The MCU and DCEU both have several major films lined up for the rest of 2022 including Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Adam, respectively, but they certainly aren't the only franchises to feature great superhero movies. In fact, some of the best superhero flicks in history aren't from either the MCU or DCEU.
To be fair, many of them are still DC and Marvel properties, just ones that aren't part of those connected universes. The movie-loving users at Letterboxd have made sure to watch, rate, and review these projects and their ratings can help you find the top superhero films outside of the MCU and DCEU.
Big Hero 6 (2014) - 3.77
Stream On Disney+
A lot of people aren't even aware that Big Hero 6 is based on a Marvel Comics property. Regardless, the Walt Disney Animation Studios movie is one of the most beloved films of the 2010s for so many fans thanks to the fun action sequences, lovable characters, and heartfelt emotion.
In fact, Baymax is such a popular character that he's getting his own spin-off series on Disney+ in late June and there was already a TV series follow-up from the film. To top it off, Big Hero 6 also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Batman Begins (2005) - 3.78
Stream On HBO Max
Tim Burton helped make Batman into a serious character but the sequels to his work by Joel Schumacher brought back the camp and were seen as critical flops. Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan took over the reins in 2005 and stripped Batman down to his bare beginnings.
That's what makes Batman Begins arguably the best superhero origin film in history. Audiences got to see Bruce Wayne train to become a vigilante before protecting Gotham from the likes of the Scarecrow and Ra's al Ghul. Though not a massive commercial hit, it was well-received and led to a huge sequel.
V For Vendetta (2005) - 3.81
Stream On HBO Max
As noted, most great superhero movies that aren't in the DCEU or MCU are still properties of DC and Marvel Comics. That's still kind of true for V for Vendetta as the story was pulled from Vertigo Comics, an imprint of DC. V for Vendetta isn't your typical superhero tale though.
In many ways, it is more of a political thriller than anything else, centering on an anarchist who looks to spark a revolution against a totalitarian regime. Thanks to great performances from Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman, it has gone down as a modern classic of the genre.
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - 3.85
Stream On TNT, TBS, & TruTV
For a lot of longtime fans of comic book movies, Spider-Man 2 remains the gold standard of superhero films. Things have obviously gotten bigger over the years and the scale is grander than ever but there's something about Spider-Man 2 that makes it timeless.
Not all aspects hold up but Peter Parker's struggle to juggle his two lives, the train fight with Doc Ock, and so much more are still worth watching in this Sam Raimi film. Fans got to relive their favorite moments when Tobey Maguire and Alfred Molina reprised their roles as Spidey and Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Joker (2019) - 3.87
Stream On HBO Max
It's kind of hard to fully classify Joker as a superhero movie since the titular character is far from a hero. Still, he is a DC Comics staple and the protagonist of this 2019 film from the mind of Todd Phillips. Joker was a huge success, grossing over $1 billion on a budget of less than $100 million.
While the Joker has been depicted in plenty of movies over the years, this was a different take as it was his origin story and done without Batman really being involved. It was catapulted by the Oscar-winning performance of Joaquin Phoenix, making him the second person to win an Academy Award for portraying the character.
Logan (2017) - 4.06
Stream On Freevee
The X-Men franchise from Fox was certainly a mixed bag. There are great releases like X2, First Class, Days of Future Past, and the Deadpool duology but there are also critically panned films like The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Dark Phoenix.
However, Logan is easily their most acclaimed movie and it was an emotional one that marked the end of Hugh Jackman's iconic stint as the titular character. Taking aspects from the Old Man Logan comics and featuring a fantastic Dafne Keene in a supporting role, Logan is a great film that was even up for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar.
The Incredibles (2004) - 4.08
Stream On Disney+
The only totally original (not DC or Marvel) superhero film to rank this high is The Incredibles. It makes total sense that it would come from the creative minds at Pixar because the award-winning studio is often coming up with genius ideas.
The Incredibles delivered on interesting premises like superheroes being outlawed long before it was tackled in other films that are part of the genre. The characters were well-developed, the action was fun, and the animation style was beautiful, all equaling two Academy Award wins, including for Best Animated Feature.
The Batman (2022) - 4.12
Stream On HBO Max
Robert Pattinson joined a long list of actors to take on the role of Bruce Wayne in 2022 when he starred in The Batman. If you're going to release a new Batman movie at this point, it's crucial to do something different with the character.
This film provided that by focusing more on the detective aspect of Batman as he tracked down the villainous Riddler. Despite this aspect of the film being lauded, it's arguable that it was Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle/Catwoman who stole the show.
The Dark Knight (2008) - 4.43
Stream On HBO Max
As good as Batman Begins and The Batman are, it's hard to top The Dark Knight as the greatest film ever released about the Caped Crusader. The second entry in Christopher Nolan's trilogy, this took the series from something great into something truly special.
The Dark Knight has gone down as an all-time great crime drama along with being a top-tier superhero film. Heath Ledger's haunting portrayal of the Joker earned him a posthumous Academy Award and he's only one piece of an incredible ensemble cast.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018) - 4.44
Stream On FXNow
After years of Spider-Man movies featuring three actors playing Peter Parker, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse went a different route. This animated tale focuses on Miles Morales and how he learns from various Spider-People across different universes.
The voice acting and storytelling were top notch but it was the unique comic book animation style that really made this into a next-level film. It won the Best Animated Feature Academy Award and many consider it the best Spider-Man film ever released. A pair of sequels are on the way as well.