Marvel – the comic book universe that has dominated the big and small screen for over 20 years. Heroes like Spider-Man, The X-Men, and The Avengers have been household names since their early publications. Yet, the complete domination of Marvel movies over the last two decades has cemented their place in popular culture beyond their comic book beginnings. Compared to the more archetypal superheroes of DC, Marvel superheroes are ordinary people with ordinary problems who still manage to do extraordinary things.
As such, their movies have especially hit a chord with modern audiences over the last two decades. Films that have either showcased new takes on their origins or expanded their mythology have become the center of some of the most beloved and must-watch superhero movies of all time. Whether they be earlier projects from other studios or new films under the flagship umbrella of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these characters continue to endure.
10
'Blade' (1998)
Directed by Stephen Norrington
Images via New Line Cinema
Not only can one argue that Blade was the first truly good Marvel movie ever released, but it can also be said that it was the film that began the modern superhero genre. Even in the modern world, vampires are still a very real and dangerous presence. Thankfully, a vampire hunter named Blade (Wesley Snipes) has made it his mission to kill every last bloodsucker on his watch. With all of their powers but none of their weaknesses, he might just have a chance.
Many blame the release of the previous year’s Batman and Robin as the film that sent comic book cinema back into the dark ages, but the truth is that audiences only needed to wait one more year for Blade to bring the genre back to life and set the stage for what was to come. The opening scene alone, with one cool guy in leather taking down a nightclub of vampires, cements this movie as an absolute must-watch.
The X-Men have one of the largest supporting casts in the Marvel Universe, but few have reached the popularity of Deadpool. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a mercenary who’s fallen in love with a girl named Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), only to be diagnosed with multiple forms of cancer. Wanting to free his partner of the burden of a man doomed to die, he signs up for an experimental black market treatment that horrifically scars his body but gives him the ultimate healing factor.
Deadpool was the first Marvel film to get an R-rating, and it has the violence and raunchy sense of humor to back it up. The Merc with a Mouth himself is not an altruistic, selfless hero, but is a jerk with a heart of gold simply seeking to get his (admittedly already not that great) life back together. Still, his irreverent personality makes him a likable character, and his deliberate deconstruction of modern superhero tropes makes him an unusual kind of hero.
In just one day, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) discovers his brother’s alive, loses his father, discovers he has an evil sister who destroys his hammer, and is sent to the other side of the universe on a junk-covered planet. Desperate to get home and save Asgard, he’ll have to get help from his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), co-Avenger Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and new friend Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).
Thor: Ragnarok is a hilarious yet heartfelt film that gives Thor more of a personality beyond being the self-serious hammer guy. The film mixes new elements of real Norse Mythology, the sci-fi designs of Steve Ditko, and throws in elements of the Planet Hulk storyline in for good measure to create a cosmically wacky adventure. While the first two Thor movies were pretty hit-or-miss when it came to adapting the god of thunder’s mythology, Thor: Ragnarokgave the god of thunder a sense of humor and a more epic scale.
7
'X-Men' (2000)
Directed by Bryan Singer
Image via 20th Century Fox
While heroes such as Spider-Man, The Avengers, and The Fantastic Four at least get to enjoy some form of public support for their heroics, the X-Men have the unfortunate problem of having to defend a world that hates and fears them. Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) operates a school for mutants – people born with superpowers – and must prepare for his latest battle against former friend Magneto (Ian McKellen) with two new arrivals.
While much of the X-Men’s mythology has become bogged down by complicated sci-fi stories and an abundance of excess continuity reboots, the first of the X-Men films keeps the focus where it needs to be – on the fight against mutant repression. It predominantly puts its focus on Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Rogue (Anna Paquin), but the other team members still get their moments to shine. Without the X-Men, all modern forms of Marvel entertainment would likely never have existed.
X-Men
Release Date
July 14, 2000
Runtime
104 Minutes
6
'Spider-Man' (2002)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
If Blade began the modern comic book movie and X-Men made it popular, Spider-Man was the film that kicked the modern Marvel age into overdrive. Puny teenager Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and billionaire tech mogul Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) both find their bodies radically changed – one due to a radioactive spider bite, the other due to a rushed experiment. One will become New York’s most dangerous villain, while the other will become its greatest friendly neighborhood superhero.
Spider-Man’s first theatrical film is a worthy introduction to the character, his ethos, and pieces of his mythology. The contrast between our hero and his enemy makes for a compelling story, as the viewers see how both handle separate approaches to power. Norman uses his power for self-serving vengeance, while Peter uses it for responsible justice. Some of the CGI effects have visibly aged, and some areas are campier than others, but it’s still a strong first film for Marvel’s flagship character.
Spider-Man
Release Date
May 3, 2002
Runtime
121 Minutes
Writers
David Koepp
5
'Iron Man' (2008)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Image via Marvel Studios
No matter what future installments say, the Avengers initiative truly began with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). This billionaire tech mogul lives a carefree, selfish lifestyle until he is kidnapped by terrorists in the Middle East. Seeing the consequences of his company’s actions firsthand, he builds himself a suit of armor to escape, improves on its design when he gets home and seeks to right the wrongs of his actions as much as he can.
Iron Man set the template for an MCU film – an origin story for the titular hero, a villain who is a deliberate inverse of the protagonist, acclimating the comic’s more fantastical nature into something more grounded in our reality, and sarcastic quips with a self-deprecating sense of humor. While many of those elements have become tropes in their own way, this film utilizes them in a manner that's still effective. Capped off with a career-defining performance from Downey Jr., Iron Man provides the origin story that defined a new age of heroes.
Iron Man may have been the first Avenger seen on screen, but Captain America is the first canonical hero in the MCU. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a kind-hearted young man who wants to serve his country in WWII, despite being passed over by every outlet because of his weak, frail body. But when he is injected with a super soldier serum, he might just become the army’s only hope of taking down a secret organization called HYDRA.
Captain America: The First Avenger fully embraces its 1940s setting, differentiating itself extensively from the modern/realistic imagery seen up to this point. Steve Rogers is a hero whose greatest strength isn’t his new physical prowess, but the humility and soul he possesses. Iron Man began the MCU, while The Incredible Hulk and Thor helped to expand it, but it was Captain America: The First Avenger that brought some much-needed heart to this new world.
3
'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
Directed by James Gunn
Image via Marvel Studios
For all the angry green giants and Asgardian gods, the MCU kept itself somewhat grounded in reality throughout its first two phases. But Guardians of the Galaxy expanded the universe on a truly cosmic scope, with the most unlikely characters to form a popular superhero team. Evil Kree fanatic Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) has plans to conquer the galaxy, and our only hope may be in a rag-tag group of misfits – Earthling ravager Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), dim-witted but ruthless killer Drax (Dave Bautista), assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) and amateur bounty hunters Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel).
What makes Guardians of the Galaxy so special is not just the outlandish sense of humor, the soundtrack made up of classic rock songs, or the fact that two of its leads are a talking raccoon and a tree, but rather how it still brings an emotionally honest story in spite of it all. It’s a story about a fundamentally broken group of people who nonetheless find themselves connecting with each other and finding their place in the universe.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Release Date
July 30, 2014
Runtime
122 Minutes
2
'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
Directed by Bob Perischetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
The original first two Spider-Man films are the perfect introduction to his mythology, while Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a love letter to it. Teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is bitten by a radioactive spider, which isn’t too convenient because he already has Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Chris Pine) in this world. But when that web-slinger is killed by the Kingpin (Liev Schriber), Miles must stop his evil plan. Thankfully, Spider-Heroes from multiple universes might be able to help him out.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an intimidatingly ambitious film, but it still keeps its focus where it needs to be. Much of the film’s attention isn’t even so much on the mind-numbing potential of the multiverse, but more on how a kid like Miles, who’s already struggling to fit in at a new school and a strained relationship with his father (Brian Tyree Henry), is suddenly forced into epic circumstances. The film’s central message is the same as the greater message of the entire Marvel universe – anyone can put on the mask and be a hero.
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
1
'The Avengers' (2012)
Directed by Joss Whedon
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first phase, The Avengers brought Earth’s mightiest heroes together in a battle for the ages. In doing so, it changed the landscape of modern cinema overnight. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has made his way to Earth seeking a cosmic cube called the Tesseract. S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) must call in Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to save the world from Loki and his alien army.
The Avengers may have been outdone in terms of crossover appeal by its three sequels, but it’s still wonderful to see some of the greatest superheroes together on screen at the same time. The heroes have a genuinely fun dynamic, the villain is cool and gleefully sadistic, and the final battle is one of the best climaxes in cinematic history. No matter where the MCU went from this point, The Avengers marked the pinnacle of the franchise’s early history.
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Images via New Line Cinema
Image via 20th Century Studios
Image via Marvel Studios
Image via 20th Century Fox
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Image via Marvel Studios
Image via Marvel Studios
Image via Marvel Studios
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
:quality(85):upscale()/2025/04/01/930/n/1922729/e427233467ec5871e55d15.22652482_.png)
English (US) ·