The Best Superhero Movies Ever

Superheroes are definitely enjoying a golden age in Hollywood, with multiple television series in the works and more films than you can shake a stick at, but which ones have been the best? We decided to tackle the impossible task of choosing the top 20 superhero movies, then, and after many twists and turns, here's our list of the Top 20 Superhero Films.

Disclamer: When this list was made, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was the last superhero film to hit cinemas.

20º Hellboy 2
Release year: 2008
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Luke Goss, Anna Walton
Hellboy isn't one of the most well-known heroes, and his films are often forgotten, but not by us. The two films in the saga are pretty good, but the second time Ron Perlman took on the red horns was particularly memorable. The artistic direction of the film is superb, and it clearly shows the touch of a director coming from the visually stunning Pan's Labyrinth.

19º Dredd
Release year: 2012
Director: Pete Travis
Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirbly, Lena Headey, Wood Harris, Jason Cope
The 1995 Judge Dredd film with Sylvester Stallone is probably more famous than the 2012 one, but the latter, from director Pete Travis, is far superior. Intense, focused, and claustrophobic, Dredd represents the best recreation of the character on film so far, and manages to stand as an excellent action film in its own right. You'll hardly be able to take a moment to breathe as Dredd goes through a locked city block stuffed with dangerous criminals.

18º Blade
Release year: 1998
Director: Stephen Norrington
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright, Donal Logue
Nowadays Marvel is more often associated with family-friendly superhero entertainment, but 1998's Blade is anything but, as it sees vampire Wesley Snipes (Blade) fight to protect humans from other vampires, with plenty of blood and gore to go with it. There's even a scene with blood rains down on the dance floor of a nightclub. It's not just about the violence and the great action though, as Blade has a truly pervasive atmosphere of darkness and evil, where the stakes are certainly high.

17º Watchmen (Extended Edition)
Release year: 2009
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Malin Åkerman, Jeffrey Morgan, Jackie Haley, Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup
Many consider Watchmen to be the ultimate comic book masterpiece, but the film version itself wasn't so well-received. This was due in part to the many cuts in the theatrical version, which were only added later in the Blu-Ray release. With a fantastic visual style, the extended version of Watchmen represents one of the most complex and ambiguous stories in the superhero universe. And Rorschach is still a bad-ass.

16º Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (Extended Edition)
Release year: 2016
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jesse Eisenberg, Amy Adams
Batman vs Superman split the fans upon release, however, it's not as bad as some people paint it. On the contrary, it's a fantastic story, although this can get lost somewhat. The extended edition helps to better explain the depth of the film, but ultimately there's no one else to blame but the film itself for not offering a more cohesive story, and that's why it's not higher on the list.

15º Kick Ass
Release Year: 2010
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Aaron Johnson, Lyndsy Fonseca, Nicolas Cage, Evan Peters
Inspired by the comic book of the same name, Kick Ass stormed the world of superheroes when it arrived in 2010. Irreverent, fun, and tough, this mix of parody and superhero tribute has so many interesting elements, though Hit-Girl (played by Chloë Grace Moretz), is the undoubted highlight of the film.

14º Iron Man
Release year: 2008
Director: Jon Favreau
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard, Paul Bettany
Although it wasn't officially the first film in the Avengers Universe (The Incredible Hulk gets that honour), Iron Man was the movie that truly started it all. Fun, faithful to the character, and with great moments of action, Iron Man has re-defined the modern basis for origin superhero movies.

13º Dr. Strange
Release year: 2016
Director:Scott Derrickson
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen
Doctor Strange commits the 'sin' of following the general outline of superhero movies, but that doesn't mean it's a bad movie, as it's fun, exciting, and visually bolder than almost every other Marvel film. Doctor Strange also marks the debut of a character that long deserved its place in the Marvel cinematic universe.

12º X-Men 2
Release year: 2003
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn
The first X-Men movie proved that it was possible to translate the mutants into cinematic form, but it was in the sequel that it reached its true potential. With some memorable action sequences, relevant topics, and Hugh Jackman's interpretation of Wolverine (far superior to what he did in the first film), X-Men 2 was a dream come true for fans of the license.

11º Batman Begins
Release year: 2005
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Katie Holmes, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson
After Batman had been away from the world of film for a while, Christopher Nolan decided to create a much more realistic and complex Batman movie. The director realised that Bruce Wayne is just as, if not more, important than his alter-ego, and with that insight, he managed to create a genuine bond between the audience and the hero. It's also the beginning of one of the best sagas in superhero films.

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10º Deadpool
Release year: 2016
Director: Tim Miller
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, Ed Skrein
Who says you can't have adult humour in a superhero movie? Deadpool proved that this was not only possible, but it was a success at the same time. Even though Deadpool isn't one of the best known heroes, no one remained indifferent to one of Marvel's most irreverent, amusing (and sometimes annoying) characters. Deadpool managed to be both a satire and a great superhero movie.

9º Batman Returns
Release year: 1992
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Michael Keaton, Michelle Pfeiffer, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough
Tim Burton's films saw the introduction of a much darker Batman, and this sequel is fantastic for several reasons. Not only does it benefit from the director's very peculiar art style, an interesting story, and explosive action sequences, but also from stellar interpretations from several great actors. Danny DeVito as Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman were unforgettable.

8º X-Men: Days of Future Past
Release year: 2014
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage
Many thought it was impossible to bring this particular X-Men saga to the big screen, but on his return to the series, director Bryan Singer managed to pull it off. Even with time travel, and two generations of actors playing the same characters, X-Men: Days of Future past was a fun, action-packed, and relatively easy-to-follow movie.

7º The Avengers
Ano de estreia: 2012
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
For many Marvel fans, the Avengers movie is a dream come true. It's amazing how the studio managed to combine stars and characters from several films into one project, while creating a story where they all had their own space to shine. With great special effects, a fast-paced and engaging rhythm, and a sea of stars, The Avengers is a milestone for the superhero movie genre.

6º Batman: The Dark Knight Rises
Release year: 2012
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman
After the superb Dark Knight, expectations were tremendous for the third and final chapter of Christopher Nolan's trilogy. It failed to live up to those almost impossible expectations, but it still managed to stand as an epic and intelligent film that links the previous chapters and complete the saga with style.

5º Captain America: Civil War
Release year: 2016
Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen
There are those who say that Civil War has the best scene ever in a superhero movie, and we agree. The airport battle featuring all those characters is an amazing moment for any Marvel fan, something that not even the most optimistic person could think possible 10 years before. Civil War is, however, more than that; it's a film with a great political and emotional presence, and it puts the heroes in a confrontation where there is no right answer, and that ended up even dividing the public itself.

4º Guardians of the Galaxy
Release yeara: 2014
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Dave Batista, Zoë Saldaña, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker
Hardly anyone knows the comic books of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but that didn't stop the movie from conquering fans of the genre and even science fiction. It's a true space epic which is fun from start to finish, and proves that great special effects, a good script, and a range of charismatic actors are all the ingredients needed to create a thunderous movie. Alas the sequel didn't quite make the same impression.

3º Captain America: Winter Soldier
Release year: 2014
Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Emily VanCamp
We're not big fans of Captain America's first movie, but this sequel impressed us. The Russo brothers made a grounded Marvel movie with some elements of espionage, hardly any powers, serious consequences, and some very intense and explosive action sequences. As an isolated episode, it's Marvel's best movie.

2º Logan
Release year: 2017
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen
After 19 years wearing Wolverine's skin, Hugh Jackman bid farewell to the character with a superb film. Adult, dark, and thrilling, Logan triumphs because it's film about a man - a broken man - and not necessarily about a hero. Outstanding in virtually every department, Logan is a remarkable film, not due to blood and violence, but because of the themes and emotion it conveys.

1º The Dark Knight
Release year: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal
The second film in the Christopher Nolan trilogy is extraordinary; a cinematic piece of art that rises above the super-hero genre. Extremely smart, with real conflicts and consequences, and the only super-hero movie awarded with an Academy Award winning performance for Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight represents the ultimate example of the genre, and it's Gamereactor's favourite superhero movie bar none.

And here it is, our list of the 20 Best Super-Hero Films so far. We're sure many of you will not agree with the list, and since your opinion is just as valid as ours, please share with us in the comments below what you would change.