Has it been 10 years already?! I guess time flies when you're in the Particle Accelerator enjoying the consistent influx of superhero movies in this day and age! So many superheroes! But only ten spots open! How do I choose?! Hey, Jarvis! Run me up a list of the ten best superhero-themed movies of the past decade, please! Jarvis? Oh, wait, Jarvis is no more. Maybe I can ask Alfred? But which one?! Caine? Irons? Fiennes?! (Ralph Fiennes was the voice of Alfred in THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE). Maybe I should put on the Infinity Gauntlet and have it decide for me? No, I'll probably end up killing off half the superhero movies ever made. Okay, forget all that! I'll do it myself!
So, fasten your capes and put on your masks because here comes JoBlo.com's Top 10 Superhero Movies of the Decade (in alphabetcial order)!
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR/ENDGAME (2018/2019)
An impossibly outstanding culmination of what Marvel set out to do a decade ago when the MCU launched with Robert Downey Jr. and IRON MAN. Who knew that the Russo Brothers were both superhuman storytellers as well as Marvel Comics prodigies. All this ingenuity translated to a record-setting combined $4.8 billion in worldwide box office and critical praise from the majority, including our own Joblo reviewers: Joblo review Infinity War. Joblo review Endgame.
This is essentially a six hour movie (broken into two parts) that never drags and always entertains. That’s a feat in itself! The performances are exceptional all around, especially the work put in by Mr. Downey Jr., Chris Evans and the utterly hilarious Chris Hemsworth. The action, the callbacks to so many previous Marvel films, the humor, the emotions, this Avengers juggernaut is a super heroic epic that I don’t think will ever be topped!
BLACK PANTHER (2018)
This was more than a movie. It was a movement. Boundaries were broken as African Americans as well as every other race of film goers found a hero who wore his heritage on his sleeve! In this grandiose origin story, writer/director Ryan Coogler painted a visual masterpiece that completely won audiences and critics over (and became the first Marvel film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture). And $1.4 billion in worldwide box office is an amount worthy of a king! Joblo review.
The world of Wakanda was its own character in Black Panther and made for a stunning backdrop to tell the tale of Prince T’Challa. The advanced technology aspect was a super cool and smart means for developing the superhero aspect of the story. Chadwick Boseman was born to play this role and yet, was still equally matched by the masterful Michael B. Jordan, who brought a balance of rage and pain to the villain, Killmonger. Coogler was right to bring his CREED compadre aboard!
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)
This is the film that brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to a whole new level. It was the first MCU directed by the Russo Brothers and easily displays why they were hired again! Grossing a whopping $714 million worldwide, this Cap adventure was a solid step up from the still fun The First Avenger. Joblo certainly enjoyed it: Joblo review.
Chris Evans completely embodied the soul of Captain America with The Winter Soldier and as an added bonus, Scarlett Johansson got to fully realize Black Widow. Having Bucky return as Cap’s friend/new nemesis was a stroke of genius and Sebastian Stan knocked the role out of the park! The whole film had this fresh, spy-like quality which was so engaging, yet the action was still on awesome overload!
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)
There is no superhero trilogy that can match the might of Christopher Nolan’s Batman saga. And while this third installment couldn’t quite match the ridiculous hype of THE DARK KNIGHT, it still represents a fittingly epic ending to Bruce Wayne’s journey and still ended up grossing over $1 billion worldwide. And yes, that does give this film power over many of its kin. Joblo review.
I still believe that what Christopher Nolan created with Batman is one of the best trilogies ever, period! And even without Heath Ledger in RISES, there’s no denying the sweeping scope of the story. Plus, Tom Hardy as Bane was dynamite casting! I still quote his lines! Even Anne Hathaway succeeds as a bad/good Catwoman. And of course, this film as well as its two predecessors wouldn’t be anything without the brilliant Christian Bale as our stalwart, incorruptible hero!
DEADPOOL (2016)
Thank the good Lord for Ryan Reynolds who turned the entire superhero genre on its (decapitated) head with his spot-on portrayal of everyone’s favorite merc with a mouth! Marvel movies these days weren’t supposed to be rated R, but Deadpool said, “Fuck that!” The flick went on to become one of the highest grossing R-rated films EVER at $783 million! Joblo review.
Ryan Reynolds truly was born to play “Mr. Pool”. I mean, the dude IS Deadpool in a nut sack, err, shell! His timing with both jokes and sword swinging is impeccable. I can’t imagine anyone else in the role EVER (except maybe Hugh Jackman). The laughs, the gore, and yes, the love story make DEADPOOL a truly unique mutation in the superhero movie genre!
DREDD (2012)
The heroic judge finally got a movie worthy of his prowess! Hardcore, viscious, and relentless with THE BOYS’ Karl Urban absolutely oozing badass brooding… and yet, it was not a financial success, grossing only $41 million worldwide! However, the critics knew what was up, as the reviews were killer! Joblo review.
What was the freakin’ deal?! How could DREDD not have become a massive hit?! Was the world not yet ready? Were people still put off by Sly Stallone’s version? I can’t explain it, but damn it, I want our sequel! At least the film has found a huge, cult-like following since its release back in 2012, so hopefully, the court is not out yet on DREDD 2.
JOKER (2019)
This film was a f*cking revolution. An R-rated origin story about one of the superhero universe’s most iconic villains ever! Much like the titular character, this movie had a lot to overcome (filling Heath Ledger’s shoes, fear of implications of real life violence), but Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips didn’t care. They took on the world and delivered the biggest R-rated grossing film in history (over $1 billion and counting). Also, look out Oscars because the Joker is coming to collect again! Joblo review.
Don’t anyone tell me that this isn’t a superhero-related movie because the Joker is synonymous with Batman (who IS in the movie). Granted, this is definitely a different type of superhero/comic book movie, but that does not take away from the profound impact it delivers. If Phoenix does not win an Oscar for this role, I’ll be shocked! The dude embodies the Joker with a performance that astounds from his emotions to the way he transformed his actual body. You can’t take your eyes off him whether he’s dishing out tragedy or comedy!
LOGAN (2017)
This movie’s existence does owe a good amount of credit to Deadpool. For two decades, Wolverine had been muzzled to PG-13 status despite the fact that the character’s disposition screams for an R rating! Thankfully, we finally got the R! Add in director, James Mangold, Sir Patrick Stewart and, of course, Hugh Jackman and you’ve got something super special! The script was nominated for an Academy Award and the film was the biggest X-Men grosser ever at $619 million worldwide! Joblo review.
After 20 years, Mr. Jackman was saving his best for last! It took “Old Man Logan” to fully realize the truly ferocious stature of Wolverine on the big screen. And Sir Patrick Stewart totally killed it in his own swan song as Professor Charles Xavier! The action is visceral and the bond between Logan and Prof X is beautiful. And how about that kid?!
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018)
The first ever MCU animated feature, Spider-Verse exploded onto the scene in 2018 with a gorgeously unique, comic-book-style look. It was a mega success both financially ($375.5 million globally) and critically (hello, Academy Award for Best Animated Feature)! Credit Phil Lord (THE LEGO MOVIE) with conjuring up the story. Joblo review.
I’ll admit that I didn’t think much of this movie when I first saw the trailer. Well, my “Peter tingle” was way off! This movie is a complete blast from start to finish with wonderful doses of humor, action and emotion! It may very well be the BEST Spider-Man movie ever! And you know what's best of all? In 2022 we are getting a sequel!
WONDER WOMAN (2017)
The Amazonian princess finally got her due in a grand big screen adventure from director, Patty Jenkins! This film made a positive impact on female empowerment and proved that it didn’t matter if a superhero was a man or a woman. Wonder Woman just kicked ass on screen and at the box office with a worldwide haul of $821.8 million. Joblo review.
A lot of people didn’t think Gal Gadot was the right choice for Wonder Woman. Thankfully, she proved them wrong, projecting strength and beauty in equal amounts! I even dug the World War I setting and how she was incorporated into it. Plus, her supporting cast, especially Chris Pine, provided some big time backup!
There you have it! Our Top 10 Supes from 2010-2019! My Spider senses are telling me that some of you may have an opinion on this. Well, all you DC-do-gooders, Marvel maniacs and GLASS (?!) guardians, can now gift us with your own Top 10s below!