Summary
Since the 2000s, the rise of the superhero movie has been a meteoric one. FromX-Men, toSpider-Man, toMan of Steel, costumed heroes in big-budget films have become modern blockbusters. These titles have cemented their place as notjust action movies, but an entire genre in their own right.
Whether it is a set of films within the MCU, stories told in other cinematic universes of a similar vein, or in standalone film trilogies made by brilliant directors, there have been many movie series about superheroes to enjoy. Here are some of the best superhero movie series to come out of this era of film.
Captain America
Steve Rogers, the secondmost famous ‘Blue Boy Scout’hero behind Superman, is an icon of the superhero world. Between his exploits during World War 2, punching Nazis on the cover of his comics, and being so full of willpower and heroism that he was able to wield Mjölnir, there’s no denying his greatness. Captain America is one of the best heroes of all time, and as a result, his journey throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a successful one, boasting one of the best trilogies in the series.
In the firstCaptain America, viewers saw how a small man with a big heart can change the world. He was the chosen recruit for the super soldier experiment due to the sheer goodness he showed, and proved throughout the franchise that he deserved that title as one of Marvel’s best fighters. InTheWinter Soldier, he struggled with the dark changes made to an old friend as well as handle organizational corruption at the highest level. In the final film of the trilogy,Civil War,audiences get a story that was grand enough to be an Avengers movie in its own right. Finally, his battle against Iron Man to keep superheroes free from control resulted in one of the best Marvel movies ever put on screen.
Before there was a Marvel Cinematic Universe revolving around the Avengers, there was a universe of multiple movies spanning across multiple timelines, surrounding the stories of Marvel’s other big-dog superhero team: the X-Men. The X-Men have often been cited as the true catalysts of Marvel superhero movie dominance. With their unique take on a superhero team that all come from an attacked race of people, the X-Men act as an estranged family torn apart along ideological lines by their two patriarchs: Professor X and Magneto.
One of the reasons the X-Men franchise was so great was its dark, gritty take on superheroes. Many consider this a breath of fresh air when going back to watching these films, in comparison to the trademark MCU quips and tension-cutting jokes that have been criticized recently. With themany adventures of Wolverine, the daring missions of Mystique, and the constant war between humans and mutants, the 20th Century Fox X-Men franchise has countless nostalgic tales to enjoy.
Raimi’sSpider-Manfilms could also potentially be credited as a catalyst for the Marvel boom in the 21st century.Spider-Man has always been the most popular of heroesor, at the very least, among them. These films only raised his status in the hearts of young superhero fans worldwide. Sam Raimi’s unique and weathered style of film-making brought an equally gritty yet fantastical essence to the world of Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire’s performance as Peter Parker is still considered to be the most iconic, with many modern fans holding strong in their belief that he is the best Spider-Man.
The first film features one of the best origin stories of all time, with Willem Defoe’s Green Goblin serving as a great first villain. The second film is often considered one of the best Spider-Man films of all time, and Dr. Octopus is just as memorable as the villains who came before him. And though the third villain has its faults, it received a passionate cult following. Many fans find the symbiote-granted persona of “Bully Maguire” to be very entertaining.
Many are familiar with Christopher Nolan due to hisfantastically shot films, which often boast complex, thought-provoking content. One of his many claims to fame is what quite a few consider to be the best series of Batman films to date, showing the Caped Crusader in a realistic but just as menacing light.
One of the aspects that Nolan’s Batman trilogy is known for is the fantastic portrayals of famous characters. Christian Bale is considered the best Bruce Wayne by many fans, and a decent Batman too. The trilogy boasted many memorable villains, such as the chilling portrayal of Scarecrow by Cillian Murphy, the great presence of Liam Neeson as Ra’s al Ghul, and an Oscar-worthy performance by Heath Ledger’s Joker, to name a few.The Dark Knight,or Nolan Trilogy, provided hours of quality entertainment not only for those who enjoy superheroes, but anyone who likes grounded mysteries and action flicks.
Guardians of the Galaxy
For audiences looking for good wholesome superhero fun set to the theme of a space opera and the tune of great hits from the 70s and 80s, theGuardians of the Galaxyis the perfect fit. James Gunn is often praised for his ability to take a team of ‘superhero nobodies’ and make them into household names, due to how brilliantly this trilogy of films was received.
In the firstGuardians of the Galaxy, audiences learn the story of a group of ragtag misfits. There’s ahuman afraid of true connection due to his mother’s death, the troubled assassin daughter of a warlord, a vengeful man seeking justice for his family, a snarky and traumatized genius raccoon, and a surprisingly sweet and charismatic tree. Together, they destroy Ronan with the power of love.
In the second film, they defeat an absentee father and a god-like planetary threat, and in the final film, they band together one last time to destroy a perfectionistic conqueror-scientist who was responsible for traumatizing their friend.Guardians of the Galaxycombines the wholesomeness of a found family tale with the epic nature of space battles spanning across the universe.
