See, the funny thing about discussing great superhero movies of the last half century is the fact that very few all-time greats will be left out because the focus is on those released in 1975 or after. Superheroes certainly existed long before the mid-70s, but it took a while for big-budget movies featuring superheroes to start doing well. Before 1975, there was the cheesy yet endearing Batman (1966), sure, and plenty of film serials that felt superhero-themed before then, but little by way of blockbusters.
But then, at the same time, the idea of a blockbuster is a relatively recent phenomenon, sometimes described as being codified, more or less, by 1975’s Jaws. But that’s all a bit of a tangent. The main thing is, these superhero movies did all come out in the past half-century, and they’re all worthy of being ranked among the very best of the best. Some were released in the 20th century, but most came out post-2000, as it’s been the 21st century when the superhero genre has really exploded.
10
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)
Directed by James Gunn
James Gunn loves himself some superheroes, as he’s directed the likes of Super, The Suicide Squad (2021), and Superman (2025). But his best work in the genre to date is arguably found in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies he directed, with the original, from 2014, being the best of the bunch. The titular characters are taken for granted now, but it’s remarkable how this was made – and worked as well as it did – back when they were comparatively obscure comic book characters.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the better movies within the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even when watching it today, it still feels like a breath of fresh air.
There was just a super nice mix of things in Guardians of the Galaxy, all blended in a way that made the film, as a whole, entirely satisfying. It has likable yet flawed characters, colorful visuals/action, lots of humor alongside having a good deal of heart, and it had an amazing soundtrack, too. It’s one of the better movies within the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe, and even when watching it today, it still feels like the breath of fresh air it did back in 2014.
9
‘Logan’ (2017)
Directed by James Mangold
While it’s not the only great R-rated superhero movie, Logan is understandably considered one of the very best. It’s uncompromising on an action front, showing the sort of damage Wolverine’s capable of in combat, while similarly feeling downbeat and rather brutal on an emotional front, since Logan/Wolverine is aging, losing his powers, and feeling out of his element in a world that seems to be on the brink of ending.
Logan works almost like a dystopian film, but in a way that still connects with the previous X-Men-related movies Hugh Jackman had starred in. It was a wonderful send-off to his take on the character, though Jackman came back kind of haphazardly for the fun but sort of disposable (sorry) Deadpool & Wolverine. At least the finality and emotional catharsis were nice while they lasted.
Logan
- Release Date
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March 3, 2017
- Runtime
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137 Minutes
8
‘The Crow’ (1994)
Directed by Alex Proyas
To show that good superhero movies not based on DC or Marvel characters do exist, here’s The Crow, which is… kind of a superhero film? It’s more of a supernatural thriller, but the central character here is a hero of sorts, at least within the world he exists in. To put it bluntly, that world sucks, it’s chaotic, and most people in it are terrible, so an anti-hero looks more hero, less anti, in comparison.
And The Crow’s main character is someone who was horrifically wronged, murdered alongside his fiancée before being resurrected as an unstoppable force of vengeance, able to make the people responsible pay for what they did. It’s such a stylish film, Brandon Lee is excellent in the lead role, the world is dark and memorable, and the soundtrack is also incredible. Some might call it a cult classic, but others would argue that it’s just a classic, period.
The Crow
- Release Date
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May 11, 1994
- Runtime
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102 Minutes
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Brandon Lee
Eric Draven / The Crow
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7
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Directed by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
While it might not be as gritty and despairing as The Crow, Avengers: Infinity War is about as bleak as the MCU has gotten to date, and future films, no matter how dramatic, might well struggle to top it in that regard. If you’ve seen the movie, you know why, and even if you haven’t seen the movie, you might well still know why, given what a stir this movie and its conclusion caused.
But even without that memorable ending, Avengers: Infinity War is still a monumental achievement. It takes most of the significant characters established in the MCU up until that point and throws them into one monumental epic; a battle where the stakes are, quite literally, half of all life in the universe. It has so many actors and characters to juggle, but balances them all remarkably well, and it paved the way for 2019’s Avengers: Endgame to prove similarly impressive.
Avengers: Infinity War
- Release Date
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April 27, 2018
- Runtime
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149 minutes
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
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Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
6
‘The Incredibles’ (2004)
Directed by Brad Bird
The Incredibles is one of many great Pixar films, and also stands as one of the best animated superhero movies ever made. It revolves around a family who are made up of people with various superpowers, but they’re forced to live more ordinary lives undercover after superheroes caused too much controversy. But then an opportunity arises for the family’s father, Bob Parr, to become a hero once more, and he jumps at the chance.
And then things get pretty wild, but in a good way. The Incredibles is fun when you’re a kid, because it’s full of color and has tons of action, and then, as an adult, you can more easily appreciate how the entire story is really about a man trying to battle a midlife crisis, but also, that man has superpowers. It’s smart, funny, exciting, well-paced, and compelling as far as its premise and world-building go. Everything just works.
5
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
Directed by Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Taking inspiration from the sorts of paranoid thrillers that were popular in the 1970s while still very much being a superhero movie, Captain America: The Winter Soldier might well be the high point of the MCU to date. It’s not entirely subversive or radical, but it has more bite to it – plus a bit more by way of cynicism – than you might expect, and it’s also a film that reshaped so many MCU movies going forward, given one of the plot twists here.
Narratively, it’s a compelling entry within the broader cinematic universe it exists in, and it works as a genuinely good action/thriller movie in its own right. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is about as good as a Captain America movie could ever be, too, and so much of the film still feels exciting and distinctive when watched more than a decade on from its release.
4
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
If not for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it would probably be possible to comfortably single out the aforementioned The Incredibles as the best animated superhero movie ever made. Still, being runner-up to something as great as Into the Spider-Verse can’t sting too much, since this 2018 movie introduces yet another Spider-Man without feeling derivative or lazy (if anything, one might well be overwhelmed by the style and ideas on offer here).
Into the Spider-Verse is mostly about Miles Morales, and his unconventional journey to becoming Spider-Man, but it’s also about various other Spider-People, thanks to the fact that it deals with multiversal stuff and beings from different universes colliding. It’s hard to put into words how great Into the Spider-Verse looks and feels, but the extent to which it does its own thing – while still being approachable, entertaining, funny, self-referential, and moving – is staggering.
3
‘Superman’ (1978)
Directed by Richard Donner
As far as important blockbusters from the 1970s go, you have, as mentioned before, Jaws, then Star Wars (1977), and then, arguably, Superman (1978). The importance of this one on a historical front can’t be overstated, as Superman really showed how it was possible to take one of the most recognizable comic book characters of all time and do them justice on the big screen.
Richard Donner was the right director, Christopher Reeve was perfectly cast in the title role, and then a supporting cast that included the likes of Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman? All the while, the narrative served as a perfect origin story, highlighting how much of a hero Superman is without having to resort to much by way of violence or action scenes? It’s all wonderful. It’s very endearing and old-fashioned, but Superman still holds up and, in many ways, endures.
Superman
- Release Date
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December 15, 1978
- Runtime
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143 Minutes
2
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Directed by Sam Raimi
A big honorable mention has to go out, first and foremost, to 2002’s Spider-Man, which is a little dated, but not in ways that really hurt how enjoyable it remains. It was the first Spider-Man movie directed by Sam Raimi to also star Tobey Maguire in the lead role, but it ended up not being the best, considering how great its sequel was in just about every way.
Across the board, Spider-Man 2 was an improvement, taking what worked and making it better, while taking what might not have worked quite as well in Spider-Man (2002) and making it, well, also better. Spider-Man 2 has everything you could want out of a superhero movie and a sequel, and it’s a perfect blend of exciting action, goofy humor, brutal honesty, and genuine emotion. It is, in essence, one of the best blockbusters – superhero-related or otherwise – of the 21st century so far.
1
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Holy predictable pick for the number 1 spot, Batman! Here’s The Dark Knight, a movie you’ve heard countless good things about for the past 17 years now, and in another 17 years, there will probably be twice as many pieces of praise thrown its way. It’s the second of three movies about Bruce Wayne/Batman that Christopher Nolan directed, and it’s quite comfortably the greatest, too.
It’s got everything a superhero movie needs and then some. Honestly, The Dark Knight also works as a crime film and a super intense action movie; one that just so happens to have a recognizable comic book character (and his arch-nemesis) at its center. It is paced so quickly, and feels like a non-stop ride for the entirety of its runtime, exploring interesting moral ideas and dilemmas while also being seriously entertaining, suspenseful, and moving. It’s great. It’s The Dark Knight.