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The American comic book character Superman, created in 1938, has appeared in many types of media since the 1940s. Superman has appeared in radio, television, movies, and video games each on multiple occasions, and his name, symbol, and image have appeared on products and merchandise.
Among the actors who have played Superman / Superboy (and/or his alter ego, Clark Kent) are:
The series premiered September 19, 1952 in black & white on the television network Syndication and ended April 28, 1958. George Reeves portrays Clark Kent / Superman with Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen, John Hamilton as Perry White, and Robert Shayne as Inspector Henderson.
The series premiered October 8, 1988 on the television network Syndication and ended on May 17, 1992. John Haymes Newton, and later Gerard Christopher, portrays Clark Kent / Superboy with Stacy Haiduk as Lana Lang, Jim Calvert as T.J. White, Scott James Wells as Lex Luthor, Stuart Whitman and Salome Jens as Jonathan and Martha Kent.
The series premiered September 12, 1993 on ABC and ended June 14, 1997. Dean Cain stars as Clark Kent / Superman alongside Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane.
The series premiered October 16, 2001 on The WB and ended May 13, 2011. Tom Welling stars as Clark Kent and depicts the early days of Superman as Clark, before becoming the Man of Steel.
The series premiered October 26, 2015 on CBS and ended November 9, 2021 on The CW. Tyler Hoechlin plays Earth-38 Clark Kent / Superman alongside Bitsie Tulloch as Earth-38 Lois Lane. They later appeared in annual Arrowverse crossovers Elseworlds and Crisis on Infinite Earths where their Earth-75 counterparts also made an appearance in the latter crossover.
The series premiered March 21, 2018 on Syfy and ended August 14, 2019. It primarily focuses on Superman's grandfather.
The series premiered February 23, 2021 on The CW. Clark Kent / Superman and Lois Lane are the main characters in television series set outside the Arrowverse, with Hoechlin and Tulloch reprising their roles.
Superman made an appearance in the Peacemaker season finale episode "It's Cow or Never" portrayed by a stand-in.
In July 2021, it was reported that Michael B. Jordan is developing, producing and starring as Val-Zod in a limited series for HBO Max. [15] [16]
Superman appears in various series set in the DC Animated Universe:
Superman appears in My Adventures with Superman, voiced by Jack Quaid, with Kari Wahlgren voicing him as a child. [17] The series follows him alongside a fearless, whip smart Lois Lane who are navigating the small tasks of both becoming adults and trying to save the world. [18] [19] The series premiered on July 6, 2023 on Adult Swim, with an encore run following on its Toonami programming block. [20] [21] [22] Additionally, the versions of Superman from Earth-17 (Overman), the Fleischer cartoons, DC Animated Universe, and Justice Lords universe make non-speaking cameo appearances in the episode "Kiss Kiss Fall in Portal".
Superman was a daily newspaper comic strip which began on January 16, 1939, and a separate Sunday strip was added on November 5, 1939. These strips ran continuously until May 1966. In 1941, the McClure Syndicate had placed the strip in hundreds of newspapers. At its peak, the strip, featuring Superman, was in over 300 daily newspapers and 90 Sunday papers, with a readership of over 20 million.
This article is missing information about recurring actors in the Superman franchise.(March 2023) |
Many live-action actors have made appearances across multiple works in the franchise. V indicates a voice-only role.
Actor | Serial films (1948–1950) | Superman and the Mole Men (1951) | The Adventures of Superman (1952–1958) | Salkind series (1978–1987) | Superboy (1988–1992) | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1994–1998) | DC Animated Universe (1996–2019) | Smallville (2000–2010) | Superman Returns (2006) | Superman: Doomsday (2007) | DC Extended Universe (2013–2023) | Arrowverse (2012–2023) | DC Super Hero Girls (2016) | Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018) | Superman & Lois (2021–2024) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kirk Alyn | Superman | Sam Lane | ||||||||||||||
Noel Neill | Lois Lane | Ella Lane | Alexis | Gertrude Vanderworth | ||||||||||||
George Reeves | Superman | Superman (likeness) | ||||||||||||||
Phyllis Coates | Lois Lane | Ella Lane | ||||||||||||||
Jack Larson | Jimmy Olsen | Lou Lamont | Bo the bartender | |||||||||||||
Marlon Brando | Jor-El | Jor-El | ||||||||||||||
Christopher Reeve | Superman | Dr. Virgil Swann | Superman (likeness) | |||||||||||||
Margot Kidder | Lois Lane | Bridgette Crosby | ||||||||||||||
Marc McClure | Jimmy Olsen | Dax-Ur | Officer Ben Sadowsky Officer Jerry | |||||||||||||
Terrence Stamp | General Zod | Jor-El | ||||||||||||||
Sarah Douglas | Ursa | Mala V | Jinda Kol Rozz | |||||||||||||
Annette O'Toole | Lana Lang | Martha Kent | ||||||||||||||
Helen Slater | Supergirl | Talia al Ghul V | Lara-El | Supergirl (likeness) | Eliza Danvers | Martha Kent V | ||||||||||
Jon Cryer | Lenny Luthor | Lex Luthor | ||||||||||||||
Gilbert Gottfried | Nick Knack | Mister Mxyzptlk V | ||||||||||||||
Sherman Howard | Lex Luthor Warren Eckworth | Steppenwolf V Preserver V Derek Powers V | ||||||||||||||
Kevin Conroy | Batman V | Batman (Earth-99) | ||||||||||||||
Mark Hamill | Joker V Trickster V | Trickster | ||||||||||||||
Adam West | Jerry Retchen | Gray Ghost V | Batman (likeness) | |||||||||||||
Dean Cain | Superman | Dr. Curtis Knox | Jeremiah Danvers | Jonathan Kent V | ||||||||||||
Teri Hatcher | Lois Lane | Ella Lane | Rhea | |||||||||||||
David Warner | Jor-El | Ra's al Ghul V | ||||||||||||||
Michael McKean | Dr. Fabian Leek | Perry White | ||||||||||||||
Clancy Brown | Lex Luthor V | General Wade Eiling | ||||||||||||||
Michael Ironside | Darkseid V | Sam Lane | Lewis Snart | |||||||||||||
Michael Rosenbaum | Wally West V Lex Luthor V | Lex Luthor | ||||||||||||||
Joe Morton | Steven Hamilton | Silas Stone | ||||||||||||||
Carl Lumbly | J'onn J'onzz V | M'yrnn J'onzz | ||||||||||||||
Phil Lamarr | John Stewart V | Malefic J'onzz | ||||||||||||||
JK Simmons | General Wade Eiling V | Commissioner Gordon | ||||||||||||||
Tom Welling | Clark Kent | Clark Kent | ||||||||||||||
Erica Durance | Lois Lane | Lois Lane Alura Zor-El Noel Neill | ||||||||||||||
James Marsters | Brainiac | Lex Luthor V | ||||||||||||||
Laura Vandervoort | Supergirl | Brainiac 8 | ||||||||||||||
Amy Adams | Jodi Melville | Lois Lane | ||||||||||||||
Peyton List | Lucy Lane | Golden Glider | ||||||||||||||
Lynda Carter | Moira Sullivan | Asteria | Olivia Marsdin | |||||||||||||
Brandon Routh | Superman | Ray Palmer Superman | ||||||||||||||
David Ramsey | John Diggle | John Diggle | ||||||||||||||
Jenna Dewan | Lucy Lane | Lucy Lane | ||||||||||||||
Tyler Hoechlin | Superman | Superman | ||||||||||||||
Ezra Miller | The Flash | |||||||||||||||
Elizabeth Tulloch | Lois Lane | Lois Lane | ||||||||||||||
Nicolas Cage | Superman | Superman V |
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics. The title of the series varied from season to season, as did the superheroes on the team. Nine seasons, comprising a total of 93 episodes, were produced.
The DC Comics character Batman has been adapted into various media including film, radio, television, and video games, as well as numerous merchandising items. The Batman franchise has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Lego Batman is a discontinued theme and product range of the Lego building toy, introduced in 2006, based on the superhero character Batman, under license from DC Comics. The sets feature vehicles, characters and scenes from the comics and films. The inspirations for the design of these vary widely. For example, the Batmobile retains its basic sleek shape and prominent fins from the Tim Burton films, whereas the "Bat-Tank" seems to be based on the tank-like Batmobile in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. The theme was relaunched in early 2012 as part of the Lego DC Universe Superheroes line, which is a sub-theme of the Lego Super Heroes line. In total there were 17 sets, almost all of them including Batman.
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Since their first appearance in The Brave and the Bold #28, various incarnations of the team have appeared in film, television, and video game adaptations.
Aquaman has made several appearances in numerous adaptations since his comic book debut in 1941. The character has also been referenced beyond the scope of traditional comics entertainment.
The New Adventures of Superman is a series of six-minute animated Superman adventures produced by Filmation that were broadcast Saturday mornings on CBS from September 10, 1966, to September 5, 1970. The 68 segments appeared as part of three different programs during that time, packaged with similar shorts featuring The Adventures of Superboy and other DC Comics superheroes.
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure is a Saturday morning Filmation animated series that aired on CBS from 1967 to 1968. Premiering on September 9, 1967, this 60-minute program included a series of six-minute adventures featuring various DC Comics superheroes.
In addition to DC Comics books, the superhero Robin also appears in other media, such as films, television and radio. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, and Damian Wayne are examples of the characters who use the name Robin.
The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with 1989's Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever, with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of a sequel titled Batman Unchained.
DC Comics's Superman franchise, based on the character of the same name created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in June 1938, has seen the release of various films since its inception. The character debuted in cinemas in a series of animated shorts beginning in 1941, and then was the protagonist of two movie serials in 1948 and 1950. An independent studio, Lippert Pictures, released the first Superman feature film, Superman and the Mole Men, starring George Reeves, in 1951. In 1973, the film rights to the Superman character were purchased by Ilya Salkind, Alexander Salkind, and Pierre Spengler. After numerous scripts and several years in development, Richard Donner was hired as their director, and he shot two films, Superman (1978), and Superman II (1980), at the same time, both starring Christopher Reeve. Donner had already shot eighty percent of Superman II before it was decided to finish shooting the first film. The Salkinds fired Donner after Superman's release and commissioned Richard Lester as the director to finish Superman II. Lester returned to direct Superman III (1983). The Salkinds also produced the related spin-off Supergirl (1984). They then sold the rights to Cannon Films, which produced the poorly reviewed Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). Ilya Salkind commissioned a fifth Superman script before Warner Bros. acquired the rights entirely in 1993.
Throughout his 80-year history, the Flash has appeared in numerous media.
The many incarnations of the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern have appeared in numerous media over the years.
Lex Luthor is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As Superman's archenemy, he has been portrayed in almost every Superman media franchise and adaptation.
Since her debut in All Star Comics #8, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman has appeared in a number of formats besides comic books. Genres include animated television shows, direct-to-DVD animated films, video games, the 1970s live action television series, Wonder Woman, The Lego Movie and The Lego Batman Movie, and the live-action DCEU films Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and The Flash (2023).
Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is a 2012 Lego-themed action-adventure game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game is a sequel to Lego Batman: The Videogame and the second installment in the Lego Batman series. The main storyline follows Batman, Robin and later Superman as they attempt to foil the Joker and Lex Luthor's plans to have the latter become president of the United States, joining forces with the Justice League along the way. As a result, the game's cast is larger than its predecessor and includes characters outside of the Batman series.
Lego Super Heroes is a theme and product range of the Lego construction toy, introduced in 2011, owned by The Lego Group and licensed from DC Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, Warner Bros., The Walt Disney Company and Pixar.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a 2014 Lego-themed action-adventure platform video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the third installment in the Lego Batman video game series and a sequel to Lego Batman: The Videogame and Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes. Similarly to its predecessor, the game features voice acting and semi-open world environments, and focuses on a large cast of characters from the entire DC Universe rather than just Batman and Robin. In the game's story, Brainiac attacks the Earth, intending to shrink the planet and add it to his collection, which forces the Justice League and the Legion of Doom to form an unlikely alliance to stop him.
The fictional character Flash, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, has appeared in multiple films since his creation. Unlike fellow superheroes such as Superman and Batman, multiple characters have assumed the mantle of the Flash. These include Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, his nephew Wally West, and grandson Bart Allen.
Lois Lane is a fictional character first appearing in DC Comics Action Comics #1, an intrepid reporter commonly portrayed as the romantic interest of the superhero Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent. Since her debut in comic books, she has appeared in various media adaptations, including radio, animations, films, television and video games. Actresses who have portrayed Lois Lane include Noel Neill, Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Teri Hatcher, Erica Durance, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, and Elizabeth Tulloch.