From The 1950s ‘Superman’ Serial To James Gunn’s ‘Superman’, Here Are All 17 Live-Action Superman Suits Ranked
With the release of James Gunn’s Superman, David Corenswet’s Man of Steel won over many hearts, cementing the film’s place among the best Superman films ever made. Corenswet’s Superman suit is also a major attention grabber for fans who appreciate the franchise’s return to simple but top-quality tights for the superhero.
While the suit isn’t what makes Superman great, it plays a big role in how fans perceive the Man of Steel, which is why appealing suits often accompany some of the most memorable live-action appearances of the character. The suit is, therefore, a big part of what makes Superman lovable, so here is a look at where the suit in James Gunn’s Superman ranks among the 17 Superman suits seen in live-action appearances so far.
17. Nicolas Cage — The Flash (2023)
Tim Burton’s Superman Lives is the new beginning that Superman never received, and the imagination of what the film would have looked like remains a major talking point. The film’s Superman suit was unique in many ways, although initial images of Nicolas Cage wearing it seemed overly skin-tight and were met with disdain. The suit also proved overly disappointing, especially for its oversized House of El symbol. When Nicolas Cage finally donned it during his cameo in The Flash (2023), the suit’s design appeared off on all levels. However, a reveal of the actual costume by DC studios proved many wrong as the shiny S, which was previously seen as silly, actually looked nice on the full body suit.
16. Tom Welling — Smallville (2011)
Fans had to wait for 10 seasons before Tom Welling’s Clark Kent finally wore his Superman costume in Smallville. However, while the reveal was fancy, the suit itself was less than impressive. Viewers never really got a good look at the suit because the only up-close scene shows the S shield as Clark Kent rips his shirt open before taking flight.
There is really nothing special about the suit apart from the fact that it is a darker shade of blue than the suits from early Superman films. It also has a well-defined dark red S shield with regular yellow patches. The suit’s quality doesn’t exactly show when worn, and neither does it do much to pronounce Superman’s muscles, leaving little about it to desire or hate.
15. Dean Cain — Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-1997)
ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman produced one of the longest live-action stints of Superman on the small screen. Unfortunately, many fans don’t remember Dean Cain’s time as the Man of Steel, as the show was overshadowed by Smallville.
The show had a bigger budget than Superboy, but it didn’t live up to expectations, as did its Superman costume. While the darker shade of blue was a welcome change, the suit’s shiny spandex feels comical to some extent. The suit also features an oversized shield that leaves it looking like a misfit on Cain’s lower torso. The bright yellow belt and shield patches, as well as bright red trunks and cape, were a welcome return to Christopher Reeve’s Superman, though.
14. Kirk Alyn — Superman (1948-1950)
Kirk Alyn’s 1948 Superman serial was actually the first time that Superman appeared in live action. While the serials are nostalgic, the production clearly didn’t put much thought into the suit.
The suit is really just a sweater with a cloak sewn in for a cape and a quickly done shield whose House of El symbol isn’t properly done in some areas. The belt and trunks are decent, although the boots appear cheap. However, the suit is true to the Superman costumes from the comics at the time and holds a special place among fans.
13. George Reeves — Adventures of Superman (1951-1958)
After Kirk Alyn’s tenure, George Reeves finally brought the proper Man of Steel image to the screens in Adventures of Superman. Reeves’ Superman actually perfected Kirk Alyn’s costume design, giving it a properly sized shield and a more refined finish.
The suit is just the right shade of blue with bright reds and yellows in all the right places; when it’s in color, that is. However, the final finish looks cheap compared to modern Superman suits. Reeves’ fit in the suit is also questionable at times, but the costume set the trend of Superman as the symbol of hope.
12. Tyler Hoechlin —Arrowverse (2016-2019)
Tyler Hoechlin’s debut as Superman in The CW’s Supergirl, as part of the Arrowverse, remains one of the most convincing live-action appearances of the Man of Steel. His suit, however, had a little too much detail and not a shortage of flaws. Like Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel suit, Hoechlin’s costume ditched the trunks, but then introduced a red Superman belt, which breaks up the suit but largely looks pointless.
The suit also features golden clasps holding the annoying leathery top of the cape onto the suit instead of the traditional tucked-in cape. While the suit’s earnest dark blue shade is impressive, its textures are annoyingly rugged; with pointless decorations that don’t really enhance Superman’s image. It was a perfect fit for Hoechlin, though, making it a decent live-action Superman costume.
11. Tyler Hoechlin — Arrowverse’s Elseworlds (2019)
Black Superman suits always grab attention because of their nostalgic connection to the comics, which is why this one is hard to miss. The suit was actually donned by John Deegan, the supervillain of Arrowverse‘s Elseworlds event, who could replicate the superpowers of every superhero in the multiverse.
After taking Superman’s powers, Deegan showed up in a Black Superman suit. It was basically the same suit that Hoechlin’s Superman wore throughout the Arrowverse, with a classy silver shield instead of the usual red. Besides its nostalgic connection, the suit actually covers most of what was wrong with the suit and brings out one of the coolest Superman looks ever in live action.
10. Tyler Hoechlin — Superman & Lois (2021–2024)
Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman finally git a proper suit in Superman & Lois, with most of the rudimentary aspects of his Arrowverse costume being dropped. The suit has a more faded shade of the same dark blue in the Arrowverse costume, making Superman appear more seasoned as a superhero. An equally faded shade of dark red is retained on the House of El symbol on the shield as well as the belt, both of which feature a toned-down shade of yellow.
The suit also chose white muscle highlights, similar to Henry Cavill’s Justice League costume, although it blends in well with the suit’s beat-up design. A tucked-in cape and higher neckline with no clasps are another welcome improvement on the suit. Unfortunately, the suit didn’t bring the trunks back, making the belt still appear pointless.
9. Brandon Routh — Superman Returns (2006)
Superman Returns was an unsuccessful attempt by DC to bring back Christopher Reeve’s Superman, including the suit. The film picks up after Superman II, ignoring the events in Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Unfortunately, the reception of the suit was just as divisive as the film itself. The suit brings back the vibrant, bright blue of Reeve’s suit. The boots, cape, and trunks are a darker shade of red, though. Its shield is also dark red all around, including the S, with patches of golden yellow that match the belt.
Despite heavy investment in the detailing, the suit has many flaws, including a super-high neckline, a cheap-looking finish on the fabric, and an overly tiny shield that doesn’t match Routh’s physique, leading to a comic mismatch between his chest and abs.
8. Tyler Hoechlin — Superman & Lois (2021)
Tyler Hoechlin’s version of Superman was one of the most liked characters in the Arrowverse, which explains his continued popularity in the spinoff series Superman & Lois. Unfortunately, the one suit that most fans would have loved Hoechlin to wear for most of the show only appeared in a short flashback scene in the first season.
While remembering his early days as a superhero, Superman appears in a retro dark blue suit. The shield is black with a well-defined, dark-red S and an inconspicuous yellow frame consistent with Max Fleischer’s Superman from the 1940s.
7. Henry Cavill – Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
The scene might not be iconic, but the color of Superman’s suit in the short scene when Clark Kent meets Alfred in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is memorable. While the film wasn’t a success, the scene showed the world what Superman would look like if he truly went dark. In the film, after his resurrection, Henry Cavill’s character shows up in a black Superman suit looking more threatening than in his regular blue one.
The suit’s texture and design are similar to the character’s costume throughout the DCEU, except the suit is now black with a silver-looking shield, with the cape and belt appearing grey. Although the scene is short, the color of the suit remains a major talking point among comics fans.
6. John Haymes Newton & Gerard Christopher — Superboy / The Adventures of Superboy (1988–1992)
Superboy is one of the most forgettable live-action versions of Superman, mostly because it was largely produced as a sitcom and later got overshadowed by Smallville. The film focused on Clark Kent’s childhood adventures with John Haymes Newton playing the first season before the role was recast and played by Gerard Christopher for the remaining three.
Being a low-budget entry, Superboy doesn’t have the flashy CGI and action scenes that Superman fans love. However, both Superman costumes are astonishingly spot on despite the show’s tiny budget. The directors were inspired by the same suit that Christopher Reeve wore in his four Superman films.
5. Henry Cavill — Man of Steel (2013)
The darker version of Zack Snyder’s Superman, played by Henry Cavill, is widely divisive, as is the fan opinion on the suit. The one thing obvious about the suit’s design is that it was perfectly matched to the DCEU’s alteration of Superman. The suit abandons Superman’s iconic belt and trunks as well as the bright blue and red colors. The design, instead, adopted an almost black shade of blue and an equally dull red S shield with faded patches of yellow.
Superman’s cape is also less conspicuous on the Man of Steel suit, a feature that makes the hero less vibrant when in flight. The suit’s quality is undeniable, but it isn’t a fan favorite because it portrays Superman as cold-hearted and almost too alien. It also makes Superman look intimidating, although it was better suited for a villain rather than a regular neighborhood superhero.
4. Henry Cavill — Justice League (2017)
Justice League failed on many levels, but Superman’s costume definitely wasn’t one of them. In the film, Henry Cavill’s costume received multiple changes, most of them correcting what fans hated about the Man of Steel suit. After his resurrection following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman, who is now more upbeat, appears in a brighter blue suit with a bright red cape and shield with a more pronounced symbol of the House of El.
The new suit spoke more of hope, unlike his previous costume. However, it also features pointless highlights for each muscle that make Superman appear bulkier. Sadly, the designers also didn’t bring back the trunks.
3. David Corenswet — Superman (2025)
James Gunn adopted a return to the vibrant features of Superman that fans loved so much about George Reeves’ portrayal of the character. David Corenswet’s character also adopts the classic Man of Steel look with the bright red trunks and yellow belt, making a comeback. Partly inspired by the famous Kingdom Come costume, the suit also retains the bright blue color with shiny red on the shield and cape.
While the suit’s rubbery texture tones down its shine a bit, it also makes damage to the suit feel more realistic. As a result, David Corenswet’s costume doesn’t just bring back the classic Superman look; it also makes him feel realistic, something closely relatable to Christopher Reeve’s suit.
2. Christopher Reeve — Superman (1978–1987)
“Sometimes, simple is best,” are the words used by most fans who still recognize the irreplaceability of Christopher Reeve’s Superman suit. Christopher Reeve embodied the role of Superman so well in his four films that his name remains synonymous with the role after all these years. His portrayal of Superman, both as the symbol of hope and the regular human being who fits into the neighborhood, left a lasting impression that subsequent alterations of the character haven’t reached.
Reeve’s perfectly fitting Superman costume in all four of his films also played a major role in communicating the character’s image. The suit didn’t just fit the man; it fit the role. Its perfectly-sized and boldly placed S shield plus its high-shine fabric, with a simple but confident blue, were way ahead of time.
1. Brandon Routh – Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019)
In 2019, Brandon Routh made a welcome comeback as Superman in The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths event, becoming arguably the most attractive version of Man of Steel in the Arrowverse. The new costume donned by Routh speaks volumes as far as DC Comics fans are concerned. The costume is faithfully adapted to the Kingdom Come Superman costume in the comics, featuring a shiny but not flashy shield with black patches as well as a black belt.
Superman retains his trunks and cape. The suit screams quality from a distance, with its darker red and blue colors feeling original. It also drops the silly/comical yellow color on traditional Superman suits, making Clark Kent appear like he means business, without necessarily appearing villainous; a look that fans would love to see more of going forward.
