The Top Eight Comic Book Movies Of All Time

The comic book movie genre has come on in leaps and bounds in the past two decades. 

Fans of such movies from the 1980s and 1990s may have felt they were never going to see the heroes of their past star in critically acclaimed, high-rated films.

Nowadays, the story is very different. Not only are there countless incredible movies starring comic book characters, but tv shows based on video games and superheroes are also incredibly common.

With the craze of comic book movies in full force in 2022, what better time than to assess some of the greatest hits of the genre.

Below is a list of the top eight comic book movies that have been released. Even though such rankings are extremely subjective, we believe this is an exhaustive list that should appeal to most fans of the genre.

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1. The Avengers

Any list of comic book movies is incomplete without The Avengers, which arguably took the Marvel Cinematic Universe to new heights. The ultimate team up that had received significant build up after the release of Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor movies, The Avengers earned close to a billion dollars worldwide and became a phenomenon.

Even though later iterations of the franchise, such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, made more money, those films would not have been possible unless the first film in the series was positively received and beloved by general audiences.

2. The Dark Knight

An entirely different style of comic book movie to The Avengers, The Dark Knight came out in the late 2000s and took the movie industry by storm. Between the greater focus and interest in comic book movies, the untimely death of leading actor Heath Ledger, and the outstanding reviews of the film, The Dark Knight was a box office phenomenon.

The film works because of director Christopher Nolan’s ability to take a comic book character that should appear unbelievable and make him into a real, authentic human who has countless struggles both as Bruce Wayne and Batman.

A star turn from Ledger as The Joker and an impressive performance from Christian Bale as the dual-identity hero of the franchise meant this film was an action-packed, emotional blockbuster from the first to the last minute.

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3. Logan

Another comic book movie that is extremely different in its style from other films, Logan is a subdued flick compared to other movies in the Marvel universe. 

A finale of the X-Men series that had been through several films in the 2010s, Logan starred Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X. Neither actor has reprised those roles on the big screen since, but that may change in the future.

Logan stars an elderly Logan who is trying to live out the remainder of his days, but has to assist a young and extremely dangerous mutant child as she attempts to evade pursuit by nefarious scientists.

4. Captain America: Civil War

The third part of the Captain America series of films, Civil War was more of an ensemble film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as opposed to a film that focuses on its titular character.

The inclusion of Iron Man and other Avengers characters ups the ante in this movie. Civil War features an introduction to Wakanda as well, as fans get the chance to meet the Black Panther for the very first time.

There is another famous introduction in this film, as Spider-Man makes his MCU entrance as well.

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5. Deadpool

A hilarious, R-rated superhero movie that showcases the best aspects of the genre and Ryan Reynolds as a star actor. Reynolds is outstanding as Deadpool, while TJ Miller and Morena Baccarin are also excellent in their respective roles as well.

While Deadpool was initially thought of as a standalone film, the success of the movie meant that a sequel was soon greenlit by the studio.

6. Thor: Ragnarok

An impressive reboot of the Thor character compared to his first two movies, Ragnarok was the perfect third act to his trilogy. 

With the “God of Thunder” facing his greatest challenge, the movie takes us on a trip that goes from earth to Asgard to several other planets.

Aside from Thor, the film also includes Hulk, Loki, and other beloved MCU characters.

7. Iron Man

The very first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the relaunching of Robert Downey Jr’s career, Iron Man is an iconic film that will always be remembered fondly by comic book enthusiasts.

The movie showcased the seriousness that was often common among comic book movies in the past, but also included the trademark Marvel humor. Another way the film flips the script is by having its star character reveal his identity to the world in the movie’s very last scene.

8. Wonder Woman

The best movie among the ill-fated DC Cinematic Universe, Wonder Woman was the world’s introduction to actress Gal Gadot. The film also starred Chris Pine as her trusty sidekick and love interest.

Wonder Woman took us on a trip down memory lane for its star character as she recalled the events that took place during World War I and led her to take her place in the world as a true hero.