Just one year later, George Reeves became Superman with Superman and the Mole Men in 1951 and most notably the TV show Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). With six seasons, all in glorious technicolour of the 1950s, the series showed action, romance and touched upon the relationship between Clark Kent and his famous alter ego.
Superman: Who Wore The Cape Best?
Is It a bird? Is it a Plane? No, it’s the return of the ‘Man of Steel’. Yes! Superman is back and better than ever, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn flies us into a new era. With the release of Superman fast approaching and a new actor in the iconic role, it’s time to delve back into the past and decide who wore the cape best?
Our journey begins in 1938 when DC released its first Superman comic, introducing the world to Kal-El, one of the most iconic heroes in movie history. It would be ten years before the last son of Krypton would make his onscreen debut with 1948’s Superman, a tv show that only consisted of fifteen parts. Kirk Alyn was the first to don the cape, showcasing the exciting adventures of Clark Kent/Superman. In 1950 Alyn starred in his only Superman film role, Atom Man Vs Superman. The film followed the heroes first clash with infamous villain Lex Luthor. Despite Alyn providing a strong beginning to the hero’s cinematic journey, his performance is often overlooked due to the short amount of time he played the iconic role.
It would be twenty years until another Superman iteration would grace our screens, in 1978 Christopher Reeve inhabited the role. I know what you’re thinking, but no there was no relation between George Reeves and Christopher Reeve. Many fans today identify Reeve as being the most iconic Superman, this is due to multiple reasons. Reeve truly embodied the role, from his looks accurately matching the comics to his ability to balance Clark Kent and Superman respectively. Reeve perfectly captured Kent’s bumbling nervousness and Kal-El’s strength and confidence as the Man of Steel. Reeve was so popular in the role that he starred in four films from 1978 to 1987. After Reeve retired the cape, he was widely regarded as the perfect Superman.
Following Reeve, Superman continued to be depicted on the small screen, first with Dean Cain in Louis and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1994). This followed the same format as George Reeves’ show but with more focus Louis and Clark’s relationship. In 2001 Tom Welling, played the teenage Clark Kent in Smallville, for eleven seasons. The show was aimed at teenagers, encouraging younger audiences to become fans. A fandom that is very much intact today.
The next cinematic entry was Superman Returns in 2006, played by Brandon Routh. Routh wasn’t a bad Superman; he fits the Reeve mould and had the heroes’ charm in buckets. However, the movie positioned itself as a sequel that fails to capture the 80’s Reeve era of Superman.
The 2010’s is considered the actual rebirth of the Supermanimage with Man of Steel in 2013. Henry Cavill was a more serious Superman; the film was darker in tone and writing then any of the predecessors. Cavill is considered the favourite Superman by modern audiences from the last ten years. This is attributed to the 2013 film showing the Man of Steel’s origin story and Cavill’s power and charisma in the role. What let Cavill’s Superman down wasn’t Cavill himself but the cross over films, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2018). These films underused Cavill’s Superman and fans became bored.
In 2021 another small screen adaptation of Superman was released, staring Tyler Hoechlin. Superman and Lois ran for four seasons from 2021 to 2024. This leads us to the latest edition to the hero’s vast history.
The upcoming Superman (2025) promises a new era for fans and comic book characters alike. David Corenswet wears the iconic cape, and fans are excited to see him embody the duo personalities. The trailer promises action sequences, romance and characters never seen on the big screen. So far who wore the cape best is between Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill, both strong contenders. Where will David Corenswet be in this ranking? Will he prove to be the best Superman? That’s up to you to decide!
It will be the cinematic event of the summer; you won’t want to miss it. Superman will be released in cinemas from 11th July, sit back, relax and enjoy our favourite hero’s newest adventure.
Written by Izzy Caulfield - Team Member at Light Stockport
3 July 2025