Top 50 Superhero Movies of All-Time: 40-31

40. The Incredible Hulk (2008)- This is the black sheep of the MCU for sure. The 2^nd movie in said MCU, The Incredible Hulk is not your typical origin story. Bruce Banner has been the Hulk for a few years and he’s learning to cure his “problem”. While I like the current recast of Mark Ruffalo as Banner, Edward Norton did a good job of playing him in this movie. It’s a shame that he and Marvel couldn’t make it work for The Avengers and beyond.

39. Hellboy (2004)- Directed by now Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro, Hellboy is one of the few successful superhero movies that isn’t Marvel or DC. Starring Ron Perlman, Hellboy features some of the some the best practical effects that you’ll see in any movie. 

38. Deadpool 2 (2018)- Similar to Guardians 2, Deadpool 2 didn’t quite recapture the same magic of the original. But that doesn’t mean its a bad movie. Ryan Reynolds is again utterly perfect as Wade Wilson while Josh Brolin is a welcome addition as Cable. Their chemistry is great as the funny guy and the straight man.

37. Ant-Man (2015)- This movie was expected to fail, but Ant-Man might be the most pleasant surprise on the list. Paul Rudd plays the very relatable hero Scott Lang as he tries to get back to his daughter. Michael Douglas excellently plays Hank Pym (the original Ant-Man) who turns out to be a very important figure in the MCU’s past. This movie proves in more ways than one that bigger isn’t always better.

36. Doctor Strange (2016)- While Ant-Man was the smallest movie, Doctor Strange is the trippiest. One of the few movies that benefits from 3-D, Doctor Strange is visually stunning with a collage of colors. Benedict Cumberbatch is perfect as the egocentric doctor who gets a reality check and becomes the Sorcerer Supreme.

35. Batman Returns (1992)- In Michael Keaton’s 2nd outing as Batman, Batman Returns gave us a much darker story from the original. Not only was Keaton great again as Batman, but Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer gave iconic performances as The Penguin and Catwoman respectfully. 

34. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)- Its the most different and by far the most fun of all of the Thor movies. While some of the highlights include Thor and Hulk battling in a gladiator arena, the film never takes itself seriously. That backfires when terrible things happen to Thor and they don’t feel as important as they should be.

33. Superman II (1980)- Despite the notorious behind the scenes drama with the film, Superman II was a worthy sequel to the original. Superman II focuses on Clark Kent not wanting to be Superman and it poses an interesting question. Does everyone want to be a superhero? Sometimes it can be too much to bare.

32. Unbreakable (2000)- Not only is Unbreakable one the more underrated movies of this century, but it was also a film ahead of its time. An original superhero movie from M. Night Shyamalan, Unbreakable starred Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in which superheroes exist in the real world. If you like this movie, then you should check out its surprise sequels Split and Glass.

31. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)- The winner of Best Animated Movie at this year’s Oscars, Into the Spider-Verse was a huge surprise for me. Its the first Spider-Man movie starring Miles Morales with Peter Parker in a more mentor role. Its a great movie with a great message, “Anyone Can Be Spider-Man”.

Steve Santoro (SVS_1993)