10 Most Powerful Characters in 'Superman,' Ranked (original) (raw)
David corenswet as superman in superman
Image via Warner Bros.
Published Jul 25, 2025, 5:28 PM EDT
Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.
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The DCU seems to be in good hands, as James Gunn has wowed fans with both Creature Commandos and the recently released Superman. While fans are singing praises to the most recent movie, much debate has surrounded the strength of these characters, particularly Superman (David Corenswet). Gunn has stated Superman will be weaker than most iterations, but how does he stack up to the rest of the cast?
This list will rank the strongest characters from Superman based on known feats, abilities, battles, hypothetical strength, and fan opinion. However, only characters who showcased their skills in the movie will be included, meaning the likes of Supergirl (Milly Alcock), Baby Joey, and Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) won't feature on this list. Be warned, but this list will feature minor plot spoilers.
Superman
Release Date
July 11, 2025
Cast
David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, María Gabriela de Faría, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, Mikaela Hoover, Zlatko Burić, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, Christopher McDonald, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Beck Bennett, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, Tatiana Piper, Stephen Blackehart, Giovannie Cruz
Runtime
130 minutes
Director
James Gunn
Writers
James Gunn, Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
10 Lex Luthor
Played by Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult sipping coffee in 'Superman'.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
While Superman has an abundance of villains, the head honcho, as per usual, is Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). In his plan to undermine Superman's credibility, he breaks into the Fortress of Solitude and reveals secret information to the world, portraying Superman as an evil alien sent to conquer humanity.
Ranking Lex Luthor is difficult because he isn't powerful in the traditional sense, as any human could realistically put up a fight against him. However, his genius intellect, planning, and strategy make him a tier above most humans, and are his greatest strength. The only reason Superman nearly lost was because of Lex and his plan, but ultimately, that doesn't make him stronger than the nine other characters on this list.
9 Mr. Terrific
Played by Edi Gathegi
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Among the unexpected highlights of Superman was Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who not only delivered an excellent performance but also made his role in the story and an incredible fight sequence a fan favorite and a scene stealer. He may only be human, but as a crucial member of the Justice Gang, Mr. Terrific has an impressive set of skills that make him an excellent superhero.
It's a shame Mr. Terrific could go higher on this list, as he showcased more than most characters on this list, but the fact that he's human hinders his strength level when compared to aliens and other power bearers. However, Terrific's technology is enough to make it onto this list, capable of killing a giant Kaiju and beating up guards with super suits, which is one of the best scenes in the movie and what makes Superman so rewatchable.
8 Hawkgirl
Played by Isabela Merced
Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl in Superman.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
One of the most anticipated characters in the Superman universe is Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), especially because she is a possible future member of the Justice League. However, she, unfortunately, didn't receive as significant a role as fans had hoped, mainly serving as a background character with a handful of lines and only a few moments.
Despite not having as much screen time as fans would like, Hawkgirl showed that she is one of the more capable and aggressive heroes. While this version of Hawkgirl is human and not Thanagarian, she still possesses immense power, as demonstrated in her fight against the Kaiju. Her hypothetical strength sets her apart from the other two, and hopefully, fans will see how strong Hawkgirl really is in the future.
7 Guy Gardner
Played by Nathan Fillion
Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner / Green Lantern in Superman
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Everyone loves a Green Lantern, except when it's Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion). Despite being a complete jerk, this lantern is still endearing in ways, quickly making him a fan favorite. If viewers liked this character, then they should look out for Lanterns coming out next year, which will have a completely different vibe from Superman.
Any Green Lantern is significantly powerful, but it all depends on how they use the ring, and in Guy's case, he used it exceptionally well. The contraptions he created in the fight against the Kaiju were effective and creative, not to mention that he easily decimated tanks in the final battle. Overall, Guy is an unexpectedly strong character who could place even higher, and he helps make Superman an excellent superhero movie.
Played by Anthony Carrigan
Close-up of Metamorpho in James Gunn's Superman
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) is another fascinating character in the Superman universe who was surprisingly more entertaining and useful than fans initially thought. Originally captive in Lex Luthor's prison, Superman helped save his kid, and in turn, they both escaped. Metamorpho would then assist the Justice Gang in stopping the war overseas.
Metamorpho is another interesting character to rank because he lacks significant fighting prowess. He could easily be below Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific, but the fact that he was able to create a mini sun speaks for itself. The sheer possibility of Metamorpho's power makes him a dangerous superhero who could be one of the most powerful characters in the DCU.
5 Krypto
Based on Ozu (James Gunn's dog)
Krypto in Superman
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
It may be Superman's movie, but Krypto was the highlight of the film, so beloved in fact that dog adoption rose 500% in America. While Krypto was mainly used for comedic moments, he also had significant plot relevance and served as the heart of the film. He may be a mangy mutt, but Krypto is also endearing and adorable at the same time.
Cuteness aside, Krypto is also one of the most powerful characters in Superman. As a dog, Krypto may not have the strategic mind to defeat some enemies, but his raw, unfiltered speed, strength and aggression make up for that. Whether playing or fighting, Krypto uses 100% of his strength, a trait that Lex Luthor unfortunately experienced firsthand.
4 Kaiju
A Full CGI Creation That Looks Surprisingly Great
David Corenswet as Superman in Superman
Image via Warner Bros.
Many fans probably don't view the Kaiju as a character in Superman, but regardless, it is one of the strongest beings in the movie, and thus deserves a mention. Lex released this initially tiny creature to cause a distraction. When it grew to its full size, it was able to trample all over Metropolis, only being defeated by the combined efforts of Superman, Mr. Terrific, Green Lantern, and Hawkgirl.
Even though Superman was trying not to kill, therefore going easy on it, this Kaiju still took on four powerful superheroes on this list, proving its strength as a threat. Its size, power, and fire breath are its main abilities, which were enough to push the Justice Gang back. They needed to outsmart it and find its weakness; otherwise, this creature would have defeated all of them with ease and destroyed Metropolis.
3 The Engineer
Played by María Gabriela de Faría
Poster art of María Gabriela de Faría as the Engineer in Superman
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
As fans patiently wait for The Authority movie to be released, they can get a taste of what to expect through one of its members in the Superman film: The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría). Serving as the muscle for Lex Luthor, her blood is infused with microbots that allow her to turn her body into anything she imagines. The Engineer spent most of the film listening to Lex and fighting Superman.
Fans only got a couple of fights from The Engineer, the first of which showcased the capabilities of her power against Superman Robots and Krypto. However, she proved to be one of the strongest characters in her fight against Superman, where she nearly killed the Man of Steel by forcing her nanites into his lungs, suffocating him. While she didn't win, The Engineer proved to be among the most powerful in the best modern Superman movie, maybe even stronger than number two on this list.
2 Ultraman
Played by David Corenswet
Ultraman on a character poster for Superman.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
Most DC fans are familiar with Ultraman as an alternate universe version of Superman, often depicted as evil. However, this film spices things up by making him a clone of Superman. First appearing as the Hammer of Boravia, fans learn that he is a key part of a plot to discredit Superman as a new creation that Lex hopes to mass-produce. However, Ultraman can't think for himself, needing commands spoken to him.
While Gunn did set up the possibility of Ultraman returning in a Superman sequel as a new character, in this film, he is solely a mindless clone who can only fight if Lex gives him commands. As a Superman clone,Ultraman is essentially as powerful as Superman; the only downside is that he can't do it alone. Without Lex uttering commands, Ultraman wouldn't have beaten Superman. Still, this character is extremely powerful and would defeat most of the characters on this list without instructions.
1 Superman
Played by David Corenswet
To no one's surprise, Superman is obviously the strongest character in the film. Despite being weaker than previous iterations and getting beaten up throughout the movie, Superman always gets back up, showing resilience, courage, passion, and humanity in every fight. Superman went through an ordeal, fighting Krypto, a Kaiju, The Engineer, and Ultraman.
The movie begins by stating that Superman has never lost a fight until now, so while fans may think he's weak because he keeps losing in the film, it directly highlights his power. While The Engineer nearly beat him with a hax ability, it only got to that point because she was teamed up with Ultraman and Lex Luthor. Superman was always in the fight and decimated Ultraman when Lex couldn't give him commands, proving he is by far the strongest character in one of DC's best modern movies. However, ultimately, power is not the key to this film, as Superman's greatest strengths lie in his humanity, compassion, and kindness.
NEXT: 10 Comic Book Characters I Need James Gunn to Adapt After 'Superman'