Cavill Too Old? Here's The Age of Every Superman in Every DC Movie

Comic versions vary, ranging from mid-20s to thousands of years old. Cinematically, DC and Warner Bros. haven't touched much on the prospect of his agelessness (outside of a few lines).

Amidst the discussion that Henry Cavill is out as Superman because of his age, here are the ages of every version of Superman we've seen on the big screen.

Superman: The Movie (1978)

Christopher Reeve was the first to star as the iconic hero at only 26 years old upon release.

Superman was first called to his Fortress of Solitude at 18. He trains for 12 years before donning the cape, making him 30 throughout the main plot.

Superman II (1981), Superman III (1983), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)

With no in-universe time change mentioned any of the films, it can be assumed time passes in real-time.

That would make Superman 33, 35, and 39. Reeves was 28, 30, and 34 when the films released.

Superman Returns (2006)

A little more confusing – it's a sequel to Superman II, ignoring III and IV, but still set in the 2000s.

Superman has been missing for five years as he looked for his home planet's remains. He also has a son with Lois Lane, who looks about five years old.

We'd assume he's 38. His actor, Brandon Routh, was only 26.

Man of Steel (2013)

Cavill was 30 in his first outing as Superman.

A behind-the-scenes with director Zack Snyder confirmed that Superman was 33 – making this one pretty easy.

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

The film starts at the end of Man of Steel, then jumps forward 18 months. That would make Superman about 35. Cavill was 32 upon release.

Justice League (2017, director's cut in 2021)

Superman died at the end of Batman v. Superman and stayed that way until halfway through Justice League.

It wasn't explicitly said how long Superman laid in his grave, but considering the mourning state of his loved ones, it was likely only a few months. He'd be at most 36 when battling Steppenwolf; Cavill was 34 when the original released.

Is Cavill Too Old?

Before it was officially announced that he wouldn't be returning, several fans pointed to his age as a reason he shouldn't.

A fan on Twitter pointed out that Cavill just turned 39 and hasn't filmed any Superman content in half a decade. They said he "aged out" of the role, especially considering actors have usually been younger than the character. Now focused on the future, DC would want a young actor they can use for years.

Meanwhile, 50-year-old Dwayne Johnson just starred in Black Adam. 42-year-old Zachary Levi and 43-year-old Jason Momoa have sequels coming out this year.

Most importantly, Cavill definitely still has the right look for the role.

Cavill was let go because DC's new CEOs wanted to go in a new direction – his age certainly wasn't the deciding factor.