The Superman suit is one of the most recognizable superhero costumes that live-action audiences love to see on-screen. However, not every man who's put it on has been able to pull-off the blue tights and red cape. The basic design is a tight-fitting costume, with the primary colors being blue, red, and yellow. Superman needs to look like the strongest man alive in the suit while also being a superhero that's approachable to any on-coming crowd. So, putting Clark Kent into military armor won’t work since he is a superhero of the people.
Fans of the Kryptonian superhero have seen many live-action suits and Supermen throughout the decades. Each Superman has been a convincing mild-mannered reporter that is able to disappear into a crowd. However, he is not just a man with superpowers, but also someone that has natural goodness and charismatic nature to him. This is what has audiences gravitating towards the superhero along with his super-suit. The man of steel suit has had the “S” symbol which has altered over time, but the blue bodysuit, red trunks, boots, cape, and yellow belt have stayed the same. Here is every live-action Superman costumed design ranked.
12 Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage was set to star in a Tim Burton remake of the Superman story Death of Superman Lives. Audiences will never see this iteration of Superman, which is probably for the better since his super-suit looks more like a Halloween costume. Cage also couldn't pull off the charismatic and people-loving superhero and instead looked like he hated putting on the red cape.
11 Gerard Christopher
The late-80s and early-90s brought audiences The Adventures of Superboy on CBS, according to Superman Supersite. Gerard Christopher played Superboy and saw him in a very bright-colored costume. His suit was simply a misfortune of his time as the colors were a bit exaggerated, especially the yellows. Christopher's suit was not awful but not great enough to declare it one of the best.
10 John Haymes Newton
John Haymes Newton played Superboy in the first season of The Adventures of Superboy before he was replaced by Gerard Christopher. His suit resembles Christopher Reeve's since the show was looking towards his films for inspiration, but with brighter colors. They also over do it with his hair giving one curl down the middle of his forehead while the rest is slicked back. Newton's entire ensemble gives off the impression that he is trying too hard.
9 Bob Holiday
Bob Holiday starred in the first ever musical about Superman. It's true that the theater does not have the same kind of budget as TV or movies, so his suit was fitted to match Holiday's body. A lot of pictures of Holiday in the suit are black and white making it hard to judge the accuracy of the color scheme compared to the comics. His look was far from the source material as Superman was seen as husky. Holiday's showed the Man of Steel as a subtle hero.
8 Kirk Alyn
The suit worn by Kirk Alyn was during a time were costume design techniques still hadn't been figured out to give the best super-suit. His suit looked as if it was done by a sewing machine with the upper half looking like a sweater with an "S" attached to it. The suit is not form fitting like future suits and a product of its time. Throughout the years, costume refinement can be seen in film and TV making the suits more accurate to the comics.
7 George Reeves
What Culture says George Reeves had two different Superman costumes for his black-and-white TV show, and one for when they shot in color. His suits were extremely loyal to the comics even though his cape was a little further of the shoulders and no spit-curl was on display. Both of his fits had padded impressions of muscles that mixed with his posture, twinkle in his eye, and stature showed off his intangible qualities.
6 Tom Welling
Tom Welling didn't spend a lot of his time on Smallville as Superman, but in the later seasons, he had a couple different outfits. He wore a black trench coat and shirt with an "S" symbol and a red leather jacket with an "S" on his chest. It wasn't until the last episode of the series that Welling was able to put on the Superman suit. Welling's version of Clark Kent was seen racing to the Daily Planet rooftop with the Superman suit under his jacket allowing this version to end on a high note.
5 Dean Cain
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman showed off a Superman suit as if Clark and Mom Kent actually put it together. Dean Cain's suit followed the classic Superman look of old spandex, boots tied in the front, a crew-neck collar, and a small "S" on his chest. As the show continued on, Cain's costume evolved. The "S" got bigger, an open-neck collar, belt loops, and his boots lost their laces. His version of Superman mirrored that of early-90s comics making him looked relaxed.
4 Tyler Hoechlin
The latest Superman has Tyler Hoechlin taking up the red cape. His suit is a New 52 redesign with a red belt instead of red trunks and boots that go all the way up to the knee. Hoechlin also has the open neck with golden clasps that connect to the cape at the collarbone. The suit is made out of the same material as Supergirl's, which has more weight to it than spandex. The "S" on his chest is true to the comics and the colors are the perfect balance in making Hoechlin really look like Superman.
3 Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve decided to ditch the muscle impressions and work for his muscles making him look like he was plucked right out of the comic books. He also had a bigger "S"-guard and a cape that went around his neck. Reeve looked like he was born to play Superman and nailed how to play Clark Kent changing into his alter ego. His iteration of Superman affected how future actors took on the role.
2 Brandon Routh
Brandon Routh was to be the continuation of Reeve's Superman. His outfit had the traditional "S" on the chest, cape, and even one for his belt buckle. Routh's suit was made from a thicker material that was indented with small pentagons making him look bulked. The cape flows down to his calves and flairs out nicely. The biggest issue with his suit was the crew-neck collar and a smaller chest "S"-guard. Even though Routh's Superman was starting where Reeve's ended, Animated Times explains that he was able to really look like Superman.
1 Henry Cavill
The greatest super-suit of all time was worn by Henry Cavill. His Superman wore a textured material that accentuated every muscle while keeping the timeless trunks with the addition of a belt buckle. His chest symbol also looks more elaborate to match how the film portrayed Krypton. The floor-length cape tucked into the open neck flows much better as he's being dragged out by solders making him look severe.The colors are darker than normal which only seems to enhance to tone of the overall film.
Comments
Post a Comment