Everyone has their own lists, and everyone will have their own opinion. This list includes films that not only have a good story, staggering box office numbers, and mystifying visual effects but also a strong international appeal, even a global cult following, and most importantly, a strong villain. Here are our top ten superhero films of all time.
Captain Marvel
2019 was a big year for Marvel. Not only were they able to garner over $3 billion at the box office, but they also introduced their first female superhero-Captain Marvel.
The Brie Larson starrer was a film that preceded the Avengers: Endgame and sort of had a similar job that Black Panther had for Avengers Infinity War.
No question about Larson’s acting prowess but there are very few who consider the film better than Wonder Woman. Even Marvel fans weren’t too excited about Larson, someone like Emily Blunt would have certainly made them appreciate the film more. Furthermore, Larson’s endeavor to connect the film with her activist movement didn’t help the film’s PR strategy. As a result of this, there isn’t much excitement about the sequel of Captain Marvel.
Man of Steel
Zack Snyder’s 2013 film was pitched as a film that will reinstate Superman as the most powerful superhero in pop culture and announce the arrival of the DCEU (DC Extended Universe), aka Justice League franchise, at the box office. The film was reasonably successful because of the visual spectacle, Henry Cavill’s persona, and Hans Zimmer’s deeply engaging soundtrack.
However, lackluster villains, no proper planning, and abysmal editing in film’s sequels led to the eventual downfall of DCEU.
DC is in the rebuilding phase after the shocker of the Justice League and is looking forward to bringing the franchise back on track.
Thor: The Dark World
The second film in the Thor franchise was the final film that Natalie Portman did with MCU before she parted ways citing creative differences. However, she will return as Jane Foster almost after a decade with the fourth installment of the Thor franchise (Thor: Love and Thunder)
The film gives more insights on Asgard than the first film, and although it could be criticized for utilizing scientific annotation in a wrong way the cinematography, action, and the acting of the ensemble cast makes the film worth a watch.
Wonder Woman
2017 blockbuster directed Patty Jenkins remains to this day arguably the best film of the DCEU franchise, and before that, there wasn’t anything really substantial in terms of fan appeasement. However, DCEU has been in the rebuilding phase, and with recent films like Shazam and Aquaman, there is so much to look forward to.
The Gal Gadot starrer also has a sequel in line, which is gearing up for the October the 2nd release date.
Avengers: Infinity War
It broke the record of Avatar in a matter of days and remained the highest-grossing film of all time until, of course, its sequel was released. Avengers: Infinity War is famous for his powerhouse of stars, visual effects, and Josh Brolin’s dominance as Thanos.
The climax of the film is very dark and arguable will remain the darkest moment in Marvel film history for a long time. I mean, how dark can Marvel get? It’s not DC. This should be the threshold.
Infinity War is an insane film, and I mean the literal word-insane. Ten years before, if somebody had mentioned an idea like this, he or she would have been called nuts. The film should have been impossible to make, but it happened, and for it to happen, several blockbusters had to be made in order to set up the events in Infinity War.
The sheer audacity and the strategy involved to create a franchise like this is nothing short of a work of genius.
Doctor Strange
It was the second film in phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role.
Doctor Strange possessed both magic and intelligence, and this origin film firmly established Cumberbatch’s prominence in Marvel’s plans for the future. He is arguably the frontrunner, along with Brie Larson, to take the place of Robert Downey Jr as the face of the franchise.
Batman (1989)
Tim Burton’s film was the first installment in the Batman franchise, which slowly but surely lost its way with its sequels.
The film had Michael Keaton starring as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. The film explored Batman’s early days (which Matt Reeves is also planning to do) and his rivalry with the supervillain Joker.
The film was critically approved and attained commercial affluence. Despite the likes of Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, and Robert Pattinson donning the caped crusader suit years after, Michael Keaton has remained one of the most beloved Batman actors.
But as a fun fact, there were voices at that time that said nobody could surpass Jack Nicholson’s Joker. Not to doubt Nicholson’s virtuosity, but the voice turned out to be wrong…the point, which we will address with the first ranked film in our list.
The Dark Knight Rises
Although it is regarded as one of Christopher Nolan’s weakly written scripts, the soundtrack, cinematography, sequence, and the acting done in the film are top-notch.
Nolan reluctantly agreed to do this film and finally bid adieu to the Batman franchise as a director. The film perfectly ended the story of Bruce Wayne and gave the possibility of continuation through Robin’s character, but the franchise hasn’t been touched upon ever since.
It ranks on 12th position in the highest-grossing films of all time and is Christopher Nolan’s highest-grossing film ever. Nolan co-wrote the script of the film along with his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer. Just like its prequel, the focus was mainly on the visuals and the story and less on the action.
V for Vendetta
It’s not so much of a superhero film, but it is one of the rare films ever made. V for Vendetta was a DC film based on the 1988 storyline of a limited series of the same name from DC Vertigo comics.
The film starred Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman in lead roles. The film is filled with symbolic significance, acting brilliance, and powerful dialogues. Portman won a Saturn Award for this film and it is one of her best performances.
The Dark Knight
The 2008 film directed by Christopher Nolan is arguably one of the best films ever made. The film is always held in juxtaposition with the vintage film Godfather but the most surprising thing is that it wasn’t even nominated in the best film category at 2009 Oscars.
The film holds the pedigree of not being just the best superhero film ever made but also the best crime thriller ever made.
The ensemble cast of Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Aaron Eckhart delivered a performance that is unfathomably difficult to recreate if not impossible to surpass.
Conclusion
So, here were our top 10 picks for the best superhero films of all time. There can be few honorable mentions that you would argue should have been there in the list itself such as Avengers: Endgame, Logan, Wolverine, Deadpool, Superman Returns, etc.
Source-Superhero Films of All Time
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