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Esquire: The 25 Best Superhero Movies of All Time

Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:34 am
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
58519 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:34 am
quote:

For the last few decades, superheroes have reigned supreme over popular culture. Though their origins are rooted in comic books, franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe rule the box office and fundamentally change how we interact with movies. Still, only a handful superhero movies deserve recognition as some of the best of all time.

The genre's origins on screen date back to roughly 1939—barely a year after Superman's hoisted a car over his head in his first-ever comic book appearance. Black and white serials for The Mark of Zorro, Adventures of Captain Marvel, and Superman proved popular in the '40s, but a certain caped crusader wasn't far behind. 1966's Batman starring Adam West increased the character's popularity on TV. Then, Christopher Reeve's Superman debuted in 1978 and broke box office records.

Even as superhero movies—and certainly their budgets—grow bigger and better, it doesn't matter whether their powers come from radioactive spiders or magical rings from outer space. As Spider-Man's uncle famously says, "with great power, comes great responsibility." Superhero movies are all about good triumphing over evil, and that's a feeling that never gets old. With James Gunn's Superman and Marvel's The Fantastic Four: First Steps proving that superhero movies are here to stay, here are 25 of the best superhero movies ever.


quote:

25 - Thunderbolts*
24 - Shazam
23 - Super
22 - Thor: Ragnarok
21 - Watchmen
20 - Superman II
19 - Avengers: Endgame
18 - GOTG Vol. 2
17 - Shin Kamen Rider (‘23)
16 - Hellboy (‘04)
15 - Captain America: The Winter Soldier
14 - The Crow (‘95)
13 - Logan
12 - The Batman
11 - Into the Spider-Verse
10 - Batman (‘89)
9 - X2
8 - Unbreakable
7 - Wonder Woman
6 - Black Panther
5 - The Incredibles
4 - The Avengers
3 - The Dark Knight
2 - Spider-Man 2
1 - Superman (‘78)


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Posted by CBandits82
Lurker since May 2008
Member since May 2012
58272 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:40 am to
no Batman Begins?
Posted by iwyLSUiwy
I'm your huckleberry
Member since Apr 2008
40391 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:41 am to
I get making lists is never going to please everybody, but holy hell that is an awful list.
Posted by Mad_Mardigan
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2012
1954 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:42 am to
Throw it out and start over.
Posted by StansberryRules
Member since Aug 2024
4038 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:42 am to
Some of those movies are so dramatically different you can't even really compare them in a meaningful way.

Imagine building a categorization that has The Incredibles and The Crow as siblings.

Overly broad definition of "super hero movie" to the point it has no meaning.
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
58519 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:42 am to
Not having Infinity war listed is silly
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
44575 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:43 am to
They have 3 Batman’s and no Batman Begins?
Posted by CBandits82
Lurker since May 2008
Member since May 2012
58272 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:44 am to
quote:

Throw it out and start over.



my man
Posted by BCTigerFan
Member since Jan 2007
1680 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 11:51 am to
Black Panther at 6….please. Into the Spider Verse is too low and is so much better than BP
Posted by ATrillionaire
Houston
Member since Sep 2008
2149 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:13 pm to
The Dark Knight and Watchmen are masterpieces.
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
69142 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:21 pm to
Unpopular opinion: Superman ‘78 has aged poorly.
Posted by chinese58
NELA. after 30 years in Dallas.
Member since Jun 2004
33057 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:23 pm to
quote:

The Crow (‘95)
The Movie channel has been showing The Crow (2024). It pissed me off when I thought was going to be the 1995 movie. I got over being pissed and tried to watch the 2024 movie one night but turned away from it after 20-30 minutes. Does anyone like the newer one better than the 1995 one?
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
65718 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:31 pm to
List is shite
Posted by chinese58
NELA. after 30 years in Dallas.
Member since Jun 2004
33057 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:31 pm to
quote:

Superman ‘78 has aged poorly
That was the 1960's Superman I grew up with, I probably quit reading comic books around the start of junior high, so if the character changed in the 70's I never knew it. Superman was like George Washington was to American kids back then, Never lied, and could do no wrong. He wasn't exciting, but he got the job done the right way.
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
58519 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:33 pm to
quote:

Does anyone like the newer one better than the 1995 one?


Most people haven't seen it. It was a huge bomb. I'll get around to it, but it just never looked interesting to me. They should leave it alone.
Posted by RohanGonzales
Member since Apr 2024
7650 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:43 pm to
It is Esquire, of course the list is shite.

They can't just list movies everyone likes, they have to show their intellect by listing crap.
Posted by rebelrouser
Columbia, SC
Member since Feb 2013
12694 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:53 pm to
Guardians 2 but not the original? WTF?
Posted by Jack Ruby
Member since Apr 2014
26321 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 12:55 pm to
Batman 89 and Superman 78 are in another genre than anything else.

So are the Nolan Batman films.

To me, they're just old school big budget Hollywood effects blockbusters that just happen to have guys in capes in them.
Posted by Fewer Kilometers
Baton Rouge
Member since Dec 2007
37834 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 1:05 pm to
Clickbait list looking for disgruntled comment traffic.
Posted by Ace Midnight
Between sanity and madness
Member since Dec 2006
94573 posts
Posted on 7/25/25 at 1:07 pm to
quote:

1 - Superman (‘78)


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