Ranking the Men of Steel: The 20 best Superman actors

Technically, Ben Affleck never played Superman, per se; however, in 2006, Affleck put on the cape and tights as he portrayed George Reeves, who starred in "The Adventures of Superman" in "Hollywoodland." Affleck, who went on to become the latest to wear the cowl of Batman, cuts a more than accurate figure of the Man of Steel, forcing thoughts of what could have been had Affleck been cast as Big Blue instead of the Dark Knight.

No, Nicolas Cage did not get to give us his and Tim Burton's vision of Superman, as the "Superman Lives" film planned for release in the mid-'90s never materialized. But thanks to Jon Schnepp's "The Death of 'Superman Lives': What Happened?" we are treated to many visions and tales of what could have been, and the verdict is Cage's weirdo Man of Steel could've been one of the best.

Channing Tatum starred as a toy version of Superman in the popular "The Lego Movie" and its follow-up, 2017's "The Lego Batman Movie." Here, Superman does double duty as not only the hero of Metropolis but also as a Master Builder. Tatum has fun with the role, never taking it seriously, but still giving off the Man of Steel vibe with a mixture of swagger and authority...for comedic effect.

Better known for his live action work with Joss Whedon on "Firefly" and "Serenity," Adam Baldwin voiced the Man of Steel in 2007's "Superman: Doomsday," the closest attempt toward making the ill-fated "Superman Lives" script that seemed to elude a number of filmmakers and actors. At 77 minutes, there isn't much time to accomplish something memorable, but Baldwin rises to the challenge — as much as he can, anyway. 

Star of "Twin Peaks" and "Dune," Kyle MacLachlan voiced Superman in the DC Animated film, "Justice League: The New Frontier." Based on Darwyn Cooke's acclaimed series, MacLachlan turns in a solid performance as a vintage Man of Steel, strong yet vulnerable as he learns to work with others who also have powers, finding out what it takes to be a true leader along the way.

A veteran of TV hits like "JAG" and "Desperate Housewives," James Denton lent his voice to the 2011 animated film version of the popular "All-Star Superman" series. Playing a Man of Steel facing his final days after being exposed to too much radiation from the sun, Denton plays Superman with a quiet, reserved dignity, giving us an honest glimpse into the poise and even melancholy of a hero at the end of his journey.

In 1988, "Superboy" found its way into syndication with neophyte star John Haymes Newton in the role. While the first season found success, producers weren't all that thrilled by Newton's largely wooden performance. So at the end of the first season, Newton's cape was clipped, never to fly high again.

One year after it's premiere, "Supergirl" finally dealt with the question of, "Where's Superman?" The answer came in the form of Tyler Hoechlin, who, despite his ever-present gruff exterior and five o'clock shadow that seemed to grow only by the minute, turns in a fair enough portrayal of Superman that he might deserve a show of his own. Unfortunately that costume has to get better first.

1989 brought not only a new season of "Superboy" but also a new...Superboy. Gerard Christopher was tapped to fill the boots of the fired John Haymes Newton, and while producers felt it was a step up, in the end, it was largely the same performance — just three seasons longer. The show was still successful when its cancellation was announced, largely because Warner Bros. was more interested in reigniting the film franchise. 

The first live-action Superman, Kirk Alyn starred in the 1948 "Superman" serial and its 1950 sequel, "Atom Man vs. Superman." For his time, Alyn certainly had the physique and charisma to fill the Man of Steel's boots, with an easy-going charm that makes you wish he had another shot before the age of George Reeves.

Patrick Warburton may be better known for his time as The Tick and Brock Sampson of "American Dad" but with "Seinfeld" star Jerry Seinfeld, "The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman," Warburton got to plant his flag as the Man of Steel, even as tongue was also firmly in cheek in this pair of short film commercials promoting American Express.

After the tepid success of "Superman Returns," Warner Bros. felt they needed to move into a different direction, which also meant moving to yet another reboot of the Superman mythos. Tapped by director Zack Snyder to lead this effort, Henry Cavill was cast to portray what is essentially a different type of Superman in "Man of Steel." Cavill's version of Superman is one largely different than what fans were used to, something many fans rejected, as this version seemed to fly around with a chip on his shoulder, among other character flaws.

The first Superman ever, Bud Collyer lent his voice to the radio production of "The Adventures of Superman" in the early 1940s. Collyer coined the phrase "This looks like a job...for Superman!" He would later reprise his role for the 1966 cartoon version produced by Filmation.

After years of trying to resurrect the franchise, director Bryan Singer received the reins to deliver his version of the Man of Steel in "Superman Returns," and to do that, Singer chose virtual unknown Brandon Routh to fill the red boots. Unfortunately, while "Superman Returns" was financially successful, the weird script and adherence to the Christopher Reeve continuity turned off many. And although Routh got praise for his performance, it wouldn't be enough to give him another opportunity to wear the cape.

The longest serving of the Supermen, Tom Welling starred on "Smallville" from 2001-2011. The CW show served as the progenitor for an explosion of DC comics heroes on the small screen that last to this day. And despite the "no tights, no flights" policy, Welling did a more than fair job embracing the Man of Steel at his earliest roots.

As the individual animated adventures of Superman and Batman began to wind down, it was time for a new animated version of the Justice League. While Tim Daly won praise for his take of Superman, scheduling conflicts led to the casting of George Newbern to take over for Daly. Newbern's take was similar to Daly's, but in time, Newbern became just as popular on the back of "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited" to lead to even more voice work as the Man of Steel in both animated films and video games.

From 1996-2000, Tim Daly served as the best and only version of Superman available with his role in "Superman: The Animated Series," and that is in no way a knock. Instead of relying on what came before, Daly provided a fresh take of both Clark Kent and the Man of Steel that would define the character in animated forms for some time to come. After the original run, Daly would vocally slip on the tights again for a number of DC animated films, including "Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" and "Justice League: Doom."

Airing from 1993-1997, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" was a show far better than it ever deserved to be, largely stemming from the affable and yet assured performance of Dean Cain as a modern-day Clark Kent/Superman. Cain didn't rely on his Clark being a useful idiot, and as a result, his version of the Man of Steel certainly rises above most.

From 1952-1958, George Reeves, from black and white to the advent of color, flew into homes as the definitive Superman for the Baby Boomer generation in "The Adventures of Superman." His take on the Man of Steel was interestingly enough secondary to his performance as Clark Kent, who he approached as more cool than klutzy with his wry smile and perfectly cocked fedora. It's all the more sad that Reeves, who died in 1959, felt trapped by the role that defined him as an actor.

The one and only. Christopher Reeve is not only the embodiment of everything that should represent Superman, but also his performance, starting with 1978's "Superman: The Movie," made us believe a man could fly and gave us hope that we could all be better men. Maybe the quality of his films declined, but Reeve is, and will always be, our Man of Steel.