Top 10 Greatest Superhero Movies of All-Time (Part 2)

Yesterday, I posted Part One of my Top 10 Greatest Superhero Movies of All-Time. Today, we’re going to round out the Top 5. (this list was inspired by IGN’s recent top 25 best superhero movies and will include some heavy spoilers)

#5 Deadpool 2

Deadpool 2 took everything I loved about the original and just simply made it better.

Almost every joke in Deadpool 2 hits its mark and the deep moments in between further develops Wade Wilson into a sympathetic character. Both Josh Brolin and Zazie Beetz put out great performances that actually made me excited for the upcoming X-Force movie.

With no real “super” villain present for the majority of the film, this could have very easily flopped and acted as a cash-grab of the original Deadpool. Instead, we got a hilarious sequel with a heart of gold. A lot of that credit I think has to go to star Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds knows this character and loves playing the merc with a mouth. Like Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, I don’t think I could see any other actor pull off this role. Just don’t sew his mouth shut. Again.

Luckily, Deadpool fixed that problem in this film.

#4 Logan

I haven’t been more bittersweet while walking out of a theater in a long time. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart put in their final performances with characters that they’ve been playing for almost two decades.

An R-rating was exactly what this superhero movie needed. These were two guys who were clearly at the end of their rope and have definitely seen better days. Dafne Keen’s Laura was also a standout as Logan’s daughter.

The main talking point here is obviously the crushing ending for our heroes. Charles being killed by what he thought was his last friend in the world with Logan (in reality it was Logan’s clone, X-24).

Wolverine suffered a similar fate, dying at the hands of his superior clone. The film ends with Logan finally getting a chance to actually love something in his life (his daughter) before succumbing to his injuries.

Oh, and the cherry on top to that depressing, emotional ice-cream sandwich of an ending is the fact that there is no guarantee that Laura and her newfound friends even made their way to safety from the unrelenting Reavers.

#3 The Dark Knight

I don’t know why but I feel like this will be the most controversial pick on this list. Not because that it shouldn’t be here, but because most people I know have The Dark Knight as their top superhero flick.

I’ll admit, it’s hard to disagree with you if you feel that way. The Dark Knight changed the game for this genre.

We all know exactly who I’m about to praise here. Heath Ledger’s role as The Joker is legendary and his incarnation of the character is still talked about today as the golden standard for villains.

Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent served as a perfect foil for Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne. Dent’s fall from grace and eventual turn into Two-Face is actually one of the most underrated aspects of the film in my opinion.

Nolan took his grounded world from Batman Begins and stuck a semi-realistic take on these cartoonish villains. Looking back, there isn’t really anything I actually dislike about The Dark Knight. The only reasoning for it being at the third spot has to do with my thoughts on the superhero movies ahead of it.

Funny thing is, I remember that some people actually thought that this would be a flop (back in the early development stages). Going to The Joker already and bringing in Heath Ledger as the clown prince of crime was mocked by a lot of people, both online and in person. Check out this article from Newsarama back in 2013 detailing some of the statements said by fans regarding Ledger’s initial casting. This criticism even included yours truly. To be fair, I think I was around 12 at the time so what did I know.

#2 Guardians of the Galaxy

I think of The Dark Knight and Guardians of the Galaxy as equally awesome movies. What just barely sets Guardians of the Galaxy apart has to do with a simple achievement that The Dark Knight just couldn’t accomplish.

Guardians of the Galaxy made me care about a talking raccoon and a tree who only says one phrase.

To say that this movie came out of nowhere is an enormous understatement. For all intents and purposes, this was the sink or swim moment for the MCU. They had to stay fresh in a competitive industry and take risks.

A superhero movie starring Andy from Parks and Rec as the main protagonist with four other equally strange co-stars was definitely a risk.

The only complaint I have about Guardians of the Galaxy is a semi-weak villain but I could make the case that we didn’t need Ronan to be a terrifying antagonist. This movie was about the Guardians coming together and developing the cosmic side of the MCU. It’s safe to say that they exceeded expectations.

This is going to sound a bit uncomfortable to some out there due to recent events but I don’t think Guardians of the Galaxy is what it is without James Gunn. His meshing of sci-fi, music, and comedy made this standout from not just MCU titles but other great films in the sci-fi genre.

#1 Avengers: Infinity War

I’ve been sitting at my keyboard for the past 10 minutes trying to sum up Avengers: Infinity War in only a few short paragraphs. I’m not sure that I can do this but I’m going to try.

This was 10 years in the making. Over 19 movies. Most ambitious crossover in history. All of the stuff you’ve heard before at nausea. Yeah, I’m not going to go on about how they got here because you know that.

Avengers: Infinity War was the dark film that I honestly didn’t think Marvel or Disney had the guts to go to. Many times throughout, I kept expecting it to do what most superhero movies do.

Good guys lose early. Good guys make jokes, comeback, and win. The villain looks like a fool in the end. Rinse and repeat.

Not this time. Thanos actually wins and sets up an intriguing conclusion to our decade-long journey. Yes, most of these deaths aren’t permanent but I wasn’t even expecting them to go this far. If you still aren’t a fan of the ending, I don’t know what to say except this. Look at it this way, the ending sets up a final assembling of our original crew of Avengers for an epic battle with The Mad Titan.

The Russo brothers crafted a well-developed story with jaw-dropping action pieces that won’t leave any one character out of the game for too long. Along with that, this may be one of the more comedic and quotable MCU films to date, which is surprising considering its darker tone.

Avengers: Infinity War is the pinnacle of superhero movies. It is what the DCEU is trying so desperately to get to. It is what other non-superhero franchises like Godzilla and The Mummy aspire (in The Mummy’s case “aspired”) to achieve. There are some minor problems but considering everything that this movie had to accomplish there is no denying that this a superhero film that will stand-out for years to come.

That’s a wrap on my Top 10 Superhero Movies of all time. If you want to check out #10-6, click here.

Do you agree with my list? What is your Top 10 Superhero Movies of all time? Let us know in the comments and be sure to follow us here at The Nerd Stash for all of your nerdy news and needs!

Taylor Cole

Avid gamer and placeholder of what is now the worst selfie of all time. Mostly an Xbox/PS4 player but I have been known to destroy friendships in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.