Summary
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings brought a fresh superhero perspective with martial arts and complex relationships.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem revitalized the beloved reptile heroes with a unique art style and flawless chemistry.
- Spider-Man: No Way Home delighted fans with nostalgic villain cameos and an epic conclusion to MCU Peter Parker's story.
Since the late 2000s, the superhero genre has become more and more popular with each passing year. Despite some notorious bumps in the road, it managed to maintain its positive reputation all the way through the 2020s. Over the last five years, studios released a good number of high-quality superhero films that captivated the hearts of countless people and became modern classics.
Whether they’re from Marvel or DC, live-action or animated, the 2020s are already filled to the brim with excellent movies about superheroes. These films have resonated with audiences thanks to their solid writing, gripping storylines, loveable characters and thrilling action sequences. There are a lot to choose from, but only the following can be considered the best superhero films of the decade so far.
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8 Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
A Well-Made Martial Arts Film With A Superhero Coat Of Paint
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
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- Release Date
- September 3, 2021
- Runtime
- 132 minutes
After Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios has been struggling to do something new and exciting. However, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a remarkable exception. It introduced a hero that most audiences were not familiar with, and yet, he instantly became a new fan favorite.
The story of Shang-Chi and his complicated relationship with his father, Xu Wenwu (AKA The Mandarin), is as emotional as it is intriguing, not to mention that both Simu Liu and Tony Leung gave two outstanding performances as this son-father duo. But the most memorable part of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings are its incredible action scenes, which have impeccable cinematography and choreography. This is basically a big-budget martial arts film disguised as a superhero movie, and fans have been begging for a sequel since 2021.
7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
A Fun, Refreshing New Take On These Beloved Reptile Heroes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
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- August 2, 2023
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 100 minutes
The cinematic history of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been complicated. But their most recent feature film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, breathed new life into the IP. With a unique art style inspired by the Spider-Verse films, Mutant Mayhem features a fun and exciting story that’s full of well-made action sequences and well-written comedic scenes.
The highlight of this film is the flawless chemistry between the four turtles, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, thanks to the improvisational dialogue that their four talented young voice actors came up with on the spot. This is one of the best TMNT adaptations out there, and can be enjoyed even by people who are not familiar with the franchise.
6 Spider-Man: No Way Home
A Love Letter To Marvel’s Biggest Superhero
Spider-Man: No Way Home
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- Release Date
- December 17, 2021
- Runtime
- 148 Minutes
After two solid films, the MCU’s incarnation of Spider-Man got to close off his own trilogy in 2021, with the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Audiences get to see Peter Parker dealing with the fallout of Mysterio’s revelation in Far From Home, while also growing as both a hero and a regular person.
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The entire movie takes a huge turn with the introduction of beloved villains from previous Spider-Man cinematic universes, like Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro. This turned an already fun movie into a huge, mind-blowing love letter to the entire Spider-Man franchise. And it all concluded perfectly with an incredible final battle in which Tom Holland is joined by the two previous Spidey actors: Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Spider-Man: No Way Home is not without its flaws, but it concludes MCU’s Peter Parker’s story in an emotional and satisfying way.
5 Thunderbolts* (The New Avengers)
The Movie That Made People Believe In The Future Of The MCU
Thunderbolts*
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- May 2, 2025
- Runtime
- 127 minutes
After a few underwhelming MCU releases, fans were not excited about Thunderbolts*. But much to their surprise, they were proven wrong when the movie released in May 2025. Seeing a bunch of flawed and complex anti-heroes from previous projects trying to work together to overcome their personal problems and defeat a common enemy was surprisingly endearing. It's also more of a self-contained story that doesn't try too hard to connect to the larger scope of the MCU.
Thunderbolts* features the most interesting versions of all these characters, thanks to an excellent script and outstanding performances by talented actors. The film stars Florence Pugh as Yelena, Wyat Rusell as John Walker and, of course, Lewis Pullman as Bob/Sentry/The Void, who’s arguably the most likable character. When all the Thunderbolts are forcibly named The New Avengers at the very end, it feels like the film earned that moment.
4 The Suicide Squad
James Gunn’s Take On This Team Of Anti-Heroes Reinvigorated The DCEU
The Suicide Squad
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- Release Date
- August 6, 2021
- Runtime
- 132 minutes
2016’s Suicide Squad is considered one of the most disappointing superhero films ever made. Fortunately, James Gunn managed to right this wrong in 2021, with a fantastic sequel/reboot called The Suicide Squad. This proved how fun the DCEU can be in the hands of a filmmaker who knows what he’s doing.
Like he did with his Guardians of the Galaxy films, Gunn took a bunch of C-List comic book characters and turned them into mainstream icons with the help of some high-quality writing and incredible performances. The Suicide Squad is brimming with its own unique style and a lot of exciting, violent action scenes. But at the end of the day, it's a movie with a lot of heart that made people fall in love with these characters. This film was such a game-changer for DC and Warner Bros that James Gunn later became the chairman of the new DC Universe.
3 The Batman
One Of The Caped Crusader’s Best Film Adaptations
The Batman
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- Release Date
- March 4, 2022
- Runtime
- 176 minutes
While Warner Bros was struggling to make the DCEU work, some of the other DC projects that had no connection were doing extremely well. These included 2019’s Joker and, of course, 2022’s The Batman. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy set the bar way too high for live-action adaptations of Batman, but director Matt Reeves succeeded in creating one of the best entries in the character’s cinematic history.
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Getting to see a younger Bruce Wayne in his first years as Batman was refreshing and exciting. Robert Pattinson gave an impressive performance that cemented him as one of the best actors to ever take on the mantle of this legendary hero. Paul Dano is another major highlight of the movie, thanks to his modern reimagining of the Riddler. Despite its dark and grounded atmosphere, The Batman still has a surprising amount of optimism, and many comic book fans feel it's the first Batman film that truly understands this character.
2 Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
An Ambitious, Inventive Animated Sequel
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
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- Release Date
- June 2, 2023
- Runtime
- 140 Minutes
Back in 2018, Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse became a modern classic. Fans had high expectations for its sequel, and when it came out in 2023, they were not disappointed. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is everything a great sequel should strive to be: it’s bigger, better, more ambitious, and it expands on all the good ideas of the original film.
While Into the Spider-Verse focused on a bunch of multiversal Spider-people arriving in Miles Morales’ universe, Across the Spider-Verse does the opposite and makes him travel to other Spider-Dimensions instead. This results in a beautifully animated adventure that changes art and animation styles depending on the universe the characters are currently in. And while this film is obviously hilarious and entertaining, it also does an excellent job at exploring what it means to be Spider-Man, making Miles’ character grow in unexpected ways. While it’s often criticized for its open ending, fans can’t wait to see how Miles’ tale will conclude in the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse.
1 Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
The Guardians’ Final Adventure Is As Emotional As It Is Heartwarming
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
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- May 3, 2023
WHERE TO WATCH
- Runtime
- 150 minutes
After being fired and re-hired by Disney and Marvel Studios, plus having some of his characters get mishandled by other filmmakers, James Gunn returned to the MCU and finished off his trilogy with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. At first, this movie seems surprisingly bleak. Starlord is unable to overcome Gamora’s death, and Rocket Raccoon almost dies at the hands of Adam Warlock. The story carries this depressing atmosphere through its entire run, especially when it tells Rocket’s emotional backstory.
Despite all this, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 keeps the franchise's signature lighthearted tone in a way that never feels obtrusive or annoying. Beautiful cinematography, hilarious comedy, exciting action sequences, and flawless character development: this movie has it all. By the end, every single Guardian gets a heartwarming and satisfying resolution to their personal stories. The undeniable quality of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has cemented this trilogy as one of the best in the history of the superhero genre.