Joker (2019)
We have seen hundreds of superhero movies come and go. There are some that stuck with us because of pure enjoyment, amazing moments and pretty much just pure nostalgia. And there have been some not so pleasant movies produced from this genre. But luckily the majority of the movies have been groundbreaking and record shattering. To commemorate the achievements superhero movies have earned last year like Avengers: Endgame becoming the highest grossing film of all time and Joaquin Phoenix winning Best Actor at The Oscars for Joker, we bring you the top 50 greatest superhero movies of all time.
50. Justice League (2017)
Directed By Zack Synder
One of the biggest disappointments from DC starts off the list. After Superman’s sacrifice for the world, Batman recruits Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. These unlikely teammates must save the planet from a threat larger than life before it’s too late. Despite this being frustrating to watch, it does have its moments of fun. But even that can’t save this movie from being a mess. The highlight was Ezra Miller’s portrayal of Flash and that’s one of the reasons why this movie even made a spot in this list.
49. Batman V. Superman Dawn Of Justice (2016)
Directed by Zack Synder
Taking place 2 years after Man Of Steel, Batman is convinced Superman is a threat to humanity and decides to put an end to it. Another disappointing DC Movie that had the potential to be a classic utterly failed. This was supposed to be a battle of the ages with the two most popular superheroes in history. This film does have its downs, but since we witnessed great performances from all of the actors mainly Jesse Eisenburg playing Lex Luthor, it gets a pass. Although the fight between Batman and Superman was extremely short, it was very visually appealing. Don’t worry though, this may be the last movie you groan about being on this list.
48. Teen Titans: Trouble In Tokyo(2006)
Directed By Michael Chang, Ben Jones and Matt Youngberg
The Titans travel to Tokyo to face a new villain called Saico-Tek. If you loved Teen Titans the animated series, you will absolutely love this feature. This movie is meant for everyone despite it being light-hearted and silly. It is different from other DC Animated films because it doesn’t have a serious tone but nonetheless it’s a solid movie.
47. Captain Marvel (2019)
Directed By Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Former U.S. Air Pilot turned intergalactic superhero finds herself in a battle with extraterrestrial shapeshifters called Skrulls as she uncovers the secrets of her past.
For starters, this movie looks fantastic in terms of special effects and it has the typical Marvel movie feel with being silly and an enjoyable movie to watch for the entire family. It is far from the greatest MCU movie, but it’s definitely not bad by any means.
46. Iron Man 3(2013)
Directed By Shane Black
A new villain named The Mandarin emerges and destroys Tony Stark’s world as he tries to claim retribution. It’s a very strong showcase of the Iron Man trilogy and it sets itself apart from other superhero movies with Robert Downey Jr.’s fantastic acting. A very solid movie from the MCU.
45. Blade(1998)
Directed By Stephen Norrington
A half mortal, half immortal man sets out to avenge his mother’s death and free the world of vampires. This movie is well written with some clever dialogue. You are pretty much guaranteed to be in for a treat.
44. Venom (2018)
Directed by Ruben Fleischer
Journalist Eddie Brock becomes the host of an alien symbiote as the symbiote grows a liking towards him. Eddie learns how to control this twisted monster. I wouldn’t say this movie was a letdown, it had fantastic special effects, cool fight scenes and the chemistry between the symbiote and Eddie was hilarious.
43. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Directed By Sam Raimi
Peter Parker faces a handful of new villains as he also turns vulnerable to an alien symbiote that alters his ego and enhances his power but also brings out the dark personality of Peter Parker. Although this movie has gotten many bad reviews as being one of the worst Spidey films, it still has some of that same magic from the first 2 Raimi Spider- Man films and much of the movie is still interesting to the point where it deserves a watch.
42. Iron Man 2(2010)
Directed By Jon Favreau
The world now knows Iron Man’s true identity and he now must face a vengeful villain from his father’s past. This was a superhero movie that wasn’t the greatest sequel and was a let down to some due to the first film’s success. Even then this doesn’t fail to be a bad movie and it holds up quite well.
41. Thor: Dark World (2013)
Directed By Alan Taylor
Thor embarks on a journey to reunite himself with Jane Foster to stop the Dark Elves from plunging the universe into darkness. Despite it being one of the more serious toned Marvel movies, it still delivers great entertainment and it is a good watch for any Marvel fan.
40. Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Directed By Chris McKay
Bruce Wayne must train an orphan he accidently adopted to take on his most dangerous villains. A very fun movie for families to watch. It is the complete opposite of other serious DC Movies, it is extremely light hearted and fun to watch.
39. Big Hero 6 ( 2014)
Directed By Don Hall and Chris Williams
An inflatable robot created by his deceased brother was made to protect people. A boy and his robot form an unlikely superhero group to take down Robert Callaghan. Anyone who has seen Big Hero 6 can agree it’s one of the most if not the most underrated Disney Animation film released. It has a beautifully written story with important life lessons. It may not be as popular as the Incredibles but it sure deserves a spot in this list.
38. The Incredible Hulk(2008)
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Bruce Banner must find a cure for the monster he turns into when he gets mad. This is arguably the most underrated MCU film to date. It is a must watch for Marvel fans and it is nothing like the other Avengers’ films. It doesn’t have bright colors and little to no humor but that doesn’t stop it from being a great film.
37. Hellboy(2004)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
A charismatic half demon grows up to become a defender against evil. This is a very action packed movie and as it is not the best movie but still very entertaining. The performance from Ron Perlman is spectacular and the movie as a whole is a great adaptation of the comic books.
36. Batman Returns(1992)
Directed By Tim Burton
Batman faces a new villain named The Penguin and attempts to stop him from wreaking havoc in Gotham. This film took a different approach on it’s main villain, Penguin. Despite making his character darker and more sinister than in the comics, this movie still holds up today as one of Burton’s best pieces of work.
35. Avengers:Age Of Ultron(2015)
Directed By Josh Weddon
The Avengers must stop the villainous Ultron from taking over the world. This was a solid film with your typical Marvel jokes and gags but the inclusion of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver made it much more enjoyable.
34. Antman and the Wasp(2018)
New father Scott Lang learns the struggles of balancing fatherhood and superhero duties. A new important mission causes Scott to work alongside the Wasp to complete it. This movie is everything you would expect from a typical Marvel movie. This is a fun film and great way to set up the next Avengers film
33. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Directed By James Gunn
The guardians struggle with becoming more than a team which is a family while Peter Quill learns more about his past. This is definitely one of the funniest superhero movies to date and it’s soundtrack is splendid. Though it doesn’t top the first Guardians Of The Galaxy movie, it earns a spot in this list.
32. Deadpool (2016)
Directed By Tim Miller
Humourous assassin and mercenary Deadpool embarks on a journey to find the man that destroyed the way he looks despite turning him immortal. The performance by Ryan Reynolds was hilarious and very fun to watch. Marvel made a good choice by keeping it Rated R so it had the freedom to pretty much do anything they wanted without having to face consequences. Nothing but gold.
31. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Steve Rogers turns into a supersoldier after an experiment and attempts to defeat a war monger from destroying a city. This movie lacks what Marvel movies have nowadays but Avengers makes up for it. Not a bad movie and it is very enjoyable.
30. Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)
Directed By Eric Radomski
Batman has been framed for murders a new vigilante assassin has commited. This is perhaps one of the greatest superhero animated movies to date. Even nearly 30 years later it still holds up and rightfully so as it has one of the best stories of Batman ever and it also contains a good amount of intrigue, action and adventure.
29. Batman(1989)
Directed By Tim Burton
Batman faces off against a big threat after a psychotic criminal gets into an accident and completely vanishes into madness as the supervillain known as Joker. This was a great take on the Dark Knight. Burton’s Batman film paved the way for more superhero movies to come and although this wasn’t the greatest example of a good superhero with some weak points in the film, it still stands as a classic.
28. Doctor Strange (2016)
Directed By Scott Derickson
This origin story follows a surgeon on his way to becoming a sorcerer. This was a pretty enjoyable movie with eye popping visuals and a fantastic lead. It was nothing groundbreaking but it's definitely a fun watch.
27. Aquaman (2018)
Directed By James Wan
Arthur Curry who is part human and part Atlantean must stop a war from happening between the land above and the ocean. Aquaman was definitely an entertaining movie from start to finish. This was arguably the DCEU’s best movie to date. It didn’t shy away from being a light hearted and visually appealing film rather than a classic DC film with dark colors and a serious tone.
26. Shazam!(2019)
Directed By David F. Sandberg
An orphaned boy gets handpicked by a wizard to become a superhero and gain unexpected superpowers. Another DCEU film that did surprisingly well was Shazam! Despite this being directed by a horror director it was anything but scary, in fact it was the complete opposite. It was a fun and silly movie while also having emotional aspects about family.
25. Spider- Man: Far From Home (2019)
Directed By John Watts
After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must learn how to take on big threats while also maintaining his personal life as Peter Parker. Say what you want about this film, but as a post Endgame movie it did its job perfectly. Not only did it satisfy us with a great ending but also teased us for things to come in the future for the MCU. Just saying you should stick around after the credits.
24. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Directed By The Russo Brothers
An unexpected villain appears in Captain America’s life as everyone tries to adjust back to their regular lives after the events of The Avengers. I would say this is a wonderfully written movie compared to The First Avenger. It gave us a whole different view on Steve Rodgers and definitely made him more likeable in this sequel.
23. Man Of Steel (2013)
Directed By Zack Synder
An alien is sent to earth after his world is on the verge of extinction. He grows up to be the one and only Superman. It wasn’t the type of Superman movie you were expecting. It had little to no humor and stuck to the original DC formula which was the best decision made by the producers. The dark tone brought something new to the table rather than a flashy and cartoon like Superman.
22. The Incredibles(2004)
Directed By Brad Bird
A family full of superheroes try to live normal lives until a new villain rises. This is definitely one of the best movies Disney has released and rightfully so as it has all the materials for a good animated movie. Good animation, well written script, heartfelt moments and loveable characters.
21. X-Men Days Of Future Past (2014)
Directed By Bryan Singer
Wolverine gets sent back to the past to prevent an event from happening or it could be the end for everyone. Although it ties no connection to past X-Men films due to it’s storyline, it still is one of if not the best out of the franchise. Hugh Jackman like usual, steals the show.
20. The Crow(1994)
Directed By Alex Proya
A man is brought back to life to avenge his and his wife’s death after they were brutally murdered the night before their wedding. This movie came straight out of the comic books. It still has that dark, gothic and intriguing style and the lead was absolutely brilliant. This remains as one of the best that wasn’t part of the DC/Marvel universes. Rest In Peace Brandon Lee 1965-1993
19. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Directed By The Russo Brothers
The Avengers’ members Iron Man and Captain America have a dispute which caused the team to split. This was a very highly anticipated movie and it had a very hard job because it had to maintain the newly introduced characters in the MCU while also making them fight against one another. Luckily it didn’t disappoint and it was a pretty good film with memorable moments like the battle scenes and the debut of Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man.
18. Wonder Woman(2017)
Directed By Patty Jenkins
An amazonian princess finds herself in the middle of World War I and vows to restore peace. Arguably the best DCEU movie to exist. This was a very natural and compelling movie and it was the first female superhero to headline a film since 2004. In fact, it was the first good female superhero movie to exist. Gadot did a fantastic job playing Wonder Woman and her chemistry with Chris Pine was amazing.
17. Spider-Man Homecoming (2017)
Directed By Jon Watts
Peter Parker balances his life at high school while also fighting crime as the superhero known as Spider-Man. Tom Holland had a big void to fill especially cause it’s been 3 years since a solo Spider-Man movie. Luckily, this movie had the perfect formula for a good superhero movie admirable lead, fantastic writing and stunning action.
16. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
Directed By James Gunn
Intergalactic criminals team up to stop a powerful force from taking over the world. It may not be the best MCU film, but it sure is in that category. This had fun, excitement and emotional moments. Everything a MCU should and always have been.
15. Thor: Ragnarok(2017)
Directed By Taika Waititi
Thor must embark on a journey to Asgard to stop his half sister Hela from destroying the world. A visually appealing and colorful movie would be understatements. This is everything the first two Thor movies should’ve been like. A fun and entertaining movie with comedic humor while also being a great action film.
14. Deadpool 2 (2018)
Directed By David Leitch
Immortal wisecracking assassin assembles a team of mutants to protect a kid with special powers from a time traveling mercenary. Sequels are usually worse than the original but this one was damn good. Ryan Reynolds returns for his awesome portrayal of Deadpool and it's better than ever.
13. Black Panther (2018)
Directed By Ryan Coogler
T’ Challa returns to Wakanda to serve as a King but he gets challenged for the throne by someone from his past. This was the definition of a groundbreaking movie. It had some true character development, loveable characters, lovely soundtrack and much more. One of the best we have seen in a long time.
12. Iron Man (2008)
Directed By Jon Favreau
Billionaire Tony Stark creates a weaponized suit to fight against evil. This is where it all started.. This is probably the best superhero casting to date as Robert Downey Jr. takes the lead. This is where the MCU started and it still holds up quite well.
11. Spider-Man (2002)
Directed By Sam Raimi
Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider during a school trip and gains unexpected super powers. Everyone was questioning Marvel’s decision to make Tobey Maguire the new Spider-Man especially because of how much older he looks than Peter Parker but after the movie, they proved everyone wrong. This fantastic movie has many memorable moments such as the spider bite, Uncle Ben’s death and the final battle between Green Goblin and Spider-Man. This truly is one of the greatest Spider-Man movies to exist.
10. Batman Begins (2005)
Directed By Christopher Nolan
Batman prepares to take down a villain known as Scarecrow. Since we are in the top 10 it’s time to get serious. When you think of serious, you think of Batman. Nolan created one of the best franchises of superhero movie history and it all began with this.
9. Superman (1978)
Directed By Richard Donner
An alien is sent to earth and grows up to be Superman. Despite being the oldest pick on this list, Superman still stands as an all time classic. It paved the way for future superhero movies to come and we can’t forget about the past. Also Christopher Reeves is freaking great.
8. The Avengers (2012)
Directed By Joss Wendon
Earth’s mightiest heroes assemble to defeat Loki. People rank this low on their lists of MCU movies but this was brand new and we haven’t ever seen anything like this on the big screen. Sure there was Fantastic Four but they were already a team but the Avengers had multiple big names like Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Classic
7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Directed by The Russo Brothers
A titan known as Thanos collects stones to wipe away half of the universe as superheroes from all parts of the universe try to stop him. This film needs no introduction as it produced one of the best Marvel movies of all time. This is nothing but pure amazement and even rewatching it multiple times won’t bore you.
6. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
Directed By Bob Persichetti
Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man and teams up with his Spidey counterparts from other dimensions in order to take down Kingpin. Not only is this one of the best movies from this genre but It is the best animated film of 2018 hands down. It had the perfect elements for a fantastic movie and you should check it out if you haven’t already.
5. Logan (2017)
Directed By James Mangold
An elderly Wolverine protects a young mutant girl alongside Professor X. Making its way to the 5th spot on this list is Logan! This beautifully written tale was the perfect farewell for the longevity for the X- Men series and the perfect love letter for us fans.
4. Joker (2019)
Directed By Todd Phillips
Arthur Fleck descends into madness as he transforms into the greatest supervillain known as the Joker. This was definitely one of the most controversial films of 2019 but it still managed to break records and become the highest grossing R-Rated film of all time. Joaquin Phoenix’s unbelievable acting was what made this movie even better. The cinematography, the dialogue and the soundtrack reeked of awesomeness.
3. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Directed By Sam Raimi
Spider-Man starts to lose control of his powers when a new villain Doc Ock emerges. Yes I said it folk, Spider-Man 2 is the best Spider-Man movie of all time. The pacing was on point, each character had their spotlight with stunning performances specifically Alfred Molina’s portrayal of Doc Ock, the action scenes looked great and best of all the script was on point.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Directed By Russo Brothers
After the events of Infinity War, only a few heroes are left and they have one last shot to restore the universe. This was probably the most obvious entry on this list. This movie truly demonstrates how to end off a story that was being told for over a decade. Every MCU film was leading up to this and it was highly anticipating, This truly was phenomenal.
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Directed By Christopher Nolan
Batman faces his biggest challenge yet.. The Joker. I mean what else could it have been? This film not only has one of the greatest performances on screen but also a fantastic cast, spectacular script and much more. This is a prime example of good character development throughout a story and it also has one of the best scores in a superhero film. If The Dark Knight’s plan was to provide a timeless classic that is now a big part of the film industry, it accomplishes that.
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