Which Live Action Superman/Clark Kent is your favorite?

[smallville fan]

I think that if Tom Welling got to play Superman/ Clark Kent he would be my favorite take on the character. I think he had everything that the character needed. He could be strong and authoritive and warm and friendly. He communicated every aspect of the character, he was just missing the costume and cape.

I agree, Welling showed that Superman is more than just the costume and cape. I think that's what the show's overall message was.

 

[Axl Van Sixx]

I'd break mine down like this:

1. Dean Cain's Clark Kent
2. Henry Cavill's Superman/Clark Kent (equally)
3. George Reeves' Clark Kent
4. Chris Reeve's Superman
5. Dean Cain's Superman
6. Tom Welling's Clark Kent
7. Gerard Christopher's Superboy/Clark Kent (equally)
8. George Reeves' Superman
9. John Haymes Newton's Superboy/Clark Kent
10. Kirk Alyn's Superman/Clark Kent (equally)
11. Chris Reeve's Clark Kent

Brandon Routh didn't even make the cut, eh? I only ask because that was otherwise the most comprehensive list I've seen on this thread.

 

[Lencho01]

Would've been interesting to actually see Welling's Superman/Clark Kent. Seemed his future Clark would've been similar to Routh's in that they do Reeve's bumbling version, but more subdued.

 

[Axl Van Sixx]

Would've been interesting to actually see Welling's Superman/Clark Kent. Seemed his future Clark would've been similar to Routh's in that they do Reeve's bumbling version, but more subdued.

Routh's Clark may yet prove surprisingly influential. And I'm not a fan of his Superman (Cavill blows him out of the water, there's no comparison). But his subdued take on Metropolis Clark seemed a logical choice.

Reeve famously explained in the '70s that he didn't think the old George Reeves method, where you just put on a pair of glasses, was enough for a modern audience. By the same token, I think three decades later, people have started to realize (Cavill certainly does, having mentioned this in interviews) that although Reeve's bumbling, spastic interpretation of Kent certainly made him appear to be a different person that Superman, it also had the downside of drawing a lot of attention to Clark.

By having Clark instead be a somewhat shy, nerdy, dull guy who mostly blends into the background, Routh did a great job of distancing Clark from Superman in a different way. It's actually Routh's biggest contribution to the character, IMO, because his Superman by contrast was more of a carbon copy of Reeve's.

 

[Lencho01]

Routh's Clark may yet prove surprisingly influential. And I'm not a fan of his Superman (Cavill blows him out of the water, there's no comparison). But his subdued take on Metropolis Clark seemed a logical choice.

Reeve famously explained in the '70s that he didn't think the old George Reeves method, where you just put on a pair of glasses, was enough for a modern audience. By the same token, I think three decades later, people have started to realize (Cavill certainly does, having mentioned this in interviews) that although Reeve's bumbling, spastic interpretation of Kent certainly made him appear to be a different person that Superman, it also had the downside of drawing a lot of attention to Clark.

By having Clark instead be a somewhat shy, nerdy, dull guy who mostly blends into the background, Routh did a great job of distancing Clark from Superman in a different way. It's actually Routh's biggest contribution to the character, IMO, because his Superman by contrast was more of a carbon copy of Reeve's.

I agree with you for the most part.

The whole "mild-mannered" aspect of things is what I expect out of Clark Kent. The guy you don't really notice until the last second whether he says something or bumps into you "on accident".

 

[The Batman]

Voted for Christopher Reeve. He defined and still defines the character to this day. It's become cool to criticize his Clark Kent, but its still one of the best portrayals of CK that I've seen. It's become cool to paint Reeve's Superman as walking through life with no relative problems or "Arc", but that's not really true either. He is still the standard as both Superman and Clark Kent.

I also voted for Reeves as he's the only one on that poll that comes close to Reeve. He too defined Superman for a generation, as his Supes was one of the first stars of the TV era.

Everyone else was too flawed or lacking in something for me to vote for them.

As good as Cavill is, he essentially played Kal El for most of the movie, not Superman or "Clark Kent". The sequel will more or less define his Superman for me.

Cain did a great job as Post Crisis Clark. Unfortunately, I can't stand Post Crisis Clark Kent. And his Superman was terrible. Absolutely terrible.

Tom Welling was ok, not really remarkable to me.

Brandon's DP Clark was great...but his Superman was pretty much like Reeve in many respects.

The ideal modern Superman performance would be Cavill's Kal El with Routh's DP persona. That would be an incarnation that would be on par with Reeves/Reeve.

 

[WarriorDreamer]

Yes, I think Dean Cain's version is my favorite 'Clark in the office.' And then Tom Welling is my favorite young Clark, at the farm and coming of age. I agree that Chris Reeve's bumbling figity shaky take on the character would draw stares rather than rebuke them. I think the best take on the character is when Clark is just the guy who keeps his head down, does his work and when you talk to him he is just a nice, quiet guy who doesn't like to ruffle anyone's feathers. Not a circus act. Routh seemed to be like that and I hope Cavill will be too.

 

[MydnightPhoenix]

The intellectual Clark Kent sounds interesting, wonder how they would pull that off. Also is Superman still supposed to be smart? I rarely of ever see him portrayed that way not even by Christopher or Dean Cain; and Smallville had Clark being the BDA.

 

[Kal-El.9859]

I love the Clark Kent in Man of Steel...especially at the end. They said that was when he became the Clark Kent/Superman that we all know and love

 

[Axl Van Sixx]

I voted Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill, because I'm not sure I could say that I prefer one over the other. Both are the definitive Superman for their respective generations (George Reeves also belongs in that category, but he ranks below because I have a personal preference for the more contemporary takes).

It's hard to compare Reeve and Cavill because we have yet to see enough of Cavill playing DP Clark to make a fair comparison. As others have pointed out, he was really playing Kal-El in this movie, though we definitely saw the beginning of his "Superman" persona as well.

Thing is, each of the Superman actors brought something unique and different to their performances. If I had to rank them, the list would probably look like this, in descending order from favourite to least favourite:

1. Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill (TIE)

Reeve played the Silver Age Superman to absolute perfection. His Superman was the Big Blue Boy Scout, an appealing throwback to '50s values in post-Vietnam/Watergate America. His Clark Kent was by far the most convincing instance yet of an actor making Clark and Superman look like two different people. Even if the bumbling routine was more likely to draw attention, it's still funny and enjoyable to watch.

Cavill for me is the most relatable Superman. You get a feeling for how being an alien with superpowers might actually affect someone in real life. Not counting Reeve's evil Superman in Superman III, we've never seen Supes get angry and let loose like we have in MOS. Cavill brought an element of aggression to the character, but always keeps any anger in check unless fighting a villain like Zod.

When we first see him he's lost, lonely soul, unsure of his place in the world (which Jeff East really did for Reeve in STM). But it's also clear that he's a nice guy. I thought the best early instance of Cavill conveying Supes' warm and caring nature was when he helps Lois on the scout ship. His eyes say it all. And when he finally dons the suit, we see him become the authoritative Superman we all know ("Don't play games with me, General.").

Also, it goes without saying that Cavill was by far the most imposing Superman ever physically.

2. George Reeves

The greatness of Reeves' performance stemmed from his affable, fatherly nature. I love how he plays the square '50s Superman to the tee, but at the same time, he conveys an air of gravitas that somehow, despite the silly costume, subtly makes you think "I don't want to mess with this guy."

I liked his Clark Kent, but at the same time I have to deduct points from the fact that he basically plays Kent the exact same way he plays Superman. I enjoy it on an ironic level how nobody can tell Clark and Superman apart in this version, but ideally I'd like a little effort to distinguish the two other than glasses.

3. Tom Welling

Welling comes next because I was a regular Smallville viewer for the longest time, I loved the show and thought it was by far the best version of Superman's youth that I'd ever seen. I kind of stopped watching after Season 7 or so because the quality had been declining for a while. But as for Clark, I thought Welling was pretty good in the role.

He's not a great actor and can be a bit stiff, but he actually did a really good job, particularly in the early seasons, of playing the confused and angsty teen with superpowers. Ultimately, they took too long setting him up his journey and you started to wonder why this guy was still hanging around Smallville. Even though Welling had no interest in playing Superman per se, I think he would have done alright in the role (certainly better than Dean Cain). Which brings us to:

4. Dean Cain

Embodied the post-Crisis Clark Kent, for better or for worse. Cain made Clark into a real person as opposed to a caricature or a front for Superman.

Unfortunately, his Superman was not very good at all. Like George Reeves, he made little effort to distinguish Clark from Superman, but while Reeves sounded authoritative, Cain seemed a bit ... I don't want to say whiny, but I distinctly remember as a kid excited to watch Lois and Clark and then becoming disenchanted because it always seemed like Clark didn't really want to be Superman and was more interested in pursuing Lois Lane.

Still, I haven't watched the show since then, and being a couple decades older I would probably appreciate it more.

5. Brandon Routh

Let's just say I wasn't blown away by his acting abilities. A lot of the fault here rests with Bryan Singer, who told Routh to mimic Christopher Reeve's performance as Superman. But I'll give Routh his due where Clark Kent is concerned; he managed to make him different from Superman in a more subtle way than Reeve. Reeve is more enjoyable to watch of course, but I can still appreciate Routh's contribution in that one area.

6. Kirk Alyn

Only seen a few clips of the '40s serials and they look pretty goofy, the kind of thing I can enjoy in an ironic way (and also in an unironic way, because hey, it's Superman). Alyn seems to do a good job at being a bit more subdued as Clark. His Superman looks a bit overly excited in the way he moves sometimes, due to Alyn's background as a dancer.

 

[Human Torch]

Voted for Christopher Reeve. He defined and still defines the character to this day. It's become cool to criticize his Clark Kent, but its still one of the best portrayals of CK that I've seen. It's become cool to paint Reeve's Superman as walking through life with no relative problems or "Arc", but that's not really true either. He is still the standard as both Superman and Clark Kent.

I also voted for Reeves as he's the only one on that poll that comes close to Reeve. He too defined Superman for a generation, as his Supes was one of the first stars of the TV era.

Everyone else was too flawed or lacking in something for me to vote for them.

As good as Cavill is, he essentially played Kal El for most of the movie, not Superman or "Clark Kent". The sequel will more or less define his Superman for me.

Cain did a great job as Post Crisis Clark. Unfortunately, I can't stand Post Crisis Clark Kent. And his Superman was terrible. Absolutely terrible.

Tom Welling was ok, not really remarkable to me.

Brandon's DP Clark was great...but his Superman was pretty much like Reeve in many respects.

The ideal modern Superman performance would be Cavill's Kal El with Routh's DP persona. That would be an incarnation that would be on par with Reeves/Reeve.

I agree with every word.Thanks for saving me the effort of typing that myself.t:

 

[CConn]

Cavill was definitely the best, by far.

I'm a bit too young to have grown up with Chris Reeves, and his Superman always struck me as a bit too lighthearted and campy. Great for the time, of course, but just not a portrayal that could compare to many of the quality modern Superman incarnations.

Cavill had a very well balanced medium of seriousness, roughness, and care. It was if he took elements from Reeve, Chris Evans, and maybe a little Bale and blended them all together to really make them work for Superman.

 

[Project862006]

imo the drone scene and the interrogation scene really sold me on cavill that was pure superman it had swagger and an authoritative response

 

[Rowsdower!]

Voted for Reeve and Cavill. Reeve will always be the Superman I grew up with; an amazing actor and more importantly, an amazing human being who worked tirelessly for stem-cell research. I actually got the opportunity to see Reeve speak at a forum once; it was a moment I'll never forget. He had a Q&A session at the end with the audience; many attendees were also suffering from major disabilities. He clearly inspired hope in them through his words and actions.

And Cavill managed to do what i never thought possible. He gave us a Superman that was very different than Reeve and yet somehow just as good. He gave us a deep, conflicted Superman that wants to do the right thing but needs what we all need: some guidance and some support. I can't wait to see what Cav-El does with Superman in future installments.

As for the others... Reeves was the first Superman and though I only watched a handful of episodes of the old TV show, he was the standard until Reeve came along. Welling had his moments, but overall I've always found him to be a fairly weak actor. Cain's Clark was okay but his Superman was awful. And Routh had zero charisma or personality as Clark or Superman; he was basically wallpaper with a spit curl.

 

[Skrilla31]

Hmm, let's see.

Christopher Reeve.

 

[lda]

Christopher Reeve. Henry comes in a close second, though.

 

[BlackFox]

Christopher Reeve. Henry comes in a close second, though.

Agree with this

 

[hopefuldreamer]

Brandon Routh didn't even make the cut, eh? I only ask because that was otherwise the most comprehensive list I've seen on this thread.

How bad is it that I just literally forgot him?

I didn't hate or even dislike the characterisation in SR, it just wasn't much of anything.

I guess I'd put his Superman/Clark above Chris Reeve's Clark at number 11.

 

[Ms. Marvel]

This question is mean.

I really do not know, both Cavill and Reeve were perfect for their respective movies.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I've given it some thought and I will say that Christopher Reeve is my choice for favorite Superman. When I think of Superman, it's Reeve that I picture. Cavill is great in Man of Steel, his performance along with lines of dialogue and moments of action make him a worthy holder of the Superman mantle.

"Don't play games with me, General." YES. That is Superman. However, in this new generation of Superman and comic book movies, we've come to expect more. Reeve's Superman is just fine as it is for it's place in history. With Cavill, I'm waiting for his "Dark Knight" moment that not only defines his character as being pure Superman, but also elevating his status as a hero.

 

[flickchick85]

Honestly, if Cain's Superman had been better, he'd have gotten my vote. I love his Clark that much.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

Honestly, if Cain's Superman had been better, he'd have gotten my vote. I love his Clark that much.

You know what's odd? Even though I enjoyed Lois and Clark:TNAOS when I was younger, I can't remember much about the show at all now.

 

[Shazam]

How can Cavill be so far out front?? We have yet to see his "classic" Clark Kent......The Daily Planet Clark.....


A great Superman......but we aint seen the rest yet.

 

[flickchick85]

You know what's odd? Even though I enjoyed Lois and Clark:TNAOS when I was younger, I can't remember much about the show at all now.

I watched it again last year when The Hub was showing re-runs all the time. Cheesy to the max for sure, but underneath all that cheese was the best Clark/Lois chemistry ever (seriously, Cain and Hatcher had better chemistry than most romantic pairings in any TV shows/movies I've seen. I didn't necessarily pick up on all that sexiness when I first saw it as a kid, lol) and the closest thing we've ever gotten to the comics version of Lex Luthor in live-action...just a hammy version of it. Also a great Clark Kent that didn't have to resort to dorkish caricature in order to convincingly pass day-to-day without people suspecting him of being Superman. Kind of like the TAS Clark - Lois didn't see him as the alpha, heroic type, but she still saw him as a rival/equal (even if she had a hard time admitting it) and a friend. She didn't look down on him like she seemed to in the Reeve/Donner version, imo.

 

[Shazam]

George Reeves was my favorite