It’s summertime, which means long hot days and blockbuster movies we’ve all been waiting to see. Over the past 20 years, some of the most highly anticipated superhero movies have primarily come from two studios: Marvel and DC Warner Bros. But they’re not alone — other studios have also produced very memorable superhero flicks, helping to make the genre the most popular and profitable around the world.
In honor of our favorite caped (and non-caped) crusaders, we compiled our very own list of the top seven superhero movies from the last 20 years that you need to add to your watch list.
Admittedly, this is an unscientific examination of the best superhero movies. Not definitive, just ours. Place them in whatever order you choose, but we think each of these is a true gem.
Let’s start with number seven and work our way to number one.
#7: “Shazam!”
The first movie comes from DC Warner Bros., a film not a whole lot of people went to the theaters to see, and that’s a shame, because the 2019 movie “Shazam!” was a ride from start to finish.
Directed by David F. Sandberg, Zachary Levi played Billy Batson, aka Shazam, in a movie that deals with “A newly fostered young boy [who] in search of his mother instead finds unexpected super powers and soon gains a powerful enemy,” a description on IMDb read.
It is the kind of movie you not only want to take your kids to see, but look forward to as you all enjoy the thrill of seeing how a young person who’s been lost the majority of his young life finds his way and a family.
“Although ‘Shazam!’ didn’t have … as much grit as ‘The Dark Knight,’ both films do have one thing in common — a good story,” one writer noted. “‘The Dark Knight’ had themes of justice, identity and duty, while ‘Shazam!’ highlights identity, family and bravery.”
The DC film scored $367,799,011 at the box office worldwide during its entire run in theaters.
#6: “Spider-Man 2”
Out in theaters in 2004, Marvel picked filmmaker Sam Raimi once again to direct the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2002 hit movie “Spider-Man,” also directed by Raimi, “Spider-Man 2.” Actor Tobey Maguire who plays Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, is “beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius.”
In this “Spider-Man” movie, Peter has to learn that the dangers of being a superhero and his love for Mary Jane, played by Kirsten Dunst, do not mix.
“The film’s dark vision of power as a curse and super heroism as a stoic moral obligation (rather than a glamorous and gratifying day job) is remarkable for the genre, even radical,” one writer noted. “Equally remarkable is the elegance and artistry with which this theme is presented and developed throughout the course of the film.”
“Spider-Man 2” was produced by Columbia Pictures at Sony and earned more than $788 million at the global box office during its lifetime.
#5: “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Released in 2014, director James Gunn created one of the greatest superhero films of all time with “Guardians of the Galaxy” out of a group of characters who would never have been seen as heroes on their own. In this Marvel film lead by stars like Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Zoe Saldana, we learn about “a group of intergalactic criminals” who “must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.”
“GOTG” might not be a movie all families would take their kids to see, but it is a film about a group of lost individuals who find each other and come together to become a family, one writer noted.
Pratt — who plays Peter Quill — and the rest of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” don’t “so much jest about their scars as they play them off and refuse to recognize the extent of their damage,” the writer added. And it is “precisely that damage that ties these five misfits together.”
The rag-tag action/adventure killed it at the box office and ended up earning a total of $773,350,147 worldwide over its lifetime.
#4: “The Dark Knight”
Released in theaters in 2008, “The Dark Knight” finally gave fans of the caped crusader the chance to learn just how the superhero called Batman came to be. As much as we loved Robert Pattinson as the tortured superhero in the 2022 film “The Batman,” it’s Christian Bale’s portrayal of Bruce Wayne, aka, the Dark Knight, that is forever etched in our minds as the hero of Gotham City.
“When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice,” according to IMDb.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight” deals with the age-old battle of good vs evil, as Bale’s character explained at one point in the film, “I’ve seen what I have to become to fight men like him.”
The Guardian previously opined, “…Bale gave us a Batman we could believe in, in more ways than one. Crucially the character is never overplayed.”
The action crime thriller was a big hit for DC Warner Bros. at the worldwide box office where it earned just over $1 billion globally life-to-date.
#3: “The Avengers”
Four years later, Marvel dropped “The Avengers.” Despite there being numerous other films featuring our favorite superheroes like Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and Thor, teaming up to defeat evils around the world like Thanos, this first “Avengers” stands out among the rest.
“Earth’s mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity,” a description on IMDb read.
Directed by filmmaker Joss Whedon, the 2012 film deals with a variety of themes including teamwork, leadership, “overcoming individual interests to form a team and working together to achieve a shared goal,” as one person wrote.
“The Avengers” performed phenomenally well at the box office, earning more than $1.5 billion worldwide over its lifetime.
#2: “Iron Man”
The first movie in the new Marvel Cinematic Universe was 2008’s “Iron Man.” Directed by a relatively unknown actor-turned-filmmaker Jon Favreau, “Iron Man” quickly became the standard template for how to make a superhero movie. Robert Downey Jr. plays billionaire inventor Tony Stark, who transforms into the unlikely ironclad hero.
“After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil,” a description on IMDb read.
One reviewer wrote, “the film also offers a new twist on the evolution of the big-screen superhero. Unlike most of his colleagues, Stark himself is not imbued with super powers or any sort of magical ability. He is empowered by conscience, backed up by technological supremacy…”
Gwyneth Paltrow and Terrence Howard round out the cast of “Iron Man,” helping to bring in a hefty lifetime total of $585 million worldwide at the box office,
#1: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
Our top offer comes from Marvel, the 2014 action/adventure sequel to “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Captain America: Winter Soldier” centers on Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, played by Chris Evans, and his mysterious relationship with a pal from the past, Bucky Barnes, played by Sebastian Stan.
“As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier,” a description on IMDb reads.
The sequel is not only incredibly shot and well written, but takes the audience on a thrill ride with one twist after another. Movie Web wrote that it is the “Best MCU Movie of All Time” and said that it was “was a one-of-a-kind movie experience” for Marvel fans.
“Winter Soldier” created a more “intimate look at the humanity within the superhero” aside from its “expertly choreographed fight scenes and larger-than-life action set piece,” the outlet noted. It also took “pleasure in the quieter, more human moments between its characters,” for example Rogers and Barnes bond.
“Despite its comics’ pro-nationalistic origins, the movie was not afraid to raise questions about the validity and morality of the political structures of power that seek to govern and supposedly protect its citizens,” the outlet added. “It is a concept that still rings true today.”
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” may not have been the biggest box office success for Marvel, but to date, it has brought in well over $700 million worldwide for the franchise.