Rating the Superman Actors

[FireStormTrooper]

Seeing as production is or is about to get rolling on the next SUPERMAN movie, now's as good a time as any to look back at the various men who have played the role of Clark Kent and his alter ego over the years. Let's go chronologically (skipping radio and voice actors) ...

Actor: KIRK ALYN
Credentials: SUPERMAN movie serials (1948, 1949)
Review: N/A. Never saw them.

Actor: GEORGE REEVES
Credentials: SUPERMAN vs THE MOLE MEN (1951), ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN tv series (1951-1957)
Review: N/A. Never saw them.

Actor: CHRISTOPHER REEVE
Credentials: SUPERMAN (1978), SUPERMAN II (1980), SUPERMAN III (1983), SUPERMAN IV - The Quest For Peace (1987)
Review: A. Absolutely nailed the Superman role but his Clark Kent was too much a dweeb to be a real person.

Actor: JAMES HAYNE NEWTON
Credentials: SUPERBOY (1988-1989)
Review: B. He got Clark's attitude right, but his Supes' was a bit off.

Actor: GERARD CHRISTOPHER
Credentials: SUPERBOY (1989-1992)
Review: B. He was the better Superboy, but agan Clark was too much a dork.

Actor: DEAN CAIN
Credentials: LOIS & CLARK (1993-1997)
Review: B-. His was the best Clark of them all, the most real. His Superman was less than impressive ... almost miscast.

Actor: TOM WELLING
Credentials: SMALLVILLE (2001-present)
Review: C+. There's no alter ego to grade here, so based on Clark alone ... it's hard to see that this CK would ever want to become Superman.

Actor: BRANDON ROUTH
Credentials: Next Superman movie (2006)
Review: N/A. No footage or anything is available (to my knowledge).

Well, no surprises there. Chris Reeve was the Best, Tom Welling the least, with everyone else falling in between. Who knows, maybe Brandon will knock it out of the park or maybe he'll strike out. Can't see him doing a better job than Reeve, tho.

Your takes?

[WC]

Well the thing is that Brandon Routh is supposed to be playing Clark Kent similar to Chris Reeve - ie a nerd again. So his rating might end up the same as your rating for Reeve.

Funny how we've gone full circle with the character of Clark Kent. We had a nerdy Kent in Reeve, followed by a more realistic one in Dean Cain, then a reluctant hero in Tom Welling. Now we're back to the nerdy Kent again - an act put on to differentiate himself from Superman (which suggests once again that Superman is the real identity not Clark Kent). And despite this full circle, viewers will only ever have seen the nerdy Kent on the big screen, since Cain and Welling's more human Kents were on the small screen.

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Meoww! Send in the clowns!

[FireStormTrooper]

I have a feeling that Quentin Tarantino may have had a bigger effect on the new Superman movie than expected. In KILL BILL vol II, Bill (David Carradine) lectures Kiddo (Uma Thurman) on Superman in relation to other heroes. He basically said that where Spider-Man and Batman were their alter egos, Clark Kent was the disguise and Superman/Kal-El was the real person ... and how Superman thought that being weak, unattractive and bumbling was the human norm and the best way to fit in with humanity. It sounded a bit on the profound side when you first hear it in the movie, but on second reflection he got it mostly wrong. Clark Kent is the real person, Superman is the public persona.

[Kwick22a]

Also I think it's been established a couple of times that Batman is the one who considers his costumed persona his true identity and Bruce Wayne is nothing but a disguise.

[WC]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by FireStormTrooper:
I have a feeling that Quentin Tarantino may have had a bigger effect on the new Superman movie than expected. In KILL BILL vol II, Bill (David Carradine) lectures Kiddo (Uma Thurman) on Superman in relation to other heroes. He basically said that where Spider-Man and Batman were their alter egos, Clark Kent was the disguise and Superman/Kal-El was the real person ... and how Superman thought that being weak, unattractive and bumbling was the human norm and the best way to fit in with humanity. It sounded a bit on the profound side when you first hear it in the movie, but on second reflection he got it mostly wrong. Clark Kent is the real person, Superman is the public persona.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well I defintely know that the Tarantino concept was the way the Superman/Clark persona was thought of, back in the George Reeves and Christopher Reeve era. Then John Byrne wrote some story which humanised Clark, making Clark the real person and Superman the persona... and the Dean Cain version quickly followed suit. Bryan Singer however, seems to have gone back to 1950s sensibilities. Now, I don't mind seeing that, but I would've preferred that if he did that, he had a period piece Superman story that was actually set back in 1939 when Superman first debuted.


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Meoww! Send in the clowns!

[This message has been edited by Welshcat (edited 03-08-2005).]

[norrinraad]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kwick22a:
Also I think it's been established a couple of times that Batman is the one who considers his costumed persona his true identity and Bruce Wayne is nothing but a disguise.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I love the way JM Dematteis put it. "By day a lie named Bruce Wayne. By night a truth called the Batman". Poetry I say, sheer poetry.

[FireStormTrooper]

OK, having never seen Kirk Alyn (movie serials in '40s) or George Reeve (tv show in '50s) live-action take on Superman, I can't comment of their performances. I did see Christopher Reeves (movies in '70s &amp; '80s), James Hayne Newton / Gerard Christopher (Superboy in '80s &amp; 90s), Dean Cain (Lois &amp; Clark in '90s) and Tom Welling (Smallville in '00s). Haven't seen Brandon Routh (movie in '00s).

Obviously, Christopher Reeves takes the top spot as Best Superman Actor. But who's the next best? Comment only if you've seen them act as Superman.

For me, it'd go

1. Christopher Reeves (S1-S4)
2. Tom Welling (Smallville)
3. Gerard Christopher (Superboy I)
4. James Hayne Newton (Superboy II)
5. Dean Cain (Lois &amp; Clark)

What about you guys?

[Pod]

1. Wellings
2. Reeves
3. Cain

I really like the new version of anything really. Updates and all that. So I have to say Wellings as the young superman-in-training is my most favorite. Exploring more sides of Supes than the movies and having seen alot more of him too. Reeves, I've seen the movies and well maybe he did have some flaws...yeah, he had flaws in my opinion....And as for Cain...He sucked! But I watched the show when I was really bored a few years ago and I guess that counts.

I think Routh will do a good job. Maybe not the same as Reeves acted but...better? :lol: :wink: