From almost the moment Superman appeared on the cover of Action Comics #1 back in 1938, the Man of Steel's adventures jumped off the page and onto every medium available. The Last Son of Krypton has been a radio star, a TV star, and a movie star in the decades that have followed his first appearance.
And despite hundreds of hours of radio, TV, and film featuring the world's first superhero, there are still lots of wonderful Superman stories that haven't been adapted. Some of the stories are in the more classic vein of the hero, while others may be considered too out of the box or too new to have gotten the chance to make it from the page to a different form, but these are all stories that quickly put their own stamp on Superman and are great options for film and TV.
10 Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow Ends The Story
One of the greatest Superman stories ever told, and the final Silver Age Superman story, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" tells the last days of Superman as his greatest foes turn against him in an epic and tragic final battle. Written by Alan Moore with art by iconic Superman artist Curt Swan, "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" was done as both a goodbye and a celebration of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of the Man of Steel, closing out the original Superman series with issue #423 before the title was rebooted for the post-Crisis revival.
9 Panic In The Sky Brings The Action
An 8-part story named after an episode of the 1950s TV series Adventures of Superman, "Panic in the Sky" saw the Metropolis Marvel and the rest of the Justice League face off against Brainiac and his latest deadly weapon, Warworld.
"Panic in the Sky" brings out something that is rarely seen in the Superman movies or TV shows - the cosmic villains that the Man of Steel deals with. Somehow, despite there being eight live-action Superman movies, Brainiac - one of the hero's greatest foes - has never made it to the big screen. Hopefully, that will change soon.
8 Kingdom Come Reminds Us Why We Need Superman
While Kingdom Come deals with many of the great heroes of the DC Universe, it is undoubtedly a story about Superman and, more to the point, why Superman matters. In this classic tale by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, readers get to see a world where Superman gave up and the more pessimistic parts of mankind started to take over.
Along with some amazing superhero action, Kingdom Come is a great reminder of just how important faith in yourself and in others is in order to make the world a better place. It may be too big of a story for a live-action movie or series, but Kingdom Come could make for one heck of an animated project.
7 Secret Identity Makes Superman Human
Written by Kurt Busiek with art by Stuart Immonen, Superman: Secret Identity is a four-issue series that takes the original concept of the pre-Crisis Superboy-Prime and expands on them. The story focuses on an ordinary boy named Clark Kent who shares a name with the famous comic book hero, much to his chagrin. That all changes when this real-world Clark learns that he has superpowers just like the Man of Steel and decides to follow in the footsteps of the fictional character and become a real superhero. The story follows Clark as he lives his life, going from teen to an old man who doesn't save lives as often as he used to, but found a life well worth living.
6 Superman Smashes The Klan Is An Adaptation Ready To Be Adapted
Written by Gene Luen Yang with art by Gurihiru, the Eisner Award-winning Superman Smashes the Klan is actually an adaptation of a story from the Adventures of Superman radio show's 1946 story-arc, "Clan of the Fiery Cross." The comic centers around Tommy and Roberta Lee, the children of a Chinese-American family that has just moved to Metropolis only to find themselves the target of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.
The siblings meet Jimmy Olsen who, in turn, helps them get in touch with Superman. Sure enough, Superman is no fan of bigotry and quickly moves to rid his city of the menace of the KKK. With Gurihiru's fantastic art style, this story seems like a no-brainer to be turned into an animated movie.
5 Superman vs. Muhammad Ali Is The Fight Of The Millennium!
Another Superman story that would make for a wonderful animated film is Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. The special story, which saw the Metropolis Marvel face off against the Louisville Lip in a fight to save the Earth from an alien menace, has all the makings of a great animated feature.
And for any viewers who don't know the history of the comic, the fight would certainly have a shocking twist as the boxing champion knocks out the Man of Steel in an epic match the likes of which will never happen again.
4 Superman For All Seasons Is The Origin In A New Light
Superman's origin has been told in just about every format available, often multiple times. There are two live-action origin movies and multiple live-action shows that have shown his origin in some form, and countless animated versions of the tale for people to enjoy. But none of those versions have told it the way Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale tell it in Superman for All Seasons.
In this version of Superman's beginnings, each of the four chapters is told from the point of view of someone close to the Man of Steel and what he means to them. While three of the chapters focus on people who love Superman, one chapter is told through Lex Luthor's eyes, giving an interesting look at the hero from the eyes of his greatest rival. Superman for All Seasons could be a fantastic short series on HBO Max.
3 Superman: Exile Goes Where No Superman Movie Has Gone Before
For most of Superman's existence, the idea of doing a movie starring the Man of Steel that was set in the far reaches of space seemed insane. The costs alone would have been too great just a decade ago. But now, thanks to the magic of special effects, a Superman film set on another planet is no longer hard to imagine.
While the classic Superman: Exile story - which saw the Man of Steel heading off to space as penance for killing General Zod and his crew - would need some changes to work as a film, the idea of Superman becoming a gladiator on Mongul's Warworld is too cool not to be a movie though and needs adaptation at some point.
2 It's A Bird... Is All About The Weight Of Writing Superman
While the adventures of Superman are well known, the stories of the people who create those stories get far less attention. In 2004, DC published It's a Bird... through their Vertigo imprint. The story, written by Steven T. Seagle, with art by Teddy Kristiansen is an autobiographical tale about Seagle's concerns with writing the stories of Superman as he himself was dealing with a potentially life-threatening family secret and the future of his relationship with his girlfriend.
It's a Bird... is a fantastic look into the mind of a writer and just how hard it can be to really see the world through Superman's eyes. Much like Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, this story is about the people behind the legends.
1 Superman: Brainiac Is A Creepy Good Time
Written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank, "Brainiac" was a five-part storyline in the pages of Action Comics that saw the return of the Silver Age incarnation of Brainiac to the comics while combining pieces of every version of the villain. The story also reintroduced the Bottled City of Kandor.
But what really makes "Brainiac" so ripe for adaptation is the creepiness Johns and Frank add to the villain. The look that Frank gave Brainiac would be used in the short-lived Krypton live-action series, but that is no reason not to bring that fashion back for a live-action film.