Whether it’s offerings from the MCU or the era of DC films leading up to the DCU, costumed heroes continue to flex their muscles at movie theaters. Upcoming blockbusters like Superman or The Fantastic Four: First Steps are only possible because fans happily buy tickets to see their favorite heroes on the big screen.
During the last ten years, some iconic heroes have been introduced, long-running stories have come to a close, and old favorites have made unexpected returns. The following superhero movies from the last decade get as close as possible to perfect, allowing comic book fans to see dream scenarios that were previously only on the page.
10
‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ (2021)
Directed by Zack Snyder
After a passionate movement from fans, an extended cut of the Justice League, with the vision of original director Zack Snyder, was released. The film follows the formation of the iconic superhero team as they come together to ward off the evil villain Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds) from destroying Earth. While Steppenwolf attempts to regain control of the Mother Boxes, artifacts that will bring about the end times, the heroes must find a way to revive a fallen Superman (Henry Cavill) and prepare an attack to save the world.
It was rewarding for fans to finally watch Justice League as was originally intended, because it stayed in line with the vision for the characters that had been building since Man of Steel. The extended runtime allows for greater character development than in the theatrical release, even if the four-hour runtime sent casual viewers scrolling for something else to watch. DC films are now moving in a different direction, but the Snyder Cut of Justice League gives proper closure to the Cavill era.
9
‘Incredibles 2’ (2018)
Directed by Brad Bird
The long-awaited sequel to the Pixar classic The Incredibles delivers a worthy follow-up with the wonderful Incredibles 2. The sequel follows the superpowered Parr family as they continue to struggle with a world that has outlawed vigilante assistance from costumed heroes. However, an opportunity to change the law comes from wealthy benefactors who think Helen (Holly Hunter) would be the perfect person to reignite the public’s love of superheroes. Although Bob (Craig T. Nelson) is jealous, he supports his wife’s opportunity while he tackles the challenges of being a stay-at-home dad.
Age had not diminished the appeal of the Parr family, with Incredibles 2 having a successful theatrical run to make it one of the highest-grossing superhero films. The plot twist of the villain’s identity may have been foreshadowed in bright flashing letters, but that didn’t hurt the enjoyment of seeing the beloved characters back in action, especially the overpowered Jack-Jack as he took on his arch-nemesis, a hungry raccoon.
8
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (2024)
Directed by Shawn Levy
Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) finally has a chance to curse in a Disney film in Deadpool & Wolverine. At a low point in his life professionally and personally, Deadpool is given a chance to join the “sacred timeline” with the other MCU heroes; the only catch is that the world he lives in and all the people he loves will be destroyed. Refusing to allow his world to die, Deadpool recruits an alternate version of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to prevent the destruction of his home.
All the Deadpool films are lighter on plot than they are on jokes, but that fits for a character who’s aware he’s in a movie. Unsurprisingly, Jackman and Reynolds had great chemistry as the two mismatched mutants, and each fight scene starring the pair was a highlight, especially regarding the presence of Wolverine’s famous yellow suit. Cameo heavy with inside jokes for all the comic book fans in attendance, Deadpool & Wolverine were a nice send-off to the Fox era of mutants (although Disney doesn’t seem finished milking that nostalgia cow just yet).
7
‘Thunderbolts*’ (2025)
Directed by Jake Schreier
A group of villains in need of redemption gets their shot at being heroes in Thunderbolts*. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is in the throes of depression when she is manipulated by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to enter a trap with other mercenary villains to be killed. After they manage to work together to escape death, they’ll need to let go of their pasts to save the city from an unstable lab-created hero, the Sentry (Lewis Pullman).
One of the best things about the Thunderbolts* was that it aspired to be more than just the MCU’s answer to The Suicide Squad. It’s interesting that the first time, everyone expects a joke-heavy action team-up, they’re instead treated to a film about the lasting impact of unresolved guilt and mental health. Even if Thunderbolts* didn’t break box office records, the positive reception from audiences means the New Avengers will likely have a continued future in Marvel films.
6
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (2023)
Directed by James Gunn
One of the greatest stories comes to a close in the trilogy ender Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. A surprise attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) leaves Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) gravely injured, prompting his teammates to jump into action in order to save his life. The quest will take the Guardians back to the site of Rocket’s creation, where the team will unite for one final time to make sure everyone has the happy ending they deserve.
For fans of the Guardians, it was hard to see the team go on their last mission, but at least it was a worthy end to the scrappy group’s story. The inclusion of Warlock may have been forced into a narrative that didn’t require him, but it’s admirable that loose ends were tied up while telling Rocket’s tragic origins. Meaningful closure is a rare commodity in the ongoing world of superheroes, but each Guardian found well-deserved peace before going their own way.
5
‘The Suicide Squad’ (2021)
Directed by James Gunn
Task Force X gets another chance to save the day and prove its worthiness as a franchise in The Suicide Squad. New expendable operatives are recruited by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) for a black ops mission on the island of Corto Maltese in order to destroy a secret project. Facing impossible odds, both from the enemy soldiers and internal directives, villains like Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Peacemaker (John Cena) will get a chance to be heroes in the Suicide Squad.
Violent, funny, and unpredictable, The Suicide Squad packs a dense number of characters into a chaotic story that uses them all well. No one thought superhero movies would stick around long enough to give Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) ample screen time, or the alien threat of Starro a chance to be a third-act threat, but writer-director James Gunn made it possible. The Suicide Squad is a great reminder that any comic book hero, regardless of how bizarre or obscure they may be, can be a breakout star when the story makes them shine.
4
‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016)
Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Although the heroes of the Marvel universe have worked together to defeat powerful enemies, their biggest challenge will be each other in Captain America: Civil War. After a botched Avengers mission results in mass casualties, the world’s governments demand the superheroes’ answer to a united coalition. When the return of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) complicates matters further, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) will find themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Captain America: Civil War combines generous fan service with meaningful conflict to create one of the more thoughtfully plotted MCU entries. The movie could have benefited from a two-part structure to give the story more time to breathe, but what Anthony and Joe Russo managed to accomplish within a single film was impressive. The movie managed to introduce Spider-Man and Black Panther to the MCU without either feeling like extraneous cameos and left a lasting impact on events for future movies in the franchise.
Captain America: Civil War
- Release Date
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May 6, 2016
- Runtime
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147 minutes
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Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
3
‘Wonder Woman’ (2017)
Directed by Patty Jenkins
One of the most recognizable superheroes finally received her own big-screen adventure with the release of 2017’s Wonder Woman. Gal Gadot stars as the Amazonian warrior Diana, who ventures outside the paradise she calls home to help a World War II soldier, Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), in his quest to save thousands of innocent lives from a new chemical weapon. As Diana and Steve work to uncover who’s behind the plot, Diana will claim her destiny as the hero Wonder Woman.
By setting Wonder Woman during World War I, it smartly introduced Diana in a way that reinforced her immortality and differentiated itself from the crowded market of modern-day superhero movies. The ending feels slightly lackluster, but the journey up to that point is a well-paced adventure movie that benefits from the chemistry between Gadot and Pine. By focusing on the noble character of Diana in a world of compromised values, director Patty Jenkins created a Wonder Woman movie that did the iconic hero justice.
2
‘The Batman’ (2022)
Directed by Matt Reeves
In The Batman, Robert Pattinson puts on the iconic cowl to tell the early years of Batman’s crusade against crime in the corrupt streets of Gotham City. While the public still isn’t sure how to feel about the vigilante that lives in the shadows, a new threat emerges in The Riddler (Paul Dano), a man who also wants to expose the corruption in Gotham using more lethal methods. As Batman follows the clues the Riddler leaves, he must question if his own methods are what the city needs.
The Batman takes the world’s greatest detective back to his noir-infused crime-fighting roots, with Batman relying on his intellect while he works to uncover the Riddler’s plan. Pattison quieted a fair number of skeptics (can’t win them all) with an emotionally guarded and predominantly silent Batman who is still learning his craft in a Gotham that is corrupt at the highest levels. The supporting cast, from Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon to Colin Farrell as the scene-stealing Penguin, makes The Batman a mystery worth revisiting.
The Batman
- Release Date
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March 4, 2022
- Runtime
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176 minutes
1
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021)
Directed by Jon Watts
In the third solo outing for the wall-crawler in the MCU, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is scrambling to damage control after Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) exposes his identity as Spider-Man to the public. In order to restore his anonymity, Peter asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to use a magic spell to make everyone forget. However, when Peter adds too many demands to the spell, Strange inadvertently transports Spider-Man’s villains and heroes from other dimensions to his home, causing chaos.
Special effects that feel underdeveloped may age Spider-Man: No Way Home faster than was necessary, but that won’t take away from the experience for Spider-Man fans who have been watching since Tobey Maguire first put on the suit. Spider-Man: No Way Home cleverly and unexpectedly adds a new spin on Spider-Man’s relationship to the concept of ‘With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility,” setting the character off in an exciting new direction for future films.