Warning! This article contains major spoilers for the post-credits scene of Black Adam.
Although the leaked footage was quickly removed from Twitter, Black Adam movie. Dwayne Johnson’s Kahndaqian antihero is confronted by none other than Superman himself, played by a returning Henry Cavill. The Man of Steel tells Black Adam, “It’s been a while since anyone’s made the world this nervous,” cementing Cavill’s place as the DCEU’s Superman and teasing a future showdown between the two comic book titans.
Now is the perfect time to go back and rewatch some of Supes’ previous cinematic adventures. But some Justice League.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (1987)
In his autobiography Still Me, Christopher Reeve claimed that the Cannon Films production of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was “hampered by budget constraints and cutbacks in all departments.” Upon release, it was instantly labeled one of the worst movies ever made by critics.
Thanks to its cheap special effects, tonal inconsistencies, and a script riddled with plot holes, Superman IV is difficult to sit through the first time, let alone on repeat viewings.
Justice League (2017)
When Zack Snyder stepped down from directing Justice League due to a family tragedy, Warner Bros. brought in Avengers director Joss Whedon to complete the film with a two-hour runtime and an abundance of Marvel-style quips, both of which were at odds with Snyder’s original vision.
The theatrical cut of Justice League is a jumbled mess of digitally removed mustaches, generic, CG-heavy action sequences, and character dynamics borrowed from the MCU.
Superman III (1983)
The creative powers behind Superman III were more interested in making a Richard Pryor buddy comedy in which he happened to be buddies with Superman than making a Superman movie that captures what makes this character such an inspiring cultural icon.
Pryor is one of the most ingenious and influential comedic minds to ever grace the Earth, but his style was a bad fit for a Superman movie.
Man Of Steel (2013)
Superhero origin movies are inherently less rewatchable than their sequels that can dive right into the action, especially with an origin story as familiar as Superman’s, and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel milks Supes’ origins for every ounce of story material. The movie spends a long time on Krypton with Jor-El before finally bringing his son to rural Kansas to be raised by the Kents.
This dull, dreary, reluctant Clark Kent is a bit of a drag, but Man of Steel is an interesting watch as a grounded, semi-realistic take on the Superman myth before devolving into a CGI smash-‘em-up in the messy final act.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
There aren’t many four-hour movies that hold up to multiple viewings, but the Snyder cut is a much more distinctive vision with more inventive visuals and more care for its characters.
This episodic epic gets off to a slow start in the first half as it reintroduces its heroes and establishes the backstory of its MacGuffins, but the action-packed second half makes up for it.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
Snyder’s follow-up to Man of Steel, BvS ultimately works better as a Batman movie than a Superman movie.
The movie spends too much time deconstructing the notion of a god among men to indulge in awesome Superman action, but its brutal take on the Dark Knight has his fair share of thrilling moments.
Superman Returns (2006)
Ignoring the events of Superman III and IV, Superman Returns picked up the continuity of the original series with Kal-El returning to Earth after a five-year absence to find that Lois Lane has moved on and Lex Luthor is plotting to destroy America. Brandon Routh’s performance might not be particularly memorable, but the tone of Superman Returns – especially compared to the grimmer, bleaker entries that followed – is spot-on.
For a two-and-a-half-hour movie, Superman Returns is pretty light on action, but the plane rescue sequence is one of the most awe-inspiring set-pieces in all of blockbuster cinema.
Superman (1978)
Richard Donner’s original Superman film from 1978 still holds up today as a perfect comic book movie (even after the genre has become ludicrously saturated). With a pitch-perfect combination of levity, sincerity, romance, and excitement, Superman: The Movie became the first big critical and commercial hit to prove the blockbuster potential of superheroes.
This movie has both the lighthearted humor of an action-adventure about a flying alien and the dramatic weight of an allegorical tale about a modern-day Christ figure.
Superman II (1980)
Usually, when a movie switches hands between directors in the middle of production, the producers are lucky if the final product is even coherent. But Richard Lester’s Superman II is more than just coherent; it’s one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. It has all the hallmarks of a fun comic book adventure: sharp characterization, engaging humor, and stunning visual effects.
Christopher Reeve is more comfortable than ever in the role of Clark Kent, and not only does the sequel bring back Gene Hackman’s definitive portrayal of Lex Luthor; Terence Stamp also gives a spectacular performance as Supes’ other arch-nemesis, General Zod.
