12 Best 2010s Superhero Movies

By Vlad Zakh · May 26, 2025

Avengers: Endgame closed out an eleven-year, twenty-two-film experiment that no studio had ever attempted before, while Black Panther and Wonder Woman proved the genre could carry real cultural weight. In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018): Reinvented what an animated superhero film could look like. Another standout is Joker (2019): A comic-book villain origin treated as a full character study, not an action film.

Joker (2019)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 68% Metacritic 59

A comic-book villain origin treated as a full character study, not an action film.

Directed by Todd Phillips · 2h 02m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars120 wins & 247 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, TNT, TBS, tru TV, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Watchmen (2009)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Technically 2009, but its influence on darker superhero films carried the decade.

Directed by Zack Snyder · 2h 43m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Kick-Ass (2010)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A self-aware deconstruction of the superhero genre right as it peaked.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn · 1h 58m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

TMDB ★ 7.9

The entry where the franchise finally leaned fully into comedy.

Directed by Taika Waititi · 2h 11m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Deadpool (2016)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 85% Metacritic 65

Proved R-rated superhero comedy could be a massive commercial hit.

Directed by Tim Miller · 1h 48m · Rated R

29 wins & 78 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

TMDB ★ 8.0

Proved Marvel could make an obscure property into a global hit on charm alone.

Directed by James Gunn · 2h 01m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, FXNow · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 97% Metacritic 87

Reinvented what an animated superhero film could look like.

Directed by Bob Persichetti & Peter Ramsey · 1h 57m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar85 wins & 60 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Wonder Woman (2017)

IMDb ★ 7.3 RT 93% Metacritic 76

The film that made the character, and Gal Gadot, a global star.

Directed by Patty Jenkins · 2h 21m · Rated PG-13

37 wins & 76 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, TNT, TBS, tru TV, HBO Max · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Logan (2017)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 93% Metacritic 77

A superhero send-off that plays more like a bleak Western.

Directed by James Mangold · 2h 17m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar29 wins & 82 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, fuboTV · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Black Panther (2018)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A superhero film built around a fully realized fictional nation, not just a hero.

Directed by Ryan Coogler · 2h 15m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Avengers (2012)

IMDb ★ 8.0 RT 91% Metacritic 69

Proved a shared cinematic universe could actually work at scale.

Directed by Joss Whedon · 2h 23m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar40 wins & 81 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

IMDb ★ 8.4 RT 94% Metacritic 78

The payoff to a decade-long blockbuster experiment, and it mostly sticks the landing.

Directed by Anthony Russo & Joe Russo · 3h 01m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 1 Oscar71 wins & 132 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

12 Best 2010s Superhero Movies

Joker (2019)

Watchmen (2009)

Kick-Ass (2010)

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Deadpool (2016)

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Wonder Woman (2017)

Logan (2017)

Black Panther (2018)

The Avengers (2012)

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

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