Film

The Death of Superman

Name: The Death of Superman
Genre: Science Fiction, Animation, Action, Drama, Adventure
Released: 2019
Cast: Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romijn, Rainn Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Nathan Fillion

An animated adaptation of DC's landmark 1992 comic event, where Superman faces an unstoppable force and discovers his limits. Streamlined, relentlessly paced, and surprisingly emotional—it honors the source material while standing alone as a visceral superhero film about sacrifice and consequence.

TMDb rating

3.7

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a tight, punchy animated superhero film where the spectacle drives everything and the whole Justice League gets pulled into a fight that feels like it matters.

Skip it if you find DC animated films fairly routine, or you want a slower, more character-led drama, since this one is brisk and mostly about the fight.

What it asks of you: Roughly eighty minutes, and the action rarely lets up, so you need to be ready for loud, bright spectacle with little room to breathe.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Superman: Doomsday2007

The animated predecessor that adapted the same story with different tonal choices. If you want to see how another filmmaker handled identical material, this is essential comparison viewing with its own merits.

But Predates modern animation refinement and feels visibly dated. Its take on the aftermath is more cynical than moving, which some find refreshing and others find cold.

Wonder Woman2017

The same DC animation universe's best film—operatic, genuinely beautiful to look at, with a clear thematic spine about love and violence. Proves the studio knew exactly what it was doing.

But Lives in a different tonal register (more mythic, less grounded) which makes jumping between them slightly jarring if you binge them.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 12012

Another DC animated adaptation of a foundational story, executed with perfect economy. Shows what happens when an invincible hero is finally matched against something he can't punch away.

But Older animation style. Deliberately grim in ways that feel dated now, and the voice work occasionally plays it too broadly.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Death of Superman

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Watchmen2009

Both examine the fantasy of invincibility meeting reality. Watchmen is the pessimistic answer to Superman's tragedy.

Zack Snyder's movie asks the same central question with vastly different answers: what does power *actually* cost, and who pays the bill? It's a deliberate deconstruction of the Superman myth, darker and more complex. Thematically inseparable.

But Violent and sexually graphic in ways that extend far beyond narrative necessity. Three hours of relentless bleakness that assumes you want to sit with discomfort, and some don't—or shouldn't have to.

Invincible2021

A live-action-adjacent animated series that asks identical questions about what superheroism costs. Brutal, consequential, and features genuinely shocking moments that land because the show earns them.

But Eleven-episode commitment and a slower build. The first episode's reveal is meant as a gut-punch, so it works better if you go in knowing nothing.

Justice League: War2014

The same voice cast in their proper introduction story—younger, cockier, thrown together against Darkseid. Lean and efficient, full of character moments that the main story assumes you've already seen.

But Heavily reliant on the source material's specific continuity. Viewing order matters here, and jumping in feels like joining mid-conversation.

The Avengers2012

The obvious point of comparison: how a team film handles its most powerful member, ensemble dynamics under pressure, and the cost of victory. Still holds up remarkably well.

But Enormous and somewhat bloated. The middle section slows to explain its own mythology, which modern Marvel has learned to avoid.

Superman II1980

Richard Donner and Richard Lester's mythic approach to Superman confronting his own mortality and consequence. Operatic, sincere, and genuinely about what it means to be Superman—the template everything since has tried to update.

But Dated effects work and a tonal whiplash between Donner's gravitas and Lester's comedy. The film infamously exists in multiple versions, all compromised in different ways.

Captain America: Civil War2016

The best attempt at what The Death of Superman explores—what happens when heroes can't agree, when doing good has a cost, when the strongest person in the room becomes the problem. Structurally brilliant.

But Two and a half hours of plot machinery. The emotional moments work only if you're invested in the extended cast, which requires homework.

Marvel's Daredevil2015

Marvel's argument that animated-adjacent television could be genuinely thrilling. The hallway fight in episode two rewrote expectations for what action could be on streaming, and the series never stops earning its darkness.

But Inconsistent after a spectacular first season. The Netflix Marvel shows have not aged well—they stretch thin premises across thirteen episodes, and the dialogue occasionally drowns in earnestness.

Perfect Blue1998

Both explore the gap between public image and private person, and both suggest that gap is fatal. Kon just goes further into the darkness.

Satoshi Kon's anime psychological thriller about identity, performance, and becoming something you never intended. Visually stunning and narratively experimental in ways Western animation has only recently tried. A masterpiece.

But Deeply unsettling, with sexual violence and psychological horror. The narrative structure deliberately disorients, which some find brilliant and others find frustrating. Not a superhero story at all.