Best Superhero Movies of All Time

“Shazam!” is the seventh film in the DC Cinematic Universe. The lighthearted treatment of a superhero centers around a wisecracking 14-year-old boy who pranks police and is transformed into an adult superhero when he says the name of a wizard, “Shazam!” The film resonated with critics, who gave it a 91% freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, and 86% of audiences liked the movie.

The sequel to the highly successful “X-Men” finds the superheroes joining forces with former foes Magneto and Mystique to rescue Professor X, the leader of the X-Men, from evil scientist William Stryker. “X2: X-Men United” was the sixth highest grossing film in the X-Men series, and it received an 85% scored from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Benedict Cumberbatch, familiar to audiences from the Sherlock Holmes television series, plays a gifted, though arrogant, neurosurgeon, who injures his hands in an accident. In his search to heal his injuries, he learns of the power of the mind to heal and becomes involved in a battle to combat evil. Other stars powering this fantasy/action film from Marvel Entertainment include Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams. The film scored an 89% freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 86% of filmgoers liked the movie.

Critics hailed “Spider-Man: Homecoming” as having “limitless optimism.” In the fourth highest grossing of the web-slinger series, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, under the tutelage of Tony Stark/Iron Man, is feeling more comfortable with his superpowers. He’ll need them to battle the villainous Vulture.

“Wonder Woman” was the first superhero movie to be both directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, and starring a woman, Gal Gadot in the title role. The plot revolves around an Amazonian warrior who is destined to save the world from destruction during World War I. The film scored a 93% freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 88% of moviegoers liked it. “Wonder Woman” was the biggest blockbuster of the summer of 2017.

A superhero movie of a different sort. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a comic-book nerd, who without special powers can still lay down a nasty beatdown. He calls himself Kick-Ass and joins forces with a father-daughter crime-fighting team to clean up their city. The film got an R rating for brutal violence, sexual content, and drug use. It got 76% freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 81% audiences like the movie.

The venerable DC Comics superhero was revived in the 1978 blockbuster, starring Christopher Reeve as the man of steel, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, and Gene Hackman as arch-villain Lex Luthor. Its $55 million budget was the highest of any movie to that point. The film won a Special Achievement Oscar for visual effects. “Superman” was well received by critics and audiences — 94% of critics liked it on Rotten Tomatoes, and 86% of audiences gave it a thumbs up — for not taking itself too seriously yet respecting the legacy of its superhero.

In the Tim Burton-realized “Batman,” Michael Keaton is the caped crusader who battles the psychopathic Joker, played by Jack Nicholson. Burton’s stylish and eerie take on the dark knight was a box-office smash, pulling in more than $251 million at the box office. On Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of audiences liked the film, but only 71% of critics gave it a positive rating.

The animated sequel from Pixar has the family of superheroes assigned a new task, only this time, Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) is a stay-at-home dad, while mom Helen Parr (voiced by Holly Hunter) does the heavy lifting of saving the world. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 94% freshness rating, and 85% of audiences liked “Incredibles 2.” The 14-year gap between Incredibles movies didn’t hurt the sequel, which has rung up more than $608 million in domestic box office gross and was more successful than the original.

“X: First Class” was among the poorer performers at the box office in the X-Men series and is 10th among the films in the franchise in box-office gross. In this film, Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, humans with extraordinary powers, try to find others like them. Things get complicated because of Erik’s quest to find a mutant who ruined his life. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave “X: First Class” an 86% freshness rating, and 87% of audiences liked the film.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are based on the Marvel Comics superheroes. The sequel focuses on the team traveling through the universe to help their leader, Peter Quill, discover the truth about his parents. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” was the 15th Marvel Cinematic Universe movie released. Audiences gave it a score of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, and critics gave it a freshness rating of 84%.

Like its predecessor, “Deadpool 2” offers up a profane slice of self-aware violence and humor. The movie did well at the domestic box office and is the fourth highest grossing movie in the X-Men franchise when adjusting for inflation. A PG-13 version of the movie titled “Once Upon a Deadpool” was also released in 2018, and it received significantly worse reviews.

“Captain America: Civil War” is the eighth most successful film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the third Captain America-themed movie. In the most recent film, the government, appalled by the collateral damage from the world-saving Avengers, puts restrictions on the actions of superheroes, causing a division in the ranks of the Avengers. Critics and audiences alike responded positively to the sober theme of “Captain America: Civil War,” with critics giving it a 91% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and audiences awarding the film a score of 89%.

A product of Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” tells the story of Hiro, who along with bulbous robot Baymax and some of his close friends, form a team of heroes to save the city of San Fransokyo. Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus describes the flick as “agreeably entertaining and brilliantly animated,” with 91% of audiences giving it a positive review.

Critics lauded “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as “suspenseful and politically astute,” according to Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes. And CinemaScore gave the movie an A rating. In the film, Captain America is paired with Avengers colleague Black Widow and the two are tasked with thwarting an assassin called Winter Soldier.

Based on an underground comic book from 1989, “The Crow” tells the story of a murdered rock star who returns from the dead to seek revenge. The movie’s look is highly influenced by graphic novels, and critic Roger Ebert called it “the best version of a comic book universe (he’d) seen” in his 1994 review. Unfortunately, leading man Brandon Lee was accidentally killed on set while shooting a scene portraying the death of his character.

“Thor: Ragnarok” is Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 17th film and the sequel to “Thor” and “Thor: The Dark World.” In Norse mythology, Ragnarok are the events that lead to the apocalypse. In “Thor: Ragnarok,” Thor, played with a touch of wry by Chris Hemsworth, must escape his imprisonment to save his planet from destruction. According to Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is a “colorful cosmic adventure.” Critics gave it a 93% freshness rating on the site, while 87% of audiences liked the movie.

“Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” is a feature-length animated movie based on “Batman: The Animated Series” that has been largely praised by both critics and audiences alike, with 84% and 88% giving it positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively. The movie was intended to be released directly to video but was given a last-minute theatrical release. The lack of a marketing campaign prior to its release may be to blame for the movie’s low domestic box office gross of $5.6 million.

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, a billionaire who creates a lethal suit of armor to combat evil. “Iron Man” revived Downey’s career and launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe that has become the most successful motion picture franchise of all time.

“Deadpool” is the most financially successful movie in the X-Men franchise, grossing more than $363 million domestically. The film is fast paced, R rated, and filled with self aware jokes, giving it an edge that resonated with many viewers who flocked to its sequel two years later.

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” is the fourth highest grossing movie in the X-Men series. Hugh Jackman plays superhero Wolverine who is sent by the X-Men into the past to change history and prevent an event from causing catastrophe for humankind. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a freshness rating of 90%, and audiences awarded it a score of 91%.

“Logan” is centered on X-Men character Wolverine — played by Hugh Jackman — in his later years, living in a future with a dwindling mutant population. Similar to X-Men movies “Deadpool” and “Deadpool 2,” “Logan” earned itself an R rating for its violence and language, as well as brief nudity.

Funny and irreverent, and laden with stars such as Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper, “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a hit with critics and audiences alike, scoring over 90% among critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Pratt plays Peter Quill, an adventurer in possession of an orb whose powers he has yet to understand. Pursued by the villainous Ronan, he enlists the aid of a group of galactic misfits to help him.

The sixth film released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “The Avengers” features a number of fans’ favorite heroes in one movie, including Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America. The movie was a huge financial success, grossing the second most in the series when adjusting for inflation.

Christian Bale plays the often gloomy and complicated dark knight in the film directed by Christopher Nolan. Audiences liked the movie more than critics on Rotten Tomatoes, giving it a score of 90%, while critics gave it a freshness rating of 84%. Bale, who played Batman in three Nolan-directed films, announced last year he will not play the caped crusader any more. The three films have grossed $1.19 billion at the box office.

“The Dark Knight Rises” is the final film in director Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy. It’s a superhero movie of epic proportions, running 165 minutes in length and featuring extravagant sights such as a collapsing football field. The movie grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it one of the top grossing films ever.

All of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s superheroes unite to try and defeat the powerful Thanos before he can destroy the universe. The film earned an 85% freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and 91% of audiences liked the film. However, some critics chided the film for the quality of computer generated imagery as well as what they considered the predictable plot line of always putting the fate of the universe at stake.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is the first animated Spider-Man feature. The movie was praised by critics not only for its groundbreaking visuals, but also for its humor and storytelling. In 2019, it took home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

“Avengers: Endgame” is by far the highest grossing movie of 2019 and the top grossing film in the history of Marvel Cinematic Universe, the most successful movie franchise of all time. In “Avengers: Endgame,” the Avengers seek to restore order in the universe in the wake of the destructive war battle with Thanos. The film received a freshness rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 91% of audiences like the motion picture.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” is dark, atmospheric, and filled with unforgettable images. It is the second to last feature film that actor Heath Ledger would appear in before passing away at age 28, making his Oscar-winning performance as The Joker all the more haunting. The movie is the most successful Batman movie to date, grossing nearly $670 million at the domestic box office when adjusting for inflation.