The Best Live-Action Superman Villains

Summary

Evil Superman is a dark version of Clark Kent, adding complexity to Christopher Reeve's performance.
Faora Hu-Ul overshadows Zod in Man of Steel due to her deadly skills and merciless nature.
Lex Luthor becomes a menacing presence in Superman & Lois, contributing to the show's intensity.

From massive blockbuster movies to ambitious television shows, every Superman project features some kind of villain for the Man of Steel to confront and usually save the world from. While many of these antagonists have graced the pages of DC Comics, only a select few have earned live-action adaptations.

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Some villains have undergone multiple reincarnations due to the many reboots of the Superman mythology, with different actors and filmmakers interpreting the roles in their own unique ways. Each of these villains has presented a distinct challenge to Superman’s might, as well as to his unwavering moral compass and dedication to protecting humanity.

10 Evil Superman

Red Kryptonite Allowed Christopher Reeve To Shine As Two Characters

From: Superman 3
Played By: Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve was already considered a perfect Superman by the time Superman 3 hit theaters, but here he got to flex his acting skills by also portraying an Evil Superman. When he is exposed to Red Kryptonite, Superman devolves into an angry and selfish being who causes more harm than good, which is hard to witness as he is meant to be the ultimate good person.

The rise of the Evil Superman results in a battle between him and his original Clark Kent persona, both metaphorically and literally. Christopher Reeve manages to put forth a scary performance as the dark side while also portraying the wholesome and good-hearted version at the same time.

9 Faora Hu-Ul

Zod’s Lieutenant Was Scarier Than He Was

From: Man of Steel, The Flash
Played By: Antje Traue

Faora Hu-Ul in Man Of Steel is an example of the hollowness that Kryptonians have become, as she feels nothing and has no morality: she is a war machine that blindly serves General Zod. When she arrives on Earth and absorbs the radiation of the yellow sun, she proves to be the deadliest soldier in Zod’s invasion, adapting quickly to her enhanced powers.

Seeing Faora murder multiple human soldiers at super-speed is already terrifying, but her being a soldier gives her an advantage over the novice Superman. She combines her powers with her skills as a warrior to outsmart and overpower Superman during the Smallville battle, leading to her stealing the spotlight from Zod for a good portion of the movie.

8 Bizarro/Doomsday

Two Iconic Villains For The Price Of One

From: Superman & Lois
Played By: Tyler Hoechlin

Despite being on the CW, Superman & Lois managed to be a strong Superman series, which also happened to be the case with Doomsday. He began as Bizarro Superman and was considered a surprisingly good take on the character despite its many differences from the source material, depicting a dark yet tragic iteration.

However, thanks to Lex Luthor, Bizarro was transformed into a new take on Doomsday, one that kills Superman and remains a recurring threat in the fourth and final season. Even as Doomsday, the character remains a sad one to witness, especially in his final moments when he accepts his own death after remembering who he once was.

7 Lionel Luthor

Smallville Created Someone Worse Than Lex Luthor

From: Smallville
Played By: John Glover

John Glover is a DC alumnus who has played characters in Batman: The Animated Series, Batman & Robin, Shazam!, and most famously portrayed Lionel Luthor on Smallville. Take any aspect of Lex Luthor that can be deemed evil and amplify it beyond the maximum; the result is Lionel Luthor, who serves as a villain to both Clark Kent and his own son, Lex.

Throughout the series, Lionel Luthor is depicted as abusive on both a psychological and emotional level, frequently using threats to manipulate Lex while also gaslighting him into believing he is not good enough. He contributes to the audience's understanding of why Lex Luthor becomes the person he does, as Lionel is also a megalomaniacal businessman who doesn’t stop until he achieves what he desires.

6 Tal-Rho

Even The Villains Are Part Of The Family Drama

From: Superman & Lois
Played By: Adam Rayner

A common theme in Superman & Lois is family, highlighting both its good and bad aspects. Superman has his wife, Lois, and his two sons, but he also has a long-lost brother, Tal-Rho, who arrives on Earth at a young age only to witness the darker sides of humanity. This experience twists him into wanting to replace all humans with the consciousnesses of lost Kryptonians.

In the first season, Tal-Rho is portrayed as a villain driven by rage, and it's easy to understand his hatred for Earth, especially after being manipulated by an even more malevolent father for so long. Adam Rayner brings both charm and depth to the character, along with a sinister presence. Much like Loki from the MCU, Tal-Rho transforms into a more heroic character who genuinely cares for his brother as the show progresses.

5 Brainiac

The Collector Of Worlds Was Done Justice On The SyFy Channel

From: Krypton
Played By: Blake Ritson

Krypton was a surprising prequel to the Superman mythology that was able to explore the titular planet’s culture while still featuring iconic Superman villains, such as Brainiac. It was the first time fans got a comic-accurate version of this character, from his green skin to his obsession with collecting worlds. His design felt like it was pulled straight out of Injustice 2, right down to the many tendrils that he wields.

Even when he’s not on-screen, Brainiac has a grip on the Krypton series, always looming in the background in some way, which makes him even more scary than he already is. He possesses people using his technology and, thanks to the time-travel element, Krypton throws in the twist that Brainiac is responsible for the eventual destruction of the planet, thus creating Superman.

4 General Zod

The Character Was Made Famous By Terrence Stamp

From: Superman 2
Played By: Terrence Stamp

Terrence Stamp helped turn the words “Kneel before Zod” into an iconic catchphrase with his sinister portrayal of General Zod in Superman 2. With his Kryptonian allies, Ursa and Non, General Zod was also the first time audiences saw the destructive capabilities of supervillains on the big screen back in 1980, as they all featured the same powers as Superman.

While Lex Luthor did prove to be a threat in the first movie, General Zod tested Superman both physically and mentally, as he is a master of tactics, which makes his powers even scarier. However, there is also a campiness to Terrence Stamp’s Zod that makes him very fun to watch as he and Superman face off as rivals, resulting in a commanding presence while also giving the audience a few laughs.

3 Lex Luthor

Lex Helped End The CW Show With A Bang

From: Superman & Lois
Played By: Michael Cudlitz

From the moment Lex Luthor appears in Superman & Lois, there is an immediate aura of menace that fills the scene, which is ideal when bringing Superman’s greatest foe to life. Michael Cudlitz managed to tackle nearly every integral part of Lex Luthor in his performance, proving to be a highlight of the third and fourth seasons.

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By Jake Fillery

Like in the comics, Lex Luthor is a powerful genius with a superiority complex, but he’s also willing to get his hands dirty. He still manipulates things behind the scenes in Superman & Lois, such as by creating Doomsday, but he also dons the iconic exo-suit and fights the entire Super-Family one-on-one.

2 General Zod

Zod Represents Everything That Was Wrong With Krypton

From: Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Flash
Played By: Michael Shannon

Similar to Faora, General Zod of the DC Extended Universe exemplifies the drone-like society Kryptonians have become, highlighting why Jor-El sacrificed everything to ensure his son would not turn out the same way. Zod views himself as a great warrior destined to lead Krypton into a better future, yet he believes in eliminating anyone he deems unworthy of his version of a utopian society.

Michael Shannon stands out in every scene of Man of Steel, delivering a cold and calculated performance that is distinctive and does not imitate Terrence Stamp's portrayal. While it is clear that Zod is evil, he sees himself as a man striving to protect and rebuild Krypton on Earth, which could make him seem like a hero to the Kryptonians.

1 Lex Luthor

From Clark’s Closest Friend To Superman’s Mortal Enemy

From: Smallville
Played By: Michael Rosenbaum

While Smallville is about Clark Kent, for many, the main star for the first six seasons could be considered Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor. It was the first time viewers got to see any kind of backstory for the character in live-action, which resulted in a more sympathetic version of Lex.

Not only were Lex Luthor and Tom Welling's Clark Kent once good friends, but Lex was not always an evil person. While he is shown to have negative traits, most of his evil stems from his father, who is even worse than any version of Lex Luthor. Fans got to witness a complex take on Lex Luthor, one who gradually transforms into the egocentric villain who hates Superman with every fiber of his being.