Superhero movies are the trending hotcakes in the movie market today. They give the producers a guaranteed success and keep the box office bell ringing all the time. Apart from drawing stupendous box-office numbers, superhero movies also gave us some memorable quality works over the years. Here is our list of the greatest superhero movies of this century!
Before seeing our 21st century lists, check out our roundups of the Greatest Sci-Fi Movies and Best Action Movies.
- Unbreakable (2000)
A non-Marvel/DC superhero movie that is subtle, unique, exceptional, and amazing all at the same time. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the movie starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson has always been a cult favorite, which takes us to one great fun-ride with an intriguing storyline. The movie is quite refreshing even today for its freshness and uniqueness in engaging the audience without the commonly used superhero movie templates like witty one-liners or CGI action spectacles.
- Spider-Man (2002)
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is the game-changer for the superhero movie genre. The kind of success and technical excellence the movie accomplished along with some great performances from Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, and Kirsten Dunst is unforgettable. The movie is a rage at the time of its release. And, even today, many sites and fans claim that Tobey’s version of spider-man is their general top choice when it comes to live-action Spider-Man movies. All we can say is the day when spider-man was released, superhero movies officially got resurrected.
- Iron Man (2008)
MCU was born when Robert Downey Jr. wore the suit of Ironman. Who could have thought that a fading actor and not-so-famous universe can make the world go gaga with a single movie? Ironman is not mere luck; it is something that happens when you have a brilliant actor and visionary director backing up each other. Directed by Jon Favreau, the movie is a legacy for millions of MCU fans around the world and, it might be unfair if we skip this movie from our list.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Easily the greatest MCU movie ever to grace the silver screens and the finest standalone superhero movie for Captain fans to cherish. Note that, whatever I said now is an understatement for this coolest Marvel superhero movie. Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo, the movie starring Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson has a brilliant storyline, accompanied by lots of cool and intriguing action sequences which make this movie a must-watch for all superhero movie fans out there.
- The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Here comes the movie of a superhero that is celebrated all around the world and often claimed as the greatest superhero ever in both cinema and comics. Batman is a legacy, and when a legacy is handed over to a path-breaking filmmaker like Christopher Nolan, the result will be like “The Dark Knight Trilogy”. Starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, and many more, the movie can be easily termed as one of the greatest movies that end the Trilogy of an already high franchise in style.
- Wonder Woman (2017)
The Resurrection of DCEU from few misfires happened when the beautiful ladies, Patty Jenkins & Gal Gadot came to the rescue. With a strong storyline, superior technical aspects, stellar casts, and stupendous box-office performance, Wonder Woman could be termed as the giant leap that DCEU always aimed for. And, the best part is that the leap happened with the first solo female-oriented superhero movie. There is always a saying that, “woman is always right”, and Wonder Woman lived up to those words.
- Logan (2017)
Logan is gritty and violent but had a lot more than that to defy the stereotype superhero genre formula. The darkness, emotions, and soul the movie carried throughout will be remembered and cherished by the audience for another century for sure. Starring Hugh Jackman and directed by James Mangold, the movie is the greatest farewell movie ever made for a superhero. And, our beloved Wolverine aka Hugh Jackman deserves every bit of appreciation and recognition for what he accomplished over these years in the X-Men universe.
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The craze for Superhero movies officially began when Tobey Maguire wore the suit of spider-man, and things went to a whole new level when the sequel hit the screen. The CGI quality, performances, and direction were praiseworthy and who could forget the iconic train fight scene which redefined the heroic moments. Directed by Sam Raimi, starring Tobey Maguire & Kirsten Dunst, Spider-man 2 is one of the greatest cinematic experiences that any superhero fan craves for.
- Justice League – Snyder’s Cut (2021)
Yes, you read that correctly. After all the controversies and fan movements, we finally got to witness Zack Snyder’s vision and this one is worth all those struggles and hype. Zack Snyder’s Justice League is an epic movie that helps you understand the characters, conflicts, emotions, and then get indulged into one hell of war along with our beloved superheroes. With a far more satisfying movie than the theatrical cut and an open end to the sequels, Justice League is inarguably the best Superhero crossover movie ever made. Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, and Ezra Miller, the movie is an experience that no cinephile can afford to miss.
- The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight isn’t just the best Superhero film of the 21st Century, it is likewise one of the greatest films ever made in cinema history. The vision of Christopher Nolan, accompanied by the unflinching performances of Christian Bale and Heath Ledger made this one a phenomenal art-work that no cinema lover could afford to miss. All we have to say is, grab your popcorn and sit comfortably to watch, experience, and celebrate the Dark Knight. In short, The Dark Knight can’t be hated nor avoided and it is unarguably far more superior to other superhero movies when compared to the perfection and conviction it had overall as a superhero movie.
