Where to Watch All the ‘Superman’ Movies Before James Gunn’s ‘Superman’

KarsynEntertainment2025-07-117210

It’s finally time for another “Superman” movie.

Despite being one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, the superhero movie boom largely left Superman behind. After a series of movies starring Christopher Reeve in the 1970s and 80s, it took nearly 20 years for the character to have another big-screen project. Across the 10-year lifespan of the DCEU, the Man of Steel only got one solo outing.

Where can I watch the “Superman” movies?

If you’re an HBO Max subscriber (née Max, née HBO Max), you’re in luck. Every major “Superman” movie released in theaters before “Superman” (2025) is currently streaming on the service — with one exception.

Here’s what you can watch on HBO Max:

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“Superman” (1978)

“Superman II”

“Superman III”

“Supergirl”

“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace”

“Superman Returns”

“Man of Steel”

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”

“Justice League”

Though it wasn’t originally released in theaters, it should be noted that the long-anticipated “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is also currently on HBO Max, as it was on its day of release. Snyder’s “Ultimate Edition” of “Batman v Superman” can also be streamed on the service.

If you don’t have HBO Max, all of these movies are available for physical and digital rental and purchase. “Superman II” and “Justice League” can both be streamed on TBS and TNT. “Justice League” is additionally streaming on truTV.

What’s missing from HBO Max?

The biggest holdout from HBO Max is the original theatrical Superman film: “Superman and the Mole Men.” This film, starring George Reeves as Superman/Clark Kent, was released in 1951 and is the first full movie to hit theaters based on a DC Comics superhero. The movie was seen as a starting point for Reeves’ “Adventures of Superman” TV show, which ran from 1952 to 1958. It can currently be streamed on Flix Fling or rented/purchased on physical and digital media.

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Though not a theatrical release, “Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut” is also notably missing from the streaming service. After Donner shot significant portions of the film back-to-back with the first “Superman,” the director was removed from “Superman II” and replaced by Richard Lester. It wasn’t until 2006 that fans would see “The Richard Donner Cut” of the sequel, restoring much of the director’s original creative vision —think of it as a prototypical “Snyder Cut.”

HBO Max is also currently missing a number of non-theatrical animated films featuring “Superman” — “All-Star Superman,” “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths,” “Justice League: The New Frontier,” “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” and “Superman: Doomsday,” to name a few.

David Corenswet as Superman in “Superman” (Warner Bros.)

How to Watch the “Superman” Movies in Order

There isn’t one set universe across the theatrical “Superman” movies. You by no means have to see an early entry like “Superman III” to understand “Man of Steel.” However, there are a few films that build upon others within the franchise, so you don’t necessarily want to jump into every movie cold. For the most part, release order will see you through.

“Superman and the Mole Men” (1951)

As mentioned before, “Superman and the Mole Men” launched George Reeves as Superman when it hit theaters in the early 50s. The 58-minute film features Clark Kent coming into contact with a race of subterranean “Mole Men” while on a reporting assignment with Lois Lane. This movie would later appear on television as a two-part story for “Adventures of Superman,” retitling to “The Unknown People.”

“Superman” (1978)

The first major “Superman” movie is still the best. Richard Donner’s “Superman” (also titled “Superman: The Movie) introduced audiences to Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent, Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane and Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor. Donner and his team of writers takes their time developing the interior life and human drama of Superman, making his appearance as the Metropolis Marvel all the more exciting when he finally debuts more than an hour in. Filmmakers and comic book creators still chase the success of this character-defining portrayal. Lois’ first interview with Superman and Reeve’s masterful switch from Clark Kent to Kal-El remain two of the strongest movie moments the hero’s had to date.

“Superman II” (1980)

While “Superman” concludes with a fight between the titular hero and Lex Luthor, “Superman II” presents Clark Kent with a Kryptonian threat for the first time. Shortly after the events of “Superman,” General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his minor army of Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran) escape from the Phantom Zone after being imprisoned by Jor-El in the first film. At the same time, Lois learns Clark’s big secret, changing the fabric of their relationship. “Superman II” can be enjoyed via the theatrical cut or the Donner Cut —but you should probably watch “Superman” first either way.

“Superman III” (1983)

This is when the wheels start to fly off. “Superman III,” again directed by Richard Lester, changes up the formula by largely replacing Lois Lane with Clark’s childhood sweetheart, Lana Lang (Annette O’Toole) while Clark visits Smallville for a high school reunion. Also along for the ride is Richard Pryor’s Gus Gorman, a strange, awkward programmer who bites off more than he can chew in an embezzlement scheme. The movie features a supercomputer and an evil Superman as its villains — just don’t confuse them with Brainiac and Bizarro. You’d be disappointed if you did.

“Supergirl” (1984)

1984 introduced audiences to Helen Slater as Supergirl in her first (and only) theatrical adventure. Supergirl is joined in the film by Lois Lane’s sister, Lucy (Maureen Teefy), and Marc McClure’s Jimmy Olsen —the only character to appear in all five Reeve-era movies. Faye Dunaway portrays the campy villain in the film, an evil witch named Selena. Sadly, Kara never meets her cousin in the movie,though Reeve does appear as Superman on a dorm room poster. It would be at least 42 years until Supergirl headlined her own theatrical film again.

Brandon Routh (Credit: Warner Bros.)

“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” (1987)

“Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” rounds out the Reeve era by having Superman come into conflict with Mark Pillow’s Nuclear Man. The film features a compelling subplot with Superman removing the world’s nuclear stockpile. Aside from this, “The Quest for Peace” is a messy, meandering, cheap-looking finale to the best cinematic iteration of this character.

“Superman Returns” (2006)

There are a few different spots you can place “Superman Returns” your watchlist. As a reboot to the franchise, the Brandon Routh-starring “Superman” movie can easily stand on its own or be watched after the most recent film. Notably, “Superman Returns” treats itself as a sequel to Donner and Reeve’s first two movies, essentially ignoring “Superman III,” “Supergirl” and “Superman IV” by picking up with Clark after a five-year voyage in space. As such, it could easily replace “Superman III” as a trilogy conclusion. It’s not a perfect movie, but “Superman Returns” is easily the stronger of the “Superman II” follow-ups.

“Man of Steel” (2013)

Unlike “Superman Returns,” the Zack Snyder “Superman” reboot has no connection to anything that came before. “Man of Steel” starring Henry Cavill kicked off a new DC film universe — often called the DCEU —in a relatively heavy departure for the character. While the evolution of the DCEU would be one of constant setbacks, Snyder’s “Superman” film lays the groundwork with a unique interpretation and interesting setups. Michael Shannon’s portrayal of General Zod stands out as one of the best Superman villain performances to date.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)

The direct follow-up to “Man of Steel” would be a Batman/Superman two-hander, focusing on the Dark Knight’s initial impression of the Last Son of Krypton. After the large-scale destruction in the third act of Man of Steel, Batman (Ben Affleck) goes on a mission to keep Superman from becoming a larger threat. The film, which was initially scheduled to premiere on the same day as “Captain America: Civil War,” loosely adapts a number of iconic comic book storylines like “The Death of Superman” and “The Dark Knight Returns.” It also dives head-first into the expansion of the DC Universe, bringing characters like Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) into the fold.

“Justice League” (2017)

Few comic book movies have been mired in as much controversy as 2017’s “Justice League.” After Joss Whedon replaced Zack Snyder as director on the film, “Justice League” was reworked into a drastically different movie. Superman looms large, though his appearance is rather limited —and often features an infamous CGI lip due to Cavill’s mustache during reshoots. Fans with four hours to kill can opt instead to watch “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” on HBO Max. Both directly continue from the events of “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman.”

“Superman” (2025)

Like “Man of Steel,” James Gunn’s “Superman” can be viewed either after the aforementioned films or on its own. As another reboot, “Superman” (2025) will again launch a new iteration of the DC universe, this time taking on a lighter and more comic booky tone than the previous interpretation. The film, in theaters now, may pay homage to past interpretations through its use of John Williams’ iconic theme, but it stands entirely on its own.

What else can I watch with “Superman”?

True completionists can watch a handful of other theatrical films with appearances from the Man of Steel. Henry Cavill’s take on the character appears for mere moments in “Black Adam” and “Shazam!” —though the character is played by a body double with his head off-screen in the latter. Superman makes a similar faceless appearance in the first season finale of “Peacemaker.” Multiple interpretations of the character —including from deceased actors — make disturbing CGI cameos in a crucial scene of “The Flash.” All of these are on HBO Max.

Warner Bros

Though it’s missing a lot of the DC animation catalog, HBO Max also has a number of animated films starring Superman.

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These include “Batman/Superman: Public Enemies,” “Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons,” “Superman: Man of Tomorrow,” “Superman: Red Son,” “Superman: Unbound” and the two-part “The Death of Superman” and “Reign of the Supermen.” The theatrically-released “DC League of Super-Pets,” featuring John Krasinski as Superman and Dwayne Johnson as Krypto, can also be streamed on HBO Max.

Last year, DC Studios released “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.” This documentary focuses on Reeve’s life and legacy, highlighting the actor’s embodiment of the character before and after a tragic accident that left him paralyzed. The film is currently available on HBO Max.

Finally, HBO Max has a number of Superman series from the past several decades that can be streamed. These include “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,” “My Adventures with Superman,” “Superman & Lois” and “Superman: The Animated Series.” All 10 seasons of “Smallville” currently stream on Hulu.

The post Where to Watch All the ‘Superman’ Movies Before James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ appeared first on TheWrap.

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