The 12 Most Influential Superhero Movies Ever Made

Avengers: Infinity War is nearly here, and its release will mark a decade since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began. Ten years of Marvel movies?! We here at We Got This Covered can’t quite believe it. As we all know, Marvel Studios is now the authoritative voice in superhero adaptations, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Neither is the genre overall, with more TV and film projects starring powerful protectors being green-lit almost daily. Therefore, it’s strange for us to remember that Marvel wasn’t always a ubiquitous Hollywood powerhouse. Heck, superhero movies haven’t always been as popular – or as consistently great – as they are nowadays. So, how did we get here? What films have shaped the genre into this vast and continually-diversifying crop of movies that we love to watch? Well, let’s take a look back at the most influential superhero pics ever made, and see how we ended up with our heroes of today. Superman (1978) By 1978, comic book fans had already enjoyed TV adaptations of their favorite characters, such as Adam West’s Batman and the original animated Spider-Man show. Yet, many of these iterations (which included the occasional TV movie or comedic cinematic release) played upon the absurdity of superheroes. When Jaws and Star Wars set the scene for the bold new age of the blockbuster, the time was right for superheroes to be reformed and given their dramatic dues. And Richard Donner's assured take on Superman started it all off. Sure, Superman may seem cheesy and dated by today’s standards. However, its groundbreaking special effects and its earnest approach to its source material set the benchmark for every superhero movie to come. After all, Patty Jenkins recently cited it as a major influence for Wonder Woman. Additionally, as brilliant as Henry Cavill is, few would decry Christopher Reeve's status as the definitive live-action Superman. Batman (1989) Studios have always chased trends and styles of storytelling to satisfy audiences and bag the big bucks. It’s not a new phenomenon, but it’s very apparent in our favorite superhero films. For several periods of time, moviegoers have been treated to an overwhelming amount of wholesome super-powered family entertainment. A few years down the line, the adventures almost unilaterally shift towards darker content. Then the focus reverses again, and so on. We’ll see more of this as we continue through this list, but Tim Burton’s Batman instigated this kind of shift. The campiness of Adam West – and Superman’s sequels – was disregarded in this much darker and thoughtful outing. Indeed, even with its thrilling set pieces, it’s more an atmospheric character analysis than it is an action flick. Yet, Batman’s effect on the genre cannot be understated. From the tortured, psychological duality of its leads, to the wondrously-realized Gotham, Batman has influenced nearly every version of the Caped Crusader ever since. Its immersive (and substantial) production value signaled that outlandish comic book realms were becoming easier to actualize. And, as we know, it wouldn’t be the first time that a Batman movie would change the superhero genre forever. Blade (1998) Those shifts we were just discussing? Well, after the macabre Batman Returns, Warner Bros. began to pull Batman back towards more commercially friendly realms. But 1997 saw the franchise reach peak cheesiness with Batman and Robin, with almost catastrophic results for superhero movies. It was eight years until the Dark Knight could be reconfigured for the silver screen. Thankfully, the genre as a whole recovered much sooner because of Blade. Like Tim Burton’s Batman, Blade convinced onlookers that comic book movies didn’t have to be shallower, kid-friendly entertainment. It might have been an intensely stylized picture, with vampire-gods and death-by-boomerangs, but Blade didn’t adhere to overtly comic book-y tropes. Instead, director Steven Norrington hewed closer to traditional, hardcore action movies, using horror tropes only when needed. It was this approach that imbibed Blade with a coolness and a sense of legitimacy that had not existed at that point in the genre. Some would argue that it was Bryan Singer’s X-Men which catalyzed comic book adaptations of the 21st Century, but nowadays this feels like a somewhat unfair assumption. Indeed, after a series of failing films such as the, ahem, interesting Spawn, Blade revitalized the superhero genre by being a fresh and sturdy offering in and of itself. Plus, Wesley Snipes did such a bang up job with the character that fans still clamor for him to reclaim the role. Spider-Man (2002) Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is a vital step in the superhero genre’s evolution. It may have arrived a few years after the trail-blazing Blade and X-Men, but the wall-crawler’s silver screen debut is no less impactful. The advancement of CGI didn’t simply allow Spider-Man’s powers to come to life, as with Wolverine and Cyclops’ abilities in X-Men. Instead, it heightened the spectacle, allowing audiences to feel as if they were swooping through concrete canyons alongside the hero and seeing New York from his perspective. With its heart firmly on its sleeve, Peter Parker’s heroic journey is told in broad and spectacular strokes, and it is, in many ways, the 2000’s equivalent of Richard Donner’s Superman. Moreover, Raimi’s film has proved so sturdy that, when the franchise was twice rebooted, each version has had to work very hard to step out of its shadow. This dynamic tale of “power and responsibility” was intensely popular with cinemagoers, too. When those box office numbers came in, Hollywood was inspired to invest millions of dollars in superheroes again. Batman Begins (2005) Ah yes, the film which started the trend of describing films with the buzz words “grounded” and “gritty.” 2005 saw director Christopher Nolan and writer David S. Goyer regenerate the Caped Crusader by revisiting his formative crime fighting days, in a real-world setting. Sure, some fans were irritated by the bare-boned approach to the Batsuit, the Batmobile and Gotham itself, claiming that they bore little similarity to the comics. However, Nolan and Goyer’s greatest strength was that behind the no-frills aesthetic, they really understood what made the Caped Crusader tick. Batman Begins draws from several notable comic runs, and delivers a love letter to the character and all of his inner conflicts. It also helps that it’s a taught and thrilling movie with lashings of wit (seriously, there are far more one-liners in this film than people tend to remember). Through their sterling character study, Nolan and Goyer started one of the most successful and acclaimed trilogies of the modern age. And, from Casino Royale to The Amazing Spider-Man, Batman Begins...erm...began a spate of brooding, back-to-basics, reboots for all manner of intellectual properties. The Dark Knight (2008) While it’s amazing what Christopher Nolan managed to accomplish with Batman Begins, his success with The Dark Knight is on another level. Ten years on, and many superhero enthusiasts will agree that very few films have come close to the same level as this sequel. At this point, there’s very little that remains unsaid about the cinematic epic. From the intensity of the Batmobile chase to the nerve-wracking crescendo of Two-Face’s revenge, it’s a ride that’s filled with unforgettable movie moments. And then there’s the late and great Heath Ledger, whose work on the film became iconic overnight. As it was – and still is – with The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight is now the benchmark against which numerous sequels are measured. Its thoughtful musings upon morality represent the pinnacle at which superhero films can occasionally soar. And it’s doubtful that any movie has captured the post-9/11 zeitgeist any more than Christopher Nolan did here. Iron Man (2008) On the flip-side, another – albeit markedly different – movie was making history as well. This isn’t to to say that Iron Man was totally removed from The Dark Knight’s reality; far from it, the War on Terror plays a major role in Tony Stark’s updated origin story. Yet Iron Man was a buoyant, far breezier outing than its competitor, and it once again offered something new to audiences. Indeed, the papers may ask “Who is Iron Man?” at the film’s climax, but we need to remember that before it was released moviegoers were asking that same question themselves. It seems laughable nowadays, especially when Tony Stark is front and center in Infinity War’s promotional material. But it’s true that this is all due to Iron Man’s success. Admittedly, Iron Man doesn’t exactly revolutionize the superhero movie. It hits many of the same narrative beats that other films did (and still do) continue to check. And yet, with its slick one-liners, a host of armor-porn (and that spine-tingling post-credit stinger) director Jon Favreau laid a rock hard foundation for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to flourish upon. The Avengers (2012) The Hulk transforms. Iron Man swoops in to assist him. The Leviathan is downed. As Alan Silvestri’s iconic theme rises triumphant, the Chitauri scream in shock and fury at the Avengers, assembled in all their glory. Four years and four films later, the promise of Nick Fury’s cameo had finally been realized in a remarkable way. Certainly, The Avengers could have very easily sunk under its own weight. Amazingly, though, it didn’t. Writer/director Joss Whedon may not be viewed with the same fondness that he once was, but it’s thanks to him (and his endlessly quotable quips) that Marvel Studios’ shared universe exists as it does today. Moreover, the impact of The Avengers’ success is still evident across the entertainment industry. Six years on, and even outside the superhero genre, Hollywood continues to chase the box office returns that shared universes can provide. But few have come close to replicating the same success – or confidence – that Marvel Studios had in their movies. Certainly, even in the meridian of The Avengers, an interconnected future was being teased. Yup, Marvel Studios were just getting started. Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014) From Blade to The Avengers, every superhero movie of the 2000’s – no matter how outlandish – bore some modicum of enforced solemnity. Nowhere is this more evident than in Thor, where the usually otherworldly, magical trappings of Asgard and its denizens took on a more realistic tint. It wasn’t magic after all – merely science that we don’t understand yet. This approach was to end with the cosmic recalcitrance of Guardians of the Galaxy. The Avengers had introduced quips and fun as mainstays of Marvel’s output. Director James Gunn then came along and took these qualities to another level, including talking trees and raccoons. It managed to stay shy of the genre’s early campiness. And it worked. So surprising was Guardians of the Galaxy’s success that the movie industry sat up and began taking notes. Paramount was reportedly very keen to capture the popularity of Guardians’ spirit with Star Trek Beyond. Plus, Suicide Squad was heavily marketed as a similarly zany experience, and took chances with a lesser-known comic book team. Certainly, the way in which audiences embraced little-known characters like Rocket and Groot signaled that the world was ready for less conventional, esoteric fare. It’s safe to say that without Guardians many films, including Ant-Man and Doctor Strange, wouldn’t exist in the same way they do today. Deadpool (2016) With its killer soundtrack and sense of fun, Guardians of the Galaxy brought smiles back to a genre that had become reliant upon stoic brooding. Deadpool capitalized upon this u-turn in a big way, and it made a very big point in the process. Many believed that the raunchy and knowing nature of the character would be better served by a production that wasn’t trying to be suitable for children. As such, all interested parties championed an R-rated solo movie, but 20th Century Fox had little enthusiasm for the project. Like their fellow studios, they were preoccupied by the lure of PG-13 rated properties to gain the big bucks. Several fan campaigns and one leaked test reel later, and Fox grudgingly acquiesced. If they had been able to foresee the outcome, it’s doubtful that Fox would have been as reluctant to produce Deadpool as they initially had been. Opening in February 2016 with an outrageous (yet compelling) marketing campaign, Deadpool earned a whole lot of money in a month that's usually reserved for underwhelming releases. It didn’t just signal how much interconnected groups on the internet were becoming an influence upon Hollywood’s output, but it cemented Ryan Reynolds’s stardom and demonstrated that blockbusters geared towards adults could easily flourish alongside family friendly films. Kudos therefore must go to Deadpool for ushering in a new era of R-rated thrills, such as Logan, the Hellboy and Spawn reboots, and of course, Deadpool 2. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016) To say that Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is a divisive movie would be something of a massive understatement. Upon its release, the film received negative reviews, and a long and fierce debate raged over the nature of film criticism. Critics were even accused of being biased (or bribed) against non-Marvel movies (Spoiler: they’re not). Petitions were started and death threats were sent, all by fans who felt the film had been unfairly maligned. Is Zack Snyder’s epic worthy of re-evaluation? The jury is out, yet the controversy stings. You’ll still find fans debating over Doomsday’s design, Batman’s murder sprees, or the “genius” of Snyder’s cinematography on many comment sections. Justice League may be the biggest failure in Warner's burgeoning franchise, but Batman V Superman is the beginning of the project's descent. It’s clear that the heavy-handedness on display in this film has cost the DCEU dearly. Warner Bros. scrambled to copy Marvel’s successes, without the necessary forethought or restraint that they needed after the middling response to Man of Steel. Be it Snyder’s dour (and unsubtle) deconstruction, or the draconian management style of studio executives, Batman V Superman’s rash pursuit of a shared universe now exists as a cautionary tale for other Hollywood heavyweights. Still, at least we got Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman out of it. Black Panther (2018) At a time when diversity and sexism are heated and prevalent topics, Black Panther arrived and catalyzed the conversation. Wonder Woman may have led the charge for alternative voices in the media, but Black Panther has undoubtedly delivered a more significant blow to many preconceived notions about Western entertainment. Much has already been made of its black director and cast, but it’s true that the film is groundbreaking in this regard. And then there’s the story itself, which addresses the fictional idyll of Wakanda, but places it in a real world context. Thus, we have one of the most poignant and relevant superhero stories ever made. From the intricate detailing of our hero’s clothing, to the gleaming afrofuturistic spires of Wakanda, director Ryan Coogler and his fellow filmmakers unveiled the kind of scope that is rarely seen in Hollywood. When cinema goers are dancing in the aisles just because they’re happy that the film exists, you know it’s something special. Some readers may balk at this particular inclusion, especially since Black Panther only arrived a short while ago. But even at this early point in time, it’s clear that it'll have a profound effect on many upcoming movies. In its long history, Hollywood has always followed the money flow. With its humongous box office returns, Black Panther will hopefully signal the financial gains that come from commissioning diverse voices to make new, engaging films.