Every Superman Movie Villain Ranked Worst To Best

Superman has gone up against many villains over the course of his cinematic career, with some working better than others as genuine threats to Metropolis and the world. Though perhaps not as numerous or varied as Batman’s rogues gallery, Superman still has a colorful cast of nemeses in the original DC Comics that have provided films with plenty of inspiration. Across Superman’s 10 movies, he has battled a diverse array of villains with varying degrees of cinematic value, some of them acting as a greater threat to the poster boy DC hero than others.

Finding an antagonist capable of going toe-to-toe against Superman is a difficult endeavor, but the films have managed to find many villains who fit the bill, such as Doomsday and General Zod. Of course, being the most iconic bane of the hero’s existence, Lex Luthor’s more manipulative mastermind tactics have also gotten their fair share of silver screen representation. Every live-action version of Superman has had to face his own unique challenges, but not all of these villains have left a lasting critical impression.

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10 Nuclear Man Was An Original Creation For Superman IV

Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

For Christopher Reeve’s final time wearing the famous Superman cape, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace made the bizarre decision to pit Superman against a wholly original villain, Mark Pillow’s ferocious Nuclear Man. Somehow mutated out of Superman’s DNA when exposed to a combination of solar and nuclear radiation, Nuclear Man had ferocious powers capable of nearly taking down the Man of Steel. Unfortunately, his ridiculous outfit, paper-thin origin story, and terrible ADR dubbed by Gene Hackman all contributed to dragging down the final Christopher Reeve Superman film into the annals of comic book movie infamy.

9 Doomsday Was Rushed

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

PG-13

Where to Watch

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Director

Zack Snyder

Release Date

March 24, 2016

Cast

Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Jeremy Irons , Holly Hunter , Gal Gadot

Runtime

152 minutes

Of the many failings of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, reducing one of Superman’s most terrifying villains into a Lord of the Rings background asset was one of the most egregious. Fumbling TheDeath of Superman story by squeezing it into the already crowded third act of the film did Doomsday no favors, and his stock fantasy ogre appearance was a pale imitation of the legendary monster’s design from the comics. Still, at least Doomsday can claim to have been one of the few villains to kill Superman on-screen, something Nuclear Man could only dream of.

8 Ross Webster Is Too Similar To Another Superman Villain

Superman III (1983)

Having already featured Lex Luthor heavily by this point in the original Christopher Reeve run of Superman movies, Ross Webster was a similar corporate slimeball rife with nefarious plans to corner the energy market. Webster spent most of his screen time in Superman III manipulating Richard Pryor’s Gus Gorman into using his intellect to manufacture disasters his company could capitalize on. Robert Vaughn’s performance as Webster was certainly serviceable, but he wasn’t an especially memorable villain, feeling like a clear placeholder for Lex Luthor. He was also made less intimidating by being so reliant on lackeys to pursue his plans.

7 Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor Tried Something New

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Casting Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor for the DCEU films was a bold strategy that didn’t go uncriticized, and Eisenberg’s performance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ultimately validated fans’ concerns. Rather than being the smooth, charismatic manipulator Luthor is known as, Eisenberg’s Lex was more of a neurotic millennial, with odd mannerisms and annoying speeches that betrayed Eisenberg’s acting ability. This version of Lex definitely had the potential to grow into the “traditional” Luthor audiences were hungry to see, but the DCEU fell apart before Eisenberg’s character could evolve.

6 Steppenwolf Was Improved In The Snyder Cut

Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Justice League

PG-13

Where to Watch

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Director

Zack Snyder

Release Date

November 17, 2017

Cast

Jeremy Irons , Gal Gadot , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Ciarán Hinds , Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Ezra Miller , J. K. Simmons , Jason Momoa , Ray Fisher

Runtime

242 minutes

The original incarnation of Steppenwolf in 2017’s Justice League was as generic of a supervillain as they come, a mere opening act for Darkseid’s entrance into the DCEU. However, in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the character was given an intriguing redesign and an actual personality, showing off his sensitive side and zealous desire to please his master in order to atone for his past failures. While physically imposing and commanding a world-threatening army of Parademons, the gulf in quality between Steppenwolf’s two movie iterations averages him out among the middle of Superman’s cinematic villains.

5 Kevin Spacey’s Lex Luthor Pays Homage To Hackman

Superman Returns (2006)

Superman Returns

PG-13

Where to Watch

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Director

Bryan Singer

Release Date

June 28, 2006

Cast

Sam Huntington , James Marsden , Eva Marie Saint , Kate Bosworth , Kevin Spacey , Frank Langella , Kal Penn , Parker Posey , Brandon Routh , Marlon Brando

Runtime

2h 34m

Trying to fill Gene Hackman’s shoes as Lex Luthor was no easy task, but Kevin Spacey’s clean-shaven conniving capitalist was as perfect of a casting choice as Superman Returns could’ve hoped for. Like many of Kevin Spacey’s characters, Lex Luthor’s simmering callousness and bursts of explosive anger suited the actor well, even if his performance was clearly colored by an imitation of Hackman at times. More than anything else, Spacey’s own controversial legacy sours his portrayal, barring him from the privilege of being among the best actors to play Lex Luthor.

4 Evil Superman Is An Interesting Twist

Superman III (1983)

The real villainous gem of Superman III‘s busy plot, Evil Superman, was created when Clark Kent had a nervous breakdown, manifesting a version of himself harboring Superman’s dark side. Though the concept of an evil Superman has become a tired trope in recent years, at the time, the ground-breaking idea was one of the best parts of Superman III. Seeing Christopher Reeve unveil a new side of his acting range as the dastardly dark reflection of Kal-El was a treat that came and went far too soon.

3 Michael Shannon’s General Zod Is Among The DCEU’s Best

Man of Steel (2013), The Flash (2023)

Man of Steel

PG-13

Where to Watch

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Director

Zack Snyder

Release Date

June 14, 2013

Cast

Kevin Costner , Laurence Fishburne , Richard Schiff , Amy Adams , Harry Lennix , Antje Traue , Michael Shannon , Henry Cavill , Christopher Meloni , Diane Lane , Russell Crowe

Runtime

143 minutes

The second actor to embody the world-conquering zeal of the Kryptonian General Zod, Michael Shannon gave a world-class performance that went underappreciated in comic book movie villain history. Knowing when to ham it up and when to tone things down, Shannon’s Zod was a shrewd tactician with no mercy in his heart for human beings, forcing Henry Cavill’s Superman to make a decision that would go on to haunt him for the rest of the DCEU. Seeing his return in 2023’s The Flash was one of the best parts of the otherwise disappointing film.

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2 Terence Stamp’s General Zod Defined The Character For Many

Superman II (1981)

As great as Michael Shannon’s Zod was, there’s no disputing that the character wouldn’t be nearly as popular as a DC villain if it weren’t for Terence Stamp’s original take on the character. Stamp’s deliciously campy screen presence conveyed instant authority, with his command for Earth to “Kneel before Zod!” still being an iconic line over 40 years later. Compared to Shannon, Stamp’s Zod also managed to come across as an actual alien, commenting on Earth’s strange customs and technology with surprisingly hilarious comedic timing.

1 Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor Remains Iconic

Superman (1978)

Even if Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor didn’t start off as the most comic-accurate depiction of the villain, no other Superman movie antagonist has been able to recapture his prowess as a foil to Superman that shows off the worst qualities of humanity. Despite initially not shaving his head for the role, Hackman gave the role the gravitas it deserved, playing Lex Luthor as a serious menace within the campy franchise. With a roster of minions of varying usefulness and a flamboyant wardrobe that needs to be seen to be believed, Hackman’s Lex Luthor is undeniably the single greatest Superman villain.