Superman of Krypton & Earth is the most iconic character the DC universe has ever created, present in DC comics and movies since the twentieth century. The character has pioneered the DC franchise, serving as the invincible leader of the Justice League that thwarts any attempt at endangering lives on Earth in the DC universe. Undoubtedly, Kal-El is the face of DC, and his existence has inspired the creation of notable characters in the movie industry.
Superman is a powerhouse, famously known for his incredible strength, eyes that produce heat vision, and his legendary cape. Similarly, many iconic movie characters have been patterned after the Kryptonian, sharing similar powers and abilities with the indestructible Man of Steel. While there are a lot of Superman iterations, these movie characters are among the most powerful Superman-inspired characters.
10 Nathan Petrelli (Heroes)
Starring in the NBC superhero-oriented series, Heroes, Nathan embodies the power of a Superman. Heroes graced the movie franchise in 2006 with a unique storyline. The sci-fi series has four seasons, which officially ended in 2010. Similar to any superhero series, that cast is filled with characters possessing superhuman abilities. However, even among the fantastic abilities the show offers, Nathan Petrelli is among the more amazing ones.
Mirroring DC’s Superman, Nathan shares the same abilities as the superhero icon, possessing powers such as flight, which allows him to move at supersonic speeds. Character-wise, Nathan embodies the natural charisma and virtue present in the iconic Kryptonian.
9 Brandon Beyer (Brightburn)
Although Superman is portrayed as a justice-inclined character, his darker, more fearful versions are present in the comics and the animated show Superman: Red Son. In a way, Brandon Beyer from Brightburn alludes to this fact. Brandon Beyer is a striking iteration of Superman but in dark ways. First off, he is introduced as an alien with flight ability who lives on a farm in Kansas – a striking reference to the story of Superman.
However, the similarities between Brandon and Superman stop just at abilities and background. Brightburn portrayed Brandon Beyer as an alien weapon deployed to Earth to wipe out humans. At first, Brandon hesitates to achieve this objective, but soon he goes on with his pre-ordained goal after experiencing a fair share of disappointments. Brandon possesses extraordinary strength and heat vision, making him a character born from Superman's inspirations.
8 Hancock (Hancock)
Hancock is the central character in the superhero movieHancock which debuted in 2008. Starring Will Smith, Hancock featured a protagonist (Hancock) who has lived for over 3000 years. First introduced as a reckless character, who did more bad than good, he later restored his damaged reputation with the help of Embrey.
Hancock's abilities are strikingly similar to Superman's with his superhuman strength and speed, flight ability, and regenerative abilities. Movie fans have frequently compared both characters due to their uncanny similarities.
7 Bizarro (DC Animated Universe)
Appearing both in the comics and DC Animated Universe, Bizarro is the exact opposite of Superman, destined to fight the iconic superhero. Bizarro is a clone of the original Superman, who was created by Lex Luthor, one of Superman's greatest supervillains. Different sources account for Bizarro's origin in different ways.
The dominant belief is that Bizarro is the evil clone of Superman; however, some stories also suggest that Bizarro originates from another dimension. Either way, Bizarro is a character modeled after Superman, who is powerful but is the evil, antagonistic version of the superhero.
6 All Might (My Hero Academia)
All Might is one of the major supporting characters in the superhero anime series, My Hero Academia. While possessing the One For All quirk, All Might was the boisterous version of Superman. His heroic principles and beliefs made him an icon, recognized as the Symbol of Peace. Superman is central to the DC superhero world in that without him, the hero-villain power balance will be thrown into chaos.
In this manner, All Might is similar. He became a symbol against villains, an icon that combats evil with his powerful abilities such as super strength and super speed.
5 Shazam (Shazam)
Shazam is one of the hero characters in the DC universe who closely mirrors Superman in several ways. However, his backstory is quite different from the iconic character. Shazam is the hero name used by Billy Batson, a young boy gifted with the ability of ancient gods. Due to getting his powers from six different deities, Shazam is both powerful and wise compared to most superheroes.
In terms of strength and speed, Shazam is comparable to Superman – the apex superhero. However, Shazam wields other complex abilities not fully revealed in the Shazam movie. Either way, the caped hero is another inspiration who wouldn’t have existed without Superman.
4 Ikaris (Eternals)
Debuting as one of the biggest Marvel movies of 2022, Eternals introduced a different side to the Marvel universe, sidelining the Avengers. The Eternals were beings created by Arishem, a powerful Celestial, who sent them to Earth to destroy the deviants with the end goal of birthing another Celestial, Tiamat, from Earth.
Ikaris was one member of the Eternals who tried to stay true to Arishem's goal even to the end. Ikaris is another Superman iteration who possesses remarkable abilities, such as superhuman strength, speed, flight, and optic blasts (heat vision) bolstered by his Eternal physiology that grants him immortality.
3 Omni Man (Invincible)
Omni-Man is the father of the main character in the Invincible comic series as well as the animated adaptation. As a soldier member of the Viltrumite race, a people who possess extraordinary powers, Omni-Man was sent to Earth to dominate it and make the planet a base for Viltrumites.
However, Omni-Man's plan didn't work out as his son, Invincible, rejected his beliefs, causing him to reveal his ruthless side. Omni-Man is a more despicable version of Superman who shares similar powers to that of the iconic hero. Although Superman is way stronger than Omni-Man, he is still a caped hero that shares similar traits with the DC icon.
2 Homelander (The Boys)
The Boys is a show with a satirical take on superheroes. As the leader of The Seven, Homelander shows viewers just how much of a diabolical character he is, with his horrific acts and unstable personality. The Boys pushes the point that superheroes can be downright ugly and not as they appear to be, using Homelander at the epicenter.
Homelander is one of the darkest Superman analogs in the fictional world. In the four-season Amazon Prime show, Homelander possesses key Superman abilities such as heat vision, super strength, and super speed. Although his powers are drawn from Compound V, he is still one of the strongest "Supermen" in the movie industry.
1 Superboy (DC Animated Universe)
Superboy is one character yet to be fully explored in the DC Extended Universe. Although there are a handful of animated shows, such as the Reign of the Supermen and Young Justice, that feature different versions of Superboy, he is still not fully explored in both the DC animated universe and DCEU. Superboy (Kon-El) is a hybrid Kryptonian human, a clone created using Superman's DNA through the efforts of Lex Luthor.
Superboy may not be as strong as Superman, but still, he shares the Kryptonian powers Superman possesses, making him the most mirrored version of the iconic DC character.