Superman (1978) is a superhero film adapted from DC Comics, directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. The film is part of the DC Classic and was released by Warner Bros.. Runtime: 2h 23m. Rated PG. Audience rating: 7.3/10.
What is Superman (1978) about?
The last son of Krypton, raised as Clark Kent in rural Kansas, discovers his extraordinary powers and moves to Metropolis to become Superman — facing his first great nemesis, the cunning Lex Luthor.
Released in 1978, Superman was directed by Richard Donner and produced under the Warner Bros. banner. The film occupies a significant place within the DC Classic — contributing to the ongoing narrative and mythology of that cinematic universe.
The film features lead performances from Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, among others, anchoring a story that adapts characters first brought to life in DC Comics. Its source material gives the film a foundation rooted in decades of published storytelling, which Donner and the creative team interpret through a cinematic lens.
Its 7.3 rating reflects a film that divided audiences — appreciated for its ambition and spectacle by some, criticized for pacing and execution by others. Its place in the genre remains a frequent discussion point.
What happens in Superman (1978)? — Full Plot
We open on the doomed planet Krypton. Jor-El (Marlon Brando) addresses the Kryptonian council, warning them that the planet's core is collapsing. They refuse to listen. Jor-El sentences three traitors — Zod, Ursa, Non — to the Phantom Zone before quietly evacuating his infant son Kal-El in a small starcraft. Krypton explodes minutes later.
The ship lands in a Kansas wheat field. Jonathan and Martha Kent — a childless farming couple — discover the infant Clark, raise him as their own. The film's middle act follows Clark's adolescence: discovering his super-strength, his ability to fly, his bulletproof skin. At 18, Clark travels north and constructs the Fortress of Solitude — a crystalline structure in the Arctic where Jor-El's hologram explains his Kryptonian heritage and his purpose.
Clark moves to Metropolis and gets a job at the Daily Planet as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter. He meets Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) — confident, ambitious, completely fooled by Clark's glasses-and-stoop disguise. He publicly debuts as Superman during a rooftop rescue. The world has its first superhero.
Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) — a brilliant criminal mastermind operating from a Manhattan underground lair — has been plotting to detonate two nuclear missiles. He intends to use the resulting tectonic shift to sink California into the Pacific Ocean while owning every property east of the new coastline.
Superman intercepts the nuclear missiles. He cannot stop both. The second missile detonates in the San Andreas Fault. Lois Lane dies in an earthquake-related car accident. Superman, in grief, flies above Earth and reverses its rotation — turning back time. Lois survives. The film closes with Superman returning Lex Luthor to prison and flying off into the orbital sunrise, smiling at the camera.
Superman (1978) grossed $300 million globally on a $55 million budget — the highest-grossing superhero film of its decade. Richard Donner's direction established the genre's serious-cinema register. John Williams's score remains widely cited as the most-iconic superhero theme. Christopher Reeve's performance set the standard every Superman actor since has been measured against.
Who stars in Superman (1978)?
Find Superman (1978) on Amazon
Watch Superman on Prime Video, browse the original DC Comics source material, and discover Blu-rays, soundtracks, and related merchandise on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Link clicks do not affect editorial coverage — see our disclaimer.
What are some facts about Superman (1978)?
Superman released in 1978, placing it within the 1970s era of comic book cinema — a decade that helped establish the superhero film as a viable major-studio genre.
Directed by Richard Donner, the film was produced by Warner Bros. and adapts source material from DC Comics.
The principal cast features Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder, with key supporting roles played by Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando.
The film belongs to DC Classic — the classic DC film era — predating the connected-universe model.
Superman carries an audience rating of 7.3 — putting it in the solid-to-excellent tier of the genre.
The DC Comics source material for Superman has been in continuous publication for decades, giving filmmakers a rich well of storylines, character arcs, and iconography to draw upon.
Earlier comic book films relied heavily on physical sets, miniatures, and in-camera effects — the VFX approach modern audiences take for granted had not yet matured.
Superman is catalogued on Movies on Comics among our collection of 162 comic book films spanning 48 years of cinema — from Richard Donner's 1978 Superman to the present day.
