Ever since the superhero movie world took over Hollywood decades ago, the iconic Marvel brand has produced some of the best there are. Whether they’re from the Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, or Marvel Studios-produced universes, there have been some absolute bangers for quite some time. Some would even say… 10/10. It’s not easy to make a great superhero film, but even harder to make one as excellent as that.
Sometimes it’s the X-Men, the Avengers, or Spider-Man himself, but regardless of who is starring in the movie, 10/10 superhero movies all have a few things in common: they balance drama and action well, have good performances, inventive or simply well-done visuals, and great character writing. Marvel has been one of the leading forces for cape flicks across the many decades of their prominence, and these movies are proof of that.
10
‘Blade’ (1998)
In the wise words of Wesley Snipes in Deadpool & Wolverine, “There’s only one Blade, there’s only ever going to be one Blade.” That quote is pretty much directly proven by his very first appearance as the character in 1998’s Blade. This film is pretty dang legendary when it comes to comic book films, as it’s one of the original rated-R superhero movies, which didn’t become popularized until much later.
Blade is widely renowned among both superhero fans and general audiences alike. Snipes gives a wonderful performance, the action is bloody and fast-paced, and the story is straightforward and to the point. It’s a very well-rounded movie that hits all the beats it needs to in order to be a great Marvel and comic book movie in general.
9
‘Deadpool’ (2016)
Another R-rated superhero flick that really changed up the game is more modern, released in 2016, titled Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds and director Tim Miller‘s raunchy project was the little movie that could. With a small budget (for a superhero movie) of $58 million, studios clearly weren’t sure about whether this film could bring in the attention that it needed to in order to be successful. Thankfully, Deadpool ended up being a huge success, thanks to how great of a movie it is.
With belly-crunching comedy, bloody action, a great lead performer, and good-looking visual effects despite having such a small budget, Deadpool ends up being an awesome watch and is worth rewatching many times. It was so well-received that it paved the way for a normalization of more R-rated superhero projects moving forward, showing studios that it is possible to make a successful R-rated superhero flick. All thanks to how fun and engaging this movie is.
8
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War is commonly considered the best film in The Avengers franchise, and for very good reason. While the film to follow, Avengers: Endgame, is extremely impactful and was a cultural movement, this movie that came before holds the torch when it comes to being the best-formed movie. This movie could very easily have been a total mess, but it’s thanks to directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo that it was executed in the precise and perfect way it was.
With so many characters in play, all forging toward similar goals, and such a mass conflict with high stakes, Avengers: Infinity War finds itself being extremely engaging. It’s super fast-paced, but in a way that isn’t too quick-moving, but keeps viewers on the edge of their seats the whole time. This allows the moments it takes to slow down (typically the most emotional ones) to be all the more impactful, which makes the story so much more emotionally compelling. Not only is it action-packed, but keeps people involved emotionally, too.
7
‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ (2014)
It’s no secret that the X-Men franchise has struggled in cinema, but that doesn’t mean it’s always been desperately grappling for success. In fact, this series of films has had some huge successes over the years, and one of the best is their 2014 project, X-Men: Days of Future Past, which adapts one of the best Marvel Comics stories of all time. So, if done well, it was a given that it was going to be pretty dang good.
Not only is the story very thrilling, with high stakes, but it also has some compelling social commentary — which every good X-Men-focused film needs. It also switches things up for the franchise, bringing in the young X-Men: First Class cast to interact with Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine. Not to mention, director Bryan Singer introduces the iconic Quicksilver (Evan Peters), who was the centerpiece of one of the coolest superspeed sequences in film.
6
‘X-Men: First Class’ (2011)
Speaking of the young prequel cast from X-Men: First Class, this 2011 project is actually what many would consider the best X-Men film ever made. With the director’s chair helmed by the one and only Matthew Vaughn (best known for Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service), this prequel project is excellently written, with the screenplay drafted by Vaughn, Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, and Jane Goldman.
Depicting the origins of the iconic team, X-Men: First Class tells a deeply moving story about discrimination and what it means to be someone “different” in today’s society. The performances all around the board are exceptional, especially from the likes of James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, and Michael Fassbender. It also shows off mutant powers in a grounded, but spectacular manner that makes them feel large, but as if they could also exist in the modern day.
5
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)
If anything has become clear by 2025, it’s that James Gunn knows how to make a great superhero movie, and he first truly established this in 2014 with the underdog story that is Guardians of the Galaxy. Nobody really knew the Guardians of the Galaxy before the movie came out, with them being a far more niche team of characters in Marvel Comics. Therefore, the Marvel Studios team bringing this team to the big screen was a risk. Thanks to Gunn, however, they became some of the world’s most beloved Marvel heroes.
The only reason they got to that place and found the success they have is because of how genuinely amazing Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be. It’s the perfect mix of being a space opera, superhero movie, and classic science fiction film, making it a tribute to space-based film as a whole. The characters went from misfits to fan favorites as people watched them in theaters, which is a testament to how great the project turned out to be.
4
‘Logan’ (2017)
After the massive success that was Deadpool, the path was paved for the world to finally get an R-rated Wolverine movie, which had been long overdue. Set in the distant future, where the world has devolved into such a place that the genre becomes a Neo-Western, Logan shows a side of the titular character that other films had not shown off at the time.
The action is gruff and gritty, and the cinematography is excellent (thanks to the cinematographer, John Mathieson), but the project finds its appeal through the character work done, which got people invested in Logan in a way that they hadn’t experienced before. Logan‘s screenplay, driven by the acting from Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen, makes it a 10/10, for sure.
3
‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is commonly claimed to be one of the best, if not the best, Marvel Cinematic Universe films that have been produced so far. The use of the political thriller genre, combined with the superhero movie genre, makes for a movie that is thrilling from start to finish. Many claim it to have made Captain America (Chris Evans) “cool again,” which is already proof of the film’s quality.
This project is what put the Russo Brothers’ names on the MCU map and paved the way for them to make some of the most successful and highest-grossing superhero films of all time. Their directional prowess is on full display here, with the stakes — emotional, physical, and social — high, well-done performances, and well-choreographed action.
2
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
While Captain America: The Winter Soldier may be hailed as the best MCU movie ever made, Spider-Man 2 receives the same claim regarding superhero films as a whole. Sam Raimi produced one of the best superhero films ever made with his big Spider-Man sequel, telling a story surrounding Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) more so than his spider-like counterpart. It’s incredibly personal, intimate, and well-told.
Next to the excellent drama on display, the movie also has some of the best superhero action out there, with the second act’s big train fight scene often used as an example when the greatest fight scenes in cape flicks are discussed. Spider-Man 2 has truly earned the reputation it still manages to hold over 20 years later, and it most likely will for quite some time moving forward.
1
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)
The quality of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse not only made a huge critical impact on Hollywood when it released, but it shook the ground beneath the animated film medium, thanks to how much attention to detail was put into making this movie exceptional. It has a phenomenally unique style that was unlike any other animated film in the game at the time.
On top of the gorgeous visuals, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse tells a coming-of-age story that is relatable all around and features well-rounded characters that are a joy to watch. So, not only does this movie look beautiful, but the story it tells is just as much so. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is one of the best young protagonists in superhero films, which couldn’t have been accomplished without the amazing film behind him.