10 Greatest Superhero Movies Nobody Talks About, Ranked
One would need to be living under a rock not to notice that the superhero genre has absolutely taken over Hollywood in the last few decades. This fact has led to a surplus of superhero films over the years, but not every single one of them can be a Spider-Man or Iron Man kind of movie when it comes to success. That doesn’t mean that they’re not as good, however, as there are plenty of seemingly forgotten superhero flicks that are actually super good.
With movies like Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home making billions at the box office, it’s only a given that other movies would fall to the wayside in comparison. Movies can’t be talked about all over the planet without distracting from others. What are these movies, though? For one, they’re certainly worth giving a watch, even many years later. Which are the best to check out, though?
10
‘Hancock’ (2008)
Before his infamous Oscar win, Will Smith was super-slapping people all around the world in Hancock, where he plays a drunkard superhero who often causes more trouble than he solves. Long before projects like The Boys and Invincible, Hancock came on the scene, taking advantage of the “brutal superhero” trope. What’s interesting about Hancock is that, while it has rough-around-the-edges reviews, there is a plethora of good in it. Somehow, the movie goes from awesome to bad in the span of a few minutes.
The first half of the movie is genuinely really good, unique, and unlike anything being released in 2008. When the second half hits, though, the plot takes a hard right turn and ruins itself completely. It really should be talked about more, though, as the movie that comes through that first half is actually awesome, and it sucks that those great ideas and moments suffer because of the other half that follows.
9
‘Sky High’ (2005)
Coming completely out of left field, Sky High engrossed kids all over the planet when it was released in 2005. It’s easily one of the best and most underrated Disney movies and doesn’t nearly get the kind of recognition that it deserves. Following Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the son of two of the world’s greatest superheroes, Sky High becomes a coming-of-age story as he tries to survive the trials of high school… without superpowers.
Director Mike Mitchell, better known nowadays as the director of both Shrek Forever After and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, stepped onto set and clearly had a ton of fun making this film. It has a certain whimsy and charm to it that makes it a joy to watch. It still suffers from the typical high school movie tropes, but it’s made so much better because of the cast (featuring the one and only Bruce Campbell) and the direction Mike Mitchell decided to bring the story.
8
‘The Rocketeer’ (1991)
Everyone loves to see a superhero fighting some Nazis, and while audiences are used to seeing this through the Captain America franchise, there’s an iconic 1991 movie that isn’t a Marvel or DC property that has fun doing the same thing. The Rocketeer is a great movie that flew under the radar for decades and deserves more praise sung for it. It’s always been difficult to stand out among the “Big Two” (Marvel and DC), so the fact that The Rocketeer didn’t take off into the skies like it should have isn’t too out of left field.
It also had to compete with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze, which was already an established franchise. At the end of the day, though, The Rocketeer is still a good watch, even 34 years later. Does it get a bit campy at times? Yes, but it honestly adds more charm than it takes away from anything. With the world taken over by the Big Two at the moment, this may just be the film to be one’s breath of fresh air on a weekend night.
7
‘Darkman’ (1990)
Many may not know that Sam Raimi‘s iconic Spider-Man trilogy is not his first time directing a superhero. However, just a year before The Rocketeer, Sam Raimi ventured into the superhero film space for the first time with his dark, horror-inspired superhero movie, Darkman. This 1990 movie feels like a monster film meets superhero cinema, which helps it be incredibly unique for the genre.
Starring Liam Neeson, Bruce Campbell (of course, it’s a Sam Raimi movie), Frances McDormand, and many more, Darkman is a thrilling watch, even today. Sam Raimi’s directing style is at full force here, and the practices he would come to use in the Spider-Man trilogy are found in Darkman, which makes it a fun watch outside of the great story.
6
‘Hulk Vs.’ (2009)
A question that’s asked all over the superhero space, all the time, is “who would win?” Well, Marvel Animation decided to answer that question twice in 2009 with the production of Hulk Vs., an animated movie that splits itself in half, with one half pitting the Hulk (Fred Tatasciore) against the God of Thunder, Thor (Matthew Wolf), and the other throwing him up against the iconic Wolverine (Steve Blum). Fun fact: Wolverine’s first appearance was in a Hulk comic book—see: The Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974).
First off, the animation in Hulk Vs. is incredibly well done, which allows the fights to be portrayed in a beautiful manner. Hulk Vs. doesn’t get spoken about or brought up a lot because Marvel Animation has always struggled against the likes of DC’s animated films, which is a shame, because Hulk Vs. is a great, action-packed ride.
5
‘Planet Hulk’ (2010)
The not-so-jolly green giant had a great run in Marvel Animation, with Planet Hulk coming just one year after Hulk Vs. Adapting the classic comic book story of the same name, Planet Hulk brought Hulk (Rick D. Wasserman) to space and put him through a scenario that many will find familiar, as Thor: Ragnarok took a ton of inspiration from it for the MCU Hulk’s (Mark Ruffalo) story.
Planet Hulk adapts the comic book in a very accurate manner, keeping everything that made the “Planet Hulk” comic book event so compelling when it debuted in 2007. It’s considered one of the greatest Hulk stories of all time, making this, in return, one of the best Hulk stories in superhero cinema. So why aren’t people talking about it more? One could blame it being overshadowed by it being lightly adapted in Thor: Ragnarok, but most of it can be blamed on the lack of success for Marvel Animation in the 2000s–early 2010s.
4
‘Fast Color’ (2018)
Much like The Rocketeer 27 years earlier, Fast Color is a non-Big Two project that got overshadowed by them, leading to it becoming very underrated. Nine major motion picture superhero films were released that same year—some being a few of the largest and the best superhero movies of the MCU and/or the decade. Despite being buried underneath the likes of Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Fast Color was a well-told story that many can find enjoyment in.
While not as action-packed as a typical Marvel or DC film, Fast Color has heart and soul unlike many. The character and familial drama at play make this movie not just compelling, but keep viewers engaged throughout the entire runtime. Having less action than usual is a total non-issue for Fast Color, thanks to how well the drama is written.
3
‘Blue Beetle’ (2023)
Boy, did Blue Beetle get the short end of the stick when it released in 2023. Not only did the DC Extended Universe already have a rocky reputation (especially after Black Adam) at the time, but one of the worst superhero films out there, The Flash, came out the same year. The odds were stacked against Blue Beetle from the very beginning, unfortunately.
Blue Beetle is one of the best superhero origin films in the recent decade or so. It’s packed to the very brim with heart and tells a grounded story about familial love and the strength one can find within it. Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) became the Spider-Man figure for the DC film verse and won the hearts of fans immensely. It didn’t do amazing at the box office, so not many people (in comparison to usual, that is) got to really talk about it. Thankfully, however, Jaime will be making a comeback in the DCU, as confirmed by James Gunn.
2
‘Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker’ (2000)
There’s always a lot of chatter online about Batman Beyond, yes. Fans continue to campaign for a live-action adaptation, and Warner Bros. and DC continue to disappoint them. Often, though, it’s just the show that is talked about, which makes sense as it’s the most popular Beyond project. The new and young bat, Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle), also starred in his own film in 2000, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker is actually one of the highest-rated Batman films of all time, with a 100% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 86% audience score. Ratings like that don’t lie, and this feature-length adventure has some of the best examples of why the DC Animated Universe was so beloved. Great writing, phenomenal acting, and some stellar animation.
1
‘Batman: Under the Red Hood’ (2010)
While Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker has some great critical ratings, one other Batman film surpasses it, and that is Batman: Under the Red Hood—a 100% critic rating and a wild 92% audience rating. The “Under the Red Hood” comic book storyline has always been one of the most famous Batman stories of all time. Taking the Caped Crusader’s greatest tragedy in losing Jason Todd, and transforming it into a battle unlike anything he’s fought before.
Batman: Under the Red Hood pretty much perfectly adapts the story to the screen, with a profoundly talented cast featuring Bruce Greenwood as Batman, Jensen Ackles as Red Hood, John DiMaggio as Joker, and they even get Neil Patrick Harris as Nightwing. It’s one of the most emotionally compelling Batman stories, yet somehow, only comic book fans have seen it. It never truly hit that general audience.
