A Superman costume worn by actor George Reeves in the Man of Steel’s very first television series is up for auction.
Shared by Heritage Auctions on Twitter, the Superman “Tunic and Padded Muscle Torso” is currently up for auction. The costume comes straight from the set of Adventures of Superman, which aired between 1952 and 1958. As part of Heritage Auctions’ “Comisar Collection,” which includes several famous TV outfits worn onscreen, the reserve price for the Superman costume is currently at $80,000.
Heritage Auctions is known for selling rare comic-related art and collector’s items. Other items in the Comisar Collection include Adam West and Burt Ward’s Dynamic Duo outfits from Batman for $500,000, and William Shatner’s yellow captain’s tunic from Star Trek for $90,000.
What to Expect From George Reeves’ Iconic Superman Costume
Per the official product description, “George Reeves was the first actor to portray Superman on the small screen, becoming a staple in American households in the 1950s, and forever etched into the minds of Baby Boomers.” The Superman costume is a two-piece set, consisting of “slate blue knit wool, long sleeve bodysuit with yellow and red wool felt ‘S’ applique patch affixed to [the] chest.”
The description also states that Superman’s logo was removed and re-attached after the show aired, but it has since been restored. Reeves was known to remove these “S” patches from the costume at the end of each season of Adventures of Superman and send them to sick children. Additionally, the costume was acquired by Western Costume Co. without the chest logo, which was reattached in 2006, and still sports sweat stains and some holes from the wear and tear of being worn by Reeves.
Superman appeared in several radio shows and theatrical cartoons prior to the 1950s, but Adventures of Superman was the character’s first appearance on the small screen. Reeves stepped into the role for the 1951 movie Superman and the Mole Men, which eventually became a pilot for the TV series. The show ran for six seasons, switching from black-and-white to color in 1954. Before the show ended, Reeves made a famous guest appearance as Superman on an episode of I Love Lucy in 1957. After Reeves’ sudden death in 1959, there were few prominent portrayals of Superman onscreen until Christopher Reeve’s iconic performance in the 1978 Superman movie.
A new Superman movie is in the works at DC Studios, to be written and directed by James Gunn, called Superman: Legacy. Henry Cavill previously played the Man of Steel in Zack Snyder’s DC Extended Universe films, starting with 2013’s Man of Steel, though he will not be reprising the role. Legacy will feature a younger version of Kal-El instead, with production on the film expected to begin in 2024.
DC Studios’ Superman: Legacy opens in theaters on July 11, 2025.
Source: Heritage Auctions
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