Superhero and comic book movies are all the rage days. Even if there’s an ongoing debate over whether superhero fatigue is hitting moviegoers, the studios won’t stop making them. People just can’t help but come back for more adventure.
The best superhero movies are ones that let viewers live out their wildest fantasies about being a hero as a kid. Marvel and DC have created universes of comic book movies, such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Dark Knight, that unleash childhood dreams in colorful trips or grounded crime dramas. But not all the best superhero action movies are based on comic books, and not all comic book movies need to have superheroes — The Incredibles and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World prove so.
10 Superman
When people think of a generic superhero, Superman likely comes to mind. And it’s not just because of his iconic appearance and tenure in comics — the 1978 film solidified Clark Kent as a household name long before the DCU and MCU. At the time of its release, a budget of $55 million made Superman the most expensive movie ever made and was innovative in its use of special effects.
A classic Superman tale, the film acts as an origin story of Christopher Reeves’ hero during his infancy on Krypton and his childhood years on Earth in Smallville as Clark Kent. His adult years depict his romance with Lois Lane as he works as a reporter in Metropolis while also dealing with the villain Lex Luthor.
9 The Incredibles
In a superhero entertainment industry crowded by Marvel and DC, The Incredibles is a rare treat. The computer-animated film was released in 2004 by Pixar and Disney at the height of the Spider-Man and X-Men phenomenon. Although at first glance it appears as a kid’s movie, The Incredibles appeals to all age groups as a family-friendly outing.
The Incredibles follows two superhero parents who attempt to hide their powers and live a quiet life with their children in a futuristic version of the 1960s. But as the father’s desire to unleash his inner hero becomes too big to handle, the family is thrown into a conflict with a former fan.
8 Iron Man
The hype around Iron Man doesn’t just focus on the eccentric billionaire titular character and his transformation into the heroic metal man — it’s the fact that this film ended up being a masterpiece. Before Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was a wild horse to bet on. But over 10 years later, Jon Favreau’s insistence to hire Downey ended up being one of the best casting choices in film history.
Iron Man took an underappreciated and relatively unknown character from Marvel Comics and ended up creating an entire universe with 20+ movies and television shows to this day. Without the man without a plan, the Marvel Cinematic Universe probably wouldn’t be what it is today.
7 Wonder Woman
Although the sequel left much to be desired, the 2017 movie Wonder Woman broke grounds for featuring a female superhero as the lead and giving the DCU a culturally significant film to its name. It may have been many years too late, but Wonder Woman finally convinced moviegoers and filmmakers to take female superheroes seriously.
Princess Diana sets out beyond her comfort zone to stop World War I, as she believes the conflict is being manipulated by her longtime enemy Ares. In the midst of the action, though, is an empowering story of feminism in a male-dominated world and a love story that continues in its sequel.
6 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is proof that not only comic book movies have to feature superheroes, even if Scott Pilgrim does get his hero moment here and there. The movie was a box-office bomb at the time of its release but has since become a cult classic for its quirky style and humorous aesthetic.
Based on the graphic novel series Scott Pilgrim, the Edgar Wright-directed movie follows the titular character as he battles the seven evil exes of his girlfriend Ramona Flowers as he also tries to score a record deal. Many big-named actors feature in the movie, such as Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Brie Larson and Chris Evans.
5 Spider-Man 2
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As the name suggests, Spider-Man 2 is a sequel to the 2002 film Spider-Man and is set two years after those events. The sequel ranks higher than its predecessor on the basis that it deals with Peter Parker’s emotional crisis as a superhero and develops Dr. Otto Octavius as one of the best villains of all time.
In Spider-Man 2, Peter struggles to balance his superhero and regular personas. The loss of his powers comes at a tricky time when Dr. Otto Octavius recreates a dangerous experiment that killed his wife, forcing Peter to fight against his mentor.
4 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
There’s a reason why Captain America: The Winter Soldier is regarded as the blueprint for MCU movies, for better or worse. It was the first time the franchise had finally managed to create a gritty, political atmosphere that other movies and shows have tried to replicate in years to come. But with The Winter Soldier being the first, it’s been hard to beat it.
Like Spider-Man 2, The Winter Soldier follows the rare suit of “the sequel is always better.” The movie takes place in the present day as Steve Rogers/Captain America works with Nick Fury and Black Widow to uncover a dark conspiracy in S.H.I.E.L.D. and the mysterious backstory of the assassin Winter Soldier.
3 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
At the time of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s release, Tom Holland had already taken up the mantle of the web-slinging hero in the MCU. But Sony still had a few tricks up its sleeve. A result of Sony’s magic was the animated film Into the Spider-Verse, an eclectic and bouncy ode to the exaggerated and heartfelt aesthetic of comics.
Although Peter Parker is a character in Into the Spider-Verse, the movie centers on Miles Morales, who previously didn’t have big roles in movie or television adaptations of the superhero. The animated feature follows Miles and other Spider-People from parallel universes as they swing into action to stop the villain Kingpin.
2 Logan
Logan was a shocker of a film to walk into to. What was previously thought to be the last film to feature Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Logan was a bittersweet farewell to the actor’s long-standing portrayal of the character. Like many good superhero movies do, Logan kept the flashy action sequences and goofs to a minimum, focusing instead on internal conflicts and relationships.
As the final installment of the Wolverine trilogy, Logan takes inspiration from the “Old Man Logan” comics storyline, dealing with the titular character way past his prime. The movie follows Logan as he tends to an ill Charles Xavier and cares for a young mutant named Laura.
1 The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight has been hard to beat as the best comic book movie. With a director like Christopher Nolan, the sequel to Batman Begins had guidance to take Bruce Wayne’s story in a grounded direction that made it more of a crime drama than a superhero flick. What sets it as the best of the best though, is Heath Ledger’s iconic performance as The Joker.
The Dark Knight follows Bruce Wayne after the events of Batman Begins as he continues his work as the vigilante Batman. He works with police lieutenant James Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent to put a stop to organized crime in Gotham City until the anarchist Joker begins wreaking havoc on the city.