The 12 Greatest Superhero Films Ever Created

      What is the greatest superhero film ever created? In our opinion, it’s one of these options — listed in no particular order.

      The Dark Knight (2008)

      Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Warner Bros. – Credit: C/O

      This is the most clear choice — a tense, unsettling moral narrative where every character acts with good intentions, highlighted by Christian Bale as the finest Batman and Heath Ledger in an Oscar-winning performance as one of cinema's greatest villains, a strategist disguised as a clown.

      Some may argue this shouldn't be included on a superhero movie list since there are no superpowers involved… but that's part of what we appreciate about The Dark Knight.

      Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      Following an incredible opening that hints anything is possible, Infinity War balances character development with action before concluding on a cliffhanger like no other.

      Its sequel, Avengers: Endgame, not only resolves that cliffhanger but also wraps up over a decade of Marvel superhero story arcs.

      Watching Infinity War and Endgame in succession evokes the sense of revisiting a pinnacle moment for the MCU. We hope Kevin Feige and his team can recreate the brilliance of the late 2010s with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which are set to bring back some beloved characters.

      Spider-Man 2 (2004)

      Sony – Credit: C/O

      Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) discovers that with great power comes not only great responsibility but also significant sacrifice as he realizes that his role as Spider-Man jeopardizes his relationship with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).

      Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) is among the best spider villains, and a standout moment in the film occurs when New York City comes to Spidey’s rescue. It is the most romantic superhero film, aside from the final entry on our list.

      Sony made a brilliant choice in hiring Sam Raimi for this project, and he excelled — bringing the same scrappy spirit from his Evil Dead series to a property that was then relatively untested, understanding that Spider-Man embodies both heart and heroism. Sometimes, heart and heroism are one and the same.

      X2: X-Men United (2003)

      Fox – Credit: C/O

      X-Men 2 from 2003 greatly surpasses the original right from the first scene: Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) dramatically infiltrates the Oval Office, and it never slows down from there.

      The confrontation between Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Lady Deathstryke (Kelly Hu) feels much more grounded and impactful compared to the poor CGI battles that would plague many superhero films later on, and Brian Cox's portrayal of Col. William Stryker is masterfully menacing, making him a believable adversary for our favorite mutants.

      Fox appeared hesitant with the original X-Men due to the superhero genre being somewhat niche at its release. However, X2 stays truer to the Chris Claremont X-Men comics and excels as a result.

      Logan (2017)

      Hugh Jackman in Logan. Fox – Credit: C/O

      A rule-breaking tale of sacrifice, loss, and the struggle of one solitary figure to navigate centuries on this earth while aiming to do more good than harm.

      Director James Mangold definitively illustrated that comic book films can appeal to adults with a metaphorical storyline about aging gracefully.

      Mangold revisited the theme of an aging action hero in his recent film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Nevertheless, we prefer Logan.

      Deadpool (2016)

      Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in Deadpool. Fox – Credit: C/O

      The most outright hilarious comic-book film ever made, which made its way to the big screen due to Ryan Reynolds' relentless belief that one of Marvel’s strangest, least likely characters could become one of its greatest.

      While we enjoyed last year's blockbuster Deadpool vs. Wolverine — it doesn’t quite match the joy brought by their individual escapades.

      Black Panther (2018)

      Disney – Credit: C/O

      The world-building is exceptional and the acting is exemplary throughout. Michael B. Jordan portrays possibly the MCU’s finest villain, and Chadwick Boseman presents a heartfelt performance as a king torn between his people and the broader world in this Best Picture nominee by Ryan Coogler.

      It’s quite remarkable that both Black Panther and Infinity War were released only months apart — 2018 was a remarkable year for Marvel and superhero films as a whole.

      And that’s before we delve into the next superb film on our list.

      Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

      Sony – Credit: C/O

      Departing from all conventional norms, this daringly innovative and visually stunning animated feature serves as a loving tribute to decades of Spider-Man lore while presenting an optimistic vision for the future of comic book films and their young audiences.

      It’s astonishing how many Spider-f