Top 20 Things Superhero Movies Got RIGHT

“Spider-Man” franchise (2002-07)
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy remains one of the best series of superhero films ever made. And one of the smartest things Raimi did was cast J.K. Simmons as Daily Bugle Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson. A sworn enemy of Spider-Man, Jameson attempts to ruin the web-slinger’s reputation through the press. Simmons captures the essence of the character perfectly with his fantastic delivery, and provides some of the funniest and most memorable moments in the entire franchise. In fact, his performance was so good that Marvel Studios ended up bringing him back for the new films.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” (2024)
We knew this film was going to have surprise characters, but we didn't think they'd be this crazy. Early in the film we meet various interdimensional Wolverines, one of which includes the popular fan-cast of Henry Cavill. Later we see Chris Evans reprise the role of Johnny Storm from the “Fantastic Four” movies. Arguably the biggest surprise appearances are The Resistance, a team of heroes consisting of Dafne Keen’s Laura, Jennifer Garner's Elektra, and Wesley Snipes’ Blade. Channing Tatum also finally got to portray Gambit, after his solo movie languished in development hell. These cameos were all a great homage to both the comics and the unforgettable history of Marvel cinema.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (2021)
Many fans felt that 2013’s “Iron Man 3” didn't do this villain justice. In that film, the terrifying Mandarin is revealed to be a puppet for the real antagonist, Aldritch Killian, which many saw as a disappointing twist. Ben Kingsley's casting was seen as a waste, as fans wanted to see him duke it out with the armored Avenger. Thankfully, “Shang-Chi” redeemed him. Tony Leung portrayed him as the powerhouse he is in the comics, while also giving him depth as a family man. Given the negative stereotypes surrounding the original depictions of the Mandarin, this is one of the best changes the MCU has made.

“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
The “Civil War” of the comics received mixed reviews for the political conflict that divided the Marvel Universe. While its depiction of security versus freedom was interesting, the filmmakers chose a slightly different route for the film adaptation. Instead of being mainly driven by political differences, the heroes choose their sides for deeply personal reasons. For instance, Black Panther is consumed by vengeance after his father's death, and Vision is driven by his desire to protect Wanda. Most importantly, the final fight hinges on Iron Man seeking vengeance for his parents’ murder at the hands of Captain America’s best friend. “Civil War” not only honored the classic storyline, it made the characters’ motivations more personal.

“X-Men” Franchise (2000-20)
Despite their faults, many agree that these films perfectly depicted Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr. Patrick Stewart made for a perfect Professor X, and his chemistry with Ian McKellen created one of the best hero/villain dynamics ever put to screen. The prequel “First Class” added more layers to their complicated friendship as James McAvoy proved to be every bit as captivating as his older counterpart, and Michael Fassbender brought a rage and sadness to Magneto we hadn't yet seen. Their performances made their journey from best friends to bitter enemies incredibly emotional. Wolverine may have been the face of the “X-Men”, but Charles and Erik's relationship was the heart and soul of the franchise.

“Black Panther” (2018)
The role of the MCU’s first Black lead came with high expectations. As the king of Wakanda, T'Challa had to embody compassion, royalty, and power all at once. Suffice to say, Chadwick Boseman more than delivered. He first wowed us with his portrayal of Black Panther in “Captain America: Civil War” before showing the character's struggle to be both a good man and a great king in his solo film. Chadwick Boseman also trained his body for months before filming, and you can definitely tell by his physical performance. His commitment to the role made him and the character a modern day icon, and his legacy will be remembered for years to come.

“Hellboy” (2004)
We’ve had two attempted reboots of the franchise in recent years, yet the original live action Hellboy seems irreplaceable. Jeremy Renner was considered for the role early on, with Renner turning it down due to a lack of connection to the material. Director Guillermo del Toro and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola wanted someone who could perform with prosthetic makeup, and Del Toro campaigned for his friend and collaborator, Ron Perlman, for seven years. Most fans agree that Perlman's working-class persona was perfect, and the red demon makeup didn't hinder his acting at all. We felt every bit as emotional for Hellboy as we would for any other character – and that's no small feat.

“Logan” (2017)
Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is easily one of the most violent superheroes in film. However, many fans felt that he was held back by the PG-13 rating of the “X-Men” films, which made his fights relatively bloodless. That finally changed with 2017's “Logan”. Fox greenlit the film with an R rating and gave audiences the brutality and violence they’d been wanting to see. The adult rating also allowed for more mature themes to be explored, with the film drawing inspiration from Westerns and Noir – genres that suited the character perfectly. After so many years of waiting, Jackman finally got to unleash the Wolverine we know from the comics, and it was absolutely worth the wait.

“The Batman” (2022)
While other films featuring The Dark Knight shine in their own ways, Matt Reeves' vision takes things to a whole new level. “The Batman” is known for its dark atmosphere and thrilling mystery. Everything from the brooding monologues to the eerie, serial killer villain, felt inspired by film noir. More importantly, perhaps, it felt authentic to Batman's roots. For longtime fans of the character, a movie about the “World's Greatest Detective” doing real detective work felt long overdue. The way Reeves merged the gothic style of Tim Burton’s Batman films with the realistic approach of Christopher Nolan’s felt quintessentially Batman.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)
This animated Spidey film gave us a whole new perspective on what it means to be a superhero. It feels like a comic book brought to life, with an art style that includes Kirby Krackle, on-screen lettering, and comic panel layouts. However, what really makes this movie special is its portrayal of Miles Morales. His awkwardness, individuality, and charm make him one of the best legacy characters in the Marvel universe. Miles shows us that even someone who doubts themselves can rise to the occasion and become a hero. The idea that anyone with power and a sense of responsibility can be Spider-Man, is a great expansion upon Uncle Ben's famous quote.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
When director James Gunn initially showed the soundtrack to Marvel executives, many questioned why he was using songs from the 1970s. Some even suggested that it might alienate kids. Gunn stuck to his guns, however (haha), and kept his choices for the tunes. The result was a phenomenal soundtrack that helped make “Guardians” one of the biggest movies of 2014. Artists like David Bowie, The Runaways, and the Jackson 5 featured on the soundtrack, and helped it become the first one to top the album charts despite not having a single new song.

“Batman Begins” (2005)
At this point, is there anyone alive who doesn’t know the origins of Batman? That may be a slight exaggeration, but the point is that the story of how Bruce Wayne becomes Batman is pretty well known. Christopher Nolan’s version, however, really stresses the motivations behind Bruce’s decision to fight crime, moving past just the murder of his parents. We see Bruce struggle to come to terms with his parents’ deaths and even see him consider murder at one point before deciding to abandon his fortune and live on the street. Nolan explores these points in detail and the result is a well-rounded and well developed character.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
One of the main reasons why the Marvel Cinematic Universe is so successful is because it features strong characters with clear motivations. At the same time, however, these characters are quite different from each other. The action sequences involving Captain America are exciting to watch, but it’s the themes underneath the action that make us care about the character. The second and third films did a terrific job of capturing Cap’s distrust of the government, a major theme in the comics. This, of course, contrasts with his unwavering patriotism and desire to always do the right thing. It’s this arc that made his conflict with Iron Man in “Civil War” so believable and so effective.

DC Extended Universe (2013-23)
The Joker's sidekick was an incredibly popular character even before she debuted in live action. She's a villain who can be pretty sinister but, beneath her Harlequin persona, has the potential to be a hero. Despite the less-than-perfect track record for the films she appears in, most would agree that Margot Robbie was absolutely perfect in the role. She gave us all new reasons to sympathize with Harley in every appearance – from her becoming more independent, to making friends with fellow vigilantes. She's also an incredible physical performer with some badass action scenes. The old DCEU may be a thing of the past, but Margot Robbie's nuanced and comedic performance will always be iconic.

“Spider-Man” (2002)
As with Batman, Spider-Man’s origins are pretty well known at this point. The thing that Sam Raimi was able to get perfect, however, was the motivations behind why Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man. When he first discovers he has powers, he’s selfish, and uses them to make money to impress Mary Jane. When he realizes that his selfishness results in the death of Uncle Ben, however, he commits his life to fighting crime, learning the important lesson that with great power comes great responsibility. Many believe the subsequent “Amazing Spider-Man” film franchise flubbed this all-important part of the story, and failed to truly capture the essence of Peter Parker and his decision to become Spider-man, so the fact that the Raimi trilogy nailed it stands out even more.

“Superman” Franchise (1978-87)
Some actors seem to fit their roles perfectly. In Christopher Reeve's case, he was born to play Superman. Released in 1978, “Superman” was DC’s first big budget superhero film, and it wouldn't hold up nearly as well without its lead actor. Arguably no one has better embodied the hero's kindness and earnestness since. Sure, his crazy powers stretch his believability, but Reeve sold the character's tragedy and charm so well that it's impossible not to root for him. Just as the movie's tagline says, Christopher Reeve did the impossible and made us believe a man can fly.

“The Dark Knight” (2008)
Before making the sequel to “Batman Begins,” Christopher Nolan turned to the comics. Taking inspiration from “The Long Halloween” and “The Killing Joke,” Nolan crafted what is arguably the best superhero movie of all time. One of the main reasons why the film was so successful and well received is because of the relationship between Batman and the Joker. These two have a far more complicated relationship than simply hero/villain. Essentially two sides of the same coin, the Joker only exists because Batman exists. Nolan does a phenomenal job capturing the subtleties of the two characters, and the result is an outstanding film.

“X-Men” franchise (2000-17)
An iconic character can be made or broken by the casting choice. With Wolverine, they got it absolutely perfect… But only by luck. First choice for the part was actually Russell Crowe, who wasn’t interested. But he told director Bryan Singer to check out his friend, a then-unknown actor by the name of Hugh Jackman. After Dougray Scott was cast and backed out, Jackman got the role. The result was magic, making Wolverine come to life while simultaneously launching Jackman’s career. He’s brilliant at capturing Logan’s antihero persona and his conflicting desire to be left alone but also help people. While the “X-Men” films have had their ups and downs, you can always count on Jackman to deliver an outstanding Wolverine.

“Deadpool” (2016)
Although still overwhelmingly popular, the abundance of superhero films in the early 21st century has brought on some criticism that the genre may be in danger of growing stale. Then “Deadpool” was released. After years of development difficulties, Ryan Reynolds was finally given the chance to portray the real Deadpool, and he delivered flawlessly. He did an especially outstanding job breaking the fourth wall. What could have been a dumb or annoyingly repetitive gimmick quickly became the highlight of the movie and worked in seamless balance with the rest of the film’s jokes.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-)
It’s amazing to think that had the first Iron Man film been a failure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe may never have existed. Although Iron Man had his fair share of fans, he was previously considered a B-list character and didn’t hold the weight of a Spider-Man or Batman. Director Jon Favreau immediately tapped Robert Downey Jr for the part, as his past shared some similarities with the backstory of Tony Stark. And, of course, RDJ absolutely nailed it, delivering one of the best performances of his career. He quickly became the face of the MCU, as witnessed by his appearance in so many of its films.


There are plenty of other things superhero movies got right, like Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn, or Rocket Raccoon's backstory. What do you think should’ve made the list? Let us know down in the comments.