With more than a hundred superhero films released since the genre was born with 1978’s Superman, superhero cinema has been defined by quite a few ups and downs. From middling cash grabs to rare gems that truly pushed the envelope, this genre has seen it all in the past five decades. Here are (in our opinion) the 7 Greatest Superhero films of all time
7. Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Our first pick in The 7 Greatest Superhero Movies Of All Time has to be Zack Snyder’s Justice League. A rising phoenix that was purposefully forgotten and destroyed by a studio hellbent on Marvel-izing DC, this redo of the solo Justice League film is a wonder in its own right.
The 4-hour epic is DC’s answer to Avengers as Batman and friends go up against Steppenwolf and the big bad, Darkseid. With reinjected humor, heart, and fantastic action sequences that were missing from Joss Whedon’s Frankenstein cut, Snyder shows what DC is capable of in the right hands. Shame we won't get Justice League 2, as Warner Bros has rebooted the universe entirely.
6. X Men: Days of Future Past
This is a film that is frequently considered one of the best in Fox’s X-Men universe yet never truly accepted as one of the towering achievements of the genre itself.
Seamlessly meshing characters from two different timelines, DOFP is a fantastic time travel adventure that has real stakes, an emotionally resonant core, and a fantastic set of villains to boot, in the form of the Sentinels. Hugh Jackman, MacAvoy, Stewart, and Fassbender are all in top form, and the film will indeed move you to tears. The 7 Greatest Superhero Movies Of All Time
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5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Before the Russo brothers were given keys to the entire MCU, they made a little political thriller called The Winter Soldier. With audiences starting to consider Steve Rogers a little too square, the Russos reinvented the character for the modern man, imbuing lethal fighting styles, a fantastic new suit, and a dangerous villain from the past to bring Rogers into the current era.
Combining old school American heroics with the deceptive antics of the modern War on Terror era, the film has no business being this good.
4. Avengers: Infinity War
A culmination of 10 years of expansive storytelling, Avengers: Infinity War is a towering achievement from the Russo Brothers. If juggling two dozen characters was not enough, the film goes further and provides a surprisingly emotionally resonant story as the Avengers face their greatest threat yet.
Featuring massive battles and surprising team-ups, the film delivers on what it promises, in style.
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3. Logan
James Mangold’s first crack at Wolverine came in 2013, and the middling film inspired Mangold to make a follow-up that would blow everyone away.
Taking place in the future, Logan follows Jackman’s Wolverine and Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier as they traverse a desolate America with an evil corporation in hot pursuit. Jackman gives his best turn yet as Wolverine as he comes face to face not only with his mortality but also his child (born from his DNA without his consent, of course).
2. Spider-Man 2
The 7 Greatest Superhero Movies Of All Time
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is more than a great sequel, it is a cinematic achievement that elevated the superhero genre from popcorn entertainment to genuine drama.
Tobey Maguire’s wallcrawler goes up against former teacher turned mechanical monster Doctor Octopus in this sophomore outing as Peter Parker’s commitments to the city threaten to tear his personal relationships apart. With lasting and far-reaching consequences, Spider-Man 2 shows that no matter how great the hero, some battles just cannot be won.
1. The Dark Knight
The 7 Greatest Superhero Movies Of All Time
17 years after it first graced our screens, there has yet to be a superhero film that is better than The Dark Knight.
A masterful sequel that builds upon a great first feature, The Dark Knight is an iconic film that dives deep into the moral conundrum of terrorism, surveillance, and fascism through the eyes of the Caped Crusader. Throw in a masterful turn by Heath Ledger as the Joker, and Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus is a towering achievement that has yet to be replaced.
Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments what your favourite superhero films are and why they should have been on this list.
