Sreejith Mullappilly
David Corenswet's Superman is set to fly onto the big screens tomorrow in James Gunn's epic film of the same name. Superman has been featuring in films since the 1950s, but do you know that Corenswet is only the seventh actor to don the iconic superhero suit in feature films? Here is a list of all the actors who have played Superman on the big screen. It is worth noting that, for this list, we are not looking at actors with cameos in films and longer roles in TV series. For instance, Nicolas Cage in the film The Flash.
Kirk Alyn
The first-ever actor to portray Superman and his alter ego Clark Kent in a live-action film is Kirk Alyn. The actor's Superman is a 15-chapter film serial from Columbia Pictures that hit theatres in 1948, and it also has a 1950 sequel, titled Atom Man vs Superman, with the same number of chapters. Alyn relied heavily on wires and some animation for the flying scenes, which is quite natural considering its time of production.
George Reeves
Actor George Reeves is most popular for playing Superman in the TV series titled Adventures of Superman across 104 episodes in six seasons. It is the first TV show based on the iconic DC Comics character. However, he first portrayed the role in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men. Many critics and film buffs preferred Reeves' portrayal of the more mild-mannered alter ego Clark Kent to his Superman.
Christopher Reeve
The most iconic actor to play Superman is undoubtedly Christopher Reeve. He brought plenty of charisma and comic charm to the role that made it an instant favourite among fans around the world. Do you know that Reeve gained plenty of weight to be in shape for the role? Reeve was also a trained glider pilot, which helped him position himself better and manoeuvre in a realistic manner while suspended by cables. Director Richard Donner once revealed that Reeve looked the part from day one.
Brandon Routh
Interestingly, director Bryan Singer chose Brandon Routh to play the superhero in 2006's Superman Returns because he looked physically similar to his predecessor Reeve. Unfortunately for Routh, however, this also meant plenty of comparisons between him and Reeve. While many critics appreciated his portrayal of Superman, they felt his version of Clark Kent fell short of the expectations. He would reprise the role in series such as Batwoman, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.
Henry Cavill
The first non-American actor to play Superman in a live-action film is Henry Cavill. In films such as Man of Steel, Justice League, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the British actor broke the convention of American stars portraying the massively popular superhero. Cavill's Superman also broke the mould, bringing darker and grittier shades to the character.
David Corenswet
With David Corenswet, director James Gunn is bringing back the classic Superman—a brighter, more hopeful iteration as compared to the Cavill version. With the film set to release this Friday, it would seem like Corenswet is facing the burden of saving not just the world but also DC Studios. Reportedly, James Gunn and his DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran settled on Corenswet as Superman after a long search. Only time would tell whether they were right.