5) The Specials
In both Super and Guardians of the Galaxy, Jams Gunn took a sideways look at superheroes. His first exploration of the genre, though, came back in 2000 when he wrote the script for The Specials.
The Specials follows the world’s sixth or seventh best superhero team on their days off, as they attempt to up their profile and land lucrative merchandising deals. Amongst the underdogs we learn to care for are Rob Lowe’s insect-powered Weevil, Thomas Haden Church as laser-shooting The Strobe and Paget Brewster as Ms. Indestructible.
Made in just 18 days and on a minuscule budget, The Specials has no action and certainly no special effects, which is something unheard of elsewhere in the genre. However, after a decade and a half of big-budget, CGI-heavy comic book movies, it is the perfect antidote to more mainstream superhero fare.