Ranking Every Live Action Superman (TIER LIST)

[@JustBSingProductions]

Let us know how all the Superman actors rank for you!

[@johnbailey8409]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6vMe5V9fMmVl5Ysi=tNrWJRi5wQVPi9Cq

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@johnbailey8409thanks for sharing!

[@sath2749]

I am ok with your list except Tom Welling is Good.

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@sath2749 He was very close, and if we ever revise the ranking once we see Corenswet in action, that's likely where we'll end up putting him for good.

[@sydhamelin1265]

I remember seeing the George Reeves Superman on TV as a kid, and really liking him. But Christopher Reeve IS Superman, he really is.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Truly. Are you planning to see the documentary?

[@sydhamelin1265]

@@JustBSingProductions Yes, and I'm gonna cry.

[@coachmikesfilmroom3111]

George was fun to watch, but yes Christopher IS Superman

[@sydhamelin1265]

@@coachmikesfilmroom3111 Yeah, he was really charismatic, but there wasn't the depth of character. The Donner cut, where he's talking with his father about becoming human, whew, it's so good. His rage when Lois died, a whole other level. The look he gives Otis when Lex says to take his cape, ahhh Reeve just got it 100% perfect.

[@breannalarsen8871]

Dean was a great Superman, but his Clark Kent was amazing! He was the one that truly made you believe that Lois would fall in love with him, once she not only let herself get over her fears of relationships and being hurt, but actually started to see his true character and goodness (and sexiness)!

[@easyalpha1]

Dean basically made Superman more down to earth...only Superman that flew while relaxing on his back..😂

[@Visqo1]

I'm sad Dean Cain went crazy recently.

[@easyalpha1]

@@Visqo1 depends on which politics you like..😂

[@mindlessmeat4055]

I can't blame you for putting George Reeves in so good. The man not only did a fantastic job as Superman, but also changed his personal life to match the ideals of Superman. He is not my favorite, but the man is a legend and will never be less than So Good in my opinion.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Well said!

[@rochstan123]

Christopher Reeves will always be Superman. Seeing SM on the big screen as a kid was epic and SM 2 was even better. Have to add that Gene Hackman as Lex Luther really brought both films together.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Agreed!

[@TheEdorizo]

There is no s at the end of his name

[@Out-Cast75]

@@TheEdorizo exactly that's the 50s Syperman George Reeves

[@rochstan123]

@micjoseph6250 And it's It's Superman, not Syperman. Clearly a typo, as was Reeves instead of Reeve, so I wouldn't make an issue out of it, not that important. I know what you meant.

[@jpenir]

Reeve

[@adriancrook9094]

Brandon Routh did a great job -- really channeled and got the essence of Christopher Reeve

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yeah, agreed. Did a really good job emulating Reeve. Would also loved to have seen him in a performance not tied to the Reeve verse just to see how his portrayal might have been different. Got a little taste of that in the CW shows, but he was still kind of playing that same Reeve character.

[@DaveMiller2]

Routh was really good as Superman in the CW crossover.

[@kingbeauregard]

I'm glad you put both George Reeves and Tyler Hoechlin in top tier along with Chris Reaves. Tyler actually does what each of the others are best at, which makes him the best Superman. George Reeves's best trick: making Clark seem like a real person and not just a nerd disguise. Chris Reaves's best trick: making Clark and Superman seem so dissimilar that you'd never suspect they were the same person. Tyler Hoechlin does both.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Great way to describe the strengths each of them bring to their portrayals

[@DanK123]

CHRIS REEVE. REEVE.

[@tyrellwhite8062]

I put both Dean Cain and Tom Welling in the So Good Category, I've met both actors in person and loved the experience and got their autographs too

[@JustBSingProductions]

That’s awesome! Welling especially seems like such a good dude. Have you listened to his podcast with Michael Rosenbaum?

[@tyrellwhite8062]

@@JustBSingProductions Yes sir, I love The Talkville Podcast, watch each video since the beginning

[@JustBSingProductions]

Same. The banter is fantastic. I really hope they’re able to get an animated continuation of Smallville off the ground!

[@tyrellwhite8062]

@@JustBSingProductions tha would be awesome

[@chrisrein8210]

I didn't watch Smallville during it's recently got into after it's inclusion on HULU which got me into Michael's Podcasts Talkville and IOY. I thought Welling was great in the role even he was just mainly CK and the Blur

[@Dust_kormoi]

Born in '78. So Christopher Reeve was my Superman. Brandon was Christopher's style 👍 My wife loves Henry, of course.

[@JustBSingProductions]

A Superman for all seasons…and people!

[@gildersleevefan67]

Glad to see you put George Reeves where you did. I was a little kid in the 1970s and that's when I first saw the Superman reruns. He was a tough guy you knew not to mess with. The fact that he wasn't battling supervillains but regular people made him seem much more realistic. I hate to offend the Christopher Reeve fans, because I loved watching the movies (at least the first two.) But everything that people use against Superman as a character, like saying he is Big Blue Boy Scout, is becuase of the way he was portrayed in those films. He looked the most like Curt Swan's Superman than anyone. But George Reeves was just in a class by himself.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Hey, on behalf of Christopher Reeve fans, no offense taken whatsoever. We all have different preferences and opinions, and that’s all good! And you’re 100% right about George Reeves. He did some great things with that character. I even loved his guest star spot on I Love Lucy. 😂

[@ScottPeterson-u5d]

Christopher Reeves is the classic Superman miss him R.IP.

[@JustBSingProductions]

He was truly a Superman!

[@DanK123]

REEVE. REEVE. REEVE.

[@supermansjs]

Christopher Reeve tops the list for me! But Bill Murray has to be a close second 😂

[@JustBSingProductions]

Oh for sure on both accounts! 😂

[@doriangray6985]

No . . . .😂

[@peterd788]

Christopher and Henry truly captured the role.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Agreed, in such different ways

[@miguelsilva3867]

When you hear that Christopher Reeve thought that Tom Welling should have played Superman on the big screen tells a lot about what he thought about Smallville and Tom's performance. I really think Tom should be Good. Christopher Reeve showing up on Smallville was him passing the torch.

[@JustBSingProductions]

As you saw, he was very close to Good, even So Good. The performance was awesome, and he will probably get upgraded back to the Good category later. In the moment, because of the reasons shared, Not BS was where he landed.

[@mavrikmavrik3032]

I agree and thought it was a wasted opportunity. He would have made a great Superman in a few movies.

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@mavrikmavrik3032 or even just have made the call to go full Superman in season 10, not just the last few minutes, that would have been amazing.

[@mavrikmavrik3032]

@@JustBSingProductions I hear ya but…if you look at his transition from HS kid to adult he started being Superman much earlier than the last episode. His character fully developed into the mature man of steel that we see played in the movies sometime before that last season. And I think he did an excellent job of showing that growth from teenager to Superman during the series. Anyway…it’s all good.

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@mavrikmavrik3032 yeah, all good, all subjective, and all in good fun. We see that progression a little differently than you, but we certainly all share the same love of the show overall.

[@Milky_Way1986-cr7yl]

I’ll probably be in the minority, but my favorite is actually Dean Cain. Grew up on that show and loved it! Teri Hatcher is my favorite Lois too.

[@JustBSingProductions]

No shame in that! It was a fun show. Teri is an AMAZING Lois. She’d probably be near the top of our list too.

[@MariePickholtz]

I grew up watching the show with my family and love it!

[@coreyc5982]

Hey, nothing wrong with Dean Cain at all. He's a legit good Superman, but for me personally, I wouldn't put him above Henry or Chris. Now, when it comes to Clark Kent, Dean Cain is the absolute best, in my opinion. He's only surpassed by the 90's Animated Series Version. But since this is only the live action rankings, Animated Supes or Clark Kent doesn't count.

[@tlyoung1420]

My favorite ❤

[@easyalpha1]

Dean is my fave too...him saving people in the news office from normal day accidents so fast no one notices him.😂

[@SHMEEE85]

Tyler Hoechlin is my #1 for live action Superman. I love his Clark and his Superman. I was never really a fan of Reeve's version of Clark because for Reeve's there really wasn't a Clark. Clark was a mask he used to hide. Tyler's Clark is just a sweet, small town nerd, who wants to help and his Superman is more of a persona he adopts to convey gravitas and confidence while still being Clark deep down.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Great observations! Tyler has surprised us with how good he is, to be honest!

[@HucksPopCultureCafe]

Love the list and of course, we're gonna have opinions, so here it goes. 😁 I was so happy you almost put Brandon at the top. His portrayal was strong enough to be there, IMO. Now, Tom Welling. Sure he only "wore the suit in the final episode", but if you're having Superboy on here, then you could consider his years on Smallville as his years as Superboy, just without the suit. After all, Tom performed more super feats as Clark Kent than probably most of these actors combined, so at the very least, I think he deserves to be on the good tier. After all, this is a character tier not a costume tier. Also, since you are counting anyone who dressed up and played Superman, including Bill Murray, you may want to add Superman from the Sandy Collora Fan Film, World's Finest with Michael O'Hearn as Superman. He was amazing! Anyhoo, great job guys. I'll definitely go do my tier.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Murray was more for us bc that sketch was so ingrained in our memory, we both mentioned it at nearly the same time while putting the list together. Technically, we should have added The Rock and Hugh Jackman also for their SNL portrayals lol. We didn’t include the fan films because there are numerous ones floating around, including the one you mentioned. But they never actually aired on TV or in cinema, so we didn’t want to add multiple names that wouldn’t really be as widely known, if that makes sense. Totally hear you on Tom. It was less so the time in suit than the time to get to the suit…10+ years and a lot of delay. As you said, he was doing all the Superman things, except flying, and had already even faced some of Superman’s greatest enemies (including an early Doomsday) and yet, there was reluctance to go “full Superman” or even “full Superboy.” They didn’t go all in until the last few minutes (and yes, I know there was a no tights/no flights rule, but at least for a full season, we think that should have been broken and Tom should have agreed to having a suit for himself). That’s kinda where our heads were at in that brief little exchange you actually see and what led us to a very high Not BS. That said, we have agreed, we should move Tom back into Good, and that will be reflected on any future updates we do. Thanks for recognizing opinions differ and being so respectful in the discussion, and most of all, thanks for watching and sharing your opinion with us, as well!

[@spacemanspiff3052]

Christopher Reeve as #1 is just pure, simple fact. I’ll go with Tyler Hoechlin as #2 in my book, he really can capture the altruism of Superman. For my 3rd top in the So Good I’m breaking from your line of thinking and going with Tom Welling, though he only gets one finale scene, smudge, as Superman . . . I honestly consider him a 2000s take on Superboy, no suit, and think he is well deserving as So Good. Next is George Reeve as my classic version of Supes and Clark. While I’m one of those who was not thrilled with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, it is impossible to deny that Henry Cavill looks like Superman flew right out of the comic books . . . I really wish he got the opportunity to reprise Superman in one or two stand alone sequels under another Director instead of just being part of Snyder’s Trinity/Justice League ensemble. So, that’s my top 5 of the So Good category. Thanks for always putting out good and entertaining content!!! No BS’ing! 😉👍

[@JustBSingProductions]

Love that list and your reasoning for all the So Goods! Thank you for continuing to tune in and for the kind words! We appreciate you!

[@Falcun21]

Hoechlin and Routh both played Chris Reeve Superman. They didn't do anything to standout from his portrayal of Clark and Superman. Cain played Post-Crisis Clark perfectly, the former athlete that wasn't a pushover and his Superman was more of a role that Clark was playing. As he said, "Superman is what I can do, Clark is who I AM." Cavill played a form of Golden Age Superman mixed with Superman: Earth One and New52 so his Clark was more withdrawn but still had an edge to him and his Superman was very standoffish, like he didn't trust people, which given the events of Man of Steel, he couldn't. Hoechlin, Routh and Reeve all played Clark as a dorky wimp and Superman as stern yet friendly. I would have liked for Routh and Hoechlin to do their own take on Clark and Superman.

[@Phreddy666]

Honestly, my only argument would be Tom Welling's placement, until I listened to your rationale. So, I'll give you that one. Glad you like Tyler Hoechlin's take on Superman. I always wondered it casting saw the same resemblance to Kirk Alyn. Great video guys.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks! And to make you feel even better, we agreed we underrated Tom in the moment, so he’s back to Good tier. We even argued with ourselves on that one! Lol

[@BlueBullsFan]

Maybe bit of an unfair rating to Tom Welling.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Maybe. Maybe not. He might be moved back to Good.

[@Calabrin1]

Cavill’s ho-hum portrayal of Supes has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the material he was given, which is awful. The people at WB who helmed those projects simply did not understand the character at all, and tried to turn him into Batman using the following logic: “Everyone loves Batman. Let’s have every character be just like Batman.”

[@doomraven0]

Completely agree. Cavill is a really good actor. Snyder is a hack though.

[@pskarnaq73]

This video showed up randomly on my feed, and I've now subscribed. Nice vid!

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks so much! Welcome aboard!

[@TheEdorizo]

Reeve will always be king and he had a better suit then what is out there today

[@JustBSingProductions]

💯 agreed

[@budmoore2342]

Tyler Hoechlin is currently favorite television Superman. George Reeve is my first TV favorite. While I'm looking forward to David Corenswett's version, Christopher Reeves's Superman will always be my favorite, over all other versions! 🦸👍

[@JustBSingProductions]

I think the majority seem to feel that way about Reeve!

[@kevingiven3463]

I loved Dean Cain's metallic blue costume as the best.

[@JustBSingProductions]

It was a pretty nice costume, especially for a 90s TV budget!

[@jlogan2228]

As much as i love Henry, Tyler is probably the best clark kent and superman combo weve had since reeve

[@JustBSingProductions]

He’s really been fantastic. Sad to see the show end so soon.

[@CaseyMarshall-c7j]

Welling was stopped from being Superman because of the directors rule of “No flights No tights”

[@sandman_says_runrunner4701]

That was Welling's rule as well and the reason it was restricted to the finale.

[@pajolee6918]

Welling didn't want to wear the suit.

[@ANRQAngel]

Definitely agree with you about Tyler Hoechlin's Superman!! He does an amazing job.. Definitely in my top 3 Supermen.. I didn't like Brandon Routh's Superman though, it felt both forced and underwhelming, but that's probably just because at the time Tom Welling was doing a superb job on Smallville, and I wanted him to be Superman.. Would love to see a Tier list of Lois Lanes if you haven't done it already

[@JustBSingProductions]

We’ve got some other tier lists in mind. Lois is on the list.

[@treppie]

Dean Cain has always been The Very Best live action Clark Kent for me. That alone makes him a top tier Superman in my books.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Solid! I always appreciated the “Clark Kent is who I am, Superman is what I can do” approach the show took. In line with the John Byrne comic interpretation.

[@thtmrvlchrstn]

Christopher Reeve topping the list should be an objective thing. 😂 I'm guessing that you'll be making a tier-list ranking for the animated Supermen. Love to see where you'll put Tim Daly, George Newbern, Jack Quaid, or even the HISHE Superman for laughs. 😆

[@JustBSingProductions]

We'd planned to do that, but decided against it for Supestember. We have some great unboxings we thought would be more fun. But we may give a shout out to our favorite animated Supermen in a future vid for sure!

[@01timegone]

If you're going to talk about animated versions of Superman, and who voiced him the best!! No one, not now, not ever will ever come close to the Legendary Superman voice actor Bud Collyer , He was the Original voice of Superman first, on the radio and then cartoons!!! , He created the Two Different voices of Superman and Clark Kent!! He made Clark Kent's voice Higher and Superman's voice was Lower and a very strong Baritone!!! That's the way Everyone that has come After has Imitated and portrayed the Two characters!!! and a lot of other things we now know as part of Superman's legacy !! . There was so much of the mythos of Superman that was created when he was the voice of Superman!! Go watch the original cartoons of Superman or the 60s Superman cartoons, and you'll see exactly what I mean. Or should I say you'll hear exactly what I mean!!! Everybody else is a pale imitation in comparison!!

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@01timegone he’s definitely high up for us too!

[@thtmrvlchrstn]

@@01timegone I've watched the Fleischer cartoons before. Specifically the first and second one with the mad scientist and mechanical robots. I don't know if he's the same guy you're talking about but I do love how he seamlessly switches from Clark to Superman whenever he says, "This looks like a job for Superman." He is definitely high up there. So is the one who voiced him in the Super Friends cartoons. Those were my childhood. But for personal preference, I grew up watching the 90s animated series and the Justice League series more so it's their voices that I hear when I read Superman in the comics. 😊 I mainly use the old, deep-voiced Superman when I read the Earth-2 Superman-at least that's what he sounds like to me whenever I'm reading Crisis on Infinite Earths. 😂 Thank you for letting me know though. 😁

[@MrFrmartin]

only thing i would change is put Welling up to Good

[@JustBSingProductions]

We might end up doing that! It was pretty close.

[@grandwazoo9112]

I would have loved to see the Cage Superman. That was supposed to be based on "The Death of Superman" comics I believe. Plus, Cage was a huge comics fan and before he ran into money trouble and had to sell them, had a valuable comics collection. He gets extra credit for naming his son Kal-El. He would have really been into the character and with a good script and story might have been one of the best. If only....

[@JustBSingProductions]

He for sure would have had a lot of respect for the source material. I would actually have liked to see him as Lex (and I believe he said in the past he’d have been interested in playing that part).

[@monksden467]

Christopher Reeves and Cavill are my favorites. Everyone else should be under them.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Both great choices!

[@BenSkyLakewood]

Same

[@DanK123]

REEVE. Jesus.

[@uhhuhhuh100]

Wow! I didn't think there was so many that portrayed Superman/Superboy in live action shows and movies. I can only do a tier list of the ones I am familiar with. Out of these 14 you ranked, I only can rank 8 of these. Here is a list of the ones I'm familiar with: So good- Christopher Reeve, Henry Cavil, George Reeves, and Dean Cain Good- Brandon Routh, Tom Welling Not B.S.- Nicholas Cage Total B.S.-Bill Murray I would place Nicholas Cage more in the Not B.S. tier because he really never got to show us Tim Burton's full vision of what he could do as Superman. When I heard about him being Superman, I rejected it. I didn't think he could pull it off back then. Now, after seeing him as Superman on the Flash movie, I thought his scene with Supergirl fighting the giant spider was interesting. Tim Burton had me skeptical with Michael Keaton being cast as Batman in 1989. However, the movie became a hit because Michael Keaton did an excellent portrayal of Batman(and yes, Jack Nicholson was an excellent Joker). In retrospect, Nicholas Cage might've have fooled me and could have at least been bumped up to the Good tier anyways. Unfortunately, we'll never really know what could've been.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Good ranking! That’s a great point about Tim Burton and Cage. You wouldn’t expect Michael Keaton to have been one of the best Batman portrayals ever, but he sure was. Nicolas Cage might have surprised us!

[@dignerds]

#1-- Reeves, Reeve, Cavill #2-- All the rest You guys are awesome for giving Cavill a so good 👍

[@JustBSingProductions]

Appreciated! We know it’s all subjective, so we aren’t upset at those who feel differently, but he was just really good and should have been able to show it more.

[@jacklevin2125]

Hey guys, thanks for the rankings. I found myself in agreement with most of your assessments To add to this list, as one SUPER-nerd to another, Let's not forget Bob Holiday, who played Superman on Broadway, the predecessor to the 70s TV broadcast which it inspired. I was probably 10 or 11 when my mother took me and my best friend to see tis on Broadway. Although purposely campy, it was so much fun to see a real live action Superman, and great music to boot!

[@JustBSingProductions]

That's so cool you got to see him in action! We almost included him, but since the play was never aired on television, and his appearance on To Tell The Truth was mostly for promotion, we ultimately decided to leave him off. Can't deny his place in history though! He'd probably fall in above David Patrick Wilson based on his look alone.

[@jbjones07]

It's great that you guys included almost all the live action Superman actors; most channels only do tier list starting at Chris Reeve. Just one insignificant nitppick, though. There was the 20+ minute, unaired 1961 Superboy pilot starring Johnny Rockwell. Not sure if you guys saw him, but it's floating on KZbin somewhere. Instead of Murray though, would like to see him ranked next time you do the revised ranking. Cool video, though 👍🏾

[@JustBSingProductions]

Have not seen that! Thanks for sharing. We will definitely take a look. We also realized after recording that if we included Bill, we probably should have included Hugh Jackman and The Rock for their portrayals on SNL too, so we have a few updates to do for next time!

[@jbjones07]

Sorry fellas! I thought the full 1961 pilot was still uploaded on this website, but I looked and it appears that it's been taken down, and there are just a few various shortclips of Rockwell in action. Hopefully somebody will upload it in full again (I really would if I had it). Still great that you gave highlights to the other obscure actors (Wilson; Newton; Cage)🦸🏾‍♂️ ​@@JustBSingProductions

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@jbjones07 I’m sure we can track it down! The few clips I’ve already found look pretty good, to be honest.

[@adamblackstock9742]

The only changes I feel strongly about making would be moving Brandon to So Good and moving Henry down to BS (he can't act, sorry...and the films he was given don't have the heart or hope to them). Having re-watched Lois & Clark recently, I'd be okay with moving Dean up.

[@justinblake8852]

The dude was omniman 😂

[@fhb3]

Props for acknowledging Kirk Alyn & George Reeves.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Of course. Can’t exclude the originals!

[@xjp1998]

Yeah, Christopher and George are the best of all time. If you have not seen the cover Adam Hugh did, where Christopher is going in the turn entrance as Clark becoming Superman and George as Superman coming out as Clark, it's just amazing to see.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Glorious!

[@thistlecreekhmstd]

I think Dean Cain’s portrayal of Clark being confident helped make it seem like Clark and Superman were two different people. I would have put him in the so good category.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Sounds like a good place for him on your list! Who else is in your So Good tier with Dean?

[@thistlecreekhmstd]

@@JustBSingProductions Christopher Reeve (obviously), Henry Cavill (his portrayal was excellent, the writing, not so much), and Tyler Hoechlin.

[@dennisswaim8210]

Pretty good ranking. I think I fully agree with your takes.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Hey thanks, appreciate that!

[@robertrouse4503]

You didn't include John Rockwell who played Superboy in the pilot for "The Adventures of Superboy" in 1961. It exists, I've seen it.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yep, a couple others pointed that out. We had no idea about that unaired pilot and had never seen it or heard the name before, so we appreciate everyone who has let us know! Checked out some clips. We’ll do an amended list at some point.

[@motaman5936]

Spot on guys, great job

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks so much!

[@imkluu]

My changes to your rankings. George Reeve down to Good Tyler Hoechlin down to Good Dean Cain down to Not BS Tom Welling up to Good

[@JustBSingProductions]

Solid! So only Reeve and Cavill in So Good for you?

[@MKF30]

Reeve to most will always be the GOAT Superman but my second fav personally up there was Welling. The development, character, size and power levels screamed Superman. Even Christopher said while working with Tom on Smallville "This is your next Superman" getting that kind of praise from the best Superman ever is saying something. Just saying. Lol . Also Welling was easily the most jacked, in crisis he got in shape and was just a tank next to Routh and especially next to Tyler. Welling should be in really good, he portrayed what Superman is all about. A shame he had to turn down the role in a movie due to scheduling conflicts on Smalllville. I like Cavill's Superman fitting for a darker more injustice Superman. I know he loves Superman and would do great as the classic, hopeful version but he did the more pessimistic yet hopeful well imo.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Agreed, and if he had been able to go “full Superman” either on the show or in a movie (so wanted that to happen), he’d almost certainly be on our So Good tier! That said, we did decided to move him back up into Good shortly after recording. That will be reflected in any future update videos!

[@MKF30]

@@JustBSingProductions Oh nice! Yeah, it was a show mostly about him becoming Superman but what's funny is he actually did fly quite a few times before the finale over the years haha and his feats are kind insane even better than Reeve's between pushing a freaking planet and the comic stuff. That's some ideas perhaps for you guys for a future video, rating feats/power levels of each Superman ;)

[@JustBSingProductions]

He may have pushed Apokolips, but could he kiss Lois so good she forgets who he is? Doubtful. Reeve wins!

[@MKF30]

@@JustBSingProductions that was good but also could Reeve resist getting erased from reality from the bleed like SV Supes did on will alone? 🤔 That feat gives Tom the win! That story he literally resisted getting erased from reality lol 😆 None of the other versions ever did that. That's some comic plot armor haha

[@MrHootiedean]

Cool ranking, I agree with all your picks!

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks! Appreciate you watching.

[@kmccbf]

Interesting take and I agree with almost all. I would be interested in an evaluation of how each of these actors played and developed Clark Kent.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Potentially a good follow up video! We’ll add that idea to the list. Thanks for checking out the video and the suggestion!

[@kevinmarcus5125]

Christopher Reeve deserves to be placed above and beyond any other Superman. He IS and will always be Superman.

[@williethomas5116]

Amen!!! Christopher Reeves, George Reeves and Tom Welling.

[@craigsibson6541]

Spot on lads! Can't argue with that

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks!

[@billymoore7182]

All the top live action Supermen ranked: 1. Christopher Reeve 2. Tom Welling 3. Tyler Hoechlin 4. Henry Cavill 5. Brandon Routh 6. Dean Cain

[@JustBSingProductions]

Solid ranking!

[@billymoore7182]

Thanks

[@kevincordle9731]

Definitely definitely Christopher Reid Superman awesome.

[@JustBSingProductions]

The best!

[@Batman88878]

Reid?

[@DanK123]

Are you dumb?

[@ThomasJH268]

Sidebar: the SNL sketch where Bill Murray played Superman was the very first live action portrayal of Ant-Man by Garrett Morris who cameoed in the MCU Ant-Man movie

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@mercurywoodrose]

I’m old enough to remember watching George Reeves on television reruns when I absolutely adored anything science fiction or fantasy or superhero on television so he was my first I have absolutely no complaints about him. He’s in God tier because he represents the deities from my early child. And of course, Christopher Reeve was the Superman that liberated comic book characters from their campy origins. I saw that one live and I was so stoked after having red comic books for a decade and collected comic books for two years to have a real superhero movie. Those are the only two I ultimately care about clearly man of steel is a better film, but it doesn’t matter. The heart knows what it wants

[@JustBSingProductions]

They really are two of the best and represent the best of so many childhoods.

[@DonnellSampson]

I love this list. I Agree about 95%. I think each one represents the best of their respective generation. And Tyler represents the best TV version to me. I think people get caught up on stuff that has nothing to do with the character. Sometimes the material and vision for the character were just not good. That's where Henry falls into. And I also think it's important to not only judge how well they played Superman but also how well they played Clark. You can't separate them because the same actor plays both and Clark is actually the disguise. Christopher set the bar for that and it hasn't been matched yet. I think Brandon gets slighted in all of this a little. He was the closest to Christopher that I've seen, both as Superman and as Clark. It's just that he got caught in the transition. They wanted to continue with that version of Superman but it was a different generation by that time, so everyone else was ready to move on. It wasn't fair to him. To me, he was what Kobe was to Jordan when you compare him to Christopher. He should be in the So good category to me. He did a fantastic job as both Superman and Clark. He even freaking looks and sounds like Christopher. Everyone else I think is spot on. Awesome job guys.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Excellent assessment! I also personally appreciate the takes when Clark isn’t the disguise. “Clark is who I am, Superman is what I can do.” The John Byrne approach that both Dean Cain and Tyler hit nicely.

[@DonnellSampson]

@@JustBSingProductions Agreed! What makes Clark great is when you look at him, no one is supposed to believe that someone that nerdy and clumsy can be Superman. Christopher and Brandon pulled that off better than anyone. That's why I put Brandon right under Christopher. But as they moved forward and now we're in a new generation they went for a more grounded portrayal of Clark. Where the clothes and glasses were good enough. Tyler, Dean and Henry fall into that category. But when you lose the nerdy, clumsy element to Clark, you lose a major part of the whole picture. I like the older versions but I get the change. Time are different now. Looking forward to this new Superman. I hope he brings that awkwardness to Clark again.

[@theartistformerlyknownasje6358]

The Superman shirt is 🔥🔥🔥

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks!

[@johnnyplunkett8532]

I only met Kirk Alyn. The FIRST!

[@JustBSingProductions]

That’s so cool! Where did you meet him?

[@johnnyplunkett8532]

@JustBSingProductions it was a nostalgia convention. Mostly cowboy stars back when many were still alive. Lash Larue was a real character. A late night drunken college brawl broke our at his hotel as an older guy so he brought out the bullwhip and cleared out the place. It could cut to the bone. Not a man to mess with. Wrangler Jane from F troop was there also and still pretty.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Haha wow! I can imagine that was a funny experience with Lash. I loved watching F Troop on Nick at Nite! Very cool.

[@cath5741]

Great rankings. I found myself agreeing with all of the picks.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks so much! Are you planning to catch the Reeve doc when it comes out?

[@cath5741]

@JustBSingProductions I am. I still remember wearing my Superman Tshirt to see his Superman movie when it debuted at the movie theater. And the Superman figure I was gifted. It had this string system so you could make it fly.

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@cath5741 that's awesome! Jealous you got to see the first one in theaters. I bet that's an amazing memory.

[@Ron-ep3zl]

Christopher Reeve will always be my Superman. Brandon, I felt, was good but was a victim of a bad story, as was Cavill. Though Cavill looked the part,I didn't recognize him or Affleck in their versions of the character. Felt like Snyder didn't know them, in my opinion. As much as I loved smallville, even Tom Welling has said he has never played Superman. He played Clark with powers.The last episode was him opening his shirt with the suit underneath but all cgi after that. George was a good Superman for that area. Great video

[@JustBSingProductions]

Appreciate it!

[@scottsacala]

Prior to Superman and Lois, I only saw Tyler’s Clark/Superman in the CW crossovers. (I was not watching Supergirl when he came on there). But the more I saw him on his own show, the more I was amazed at what he did with the character. He had that same kind of goofy wholesomeness that Reeve had as Clark, and the cool badass larger than Life aura as Superman. He even looks like how they have Superman in the more modern animated projects. It’s hard to put down who’s the best, but I love what he did with the character! And it’s nice to see how you think of him so highly too! Sadly, with CW’s track record on how the quality goes down for tv shows as more seasons go by, it’s a shame that I wouldn’t be surprised that it will be his outcome as well (though I’ve only seen the first season). I’m a fan! 👍

[@JustBSingProductions]

He’s been pretty solid throughout the run so far for us. And with this being the last season coming up, we sure hope that remains the case to give that crew a good send off.

[@mydnasample]

This was nice.

[@JustBSingProductions]

This comment is nice. Thank you.

[@Out-Cast75]

Yes Chris Reeve is #1 and sure we can always find certain flaws, I always found the cape way too short but thts pretty much it.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Definitely! I like a bit longer cape myself, but that was pretty comic accurate at the time.

[@Out-Cast75]

@JustBSingProductions yes true.

[@fearisthemind-killer]

"SO GOOD" tier is legit. Even the ranking within the tier is spot on, imho.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks!

[@bluedragon4]

Oddly enough, I agree with this whole list.

[@mathmannix]

So, I could only think of 8 before you started. (Although I wasn't counting the new one that hasn't come out yet.) But the 8 I remembered were the 8 you had highest on your list, so I'm happy. Although for me Tom Welling's Clark Kent/Superman is a So Good. (And yes, he was Superman in a few scenes in the last season, plus he was essentially Superman all along anyway!) I would switch him with Cavill.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Hey, if he’s So Good for you, that’s So Good with us! In fact, we realized we probably underrated him ourselves and have bumped Tom back to Good, which will be reflected in any future tier updates.

[@bcsr4ever]

Looks about right. Although I haven't seen all of these guys.

[@rabun4-h684]

In 1973, game show host Chuck Woolery was a live-action Superman for the ABC Saturday morning cartoons fall preview special.

[@JustBSingProductions]

And where would Chuck rank for you? Let me know in 2 and 2.

[@rabun4-h684]

@@JustBSingProductions Oh...BS definitely...lol.

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@rabun4-h684 😂😂

[@jpotter2086]

"You'll Believe a Man Can Fly" ... Yes I will, and I still do.

[@AustynSN]

More impressive was "you will believe a man can put on a flimsy disguise of glasses and a hat and convince the world he's a completely different person."

[@lloydharris8766]

S Rank: Henry A Rank: George, Chris, Dean & Tyler B: Brandon & Tom Yep, Henry killed Zod, but in the face of what Zod was promising to do, it was no different than a soldier serving his country. Except he was forced into that position and into doing it to save lives and that of his loved ones and the expense of what it cost his soul. Very grounded take on Supes imo.

[@JustBSingProductions]

And hey, if you wanna get technical, in the theatrical cut, Reeve’s Superman offed a depowered Zod too (assuming deleted scenes don’t count). The General can’t catch a break in the movies!

[@lloydharris8766]

@@JustBSingProductions I've heard this a few times. :D

[@ryant1506]

Reeves defined superman

[@grandwazoo9112]

I liked Routh but not a fan of the movie. I could not watch the whole thing. One the other hand, catching the plane in the ballpark was the single greatest scene in any of the movies. Absolutely classic.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Awesome scene!

[@matthewrosenthal753]

You list is fine. Just one thing They only made two Superman Serials and Kirk Alyn starred in both. He is the first. Fun fact: Noel Neil played Lois Lane in the serials making her the first live action Lois Lane.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yes! Love Noel Neill, and clearly the directors did too! So glad she got to appear in Superman: The Movie and Superman Returns.

[@matthewrosenthal753]

@@JustBSingProductions She also made a cameo in the same episode of Lois and Clark that Jack Larson did. At the very end of the episode when Lois and Clark are dancing in front of a mirror in their brownstone. Watch the reflection the old Lois in the mirror is Noel Neil.

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@matthewrosenthal753 yep!

[@matthewrosenthal753]

@@JustBSingProductions Kirk Alyn is also in Superman: The movie. He is in the same scene Noel is in. She plays a young Lois’ mother and he is her father.

[@MultiRanman]

No lies detected. Solid list

[@JustBSingProductions]

Thanks!

[@mactherealestateman]

George Reeves set the standard. As Clark Kent, he was no bumble. I always felt that Clark should've been portrayed thia way.

[@JustBSingProductions]

He did a great job in both roles, 100 percent.

[@RaisedVintage23]

I haven't seen every live action Superman but my ranking is: Christopher Reeve Henry Cavill George Reeves David Corenswet I've only seen clips, not full episodes, of Lois & Clark, Smallville, Superman & Lois so I cannot give a full opinion on them as of now Really loved the Super/man documentary! Should've been longer

[@JustBSingProductions]

Nice ranking! Hoping to catch the doc soon.

[@MrFrmartin]

Really like Superman and Lois, probably my favorite TV Series of superman, and I am old enough to have watched Lois and Clark.

[@JustBSingProductions]

It’s very good!

[@childlessdoggentleman746]

Two additional Superman live tiers are needed. We need a live Lois Lane and live Lex Luthor tiers.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Not a bad idea! We’ll add those to the future video pile!

[@childlessdoggentleman746]

@@JustBSingProductions I am not sure if enough representations exist for a live Lana Lang tier but with some excellent actresses (Kristiin Kreuk immediately comes to mind) in the role, you might consider doubling up with the other double L Lois.

[@thomaschacko6320]

It was gratifying to have George Reeves as the first in your “So Good” category. (Actually he should have stayed there!) He was my boyhood hero for his warmth, sincerity, and believability. He portrayed Clark Kent as a leading man in his own right - unlike Christopher Reeve, who played him as a boob. George’s first movie, “Superman and the Mole Men,” is a classic. His best TV episodes are the black-and-whites of the first two years (1951-1953). Kirk Alyn was indeed the first live-action Superman, in two 15-chapter serials: “Superman” and “Superman vs Atom Man.” They were kept under wraps until 1988 - Superman’s 50th Anniversary - when they were released on VHS. His acting didn’t leave a lasting impression on me, and the flying animation and repetitive music were simply annoying! I agree with your low ranking of David Patrick Wilson; that TV special was genuinely bad! At age ten, I saw the Broadway musical on which it was based: “It’s a Bird . . . It’s a Plane . . . It’s Superman!” The lead actor was Bob Holliday, who was excellent. He even picked up a getaway car and threw it offstage - no doubt inspired by the early comic books.

[@JustBSingProductions]

I love Superman and the Mole Men. I remember my mom recording it for me on Beta Max when I was a kid, and I wore that tape out! Love that it was included in one of my Superman box sets.

[@jasonhebedead1710]

Johnny Rockwell was another live action Superboy/Clark Kent from the sixties. A pilot episode that never aired but it's on youtube.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yeah, another viewer already mentioned that! Hadn’t ever seen that, so that was cool. We’ll have to do an update sometime! Where would he rank for you?

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

Technically even without the Superman suit, for all intense purposes Clark was essentially Superman with all his powers the same as Superman after the first few seasons, except flight. To me he is stil Superman (morals and strength, speed) and so good. He also wore the red and blue colors (jacket and shirt) a lot to remind us he is Superman. He wore the S within the black suit of final season.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Will never argue about ranking Tom higher on any list! He was awesome as Clark. For us, if he’d just been fully Superman (or Superboy) for a little longer, he’d have easily been higher. Performance wise, definitely So Good!

[@AVeg-f2k]

Christopher definitely at the top! I would knock down Henry Cavill to Not BS, I think his acting is good but I really don’t even consider Snyderverse as real DC movies with how most of the characters were portrayed (except Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman). Now we need to see best live action portrayal of Lex Luthor list.

[@JustBSingProductions]

I’ll save us the recording time…Michael Rosenbaum is the best so far! Lol

[@CraigScott-g6h]

Gene Hackman of course.

[@AVeg-f2k]

Think Michael Rosenbaum did a great job. Also liked Jon Cryer’s portrayal in Supergirl. Michael Cudlitz did a good job so far in Superman and Lois, looking forward to seeing more of him in the final season 😔.

[@pauldourlet]

Best Luthor ? Jon Cryer and Michael Rosenbaum in my opinion-they projected an edge of danger. Who knew Jon Cryer could do that, from watching Hot Shots.

[@JustBSingProductions]

And Two and a Half Men 😂

[@Junebug2021]

Similar ratings for me. I’d move Routh to Not BS, Welling to Good, and Hoechlin to Good. And maybe Bill Murray to So Good! Gonna have to go check that sketch out now LOL!

[@JustBSingProductions]

Solid rankings! That sketch is hilarious. You’ll love it!

[@Junebug2021]

@@JustBSingProductionsit was great!

[@JustBSingProductions]

Glad you enjoyed it! Was always one of my favorite sketches as a kid! Still great to this day.

[@yngwieweare]

I like to see Superman meets mighty mouse

[@norwalker1955]

I agree with your rankings except for Tom Welling. I know he didn't play Superman except in the very last episode of Smallville, but I think his performance, and the series, deserves a higher ranking than Not BS. The show takes some interesting turns in character, making Lana his abiding love interest, even after the introduction of Lois Lane. Also, it had the best origin and characterization for Lex Luthor in any medium, period. I know the emphasis is on Clark Kent, but at least in my mind that is the character evolved. Superman was the hero, but Clark was the real character. Just my opinion, though. I grew up on the George Reeves Superman.

[@JustBSingProductions]

It’s a fair opinion, and that was the actual hardest decision of the video for all those various factors. In the moment after our discussion, Not BS (which is not at all bad) felt right. He’ll likely get moved back up to Good if/when we update this ranking after seeing Corenswet in action.

[@mavrikmavrik3032]

I generally agree but I think the Tom Welling character was by far the deepest Superman character on TV. I haven’t watched the newest Lois and Clark but I would have put Tom’s character higher.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yeah, it was actually the hardest decision of the video, and if and when we revise after seeing Corenswet in action, we’d probably kick Welling back up to Good. In the moment, with the idea that he played one of our favorite Clark Kents but only was fully Superman for a few minutes over a 10+ year run, that was the decision that fit best. Definitely check out Superman and Lois, by the way!

[@brandofigure]

You gotta tell me where I can find that white shirt with long hair Superman on it!

[@JustBSingProductions]

It's a great shirt! I've had it since '94, so your best bet is probably eBay. Unfortunately, it's pricey with an average of $150! I've always loved this shirt, and Doomsday on the back is just as awesome.

[@josephlglopez]

Christopher Reeve should be on a tier of his own...

[@JustBSingProductions]

You’re not wrong

[@SijoArtLapham6381]

And don't forget, that Kirk Alyn also played Lois Lane's father in the '78 film

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yep, right next to Noel Neill as her mother!

[@deeesher]

I rarely agree with these kind of rankings, but this is one time, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm really impressed with what Tyler Hoechlin is doing, and think he's very underrated. I agree that Henry Cavill is one of the best... I just wish he had gotten a good script and/or director. Tom Welling I'm on the fence with, only because they wrote him into a corner with the stupid blur thing. But he had 3 great seasons! I didn't want to see Nicholas Cage as Superman then or now. And fun fact about John Newton: There was a morality clause in his contract, so at the end of season 1, when he got picked up for DUI, he was fired. And obviously Christopher Reeve will always be number one.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Interesting fact about Newton! I vaguely remember hearing there was a reason he was let go but couldn’t recall. Appreciate you checking out the video and glad we’re on the same page! I know this is a touchy subject for some lol

[@Mark01962]

Fun fact: Kirk Alyn was in Chris Reeve's Superman movie along with Noel Neill (George Reeve's Lois Lane)

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yep! Young Lois’s parents on the train.

[@1234greenfreak]

From the little we saw of Welling being Superman, he definitely should be considered good.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Yeah, we agreed we should move him back to the Good tier.

[@kkarx]

1. Dean Cain - The best Clark Kent 2. Christopher Reeve - The best Superman These are the only 2 who imo belong in So Good category. Why I put Cain on the top? His Clark was the real character and Superman was just an act to protect his identity which I find to be more relatable than vice versa. I also think he was the most unrecognizable Superman with the glasses and differently combed hair. And Tom Welling was the best teen Clark Kent. I watched the show when I was teen but I have never seen the entire show so I dont even remember in the costume.

[@JustBSingProductions]

Agreed about Cain. Loved that John Byrne take of “Clark Kent is who I am. Superman is what I can do.”

[@jonathanswift2251]

David Patrick Wilson was the greatest live action Superman! Hands down! He was the bridge between Reeves, and Reeve!

[@JustBSingProductions]

But did he shake hands with The Hulk? No! Murray wins!

[@GhostbustersFan77]

Tom Welling , as far as I know, never wore the suit. I read they used a CGI model left over from Superman Returns.

[@JustBSingProductions]

That’s correct. It’s more of an appeared “in suit” kind of thing and part of our reasoning for dropping him down some on the tier. That said, may have been a bit harsh in the moment, and we will probably pop him back into Good if we ever make a revised video once we see Corenswet in action.

[@frankrobinsjr.1719]

I loved George Reeves as Superman simply because you gotta love someone who, according to the times, had to puff out his chest to be manly and have the bullets bounce off, only to duck when a villain threw the .38 revolver at him.

[@JustBSingProductions]

😂 always loved that trope

[@philv2529]

I think Leslie Ann Warren played one of the best lois lanes

[@JustBSingProductions]

She’s great! Love her in Clue.

[@lukeevans729]

I usually don't like these lists. I tend to agree. The point of judging the shows is interesting. It is a different question and it's the only reason I agree with Christopher Reeves at the top - He's a legend and his Superman is spot on in many ways. The differences between him and Clark were strong, compared to other versions. But those movies were too goofy and had many problems: turning back time, super kisses... Lex Luthor... The movies would drag me down. BvS would drag me way down, but I love Cavill as Superman... I love Smallville and would rank it at the top - but he wasn't really Superman and I didn't love the quick flash we got. I love the progression towards Superman though and would rank him up the top...

[@JustBSingProductions]

Totally subjective for sure. There are probably ways to use a scoring system and what not to make it more objective, but ultimately, your own experiences (nostalgic or otherwise) and opinion drives your enjoyment of these characters, so that’s what we went on primarily. Reeve is our guy, and it’ll be hard to top his performance for us. Subjectively, who would you put at the top of YOUR list?

[@georgepitcher136]

You forgot Bob Holiday who played Superman on stage for 129 performances on Broadway, and over 140 performances of the character in live action altogether including on video. And John Rockwell from the Superboy pilot that was filmed after the death of George Reeves.

[@JustBSingProductions]

We didn’t include Bob Holiday (whose name came up when pulling up David Patrick Wilson) because, while “live action” the play wasn’t really broadcast widely. Almost considered him for his appearance on I’ve Got A Secret but ultimately left him off. John Rockwell, we honestly just didn’t know about. First we heard of him were in these comments. Technically, since the pilot never aired, he likely wouldn’t have gone on the list anyway, but the clips we looked up after showed promise, so we’ll definitely consider adding him in a future update!

[@TheTraveler_SamuelChampion]

I remembered that Superboy series and they filmed a few episodes in my hometown in 1989

[@JustBSingProductions]

Oh no kidding? That’s cool! Do you remember which episodes?

[@TheTraveler_SamuelChampion]

I remember now I had to look it up to confirm it to make sure I was correct about it. It’s the episode when Superboy is Playing baseball on the field and the when Clark meets Lex at the University with Lana. The filming locations are at the University of Florida-4000 Central Florida Boulevard, Orlando Florida and at the Boardwalk & Baseball Theme Park- Rt.27, Baseball City, Florida.

[@TheTraveler_SamuelChampion]

This Episode and I was at this Live Taping of this show that day and that was fun when I was 10 years old. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h32mnamXj7V2rNEsi=eRhA5NNk5Pvgt7Tx

[@JustBSingProductions]

@@TheTraveler_SamuelChampion very cool!

[@scottasbell1677]

Christopher Reeves and Henry Cavill. My Two best superman portrayals. But I did love me some Lois and Clark with Dean Cain

[@JustBSingProductions]

All excellent in their own ways!