983 · 2h 5m · ★ 5.5
Aiming to defeat the Man of Steel, wealthy executive Ross Webster hires bumbling but brilliant Gus Gorman to develop synthetic kryptonite, which yields some unexpected psychological effects. Between rekindling romance with his high school sweetheart and saving himself, Superman must contend with a powerful supercomputer.
1984 · 2h 4m · ★ 5.4
After losing a powerful orb, Kara, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.
1987 · 1h 30m · ★ 4.6
With global superpowers engaged in an increasingly hostile arms race, Superman leads a crusade to rid the world of nuclear weapons. But Lex Luthor, recently sprung from jail, is declaring war on the Man of Steel and his quest to save the planet. Using a strand of Superman's hair, Luthor synthesizes a powerful ally known as Nuclear Man and ignites an epic battle spanning Earth and space.
2006 · 2h 34m · ★ 5.8
Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.
Not exactly. The Reeve films and Supergirl belong to the original film family. Superman Returns takes an alternate route from Superman and Superman II, setting aside the later Reeve sequels and Supergirl rather than continuing after them.
Start with Superman, then Superman II. Continue in release order through Superman III, Supergirl, and Superman IV for the original branch. Alternatively, follow Superman II with Superman Returns to explore its separate continuation.
No. Superman Returns uses the early Superman films as its foundation and does not require those intervening releases. Watch them for the original film family’s broader range, rather than as missing chapters needed to understand Returns.
Supergirl is a spin-off of the Reeve-era film setting and fits naturally between Superman III and Superman IV in release order. It is separate from later television and DCU versions of Kara, which have their own histories.
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