Popular superhero moviesare among the biggest event films in modern Hollywood. After the superhero boom in the early 2000s, the birth of theMarvel Cinematic Universe,and the release ofThe Dark Knightin 2008, a new golden age began for the superhero movie genre that audiences have been living in ever since. Now, a common criticism is thatthere are too many superhero moviesand concerns that fatigue may be inevitable, yet the box-office results show that, as long as they are good, audiences can’t get enough of them.
In recent years, audiences have witnessed the follow-ups to MCU’s latest, the expansion through TV shows, and the birth of new franchises. With Marvel Studios continuing the journey of their Multiverse Saga, and Warner Bros. Discovery refocusing their efforts on theDCUby hiring James Gunn and Peter Safran to run their cinematic universe, it appears that the genre isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
With all that and with how many superhero movies there have been, it is often wondered which are the best superhero movies of all time. Stretching back to 1951’sSuperman and the Mole Men, through the 1978 release ofSuperman: The Movie, and to the recent entries of every multiverse out there, there have been multiple movies made about characters like Batman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men. Even characters like Spawn, Green Hornet, and Kick-Ass have gotten feature films made about them. It is a rich sub-genre with a variety of films, and these are the best superhero movies of all time. Of course, so far.
Updated August 26, 2025: This article has been updated by Federico Furzan to reflect recent superhero movie releases as well as add additional films to the list.
20Deadpool (2016)
A spin-off of theX-Menfranchise,Deadpoolfollows Wade Wilson, a mercenary in love who’s diagnosed with terminal cancer. He decides to try out an experimental treatment after leaving Vanessa because he doesn’t want her to experience his death. The problem is that the serum turns him into a mutant, one with horrible scars all over his body but who has the ability to heal himself after suffering any injury. Wade decides to turn into a vigilante called Deadpool while he looks for the scientist who turned him into a monster so that he can be cured.
Deadpool Is the One That Dared to Break All the Rules
Deadpoolis a one-of-a-kind superhero film that disguises its nihilism with a fourth-wall-breaking superhero who’s able to turn every horrific situation into a joke. Played masterfully by Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool is the antihero everyone cheers for, and after 2016, the film was so successful that it was turned into a franchise that will soon see its newest film in theaters. When it comes to superhero films that don’t aim at being serious, this is the perfect one for binge-watching alongside its sequel. It’s a bold take, but if Marvel Studios needs some saving,Deadpoolcould be their answer.
19Batman (1989)
In 1989, Tim Burton’sBatmantold the story of the masked vigilante under the terms of a filmmaker whose creative vision wasn’t exactly superhero-y. Instead, the film went for a whimsical, violent, and cartoonish version of Gotham City that suffered an attack from a powerful villain who could make you laugh to death. Jack Nicholson’s Joker is just one of the many things that make the early edition of Batman a must in the universe of superheroes. Perhaps many would accuse it of being dated, but in the words of a boomer, “You just had to be there.”
The One that Showed Studios There Was Something in the World of Masked Heroes
Batmanperfectly fused the audience’s consideration of the world of superheroes, both for grownups and younger audiences who felt in tune with a different style of adventure film. The film, which won an Oscar for Best Art Direction, was a golden goose for Warner Bros., which capitalized on the success and made 1989 the year of Batman in every sense. You saw the logo everywhere, and the studios became fascinated with the perception of a film that wasn’t exactly hard to plan and execute from a creative point of view.
18The Batman (2022)
The Batman
Matt Reeves' extremely relevant reboot of theBatmanfranchise,The Batman, is a sober and serious relaunch of the character sans the fanfare and formula-based restrictions of the DCEU. In the film, Bruce Wayne is behind the mask and has been fighting crime his way. But then a series of murders start, leaving everyone perplexed. The viciousness, the messages, and the effects represent a shift in Gotham City’s consideration of the villains, and Batman is forced to take a step forward and face the Riddle alongside Selina Kyle.
A Noir Thriller That’s Not Entirely About the Adventures of the Caped Crusader
The waters that divide the heroes and villains of the MCU and the DCEU are very clear. However, with films likeThe Batman, a whole new player enters the picture. The coldness of the plots, the violence, and the vulnerability that makes them more human make films of this nature much more interesting than what the fans ask for. This makes Reeves' film all the more divisive. Then again, the film was widely acclaimed, and it even got recognizedon the ballots on Oscar night. In any case, it’s a very compelling story that gets rid of the adventure and instead goes for a setting-based detective story about the insanity of those who Batman must face. Oh yeah, and the fact that Gotham is a crime-infested den of delinquents that not even a powerful superhero can control.
17Darkman (1990)
InDarkman, Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) is in the process of developing synthetic skin that can help burn victims beyond their scars. The problem is the skin doesn’t last very long and it disintegrates. His girlfriend, a city attorney, messes with the wrong people, who attack Westlake and leave him for dead in a burning building. When he gets treated in the emergency room, a wrong nerve is severed, and he’s able to become super powerful. Westlake turns into a vigilante that can look human as long as the synthetic skin allows him to.
Sam Raimi Proving He Can Do Superheroes Like No One Else
Darkmanis Raimi’s answer to the studios' lack of trust in him to bring good and compelling superheroes to the big screen. Warner had done it previously with Burton’sBatman, so Universal decided to give Raimi a chance and bring to life his short story. The resultwas a successful filmthat instantly got rave reviews from critics who were not familiar with the concept of superheroes on the big screen. At least, none this ugly and violent. After the film, Marvel would end up adapting the character into comic books.
16The Rocketeer (1991)
The Rocketeer
Despite not beingbased on a licensed character from Marvel or DC Comicsand not performing well at the box office,The Rocketeershines as an elite-level superhero cult classic. The adventures of the titular character perfectly captured the spirit of pulp comics and serial heroes of the early 20th century. That bygone era is critical to the formation of superheroes, and it became a marquee art form in the United States. It tells the story of a stunt pilot who finds a jetpack that allows him to become a vigilante while basically everyone hunts him down in 1930s Los Angeles.
The Rocketeer Is a Likable Superhero for All Ages
Despite not being the stereotypical A-list actor, Billy Campbell shines as the main protagonist and brings the necessary amount of heart through his strong chemistry with co-star Jennifer Connelly. Though what most makesThe Rocketeershine is the direction of Joe Johnston in his second directorial feature (followingHoney, I Shrunk the Kids), furthering his ability to direct enjoyable family films with strong emotional resonance. With that in mind, it’s not a surprise Marvel Studios tapped Johnston to helm their own World War II-era superhero film inCaptain America: The First Avenger.
15Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War
Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet – the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.
The case can be made thatAvengers: Infinity Warhas been one of the most anticipated films in the superhero genre to ever be produced. Where 2012’sThe Avengerscrossed over six characters from four different new film franchises, its second sequel had the daunting task of multiplying this concept to an exponential level.Infinity Waralso had the responsibility to begin to tie together narratives and themes that had been percolating throughout the past decade of film releases in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All of these factors, plus having to balance an all-star cast, would force a miracle for this to be a passable movie, let alone an outright success. But even for diehard fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,Avengers: Infinity Warsurpassed expectations to become an all-time great superhero film.
The Best Movie in the MCU?
The film succeeded in telling a major “event-level” crossover story akin to what occasionally happens in the comics, something that hadn’t been done in the medium of film of this magnitude beforehand. It also provided a top-level villain into the superhero film landscape throughJosh Brolin’s masterclass performance as Thanos. The creative team behind the film made a positively unique creative decision in essentially making the main villain ostensibly the protagonist while on his journey to destroy half the life of the universe.
This all culminated with an iconic ending in which audiences see the Avengers truly lose for the first time, and half of the heroes turn to ash (including some major, franchise-leading players such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther). It’s a moment that could very well be considered theStar Wars: Empire Strikes Backfor the modern generation. And while some could make the argument that the film should be knocked for being a “part one” type of movie,Avengers: Infinity Warstill holds up as its own complete story (and an all-time great story at that).
14Shazam! (2019)
Shazam!feels like the perfect mixture of years of comic stories. It mixes the classic Golden Age Fawcett magical and fantasy elements of the character with the kid in a superhero body elements introduced in the 80s comics with the modern 2011’s New 52 reboot origin. This mixture, in effect, makes aShazam!movie that feels like the definitive take on the character, one that pays respect to his rich comic book history and shows why the character was at one point more popular than Superman. It tells the story of a teenager who’s turned into an ancient and adult superhero by a wizard.
The Solid Character Introduction That Should Have Stayed a Standalone Film
Shazam!is a very low-stakes movie, which makes it a refreshing change of pace. It features great comedy but is also not afraid to go to some truly dark and serious places. It has more maturity than many surface-level DC films try to do and is not afraid to go to some emotionally powerful scenes that sometimes it feels Marvel is afraid to go to. While its sequel was a disappointment, as a standalone entry, the firstShazam!truly is one of the best.
13X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: First Class
By 2011, many audience members had given up on theX-Menfranchise due to the back-to-back disappointments ofX-Men: The Last StandandX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Combine that with the emergence of the MCU, which promised faithful adaptations and crossovers straight from the comics, and it felt liketheX-Menfilmswere a relic of another age. Yet then cameX-Men: First Class, which not only gave the franchise new life but stands as the best adaptation of the team.
Setting the film in the 1960s, the same period in which they were created, not only brings the franchise back to its roots but also gives it a sense of style unlike any other superhero. While now superhero movies tend to mash up genres pretty commonly, at the time,X-Men: First Classwas unlike anything anybody had ever seen. It’s a throwback to the classic James Bond films, and the bright color palette gave it a sense of style that made it feel more like theX-Mencomics than any previous film.
Great Origin Story That Surpassed Expectations and Brought Back Faith in the Franchise
Finding actors to fill the shoes of Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as Professor X and Magneto seemed like an impossibility, yet James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender stand toe to toe with their predecessors as bold new takes on these classic characters. It’s even more impressive to look back on the film and see the amount of talent, like Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Caleb Landry Jones, and Alex Till, who were at the time relatively unknown but now are major stars.X-Men: First Classis both a greatX-Menadaptation and the reset the franchise needed at the time.
Superhero Movies For People Who Don’t Like Superheroes
Comic book heroes are childish to some, but these movies can save anyone’s day.
12Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (2008)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
An often overlooked superhero film that was released betweenHancockandThe Dark Knight,Hellboy 2: The Golden Armystands out as one of the best of the genre. The movie expands the tapestry of the first film and shifts gears from the 2004 film’sgothic Lovecraftian horrorto a high fantasy story.Hellboy 2: The Golden Armyis Guillermo del Toro coming right off the incrediblePan’s Labyrinthand bringing that same creative production design and creature effects to the world ofHellboy. In the film, Hellboy and his posse have to fight against an ancient prince who wants to rule our realm.
Hellboy 2 Is Del Toro at His Best
Del Toro finds a way to draw real human emotions from fantastical monster characters. There is no superhero movie or any movie likeHellboy 2: The Golden Army. Where else could you see the son of the devil and a fishman singing Barry Manilow just a few minutes after seeing a beautiful monologue about the simultaneously destructive and life-affirming aspects of nature?Hellboy 2: The Golden Armystands tall in the superhero genre.
11Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 2
Released in 2004,Spider-Man 2followed an incredibly successful and groundbreaking first film. It built off the foundation of the first Tobey MaguireSpider-Manmovie and improved on everything from that film to create the natural next step in Peter Parker’s story. It balances both humor and human drama, focusing on Peter Parker having to live with his decision to accept great power and responsibility. It shows the cost of being Spider-Man and what it means for his personal life, and how it impacts his loved ones.
If Action’s Your Thing, Spider-Man 2 Is the Superhero Film For You
Spider-Man 2also has the best action in the entireSam RaimiSpider-Mantrilogy, with the train fight with Doc Ock being a high mark for the entire genre. Alfred Molina’s performance as Doc Ock also stands out as one of thebest supervillain turns of all time, giving the character a tragic backstory while also being able to play a classic maniacal supervillain. Aunt May’s speech about heroism has carried over with fans for years and will likely be an inspiration for years to come. In terms of “best superhero films ever made,” this one is a (very) strong contender.
