Over the last decade or so, comic book movies have ruled the box office. At times, they’ve seemed like the only movies out there. That’s proven to be a double-edged sword: while the dominance of both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe has made a lot of money for Hollywood mega-studios, the oversaturation finally appears to have exhausted audiences, given several recent flops like Madame Web, The Flash and The Blue Beetle.
But when done right, the genre ranks among the most spectacular forms of escapist entertainment that exists. Some deal with complex, real-world issues and emotions, and never actually engage with superhero mythology at all. Others use superheroes to explore the problems that plague modern society, or deconstruct the idea of heroism itself. Here are 50 of the best examples, as selected by Time Out writers – with an assist from a guy who has made a few great comic adaptations himself, director Edgar Wright.
Written by Tom Huddleston, Adam Lee Davies, Paul Fairclough, David Jenkins, Andy P. Kryza, Phil de Semlyen, Alim Kheraj & Matthew Singer
Recommended:
🦸 All the Marvel movies ranked from worst to best
🦄 The 50 best fantasy movies of all-time
💣 The best action movies of all-time
✍ The 100 best animated movies of all-time
