Big names like Batman and Spider-Man had seen considerable success on the big screen in the past, butthe 2010s brought mainstream success to superheroes like never before. The Marvel Cinematic Universe absolutely dominated the box office during the decade, but the DC Extended Universe provided strong opposition alongside theX-Menfranchise. At the same time, movies likeMegamindandKick-Asswere providing fun twists onthe genre’s already long-established tropes.
However,while there were plenty of superhero movies released during the 2010s, not every one is an absolutely essential watchfor any fan of cinema. Some, likeAvengers: Endgame, require too much build up to be fully enjoyed on their own, while others, likeAquaman, were huge at the box office, but simply aren’t that good. But the following films stand out for being some of the best examples of the genre released during the decade.These are the 10 essential superhero movies of the 2010s, rankedbased on how enjoyable they’d be to the average viewer, as well as their overall level of impact.
10’X-Men: First Class' (2011)
Directed by Matthew Vaughn
Starring an entirely new cast and set long before the events of the firstX-Men, 2011’sX-Men: First Classwas initially intended to be a full reboot for the franchise. The first two films were successful with audiences and critics alike, but 2006’sX-Men: The Last Standwas a disappointing conclusion to the trilogy and 2009’sX-Men Origins: Wolverinewas a truly terrible spin-off, damaging the franchise’s reputation. Luckily,First Classgave the series the critical rejuvenation it needed, while also pleasing fans by telling an interesting story that depicts Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) forming the X-Men.
WhileX-Men: First Classisn’t as impactful as some of the other superhero films released in the 2010s, its notable simply for successfully rebooting theX-Menfranchise, rebuilding audience interest and allowing future releases likeX-Men: Days of Future PastandX-Men: Apocalypseto properly compete with Marvel and DC’s releases. It’san exceedingly enjoyable watch, owing to Vaughn’s direction as well as excellent performances from the entire cast, withMcAvoy being a notable highlight. The fact that it’s such a solid superhero movie, without being bogged down by connections to the rest of the franchise like its two follow-ups were, cementsFirst Classasan essential watch from the period.
X-Men: First Class
9’Wonder Woman' (2017)
Directed by Patty Jenkins
The DCEU’s output in the 2010s was never particularly successful critically, butWonder Womanwas a rare bright spotfor the MCU’s biggest competitor. At its center is Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), the title hero and Princess ofThemyscira, the secluded island home of the Amazon women. After American Air Force pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash lands on the island, Diana becomes entangled in World War I, fearing that it is part of a greater conflict involving the deity Ares (David Thewlis).
At the time of its release,Wonder Womanwas notable for being the firstwoman-led superhero filmin either of the two major cinematic universes. Its financial success played a key role in helping studios finally shed the outdated notion that audiences wouldn’t show up for a superhero movie with a woman as the lead, making itan especially important film within the genre. It’s also a genuinely enjoyable movie that, while occasionally veering a little too close to the firstCaptain America,helped to reinvigorate the DCEUafter the disappointing critical response to bothBatman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeandSuicide Squad.
Wonder Woman
8’Deadpool' (2016)
Directed by Tim Miller
At the time of its release,Deadpoolwas a uniquely comedic entry in a major superhero franchise. In it, mercenary Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), also known as Deadpool, goes on the hunt for Francis (Ed Skrein), the man who mutated and physically scarred him under the guise of treating his cancer. What follows isone ofthe funniest superhero movies of all time, bursting with hilarious quips,fourth wall breaksand comedic jabs at otherX-Menfilms.
Much of the film’s financial success could be attributed to the casting of its lead.Reynolds is perfect in the role, combining his signature charisma and snark to keep Wade Wilsonhilarious and likable through every over-the-top act of violence he commits. It becamethe singlehighest-grossing R-rated film of its time, effectively proving to studios that a big-budget R-rated superhero film could be financially viable. Admittedly,Deadpool’s appeal isn’t universal, butfor those in tune with its crass comedic sensibilities, it’s hard to make a better superhero movie recommendation.
7’Black Panther' (2018)
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Black Pantheris the 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a massive box office success. Released shortly beforeAvengers: Infinity War, but functioning mostly as a stand-alone,Black Pantherfocuses on T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the title hero initially introduced to audiences inCaptain America: Civil War, as he becomes the king of Wakanda, and is quickly challenged to defend the throne from his cousin, Erik Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), otherwise known as Killmonger.
Black Pantheris widely regarded as one of the best superhero films of the 2010s, largely because of how effectively it sets itself apart from its contemporaries. Most notably,the film was more willing than most superhero films to explore compelling themes regarding race and social justice, making it extremely culturally relevant. At the same time, Boseman quickly became a fan favorite as T’Challa, while Killmonger is largely regarded as one ofthe MCU’s best villains,largely because of Jordan’s performance. All of this and more contributed toBlack Pantherbecomingthe first superhero film to earn itself a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, solidifying it asan absolutely essential watch for any fan of the genre.
Black Panther
6’Chronicle' (2012)
Directed by Josh Trank
Chroniclewas a wholly originalfound footage superhero filmfollowing Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan), Matt Garetty (Alex Russell) and Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan), three teenagers who discover a mysterious crystal underground and subsequently develop telekinetic abilities. Over time, they strengthen their powers together, but Andrew, burdened by a troubled home life, begins to use them for darker purposes.
Two large factors that makeChroniclesuch a stand-out are its writing and performances.The friendship between Andrew, Matt and Steve feels totally authentic, with the dialogue smartly leaning into their immaturity rather than hiding from it. Russell and Jordan are great, butDeHaan delivers the film’s best performance, perfectly portraying Andrew’s turnas the troubled boy slowly gives in to his violent tendencies. It wasn’t nearly as big of a hit as the franchise fare released around the same time, butChronicleis an incredibly unique take on traditional hero and villain origin stories, cementing it as a superhero film that everyone should see at least once.
5’Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
Directed by James Gunn
Guardians of the Galaxywas a surprise hit that few saw coming for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Based on a fairly obscure team from the comics, at the time of its release,Guardians of the Galaxywas the riskiest Marvel release by far. Luckily, this risk paid off in spades, as the film became a massive financial success, quickly propelling Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) to Marvel’s A-list.
The film is great for a number of reasons. For one, at a time when Marvel’s cinematic universe was becoming increasingly interconnected, it was refreshing for a release to function almost exclusively as a stand-alone, acting asa great entry point for those not familiar with Marvel’s previous work.James Gunnalso deserves a ton of credit, lending the filmbig laughs with his distinct dialogue and a ton of genuine heart in the interactions between the characters, all of whom are brilliantly brought to life by the main cast. For the few that haven’t seen it yet,Guardians of the Galaxyis an absolute must-watch, still regarded by many asone of Marvel’s best films.
Guardians of the Galaxy
4’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewasthe first mainstream superhero film to explore the now very polarizing concept of the multiverse. It’s the story of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager left as his universe’s only Spider-Man after Peter Parker (Chris Pine) is killed in battle. Shortly after Parker’s death, Morales meets a wide variety of other Spider-People who face fading from existence after being abruptly sucked in from their own universes. The film was a box office success, but it was also widely-regarded asa fantastic animated superhero film, going on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Despite being the first to tackle the subject,Into the Spider-Verseis still themost enjoyable superhero film focused on the multiverse. Each Spider-variant, ranging from the burnt out Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) to the anthropomorphic Peter Porker (John Mulaney), stands out in their own unique way, making foran extremely likable cast of distinct characters that takes full advantage of the film’s core concept. It doesn’t hurt that the movie has a fantastic script with great messages and stellar, often hilarious dialogue written in part byThe Lego Movie’sPhil Lord. It may take some viewers a while to adjust to its eye-popping visual style, but it is absolutely worth it, asSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis one ofthe best superhero movies of all time.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
3’Logan' (2017)
Directed by James Mangold
Hugh Jackman has been consistently great as Wolverinesince he first played the character in 2000’sX-Men. In the quarter-century since, the actor has made a number of appearances in the franchise, featuring in both leading roles and small cameos, buthis best performance was in 2017’sLogan. Initially slated to be Jackman’s final performance as the character,Logangave Wolverine more depth than ever before by forcing him to face his own mortality while attempting to protect Laura (Dafne Keen), a young mutant who shares his DNA.
Next toChristopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight,Loganisone of the best examples of mature storytelling in superhero cinema. Its story is gritty and emotional, showing a different side of its long-established characters, weakened from years of conflict and aging. The film is alsobrilliantly directed by James Mangold, who takesplenty of influence from Westernsto give it a distinct look and tone. The strength of the performances, combined with anexcellent script and direction makeLoganone of the best superhero films of the 2010s.
2’Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (2014)
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo
The threeCaptain Americafilms led byChris Evansare some ofthe best releases in the MCU, butCaptain America: The Winter Soldieris on a whole other level. Directed byJoe and Anthony Russo,The Winter Soldierembraces many aspects of great spy thrillers, following Steve Rogers (Evans) as he discovers that Hydra, the Nazi organization that he was believed to have defeated in the ’40s, has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., the government agency often affiliated with the Avengers.
The fact thatThe Winter Soldierworked so well as a thriller made itan immediate stand-out within the MCU, proving that its established formula could be experimented with to great effect. The Russos were a perfect fit for the film, deliveringsome of the MCU’s best action sequences(notablythe famous elevator fight scene), while still giving plenty of focus to further developing Steve and the rest of the cast,illustrating the skills that would make Marvel trust the duo withInfinity WarandEndgamelaterin the decade. The fact that it pushed the MCU in such a genuinely interesting direction, while being a great film in its own right, solidifiesCaptain America: The Winter Soldierasone of the MCU’s most essential movies.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
1’The Avengers' (2012)
Directed by Joss Whedon
When discussing the most influential superhero movies of all time, it would be difficult to ignoreThe Avengers. The climactic finale tothe first phase of the MCU,Avengerswas Marvel’s first crossover event, finally pitting Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), all introduced in five prior films, against a common enemy. It was a major hit, cementing Marvel’s dominance at the box office while also heavily pleasing its target audience withover two hours of pure fan service.
Simply said,The Avengersis a nearly perfect superhero film. The dialogue is fun and quippy, fight scenes are incredibly engaging, andit’s an especially effective crossover because of just how well it manages to balance its sizable main cast. Each member of the team receives some interesting story beats and development, ensuring that, miraculously,not a single character feels wasted. LaterAvengersfilms, while also massively successful, are harder for casual audiences to enjoy as a result of the lengthy build-up required to be familiar with each hero, but the 2012 original works perfectly fine on its own,solidifyingThe Avengersas the single most essential superhero film of the 2010s.
