WEIRDO Ranks: Every Live-Action Superman Actor 🦸🏻‍♂️ (Part 2 of 5)

It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s SUPERMAN!

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Numerous actors have donned the Man of Steel’s iconic red and blue tights in the 70+ years since Kirk Alyn first portrayed the character in the 1948 movie serial titled Superman. Every on-screen iteration of the Last Son of Krypton has provided something unique to the mythos. However, though every actor has done the character justice in their own way, it’s time to see who should come out on top.

This series seeks to provide my personal ranking of each live-action interpretation of the all-time most iconic superhero! I hope you all enjoy, and remember to hit that clap button as well as comment where you would rank each Superman actor on your personal list.

Disclaimer: There are three live-action outings that I either haven’t seen whatsoever or haven’t finished, and those are the Superman movie serials, Superman TV series/movie, and the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV series in 1948, 1957, and 1993, respectively. Therefore, I have chosen to leave each respective Superman actor out of this particular ranking. Oh, and if you haven’t seen any of these projects, there could be minor spoilers ahead!

4. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths)

Image by Warner Bros.

“You wrote that the world doesn’t need a savior, but every day I hear people crying for one.”

Following in the footsteps of the legendary Christopher Reeve would have been an intimidating task for any actor, but newcomer Brandon Routh did it with aplomb. Appearing in 2006’s Superman Returns, Routh carried an otherwise forgettable film with his mesmerizing performance as the titular Superman.

From the outset, emulating the lighthearted Reeve’s legacy in a darker and edgier era may have seemed impossible. While Routh’s dialogue and general actions during the drab movie’s slower scenes majorly come across as moody, that doesn’t stop his Superman from being a force to reckon with.

He catches planes in the air, takes turret-fire to the chest, and carries an entire continent of Kryptonite into space. Additionally, in one of the greatest sequences in superhero movie history, he flies around Metropolis during a crisis and saves the citizens in danger, encapsulating what it really means to wear the ‘S’ on his chest.

While not my favorite Superman, Routh truly shines whenever he’s fumbling around as Clark Kent. Instead of coming off as a bumbling buffoon like the days of old, the actor brings almost a childish innocence to his portrayal of the Daily Planet reporter while blending in to seem like a regular joe.

Image by CW

When CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover dropped and Routh made his redemptive return as the Kingdom Come version of Superman, I was ecstatic! When he finally appeared on screen in his Clark Kent attire, he displayed even more charm than he had in his own movie. Finally, he battled it out with Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman throughout the skies of Metropolis in a truly spectacular action sequence for the ages.

Though I’ll throw the ’06 flop on every now and then, the main thing that keeps me coming back is Brandon Routh’s portrayal of the Man of Tomorrow. However, due to being a modernized, updated version of Christopher Reeve’s character, he simply couldn’t be placed any higher on the list. Had he been able to do his own thing akin to what Christian Bale did with Batman the year prior, perhaps Routh could’ve been a strong contender for the top three.

Part 1: Ranking #5 | Part 3: Ranking #3