Summary
The manySupermanmovies have had varying degrees of success at the box office, but how do they rank among one another when adjusted for inflation? Thebox office performance ofSupermanmovieshas often been at the forefront of superhero cinema. Richard Donner’sSupermanarguably kickstarted the so-called Golden Age of superhero movies, while franchises like the DCEU positioned the Man of Steel at the center of a sprawling franchise.
Evenupcoming DC movieswill have Superman be incredibly important, with James Gunn’s 2025Supermanhopefully performing well commercially to truly kickstart the new franchise. Regardless of howSupermanmovies have been rankedconcerning quality, box office performance has always been studied. Interestingly, though, box office receipts are rarely adjusted for inflation, begging the question of how eachSupermanmovie performed comparatively when placed on an even playing field.
The following list consists only of live-action Superman movies from Richard Donner’s 1978 Superman and onwards.
How To Watch Superman Movies in Order (Chronologically & By Release Date)
With so many movies in his back-catalog, here is how to watch every Superman movie in chronological order and in order of their release dates.
$30,281,020
Worldwide Box Office Adjusted For Inflation
$83,745,945
The lowest-grossingSupermanmovie in history isSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace. The film was critically panned upon release, which likely contributed to its poor box office performance. As per numbers gathered byBox Office Mojo,Superman IV: The Quest for Peacegarnered a measly $15 million gross domestically. When combined with a further $14 million from overseas,Superman IVslumped to a lowly worldwide total of just over $30 million upon its release in 1987.
Even when adjusted for inflation,Superman IVremains the lowest-grossingSupermanmovie. The rate of inflation between 1987 and 2024 meansSuperman IVgrossed an adjusted worldwide total of $83 million. This falls short of the many other live-actionSupermanmovies released both before and afterThe Quest for Peace, earning it the lowest ranking among its franchise peers both commercially and critically.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Cast
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace stars Christopher Reeve as the iconic superhero who takes on the global threat of nuclear weapons. Directed by Sidney J. Furie, the film features Gene Hackman reprising his role as Lex Luthor, who creates a new adversary for Superman in an attempt to achieve world domination. The movie examines themes of peace and conflict in the backdrop of Cold War tensions, continuing the legacy of the Superman franchise.
Why Superman IV: The Quest For Peace Is Called The Worst Superman Movie
Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of Superman is widely cherished, but 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is still seen as the worst Superman movie.
$80,250,623
$253,139,954
Superman IIIwas released four years beforeSuperman IV: The Quest for Peacein 1983. While not as panned as its successor,Superman IIIwas still poorly received by fans and critics alike. This also saw dwindling returns at the box office from its predecessors, ranking as the second-lowestSupermanmovie at the worldwide box office. The poor reception criticized the film for its silliness, slapstick humor, and rehashing of plot points from its two predecessors, which likely contributed to its poor commercial run.
That being said,Superman IIIstill earned almost double whatSuperman IVwould go on to garner. A domestic total of just under $60 million and an overseas haul of $20 million sawSuperman IIIearn a worldwide total of $80 million in 1983. Given that it came out beforeSuperman IV, the inflation rate forSuperman III’s earnings is bigger. This means that,once adjusted to match 2024,Superman III’s worldwide total is over $250 million, over three times the adjusted total forSuperman IV: The Quest for Peace.
Superman III
Superman III features Christopher Reeve reprising his role as the iconic superhero. In this third installment, Superman faces challenges from a wealthy executive and a genius programmer tasked with developing synthetic kryptonite, leading to unforeseen complications. Alongside these struggles, he reconnects with a past love and combats a formidable supercomputer.
$391,081,192
$609,463,955
After the disappointing box office returns ofSuperman IIIand especiallySuperman IV, the Man of Steel underwent a live-action hiatus. This hiatus lasted almost two decades until 2006 when Bryan Singer revived the franchise amid the increasing popularity of superhero cinema. In terms of overall box office,Superman Returns- which starred Brandon Routh in the titular role - is the second-highest-grossingSupermanmovie of all timewith a domestic total of just over $200 million, which combined with an overseas total of $191 million for a worldwide haul of $391 million.
When counting Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman Returns is the third-highest-grossing Superman movie of all time.
Given thatSuperman Returnsis the second most recent live-actionSupermanmovie, its adjustment for inflation is not quite as drastic as some earlier iterations. This explains why the second-highest-grossingSupermanfilm in history is only the fourth-highest when adjusted for inflation.The inflation changes between 2006 and 2024 see the adjusted worldwide total forSuperman Returnssitting at just over $600 million, over double the total for 1983’sSupermanIII.
Superman Returns
Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns follows the events surrounding the hero’s return to Earth after a five-year absence. When Superman (Brandon Routh) arrives back on Earth, he discovers that Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has developed a plan to use kryptonite crystals to establish a new landmass that he intends to sell off to the highest bidder. With Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) now married with a child, Superman must come to terms with everything he left behind in order to stop Luthor’s villainous scheme.
$216,385,706
$825,036,155
The second movie starring Christopher Reeve as Superman wasSuperman II, released in 1980. Like the first movie,Superman IIis often considered one of the better soloSupermanmovies in history, before the third and fourth installments somewhat soured the franchise. Due to the strong release reception of the film,Superman IIwas a commercial success, grossing just beneath $110 million both domestically and overseas for a $216 worldwide haul, as perBox Office Mojo.
Superman II controversially changed directors during production, replacing Richard Donner with Lester, leading to the later release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut.
When this total is adjusted for inflation,Superman IIbecomes the third-highest-grossingSupermanmovie of all time. The movie almost gained second place due to the strong inflation between 1980 and 2024, but could not overcome a more recent, more successfulSupermaniteration. Regardless,Superman II’s box office total after inflation is taken into account stands at $825 million, proving how well the film was received in 1980.
Superman II
Superman II (1980) sees Christopher Reeve reprise his role as the Man of Steel, battling General Zod (Terence Stamp) and his followers, who escape from the Phantom Zone and threaten Earth. Meanwhile, Superman must grapple with his feelings for Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) and the loss of his powers. Directed by Richard Lester, the film combines elements of action, romance, and moral dilemmas, continuing the narrative of the iconic superhero.
$670,145,518
$903,784,681
Despite a reboot of Superman being released in 2006, Warner Bros. decided to do so again to match the success of Marvel Studios. The MCU began shortly afterSuperman Returns, making shared comic book movie universes the next big thing in Hollywood. DC did not want to be left behind, leading to the DC Extended Universe that began with 2013’sMan of Steel.Recasting Henry Cavill as the titular hero,Man of Steelwas a solid if somewhat divisive entry into the franchise, beginning theDCEU’s movie timeline.
Divisive elements aside,Man of Steelwas a commercial success upon its release in 2013. With a worldwide total of $670 million,Man of Steelis the fifth-highest-grossing DCEU movie, despite 14 installments coming after it. As the highest-grossingSupermanmovie in history,Man of Steel’s inflation-adjusted box office total stands at around $903 million, just edging outSuperman II.Man of Steel’s success should arguably have led to more adventures for Cavill’s character, butJames Gunn’s DCU Supermanis taking over as of 2025.
Man of Steel
Man of Steel is a 2013 reboot of the Superman franchise, directed by Zack Snyder. Henry Cavill stars as Clark Kent, who discovers his extraterrestrial origins and extraordinary powers.
Man of Steel 2: Everything We Know About Henry Cavill’s Canceled Sequel
Henry Cavill was initially slated to return to his iconic role as Superman in Man of Steel 2, but the sequel was eventually canceled by DC Studios.
$300,478,449
$1,447,895,961
When adjusting for inflation, the most successfulSupermanmovie in box office history is the 1978 original. Despite only being the third-highest-grossingSupermanmovie with an original worldwide total of $300 million,Supermanis also the most dated release in the franchise. As such, the inflation rate is much steeper, putting into context just how successful the first Christopher Reeve,Richard Donner-directedSupermanmoviewas.Superman’s box office run saw it cumulate a domestic total of over $130 million, with an overseas haul of just over $165 million totaling the aforementioned $300 million gross.
No otherSupermanmovie has a box office total north of $1 billion when adjusted for inflation, proving the true success of 1978’sSuperman…
When adjusted for inflation, this $300 million total becomes a staggering $1.4 billion. No otherSupermanmovie has a box office total north of $1 billion when adjusted for inflation, proving the true success of 1978’sSuperman. If anything, 1978’sSupermanbeing the highest-grossing film starring the DC icon after inflation proves that Superman needs more success on the big screen. James Gunn will be hoping to rectify this whenSupermanopens in theaters in July 2025, kickstarting the DCU and hopefully a new age of theatrical dominance for the Last Son of Krypton.
Superman
Superman, directed by Richard Donner, stars Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent, an alien from the planet Krypton living on Earth who adopts the persona of Superman to protect humanity. Released in 1978, the film features Gene Hackman as the villain Lex Luthor, who creates a plan that threatens millions of lives. Margot Kidder co-stars as Lois Lane, a journalist at the Daily Planet and Clark Kent’s colleague.
