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Superman has been adapted into several live-action television shows, each taking a different look at the character and focusing on different aspects of his story.
Some older TV shows, like Superboy and The Adventures of Superman, had limitations in terms of special effects and storytelling, but they remain important in the history of Superman’s live-action adventures.
Recent shows like Krypton and Superman & Lois have pushed the boundaries by exploring new aspects of the Superman mythology and delivering action scenes worthy of the big screen.
Superman has been adapted into numerous live-action versions, including seven television shows. Since his debut in the first issue of Action Comics in 1938, Superman has crossed over into other forms of narrative media.Even before Man of Steel returns Superman: Legacy In the new DCU, Clark Kent’s heroic stand-in appears in video games, animated shows, and movies, and Superman is the hero of numerous live-action big-screen movies.
Additionally, Superman has been a regular presence on television screens since his inception, with several live-action series telling the story of the Last Son of Krypton.However, what is coming Superman: Legacy Each live-action Superman TV show has treated him from a different angle, including showing a lengthy origin story or making Superman a married father, while other TV shows have been based on Superman himself and focused primarily on supporting characters as they relate to his mythology . Here are seven live-action Superman TV shows, ranked from best to worst.
7 Superboy (1988-1992)
The Last Son of Krypton’s time as a young hero constitutes Super Boy TV series, based on the Silver Age comic book of the same name, in which Clark Kent protects Smallville as a teenager. Super Boy In the “Superman” adaptation, Clark was played by not one but two actors, namely John Haymes Newton in the first season and Gerrard Christopher in the remaining three seasons. ).although Super Boy is an obviously vibrant and ambitious superhero TV series, it’s also a fairly dated one.
Both Newton and Christopher played Clark admirably, but due to the constraints of late ’80s and early ’90s television budgets, the show often struggled to truly capture the Kryptonian hero’s power, especially with its green-screen work on young Carl. Very eye-catching. Al’s flight scene. Super Boy Also featured are some of the silliest shots from Superman’s Rogue’s Gallery, specifically Bizarro and Metallica. still, Super BoyThe quirkiness of Superman and the performances of Newton and Christopher make the series at least worth revisiting to fully appreciate the full legacy of Superman’s live-action adventures.
6 The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958)
George Reeves’ Man of Steel defined a generation in 1950s TV series Adventures of SupermanThe show ran for six seasons until Reeves’ mysterious death in 1958.He ended his run on the big screen by playing Superman in the 1951 film superman and the mole manAs both a determined hero and a gentle reporter, Reeves would make Superman and Clark Kent proud. At the same time, the technology of that era will severely limit how far we can go. Adventures of Superman could take away Kal-El’s power, and sixty years after the show ended, it manifested itself in some less-than-ideal ways.
Adventures of Superman The show’s heavy focus on scenes of bullets ricocheting off Superman’s chest and scenes of him beating down petty criminals almost effortlessly can lead to a misconception of Superman as a flat, two-dimensional character who can’t be challenged .Although it’s hard to ignore this after returning Adventures of SupermanReeves’ hilarious performance, especially the example he sets for young audiences Adventures of Superman There’s no denying it’s an important relic in the character’s history. Most importantly, as a product of the 1950s, Adventures of Superman (and Reeves’ dynamic leap) is better than people expected.
5 Krypton (2018-2019)
Smallville series on Syfy Channel krypton The two-season run was relatively short, but it was a surprisingly fascinating journey through the then-current history of Superman’s home planet. The show is set in the days before the destruction of Krypton and centers on Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe), determined to restore the El’s family’s honor.As a spin on DC Comics game of Thrones, krypton While it sometimes feels a bit removed from Superman’s core mythology, it does a useful job of grounding the story in the political strife and scientific debates with Kryptonian society.
This is not to say krypton Classic Superman villains such as Doomsday, Lobo (Emit J. Scanlan), Brainiac (Blake Ritson) and General Zod (Colin Salmon) The villains all make major appearances. krypton It also uses its visuals and settings very effectively to make Earth feel like a real-life alien world pulled straight from the comics. krypton It may not build as much of the planet’s pre-destruction story as its debut suggested, but as a brief visit to Superman’s home of steel, it’s a trip worth taking.
4 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
There is a reason Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Putting those three names in the title in order – because it focuses first on Clark Kent (Dean Cain) and Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher)’s workplace romance, and secondly on Be a superhero. It would prove to be a masterful reimagining of the Superman mythos, lewis and clark aired on ABC for four seasons and even indirectly led to death of superman Comics Story, DC Comics has delayed Lois and Clark’s Marriage Story at the behest of the show’s producers (“Let’s just kill him!“In the words of artist Jerry Ordway).
Kane himself is a more convincing Clark Kent than the Superman he plays, and his chemistry with Hatcher is what makes the show work, so lewis and clarkEmphasizing romance over action will ultimately work in its favour. at the same time, lewis and clark Kal-El still has plenty of time to take action against the villains, even if quite a few of them are nearly unrecognizable from their comic book counterparts (especially Antonio Sabato Jr.’s Deathstroke and Howie Mandel’s Mister Mxyzptlk). In all, lewis and clarkThis ’90s love story ranks as one of the best live-action Superman TV shows.
3 Supergirl(2015-2021)
Superman’s Kryptonian cousin Kara Zor-El jumps from CBS to Arrowverse after season 1 supergirl, the show would become one of the most popular modern superhero television adventures. Melissa Benoist deserves the biggest praise for her captivating portrayal of Kara and her chemistry with the other Arrowverse heroes, especially Grant Gustin. Barry Allen played by Grant Gustin flash. supergirl This also marked Tyler Hoechlin’s debut as Superman, but despite his performance in the game, it wasn’t the strongest starter.
Since Hoechlin’s Superman is a surprisingly minor character in the Arrowverse, he’s had far less to work with than most Superman actors.his suit supergirl He’s also equipped with a cape clip, which proves to be an unnecessary distracting detail.Ultimately, Superman himself will prove to be the weakest link supergirlWhile the show overall soared with strong action scenes and Benoist’s portrayal of Kara, the Arrowverse sadly ended with the two eventually joining the Justice League. crisis on infinite earths unfinished teasing
2 Smallville (2001 – 2011)
smallville In 2001, the story of teenage Clark Kent (Tom Welling) begins with one strict rule: “No tights, no flying”—— This plays a major role in a show that tells one of the most human Superman stories ever. During its ten-year period, smallville This is a true coming-of-age story, as Clark gradually develops his Kryptonian powers. For all the superhero action and (admittedly not always great) CGI, smallville Clark’s friendship stories flourish, especially his romance with Lana Lang (Kristen Kreuk) and Lois Lane (Erica Durance), and his relationship with Oliver Queen Eun (Justin Hartley)’s heroic partnership and the eventual formation of the Justice League.
the most important is, smallvilleAt the heart of Man of Steel lies Clark’s star-crossed friendship with Lex Luthor, and Michael Rosenbaum embodies the most deeply scarred and human portrayal of the character perhaps ever The most tragic interpretation of Superman’s Foe of Steel. From a technical perspective, smallvilleSometimes his reach does stretch beyond his grasp, as seen in the show’s clunky version of “Armageddon,” where even the final scene only shows a torn shirt rather than a full picture of Tom Welling The costume of Superman. even so, smallville Welling himself definitely hit the bullseye by portraying the heart of Superman over a dozen seasons and remains an eternal joy upon his return.
1 Superman and Lois(2021-)
Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel will star in his own series superman and lois (a different Earth from the Arrowverse was revealed in Season 2) will prove to be one of the biggest surprises of any superhero TV show debuting in 2021. superman and lois It tells the story of Clark Kent, played by Hoechlin, and his wife Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) who move to Clark’s hometown of Smallville to raise their teenage son. superman and loisThe show focuses on Clark’s ultimate juggling act as a superhero father and delves into areas of the Superman mythos never seen in live-action television.
These include his heroics with John Henry Irons (Wole Parks), and everything from the lesser-known Parasite (Rhea Kierstedt) to the much rougher Lex… A who’s who of villains including Luther (Michael Cudlitz). superman and loisThe story of Clark’s son Jordan (Alex Garfin) developing superpowers puts Superman in a rare mentor role, while the show also regularly draws lessons from smallvilleChristopher Reeve Superman movies, zack snyder man of Steel, as well as many other Superman adaptations. In addition to action scenes worthy of the big screen, superman and lois Just did everything a Superman show had to do to near-perfection and became the greatest live-action Superman TV show.