It’s easy to forget just how long superhero movies have been around, with some of the oldest icons in the genre still being quite entertaining. Most people might attribute the modern dominance of the comic book movie to the likes of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy or the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both of which began in the mid-to-late 2000s. However, superhero movies have been pop culture sensations for far longer, and some of them still hold up quite well after over two decades.
It’s hard to place what exactly is the single oldest superhero movies, with low-budget adaptations of pulp adventure comic books being around since the 1940s and B-movies of the 1950s frequently utilizing the likes of Superman. But the best-aged superhero movies of yesteryear exist in a sweet spot, before the total box office dominance of the genre yet after the first kinks of comic book adaptation had been ironed out. Many superhero movies 20 years older or more are quite a fun watch today, if nothing else.
10 Superman
1978
Arguably the film that invented the idea of the superhero blockbuster, the original Christopher Reeve Superman made his debut in the 1978 feature of the same name. The film depicts the origins of Clark Kent, a.k.a. Kal-El, a.k.a. Superman, from abandoned spacefaring infant to rural Kansas farmboy to high-flying symbol of peace. Along the way, he does battle with the evil Lex Luthor for the first time, stopping his maddening plot to sink the Western half of the United States into the ocean to turn his useless desert land into prime coastal real estate.
By today’s standards, the effects and narrative of Superman are both quite silly, from the obvious greenscreen of the flying sequences to Lex Luthor’s absurd plan. However, there’s a sort of joyous earnestness to the film that isn’t easily captured by more cynical modern movies, making it a breath of fresh air in an irony-poisoned superhero landscape. Christopher Reeve is also phenomenal as the leading man, with distinct mannerisms for both Clark Kent and Superman personalities that make it easy to see how his flimsy disguise might actually work.
9 Batman
1989
For those that didn’t grow up with it, it’s hard to recognize just how huge a deal Tim Burton’s Batman was when it first released. The dark comic book adaptation finally turned Batman from a goofy fun-loving hero to a dark crusader, striking the criminals of Gotham City with vengeance in his heart. The movie details Batman’s origins and battle against his archnemesis, The Joker, as played by Jack Nicholson.
From the art direction to the set design to the phenomenal soundtrack by Danny Elfman, everything about 1989’s Batman is oozing with gloomy gothic style. Micheal Keaton settles into the role for the first time, still prevailing as one of the best live-action Batmen to this day. Though certain elements of the film may be painfully dated, the timeless construction of Tim Burton’s vision for Gotham have allowed Batman to stay relevant, influencing generations of content involving the Caped Crusader to come.
8 Superman II
1980
A big step for superhero sequels, Superman II is perhaps the only film in the original Christopher Reeve quadrilogy that lives up to the magic of its predecessor. This time around, Superman has to contend with a fellow Kryptonian, the cosmic conqueror General Zod, who wishes to subjugate the Earth, serving as the start of a new Kryptonian empire. Amazingly, Superman II was able to live up to (and perhaps even surpass) the standards of the highly-regarded original.
It’s easy to see why Terrence Stamp’s General Zod went on to influence the character so heavily, with his adamant cry to “Kneel before Zod!” being delightful fun even years later. The almost slapstick humor of Zod and his alien coterie’s fish-out-of-water invasion pairs nicely with Reeve’s performance, which is as charming and impressive as ever. Though lame special effects may be a given, the performances and legacy of Superman II are nothing less than pure gold.
7 Batman Returns
1992
As the success of Superman warranted an entire quadrilogy of sequels, so too did Tim Burton’s Batman lead the charge with a new series of films that rapidly declined in quality as time went on. The only other of the bunch to also be directed by Tim Burton, Batman Returns seemed to be even closer in line with the visionary director’s usual artistic tendencies. Here, Batman does indeed return, facing the vicious criminal Penguin’s rise to power in Gotham while juggling a love-hate relationship with Catwoman, a.k.a. Selina Kyle.
Batman Returns allowed Burton to get far stranger and more eccentric than the original, almost leaving a stronger impression as the years have gone on. The nightmarish new characters are dizzyingly fun, and Gotham’s wintertime Christmas aesthetic gives the film great value as a Christmas movie not actually about Christmas. The visual mastery of the practical effects and sets alone keep the film worth watching well into the future.
6 X-Men
2000
By now, Bryan Singer’s original X-Men has gotten quite long in the tooth, being over 20 years old. But the mutant-focused superhero flick hasn’t lost a step with age, still being an uncannily good first impression of the X-Men even all this time later. The film follows Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, an educational facility that houses and teaches mutants with special powers while also doing battle as the X-Men. In the first film, the X-Men go up against Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants for the first time.
X-Men is an amazing place to watch the genesis of one of the single most iconic superhero castings of all time, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, ripping onto the scene with wonderful savagery. The rest of the team is also just as entertaining, and the special effects of the various mutant powers have held up as a surprisingly robust mix of practical and digital techniques. Though it might not be the best X-Men movie ever made, the world of comic book movies owes a lot to the original superhero team-up film.
5 Spider-Man
2002
For those that grew up with it, it may be hard to admit that the first of Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy is quite old by now, over 20 years at the time of writing. Still, that doesn’t stop Tobey Maguire’s first cinematic outing as Peter Parker from being an enduring classic whose charms have more than stood the test of time. Spider-Man serves as an origin story for Spider-Man, showing how nerdy high school outcast Peter Parker came to be everyone’s friendly neighborhood web-slinger while also battling Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin.
There’s a reason that Spider-Man is still such a venerated superhero movie today. Sam Raimi guides the story with an earnest aplomb that is mixed with knowing tongue-in-cheek campiness, understanding when to wink at the audience and laugh at itself and when to play things seriously. Willem Dafoe is an incredible chameleon with his Green Goblin performance, and the film’s special effects look just as kinetic and slick as they did in 2002 when they first hit theater screens.
4 X2: X-Men United
2003
Just one year after Sony wowed Marvel fans with Spider-Man, Fox struck back with X2: X-Men United, one of the few superhero sequels that actually manage to outdo the original. This time, the genocidal Colonel William Stryker serves as the major antagonists, leading a plot to wipe out mutants on a worldwide scale by utilizing their own powers against them. Along the way, more of Wolverine’s origins are explored, and the love triangle between him, Jean Grey, and Cyclops is further deepened.
From the minute the film begins with Nightcrawler’s thrilling White House attack, it’s easy to see why X2: X-Men United is something special. Every aspect of the original film is emphasized and enhanced, from the stronger, altogether less “comic book-y” plot to the masterfully managed ensemble cast of huge stars. The cliffhanger ending also leaves things off on a high note, despite how badly threequel X-Men: The Last Stand would go on to fumble the plot.
3 Blade
1998
Despite being a relatively obscure Marvel Comics character, Wesley Snipes successfully made the gamble of his career by bringing Blade to life in his self-titled first film. Blade tells the story of Eric Brooks, a man born half-vampire due to an attack on his mother, resulting in him being a “Daywalker”, enjoying all of the strengths of a vampire, but none of the weaknesses. He goes on to become a vicious vampire hunter himself, uncovering a dastardly plot to bring forth a new age of vampire rule by a power-hungry monster.
Blade was ground-breaking in so many ways, being both the first major superhero film to both be rated “R” and feature a Black main character. The stunning action choreography guides Wesley Snipes’ very real martial arts skills alongside buckets of blood, making for a mesmerizing watch even over 20 years later. Above all else, Snipes’ force of personality as Blade is a force to be reckoned with, explaining why, as the actor put it in his Deadpool & Wolverine cameo, “There’s only been Blade, there’s only ever gonna be one Blade”.
2 Batman
1966
Thanks to 1989’s Batman, The Dark Knight is known today as a brooding, serious hero who fights against depraved villains in a never-ending lonely crusade of vengeance. However, once upon a time, Adam West’s Batman was pop culture’s most familiar version of the character, presenting a far different side of DC’s flagship hero. Furthering Batman’s adventures from the TV show of the same name, the 1966 film sees the dynamic duo going up against a whole coterie of their most famous villains.
At the time it was released, Batman didn’t impress audiences or critics, with its campy flair and offbeat sense of humor falling on deaf eyes and ears. Yet somehow, the bizarre jokes have actually aged like a fine wine, being funnier to modern audiences better-versed in more abstract sources of comedy. Seeing such a lighthearted version of Batman after so many years of exposure to his standard post-Tim Burton grittiness has a true novelty in the modern day and age.
1 The Crow
1994
Marvel and DC don’t have a shared monopoly on excellent superhero movies in any decade, let alone in the earlier days of the superhero blockbuster. Enter 1994’s The Crow, starring Brandon Lee, the son of martial arts movie icon Bruce Lee. Based on the series from Caliber Comics, The Crow follows the life and death of Eric Draven, a rock musician who is cruelly murdered alongside his fiancée by a dangerous street gang. Somehow resurrected by a magical crow, Draven returns from beyond the grave to seek vengeance against his killers.
Brandon Lee is amazing in the muted, stylish gloom of The Crow, adding a brooding, dry sense of humor to a character that could easily be construed as boring in lesser hands. The tragic circumstances revolving around Lee’s death on the set of The Crow does give the film a certain spooky quality outside its slick gothic visuals. But viewing the finished product for what it is, The Crow is a fun, underrated revenge flick that happens to also be a superhero film.