With Captain Marvel opening this weekend, we’ve updated our top 10 best superhero movies list. From the early stages for film making and television, super heroes have always been a staple of the visual arts. Flash Gordon, Zorro, The Shadow, The Green Hornet, Superman, Batman and more have all graced the silver screen, with some movies more memorable than others.
The small screen has also seen a plethora movies and series dedicated to comic book super heroes. Superman and Batman have certainly been staples for the small screen but there have been productions of Spiderman, Captain America, The Green Hornet, Buck Rogers, and many more.
Whether wide or small screen, super heroes have fascinated audiences of every generation. However, the most recent crop of movies and shows have extended the genre both visually and from a story telling standpoint. The renaissance for this genre has its roots in many different projects but the 1978 Alexander Salkind production of Superman with Christopher Reeve raised the bar both visually and from a store perspective. There were several sequels to the film before subsequent reboots.
Batman has also gone through several manifestations over the years. Adam West breathed new life into the caped crusader in both the television series and a wide screen production, but it was the 1989 production of Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson that really gave the dark knight gravitas on the big screen.
Marvel began to hit its stride starting in 2000 with the popular X-Men movies and subsequent Wolverine spins featuring Hugh Jackman and Spider-Man in 2002 where Tobey Maguire perfectly personified the comic book character Peter Parker and his super spider enhanced alter ego.
Since that time, we’ve been blessed with a plethora of television shows and movies that have really extended the genre of the superhero movie. Captain Marvel is the latest and we’ll see more heroes later in the year as movie studios capitalize on our fascination with super hero characters and stories; but here are our picks for the top 10 best superhero movies of all time.
No, Captain Marvel isn’t on it but it is a fantastic movie and well worth seeing.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace
Directed By: James Gunn (II)
Brash space adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finds himself the quarry of relentless bounty hunters after he steals an orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain.
To evade Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with four disparate misfits: gun-toting Rocket Raccoon, treelike-humanoid Groot, enigmatic Gamora, and vengeance-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when he discovers the orb’s true power and the cosmic threat it poses, Quill must rally his ragtag group to save the universe.
9. Spider Man: Into The Spider-Verse – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld
Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller bring a new vision to the Spider-Man universe where we meet teen Miles Morales, who becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.
The animation is great and the storytelling even better. Many have called Spider Man: Into The Spider-Verse the best Spider-Man movie ever. We won’t go that far but it is worthy of its top 10 position in this list.
8. Spider-Man 2 – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina
Directed By: Sam Raimi
When a failed nuclear fusion experiment results in an explosion that kills his wife, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) is transformed into Dr. Octopus, a cyborg with deadly metal tentacles. Doc Ock blames Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) for the accident and seeks revenge.
Meanwhile, Spidey’s alter ego, Peter Parker, faces fading powers and self-doubt. Complicating matters are his best friend’s (James Franco) hatred for Spider-Man and his true love’s (Kirsten Dunst) sudden engagement to another man.
7. Incredibles 2 – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell
Directed By: Brad Bird
Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in “Incredibles 2” – but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life.
It’s a tough transistion for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.
6. Captain America: Civil War – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability when the actions of the Avengers lead to collateral damage. The new status quo deeply divides members of the team.
Captain America (Chris Evans) believes superheroes should remain free to defend humanity without government interference. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) sharply disagrees and supports oversight. As the debate escalates into an all-out feud, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) must pick a side.
5. Avengers: Infinity War – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
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.
4. Logan – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant
Directed By: James Mangold
In the near future, a weary Logan (Hugh Jackman) cares for an ailing Professor X (Patrick Stewart) at a remote outpost on the Mexican border.
His plan to hide from the outside world gets upended when he meets a young mutant (Dafne Keen) who is very much like him. Logan must now protect the girl and battle the dark forces that want to capture her.
3. Black Panther – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira
Directed By: Ryan Coogler
After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king.
When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king — and as Black Panther — gets tested when he’s drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people.
2. The Dark Knight – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
With the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman (Christian Bale) has been able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City.
But when a vile young criminal calling himself the Joker (Heath Ledger) suddenly throws the town into chaos, the caped Crusader begins to tread a fine line between heroism and vigilantism.
1. Marvel’s The Avengers – Top 10 Best Superhero Movies
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
Directed By: Joss Whedon
When Thor’s evil brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), gains access to the unlimited power of the energy cube called the Tesseract, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of S.H.I.E.L.D., initiates a superhero recruitment effort to defeat the unprecedented threat to Earth.
Joining Fury’s “dream team” are Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner).