It’s funny to think that a few years ago a superhero movie would’ve made you laugh out of your local comic shop, never mind a Hollywood studio. It was then that superhero movies began to creep in but were still met with trepidation and were few and far between throughout film history. Then in 1997 came Batman and Robin, a film so derided that George Clooney spent years apologizing for it. But then Wesley Snipes appeared and everything changed. As Snipes wore the shades of his vampire-stabber superhero (an old theme in Marvel Comics), Blade was released on August 21, 1998. In the United States, Blade earned $131 million. Suddenly, something changed.

Over the next two decades, successful caped-crusader movies began trickling into theaters, then flooding. Today, they account for a large part of the global film economy. We believe it’s time to throw the cat among the pigeons and give you our top 7 best superhero movies from the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe alone, for which George Clooney has spent two decades apologizing.

7. Batman (1989)

As the superhero genre was stuck in a rut in 1989, here is a dark and twisted version of the iconic caped crusader. Superman IV: Quest for Peace laid waste to Warner Bros’ Superman franchise, and audiences were unimpressed with duds like Supergirl or Howard the Duck. It was Tim Burton who brought the gothic Batman to life, proving a director could breathe new life into a classic comic-book character. In addition, Michael Keaton erased the memory of Adam West, and Jack Nicholson redefined the role of The Joker… for decades until Heath Ledger shattered it. This Bat-cake was iced with Prince’s music. Below is the trailer.

6. Logan

A memorable and impactful Wolverine movie was Hugh Jackman’s goal. It was achieved! In contrast to other superhero movies, Logan felt more like a modern Western than a cape and costume adventure. With an aged and weary Wolverine facing his mortality while caring for Professor X and his newfound daughter Laura, this story toned down the X-Men elements in favour of character study, instead focusing on Wolverine. Fans had waited years for this movie, because this is the Wolverine movie they’ve been waiting for. It marks the end of an era for Jackman as the clawed mutant and could have easily been the last chapter of the X-Men cinematic universe.

5. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

As a fan of the Sam Raimi trilogy, the Marc Webb movies, and Spider-Man’s ongoing adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you might think that a big-screen Spider-Man film could be a bit boring and pedestrian, but then along came Rodney Rothman, Peter Ramsay, and Bob Persichetti’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse to collectively blow our goddamn minds. Using the word “revolutionary” for describing the animation in the play would seriously undersell just how beautiful and impressive the style really is, and it’s truly amazing at how well it tackles a subject matter as complex as the multiverse. In all of the films discussed in this feature, it is difficult to find sequences more breathtaking than Miles Morales’ “Leap of Faith.” This epic adventure is a truly special and stunning experience that all future wall-crawler blockbusters will aim to match.

4. Avengers: Infinity War

The MCU fans have been waiting for the Mad Titan to step into the spotlight since Thanos’ mid-credits scene in The Avengers. After appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron as cameos, Thanos finally made his movie debut in Avengers: Infinity War and effectively served as the movie’s main character. The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and everyone in between joined forces to stop Thanos as he slowly collected all six Infinity Stones over 2.5 hours. The MCU has yet to experience a loss like this: our heroes lose in the end, despite Endgame being arguably the larger movie. The shocking end, along with the impressive battle sequences and the fact that so many characters managed to shine, made Infinity War the epic event fans had expected it to be and more.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers finally realized his potential as a hero and silver screen icon in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, after two appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Joe and Anthony Russo created an engaging political thriller that is equal parts cerebral and pulse-pounding by stripping the character of its more ridiculous elements and grounding him in the world of the MCU. The Winter Soldier solidified Captain America’s place as a lynchpin of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and elevated him to the level of Robert Downey Jr. ‘s Tony Stark. In a post-Avengers world, standalone superhero movies can be profound, insightful, and provocative with their immaculate fight scenes, intelligent narratives, and a sense of continuity within the greater MCU, as demonstrated by Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

2. Avengers: Endgame

In making Russo’s Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios could be argued to have set itself up for failure. The idea of making a blockbuster that would serve as a capstone to 21 other films seemed impossible, more so than simply living up to the hype that surrounded it five years ago. Nevertheless, they succeeded. 

The film pays homage to all of the legendary heroes who made the Marvel Cinematic Universe what it is, but it’s also an endlessly fun and exciting adventure that never disappoints in its three-plus hours long runtime. The movie is funny, it’s emotional, it’s thrilling, and it’s heartfelt, and it’s everything that it should be. It might be argued that it’s a cinematic accomplishment Marvel will never be able to match… but with what’s been achieved so far, it doesn’t seem like a safe bet.

1. The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s sequel to Batman Begins, was the film that really revived Batman on the big screen. The movie continues to serve as a prime example of how a sequel can improve upon its predecessor. The movie, inspired by stories like The Killing Joke and The Long Halloween, followed Batman as he battled The Joker, who was played by Heath Ledger, whose performance stunned audiences everywhere and earned him a posthumous Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The movie also intrigues viewers by chronicling Harvey Dent’s fall from grace, from civil servant to revenge-seeker, in addition to the conflict between the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime. The Dark Knight is one of the best superhero movies, and it’s one of the best moves over the last few decades by marrying traditional superhero elements with a gripping crime narrative.

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