When The Avengers hit theaters in 2012, it felt unlike anything else comic book fans had seen up to that point. While there had been legitimately great superhero movies at that time, The Avengers felt like the pages of a comic book jumped out onto the big screen. Characters were teaming up for special attack combos, heroes were fighting each other to try and answer questions that longtime fans had, and critics even appreciated almost everything about the film. The Avengers has gone down in the eyes of many as the best superhero movie ever made. While it certainly deserves its place in that conversation, there are plenty of other superhero projects, both in live-action and animation formats, that can be considered above it. Some are from fellow Marvel entities, while others are from DC properties, and one doesn’t come from any comic book and is completely original in concept.
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Arguments could be made for any of these films to be the very best in the history of the superhero genre. Regardless of the budget, heroes involved, or people behind the movie, these projects do feel like they’re significantly better than the admittedly great The Avengers.
7) Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures
If there was one Marvel movie in the conversation for the best superhero film beforeThe Avengers, it was Spider-Man 2. The sequel to Sam Raimi’s wildly successful Spider-Man, this took what worked in that movie and expanded on it. Peter Parker’s struggle to balance his superhero life with his personal life is expertly handled for the emotional side of things. On the action side, Raimi does masterful work, including helming the iconic train sequence that holds up as one of the greatest superhero scenes ever crafted.
Alfred Molina also does tremendous work as Doctor Octopus, giving us one of the better villains in Marvel movie history. Spider-Man 2 received three Oscar nominations, winning for Best Visual Effects. It’s the pinnacle of the trilogy and it’s why fans were so excited for Tobey Maguire and Molina to return in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Even with so many great Spider-Man projects released over the years, many still consider this the best of the bunch.
6) The Batman (2022)
Alongside Spider-Man, Batman is the most consistently popular comic book superhero to be brought to the big screen. There are so many movies about him that nearly 10 actors have played him in major projects. The Batman is the most recent adaptation, which features Robert Pattinson in the lead role. Despite so many takes on the character by 2022, The Batman found new ground to cover, helping it receive widespread critical acclaim, including three Academy Award nominations.
The Batman focused on the “world’s greatest detective” aspect of the hero, showing him handling crime scenes and putting clues together to figure out what The Riddler left behind for him. The relationship forged between Batman and Catwoman is also well done, while the performances, especially from the unrecognizable Colin Farrell as The Penguin, are spectacular. The film features an excellent ending where Batman saves the city and proves that he’s a hero who can inspire hope rather than just a vigilante who beats criminals up.
5) The Incredibles (2004)
Image Courtesy of Pixar
Leave it to Pixar to come up with an original superhero movie and have it be one of the best ever created. The Incredibles introduced an idea of superheroes being outlawed long before Captain America: Civil War pulled something similar over a decade later. The movie sees two former superheroes come out of retirement to stop a villain, with the help of their children, who now also don superhero costumes. The story was a hit, as the family dynamics were relatable and the conflict with the villain, Syndrome, was well done.
Being a Pixar project, The Incredibles also benefited from gorgeous visuals that still look great more than 20 years later. Brad Bird’s film won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and holds an outstanding 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also has incredible staying power that even surpasses The Avengers, leading to a hit sequel in 2018 and a third planned installment slated for 2028.
4) Logan (2017)
Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
The history of X-Men movies is a mixed bag, with some hits and some truly dire releases. However, pretty much everyone agrees that Logan is the pinnacle of the franchise. The third solo film focusing on Wolverine takes place at a time when the mutant is aging and his healing ability has slowed. He’s clearly on his last legs, which allows Hugh Jackman to deliver a different kind of performance as his most iconic character. The movie also introduced the world to Dafne Keen, who steals the show as Laura/X-23.
Logan was given an R rating, which gave the movie the freedom to showcase the kind of violence that Wolverine is famous for. While that kind of action is great, the film’s emotional core is why it’s so good. Logan’s relationship with Laura is beautifully depicted and Patrick Stewart is heartbreaking as a dying Charles Xavier. Logan also made history as the only comic book movie to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars.
3) Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
As great as The Avengers was in 2012, the MCU has managed to surpass it a few times with its sequels. Avengers: Infinity War, the third movie about the titular team, did it better than any other. The film masterfully manages to balance so many things, including giving proper screen time to the original group of heroes, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and more. It’s a project that features a ton of action in nearly every scene, which helped it gross more than $2 billion at the box office.
What truly separates Avengers: Infinity War from 2012’s The Avengers, and other similar films, was the decision to make Thanos the protagonist. Despite being the villain, Thanos gets a ton of screen time and he’s the character we follow. We learn enough about him to understand his motivations, even if we don’t agree with them. It feels different from any other superhero film in the best way.
2) The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight changed things for superhero movies forever. It was the first film in the genre to pass $1 billion at the global box office and it was legitimately in the conversation for a Best Picture nomination. It wasn’t just considered a great superhero movie; it was viewed as a legitimately fantastic piece of cinema, regardless of genre. Christopher Nolan’s signature style is evident, as not many directors seem to be able to helm a blockbuster like him.
The biggest talking point about The Dark Knight was Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker, which earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He’s truly legendary in the role, yet it’s worth noting that he also shares the screen with great performances from Aaron Eckhart, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The Dark Knight has a valid case as the best live-action comic book movie ever made and it certainly feels a step or two aboveThe Avengers.
1) Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023)
Similar to The Dark Knight, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse changed things for its genre. Several animated movies have adopted its visual style, and while that first film, which won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, was stellar, its sequel takes things to the next level. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ups the stakes and scale, showing us more universes and versions of Spider-People than we had ever seen before. Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy’s relationship is beautifully explored here, while new characters like Miguel O’Hara and Jess Drew were welcome additions.
The sequel is stunning, especially when it shows us how different the universes look. It’s highly emotional, features a fantastic soundtrack, and the score by Daniel Pemberton is hugely underrated. Every element of the film, from the voice acting to the emotional opening to the thrilling cliffhanger, was loved by fans and critics. It hit on everything that makes Spider-Man who he is, resulting in a perfect superhero movie.
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