Throughout the 2000s, Sam Raimi released his Spider-Man trilogy, Christopher Nolan released his masterpiece in The Dark Knight (2008), and the Marvel Cinematic Universe saw its inception with Iron Man (2008). There are of course several other notable others, and you should recognize most if not each entry featured on this list.
The superhero subgenre has taken over Hollywood in a lot of ways, and some of these go down as a bit overlooked as time goes on. You may even forget that a lot of these titles were directed by massive names of the industry, with other talent behind the scenes and star-studded casts to boot. But without further ado, these are the best superhero movies of the 2000s, ranked.
15 Hancock
Starring Will Smith alongside Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman, this is without a doubt the funniest film on the list. That’s its primary selling point, but It’s also visually impressive, with action-packed spectacles around every corner of its surprisingly thought-out plot. Of course, Hancock (2008) follows Smith’s titular character as a scruffy, drunk, foul-mouthed superhero who drives the film’s entertainment value just on his breaking of genre conventions alone.
He’s hard to root for, which makes for tremendous development, and Smith shares fantastic chemistry with his on-screen contemporaries. Hancock was met with negative reviews from critics upon release despite making waves at the worldwide box office. But when evaluating its quality through a contemporary lens, Hancock without a doubt goes down among the best superhero movies of its decade.
14 Blade II
Although Blade II (2002) isn’t the best film you’ll read about today, it’s also far from the worst. A direct sequel to Blade (1998) by Stephen Norrington, this underrated sequel saw direction under famous Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. And frankly, his vision brought the franchise at hand to new, stylistic heights.
It follows Wesley Snipe’s titular character Blade as he continues in his quest as a vampire hunter, protecting humans from their blood-sucking tendencies. And everything comes together well despite what its statistics of success might imply. In the end, Blade II deserves to come in somewhere on this list, even if it’s at number fourteen.
13 Superman Returns
If there’s one thing you can expect from this list, it’s the direction of Bryan Singer. He made some of the most famous superhero movies of the 2000s, and the first to appear on the list is Superman Returns (2005). It continues the original film series that started with Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980). But this superhero saga from Singer ignores the events of the three other films in the series to that point, focusing on the first two films and concluding the lineage thereof.
It follows Brandon Routh as Clark Kent as he returns to earth after a five-year hiatus, only to find that Lois Lane has moved on to new phases of her life. Meanwhile, his archnemesis Lex Luthor is devising a new plot to have him killed. Quite the homecoming. The product is somewhat overlooked today, but it received great reviews from critics upon release, and even picked up a nomination at the 79th Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. Superman Returns came up short for the Oscar, but it lands at number thirteen on the list.
12 V for Vendetta
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Due to dynamic dialogue and vaunted, vigorous visuals, V for Vendetta (2006) goes down as a fan-favorite foray into the superhero subgenre still to this day. Although many dispute its status as such and cite it as more of an action-thriller, it was after all based on the DC Vertigo Comics limited series of the same name. And of course, its titular character V — portrayed by Hugo Weaving behind the iconic Guy Fawkes mask — features a few facets fit for a superhero. Or, an anti-hero, at least, as the film follows his revolution against a totalitarian fascist regime that controls a futuristic UK.
Reviews from critics were mostly positive, and it boasts some notable names among its cast: take Natalie Portman, for instance. She plays Evey Hammond, a British Television Network employee who’s saved by V toward the beginning of the film and develops into his love interest. The plot of V for Vendetta is often void of verisimilitude, but it holds up as a solid superhero stint, nonetheless.
11 Unbreakable
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan in what many fans would call his magnum opus, Unbreakable (2000) follows David Dunn — portrayed by Bruce Willis — who comes out on the other side of a train crash with no injuries whatsoever. Thus, he realizes his possession of superhuman abilities. Samuel L. Jackson’s character Elijah Price then comes into play as a comic book store owner, and the result is a thrilling superhero outing that kicked off a film series of the same name.
And there’s a solid argument that Unbreakable remains the best of the bunch. And sure, that may not be saying much compared to Glass (2019), the most recent entry in the franchise that completely missed all qualitative marks, but Split (2016) was a solid outing that’s considered the first supervillain origin story captured on screen. It’s worth a watch as well, but Unbreakable remains the best, and ultimately comes in as the eleventh best superhero film of the 2000s.
10 X-Men
Following Howard the Duck (1986) and the original Blade, this superhero stint (again, directed by Bryan Singer) marked the third-ever live-action film adapted from a Marvel comic book. And while Howard the Duck has developed a cult following and Blade was enjoyed by a certain selection of film fans, X-Men (2000) without a doubt put the superhero subgenre on the Hollywood map.
Its star-studded cast helped in that regard, as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, and Halle Berry were all massive names of the industry. Others like Hugh Jackman and James Marsden gained fame from their roles herein, and the franchise has of course seen several sequels and spinoffs. But the original X-Men put everything into motion, and remains one of the best superhero movies of its era.
9 Hellboy
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, this stylistic superhero story has aged just wonderfully, and was in a lot of ways ahead of its time. The character designs, action sequences, and visual effects in general render Hellboy (2004) one of the prettiest films the subgenre had to offer at the time of release. In fact, it may have been the most visually impressive to date.
Of course, films from the MCU have since been rendered among the most visually impressive of all time, with other notable entries in that regard showing up later on the list. But Hellboy also features a solid narrative from the start on top of its stylistic intrigue, and its pace is kept until the film’s final frame. It’s undoubtedly among the best superhero movies of the 2000s, and on any given fan’s list, Hellboy could appear even higher.
8 X2
Until X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) — also by Bryan Singer — came out over a decade later, it seemed as if X2 (2003) was destined to remain the greatest film about Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Its sequel X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) suffered from an overload of characters, while the Wolverine movies remained mediocre at best until Logan (2017) rolled around. Sure, X-Men: First Class (2011) brought a level of quality to the series that hadn’t been seen in years. But until Days of Future Past was released, X2 was the cream of the crop.
It features the antagonistic William Stryker as he sets out to replicate Xavier’s mutant-tracking computer system Cerebro. The titular team then teams up with the villainous Brotherhood of Mutants to halt Styrker’s antics. It’s an engrossing plot that deftly manages various character arcs amid engaging action sequences. It’s one of the best the genre can offer, let alone of the 2000s.
7 Spider-Man
Directed by Sam Raimi, who had made a previous, underrated superhero outing in Darkman (1990), this is one of a few movies along with X-Men that truly popularized the superhero subgenre for the masses. That was in part thanks to a star-studded cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, J.K. Simmons, and Willem Dafoe all show up in Spider-Man (2002) to respectively notable degrees.
Of course, Maguire stars as Peter Parker as he first gains his powers, while Dafoe plays Green Goblin and Dunst portrays Mary Jane. This goes down as one of the greatest superhero origin stories ever put to the silver screen, and truly remains a staple of the subgenre. On any given day, it could land even higher than number seven.
6 Batman Begins
The first of The Dark Knight Trilogy by English filmmaker Christopher Nolan, this is without a doubt among the best superhero origin stories ever seen in theaters. Christian Bale of course plays the titular caped crusader here in Batman Begins (2005), while Katie Holmes appears as Rachel Dawes and Liam Neeson portrays Ra’s al Ghul. Then, there’s Michael Caine.
It’s not that he was particularly impressive in his performance of Alfred Pennyworth. But Batman Begins marked Caine’s first of seven collaborations with Christopher Nolan, roles of which have defined the latter half of his career. This also marks the first time in which Nolan directed Cillian Murphy, another of his frequent collaborators. They all performed brilliantly in their portrayals of these comic book icons, and the film as a whole was well-made from start to finish.
5 Spider-Man 2
Sometimes, sequels manage to outshine their original counterparts, and that’s the case here with Spider-Man 2 (2004). Of course, this entry was once again directed by Sam Raimi, with the main cast reprising their respective roles: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, and J.K. Simmons. But the most noteworthy player in this famous superhero sequel would have to be Alfred Molina.
His portrayal of Dr. Otto Octavious — also known as Doctor Octopus — has gone down among the most fan-favorite supervillains of all time, and he recently reprised his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). There’s a reason fans were so excited about Doc Oc’s appearance within the MCU, as his menacing persona and intriguing abilities render him among the most entertaining of Spidey’s adversaries. And he was at his best in Spider-Man 2.
4 Watchmen
Directed by Zack Snyder from a DC Comics graphic novel series of the same name, Watchmen (2009) is easily among the most divisive superhero films ever made. Some fans were up in arms regarding the designs of its characters, while others took issue with the direction in which Snyder took its grim and gruesome plot.
But whether you disagree with its story or hold resentment for its production value, there’s no denying that Watchmen deserves a spot somewhere on this list if not for is impressive, stylistic visual components alone. This is one of the most beautiful superhero movies ever made thanks to carefully chosen color palettes and complete control of camerawork. The lighting effects are to die for too, and each action sequence is a spectacle in itself. Its convincing performances and heartfelt script just bolster its quality in the end.
3 The Incredibles
The titular family of superheroes in The Incredibles (2004) consists of Bob (also known as Mr. Incredible) who’s voiced by Craig T. Nelson, along with his wife Helen, otherwise called Elastagirl, with her voice actress being Holly Hunter. Their two kids — Violet (played by Sarah Vowell) and Dash (played by Spencer Fox) — bring a wonderful dynamic to the mix, as they’re not allowed to use their powers in public in order to maintain a normal life both personally and professionally for the family as a whole.
Other names include Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, and Wallace Shawn. And the overall product is replete with wit, charm, and stellar animation from the opening scene until the film’s final frame. It of course spawned a sequel over a decade down the line, but nothing will ever top the original. It’s one of Pixar’s greatest films, and deserves this spot at number three.
2 Iron Man
Of course, Iron Man (2008) by director Jon Favreau marked the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And even with more than thirty films under the franchise’s belt ever since its release, this remains one of the MCU’s highest quality outings. There are several origin stories on this list, and there’s a solid argument that Iron Man was the most well-executed. Sure, Spider-Man and X-Men and perhaps even Batman Begins are the more well-known from a structural standpoint of superhero origins, but Iron Man achieved what the others never even tried to accomplish.
It didn’t just see two sequels in Iron Man 2 (2010) and Iron Man 3 (2013). It also perfectly set up the most financially successful movie franchise ever made in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while going down as a high-quality film from start to finish. Its cast performs brilliantly, from Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow to Terrance Howard and Jeff Bridges. And it holds up perfectly today.
1 The Dark Knight
To be frank, this pick was always set in stone, and you in all likelihood anticipated its placement. Directed by Christopher Nolan, this second entry of his famous Dark Knight Trilogy isn’t just the best of its series, or the best superhero movie of its decade, or even among the best superhero movies in general — it’s legitimately one of the best films ever put to screen with some fans claiming it transcends the genre entirely, applying itself to the crime genre of films more than the superhero subgenre.
And there’s an easy argument therein, as Nolan took great inspiration from films like Heat (1995) when crafting his magnum opus in The Dark Knight (2008), which nonetheless follows a superhero in Batman as he attempts to halt Joker’s devious plans of chaos. Christian Bale plays Bats, while the supporting cast includes Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, and Aaron Eckhart. That’s quite the lineup, and of course, the project was defined by the everlasting efforts of the late Heath Ledger. His role as Joker is perhaps the best portrayal of a villain ever seen on screen, almost singlehandedly rendering this the best superhero film of the 2000s.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
