The 12 Most Influential Superhero Movies Ever Made

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.