Superhero movies have become the most profitable genre of film today. Even if renowned filmmakers like Martin Scorsese don’t consider them to be real cinema, they have undeniably captured the pulse of the country and, in some cases, theatrical releases have become worldwide spectacles. Avengers: Endgame (2019) was a film that was more than a decade in the making, it was literally a phenomenon.
More recently, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) delivered that same hype, including characters and actors from two other Spider-Man franchises. Just because they’re superhero movies, doesn’t mean they can’t be highly regarded. Additionally, with regards to the list, Spider-Man: No Way Home,Thor: Ragnarok(2017), Wonder Woman (2017), The Incredible 2 (2018) and Spider-Man 2 (2004) are all 93%, so Audience Score is the tiebreaker, which makes the list slightly different from Rotten Tomatoes, but it’s still their rankings.
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018): Tomatometer: 97%, Audience Score: 93%
The highest rated superhero movie and generally considered the best Spider-Man movie of all-time, Into the Spider-Verse was a sleeper hit that took many people by surprise, with Sony releasing it between Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Far From Home (2019).
The cast was rock solid, with Shameik Moore and Jake Johnson killing it as the young Miles Morales and the old, washed up version of Peter Parker. One could say that this movie opened the flood gates to multiverse based superhero movies.
‘The Incredibles’ (2004): Tomatometer: 97%, Audience Score: 74%
It’s second on the list, but it shockingly has the lowest audience score in the top 10. After superheroes are outlawed, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Mrs. Incredible (Holly Hunter) are forced into retirement.
Eventually, Mr. Incredible gets a chance to get back into action on a remote island to stop an enormous robot, but it’s all revealed to be a ploy by Syndrome (Jason Lee), who seeks revenge on him and all superheroes. The movie was a staple for many kids growing up in the early 2000s, and 14 years later, it finally got the sequel it deserved.
‘Black Panther’ (2018): Tomatometer: 96%, Audience Score: 79%
Rolling Stone Magazine recently listed Black Panther as the number one superhero movie of all-time, to much controversy. With that aside though, it is certainly a good Marvel movie. The late Chadwick Boseman turns in a great performance as T’Challa, and Michael B. Jordan is one of the best villains in the MCU to date as Killmonger.
The movie certainly has its flaws, but it had an undeniable impact in the real world. Both for its themes and messages delivered throughout, and because Black Panther was the first Marvel movie with a person of color as the lead role.
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008): Tomatometer: 94%, Audience Score: 94%
Fourth on the list, but the movie many people would point to as the one that broke the mold on superhero movies. They didn’t have to be campy movies aimed specifically at fans of the character, they could be serious and grounded in reality, with a believable plot and characters with real motives that people could identify with.
The late Heath Ledger delivered not only the best comic book character performance, but one of the best villain performances of all-time, as the Joker. He won a posthumous Oscar for his role, and due to The Dark Knight being snubbed for a Best Picture nomination at The Oscars, The Academy expanded the nominee pool from five movies to 10.
‘Iron Man’ (2008): Tomatometer: 94%, Audience Score: 91%
The movie that started it all, the landmark for the MCU and the certified revival point of Robert Downey Jr.‘s career. Iron Man was a huge risk for Marvel, they were financially in the toilet, and they didn’t own the rights to Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, or the X-Men, all of which were their bestsellers.
Jon Favreau went to bat for RDJ, they took a swing at making this movie, and they hit a home run. Iron Man still holds up as a great film, and still one of the best Marvel has been able to deliver. Disney purchased Marvel Studios shortly after the movies release, and the rest, as they say, is history.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019): Tomatometer: 94%, Audience Score: 90%
From the first movie in Iron Man, to the culmination of 11 years and 20 plus films, Endgame delivered on so many promises and character arcs it still seems unbelievable that this was able to happen. There has never been a grander scale matched in movie history.
Marvel kept upping the anti: from The Avengers (2012) and then Civil War (2016) and then Infinity War (2018) to this final product of the MCU, it’s safe to say this movie captivated the entire world. If you were lucky enough to wait in line or online to get tickets (AMC’s online app crashed and had multiple hour long queues) for opening weekend, your theater was probably packed.
‘Logan’ (2017): Tomatometer: 94%, Audience Score: 90%
The darkest and grittiest movie on this list, and the only one with an R rating. Logan finally allows Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to be his most authentic and unfiltered self, while giving an amazing story between him, Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and X-23 (Dafne Keen).
It is an exceptional end to Jackman’s run as Wolverine, a title he held for 17 years that spanned across nine movies, which makes him the actor with the longest tenured superhero role. It’s bittersweet to think that Marvel will have to recast Wolverine for the MCU after purchasing Fox, but it’s unlikely anyone will surpass Jackman.
‘Superman: The Movie’ (1978): Tomatometer: 94%, Audience Score: 86%
If you’re unfamiliar with this movie, it has so much star power it’s actually mind-boggling. Christopher Reeve delivers still the best performance of Superman on the silver screen. Marlon Brando plays Jor-El, Superman’s father, Gene Hackman crushes the role of Lex Luthor (also still the best live action Luthor); the story was written by Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, and John Williams did the music.
It is the oldest movie on the list, but somehow still the best Superman movie ever made. Superman’s character is perfectly written, the story is compelling, but not rushed. Arguably the craziest thing about this movie is when Superman reverses time by flying around the world, but before that it was heading to a truly dark end.
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ (2021): Tomatometer: 93%, Audience Score: 98%
As mentioned, Into the Spider-Verse created an interest in multiverse Spider-Man movies, and this one is no different. When a spell by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) goes wrong, villains from different Spider-Man timelines are brought into the MCU, including, but not limited to: Doc Oc (Alfred Molina) and the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe).
After the plan to save them from their destiny goes wrong because of Goblin, Peter gets help from two other Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield). Maguire is a huge fan favorite, and Garfield’s Spider-Man gets a much-needed redemption, considering his two movies are considered to be the weakest of the three Spider-Men. Nostalgia aside, the movie gives great depth and development to Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ (2017): Tomatometer: 93%, Audience Score: 87%
Director Taika Waititi arguably saved Thor with this movie. Thor and Thor: The Dark World are not very well received movies, but Ragnorak has become one of the most adored movies in the MCU, right up there with Iron Man and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
It is a film that completely reshapes Thor (Chris Hemsworth), both physically, by shaving his long blonde hair, and through his character. By losing his hammer, Mjolnir, and Asgard, Thor discovers what is important to him. Tom Hiddleston, Jeff Goldblum and Mark Ruffalo all give tremendous supporting roles, as does Tessa Thompson, who is introduced as Valkyrie.
