The upcoming arrival of Thor: Love and Thunder has fans everywhere rewatching superhero films to get in the mood. Over the past two or so decades, the superhero genre has become the biggest in all of cinema, with blockbusters, Academy Award winners, fun adventures, and so much more being included.
With such a large number of incredible releases based on stories from DC, Marvel, and independent comics, it can be difficult to pinpoint which are the ideal ones to check out. Thankfully, Amazon has the best of the bunch available to purchase and watch from the comfort of your own home.
Kick-Ass
Matthew Vaughn has managed to cement himself as an incredible filmmaker when it comes to exciting action films. He has helmed X-Men: First Class and the Kingsman franchise but it all goes back to Kick-Ass, which he directed in 2010.
Based on Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s comic book of the same name, Kick-Ass follows a teen who becomes a superhero due to his enhanced ability to endure pain. With show-stealing supporting performances from Chloë Grace Moretz and Nicolas Cage on top of an ideal blend of comedy and action, the film is as good as it gets.
Deadpool
In 2009, Ryan Reynolds debuted as Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and it was poorly received. He fought hard and got another chance to portray the character in his own solo film in 2016, which became a massive hit that made Deadpool into an iconic vigilante.
Reynolds is arguably never better than when he plays the Merc with a Mouth as his performance in both films is top-notch. From breaking the fourth wall to over-the-top violence, Deadpool and its sequel have so much to offer. Amazon has a two-pack available covering both fantastic movies.
The Incredibles
Years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe became a thing and even before Christopher Nolan revolutionized the Caped Crusader with Batman Begins, Pixar put out what many consider the best superhero film to that point. Their original tale, The Incredibles, was met with widespread acclaim.
Telling the story of a family of superpowered beings in a world where being a superhero is outlawed, it felt like a precursor to the future of the genre. Over a decade later, a sequel arrived in Incredibles 2 that was also a huge hit and you can get a combo pack of the duology on Amazon.
Black Panther
It's hard to think of a movie that has had more of a cultural impact in recent years than Black Panther. The MCU film centers on a superhero who wasn't yet a household name and had only appeared in one prior movie, yet it managed to gross more than $1 billion at the box office.
Black Panther also made history by winning three Academy Awards and was a huge deal for Black people everywhere, seeing themselves portrayed in such a positive manner. It's also a visually stunning movie and seeing Wakanda in 4K is a sight to behold.
The Suicide Squad
2016's Suicide Squad did well commercially but was a critical flop and even the most positive of DC Comics fans weren't excited about a sequel. However, James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) stepped in as director and they retained Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, the high point of the first installment.
2021's The Suicide Squad proved to be a massive improvement and is considered by many as the best film in the entire DCEU. Robbie is joined by John Cena, Idris Elba, and even Sylvester Stallone as a talking shark. Throw in Gunn's signature absurd humor and this was a winner.
X-Men: First Class
A year after helming Kick-Ass, Matthew Vaughn got a massive superhero film to direct in X-Men: First Class. Following the original trilogy about the mutants, this was meant to kickstart a new series that acted as prequels.
Although the timeline doesn't make a lot of sense with the prequels and the third and fourth installments were mixed at best, First Class remains the cream of the crop. The '60s setting is so well done, the performances up and down the cast are great, and it's in the conversation for the best X-Men movie ever.
Big Hero 6
It's the one Marvel movie that most people don't even realize is based on a Marvel Comics property. Big Hero 6 was actually released by Walt Disney Animation Studios and not Marvel Studios, which is likely the reason for the confusion on the part of some fans.
Regardless of who made the film, there's no doubt that Big Hero 6 is excellent. It hits the viewer on an emotional level, has some well-made action sequences, is legitimately funny in places, and has a lot of heart. Plus, those who love it can continue on with the TV series of the same name and the new Baymax! series of shorts.
The Captain America Trilogy
To be honest, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe is worth getting for your home collection because nearly every entry into the franchise is both a critical and commercial success. However, there are ways to narrow it down, including breaking things up into trilogies.
While Iron Man and Thor have their own trilogies, it's widely agreed upon that the Captain America films are the best in terms of a cohesive story across three entries. You get to experience Cap's origin, his relationship with Bucky, and see heroes like Spider-Man, all in the same trio of movies.
The Dark Knight Trilogy
For the longest time, Batman is a character who was considered campy. The '60s series started that and even after Tim Burton went down a dark avenue with his films, Joel Schumacher's follow-ups were again kind of goofy. Christopher Nolan changed everything.
His Dark Knight trilogy is truly an epic that makes Batman into a gritty, serious, crime drama. Batman Begins is a great origin, The Dark Knight is arguably the best superhero movie ever made, and the finale features some incredible scenes that look fantastic in your home theater.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Between Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, audiences have seen a lot of Peter Parker and live-action takes on Spider-Man. That's part of what made Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse so refreshing when it arrived in 2018.
The Best Animated Feature Oscar winner focuses on Miles Morales, Gwen Stacey, and several other Spider-People while including an animation style that is gorgeous and unmatched. Purchase the original and prepare yourself for the highly anticipated sequel in 2023.