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The year is over, and we can officially say that 2023 has been a very mixed bag for superhero movies. Eight of them were released this year, with four coming from both Marvel and DC. A couple of them were bad, and a couple of them were great, but most of them were just mediocre. Let’s go through every 2023 superhero movie and rank them from the absolute worst to the best of the year.
8. The Flash
What is not only the worst superhero movie of the year, but might also take the prize for the worst film of the year, is The Flash. Directed by Andy Muschietti, it sees Ezra Miller (Justice League) play Barry Allen once again. The Flash adapts one of the best storylines in modern comics, Flashpoint, and does a much worse job of telling the story. There’s no villain aside from General Zod, and we never find out who killed Barry’s mother, which really should’ve been the story’s main point of conflict.
Bringing in Michael Keaton (Batman) as Batman is wasted on a story filled with plot holes, and it is a genuinely ugly-looking movie. Even Sasha Calle’s (The Young and the Restless) Supergirl – who is a breath of fresh air – feels like a needless victim of the film’s story. Miller’s performance is zany, and at times intolerable. The final shoehorned in Crisis on Infinite Earths homage is horrible and cringeworthy, using the images of dead actors to make fans point at the screen.
7. Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The sequel to 2019’s Shazam! is a bad film, mostly because of how inconsistent it is. Directed by David F. Sandberg, Shazam! Fury of the Gods lacks the heart of the first film. Asher Angel (Andi Mack) does nail the emotional beats as Billy Batson, but Zachary Levi (Chuck) is too immature as Shazam. The villains are also quite forgettable, despite being played by Helen Mirren (The Queen) and Lucy Liu (Elementary).
Everyone else in the cast saves the movie from being as bad as The Flash. The jokes are hit or miss too, with the movie beating you over the head to make sure you understand them. Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ ending is the worst ending of the year, and it might be up there with the worst endings of all time. Taking back a character’s heart-filled sacrifice to save the world with magic is a weird choice, especially when it doesn’t feel earned.
6. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
The first Marvel movie on this list is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Directed by Peyton Reed, it is the third Ant-Man movie in the MCU. It’s not a terrible film, Paul Rudd (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Scott Lang is always an entertaining watch. Jonathan Majors (Loki) is good as Kang the Conqueror, in what was one of his last performances as the character.
Quantumania falls apart in a few different ways. Firstly, it feels like the movie has no stakes because nobody dies. The story is also extremely bloated as there are too many main characters in what should be a fairly simple hero story. Even for an MCU outing, it’s a little too light-hearted contrasted with the doom and gloom that Kang brings into the film. Of course, there’s also the inclusion of M.O.D.O.K., one of the worst-looking characters with a shoehorned redemption arc.
5. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The last and fifth-best superhero movie of 2023 is the sequel to 2018’s Aquaman, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Directed by James Wan, it is the final film in the DCEU. The sequel is more comedic than the original outing, with The Lost Kingdom more of a buddy comedy between Jason Momoa’s (Game of Thrones) Arthur Curry / Aquaman, and Patrick Wilson’s (The Conjuring) Orm.
It ranks higher than the previous films because this commits to being a comedy, only diving into dramatic territory a few times. The production and costume design is also a highlight, bringing the world of Atlantis to life. But, the story is repetitive with a few plot holes, and most of the performances are mediocre. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen) is great as the villain though, even if his character felt underserved.
4. Blue Beetle
One of the best superhero movies of 2023 is the DC film, Blue Beetle. Directed by Angel Manuel Soto, it follows a young man named Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) who gains the power of the Scarab and becomes the hero known as Blue Beetle. It’s been a while since a film with a superhero origin story landed as terrifically as Blue Beetle did.
It’s got a great supporting cast, with Bruna Marquezine (America), George Lopez (George Lopez), and Adriana Barraza (Babel) all adding to the film’s familial themes and comedic tone. Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise) as Victoria Kord also makes for a very satisfying villain. Reyes’s use of the Scarab is done in a way we don’t often see in superhero outings, either. While the plot is a mishmash of a few different superhero films, it’s still a great movie and one of 2023’s best.
3. The Marvels
The sequel to 2019’s Captain Marvel, is the third-best superhero movie of 2023. The Marvels was directed by Nia DaCosta, and is a team-up film that follows Brie Larson’s (Room) Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris’s (They Cloned Tyrone) Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani’s (Ms. Marvel) Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel. The biggest reason the movie soars as high as it does is because the three leads have great chemistry, and they’re very fun to watch.
Most of the set pieces are as fun as the main cast. But, like most of the others on this list, the movie falls apart with its plot. The ending feels rushed, and it seems to only serve a future outing. The action scenes were well done, but the visual effects were inconsistent. The villain is also quite forgettable and she seems to be overpowered to match the level of Captain Marvel.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Taking the number two spot is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which was directed by James Gunn. The last film in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy wraps up the series nicely, even though some elements from the rest of the MCU seem to have adversely impacted its story. It’s still great to see that Gunn can balance so many great characters while throwing in some new ones like Adam Warlock (Will Poulter).
Chukwudi Iwuji (Peacemaker) also plays a terrific villain, as you’ll want the High Evolutionary to get his comeuppance as soon as he’s introduced. The soundtrack, performances, and design choices were great. Vol.3’s story is a tearjerker, and it is a fitting conclusion to Gunn’s trilogy. The only real negative against Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is that it’s a little too long and the pacing makes it feel bloated. But, with a focus on that many characters, that’s understandable.
1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Without a doubt, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the best superhero movie of 2023. The sequel to Into the Spider-Verse, the animated film was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. The plot focuses on the villain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), who can travel to other universes after being altered by the collider’s explosion in the first film.
While Miles (Shameik Moore), Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), and Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) return, many more spider variants are introduced, all of which are well-designed. Oscar Isaac (Dune) is great as Miguel O’Hara / Spider-Man 2099, and the emotional throughline of the movie feels earned. To say that this movie is beautiful is an understatement, with every world having its own art style, it feels like it should’ve been impossible to make. While some might have problems with the film’s ending, it just fuels the need for the next sequel.
