Summary
- Ranking subjective art like movies is challenging, but Rotten Tomatoes' top 300 list offers insight into the superhero genre.
- Marvel and DC deliver iconic films, elevating the superhero genre, showcasing a wide array of projects for fans to enjoy.
- Superhero movies like The Avengers, Thor: Ragnarok, and Guardians of the Galaxy are celebrated for their unique storytelling and impact on the genre.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has released an updated version of their Best Movies of All Time article, and several superhero movies from Marvel and DC made the cut. Ranking something as subjective art - including movies - is incredibly challenging, but there can still be value in trying. Given the incredible amount of superhero movies that have been released over the past several decades, Rotten Tomatoes' new top 300 movies list provides an interesting look into the genre.
While Marvel and DC are sometimes incorrectly treated as opposing rivals by fans of the brands, seeing a wide array of projects paints an interesting picture of the best comic book movies of all time. Both Marvel and DC have delivered iconic films, elevating the superhero genre as a whole. While the specific rankings are sure to cause disagreement, it's impossible to argue that the 10 movies below don't offer a wonderful representation of superheroes for their fans.
10 Superhero Movie Sequels Better Than The Original
Often, superhero sequels don't match up to the success of their predecessors, but there are several sequels that far surpass the original films.
10 Marvel's The Avengers (2012) Is Ranked #286
The Movie Holds A 91% Critics Score
The Avengers
*Availability in US
- stream
- rent
- buy
- Director
- Joss Whedon
- Release Date
- May 4, 2012
- Writers
- Joss Whedon , Zak Penn
- Cast
- Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Stellan Skarsgård , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany , Cobie Smulders , Tom Hiddleston , Jeremy Renner , gwyneth paltrow , Chris Evans
Though it may seem difficult to imagine now, The Avengers was a huge risk for the MCU. While Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America had all gotten well-received solo-movies, a superhero team-up of this nature had never been done on the big screen. There were doubts that the script could balance six heroes in relatively equal measure and provide a compelling threat for them to deal will.
Fortunately, The Avengers proved any doubts wrong and was better than most imagined it could be. If they weren't already, the Avengers became household names, and the movie changed the blockbuster movie concept medium-wide. There has hitherto failed to be an equally successful shared cinematic universe, and The Avengers is what really kicked it off in earnest.
9 Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Is Ranked # 274
The Movie Holds A 93% Critics Score
Thor: Ragnarok
- Director
- Taika Waititi
- Release Date
- November 3, 2017
- Writers
- Christopher Yost , Craig Kyle , Stephany Folsom
- Cast
- Cate Blanchett , Anthony Hopkins , Jeff Goldblum , Karl Urban , Tom Hiddleston , Mark Ruffalo , Tessa Thompson , Chris Hemsworth
Though Thor was a popular character in the early years of the MCU, his solo movies lagged a bit behind his contemporaries. Thor: The Dark World, in particular, largely failed to impress. It's fortunate, then, that Thor: Ragnarok's bold reinvention of the character paid off so well.
Taika Waititi's signature humor proved to be a perfect fit for the God of Thunder, and Hemsworth's natural comedic talents shone. Cate Blanchett's Hela is also the perfect mix of genuine menace and comic-book camp, anchoring a colorful, hilarious, and epic story worthy of Thor. Though the movie's follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder, failed to capture the same magic, Ragnarok remains endlessly rewatchable.