Superhero movies are big businesses. In fact, they're the biggest business in the box office, at the moment. As a result of this, we're getting many superhero movies every year, and the quality has never been higher, with many new and obscure characters getting their shot at their own franchise.
Both Marvel and DC are dominating cinemas and popular culture to great effect. But, with so many characters being adapted into films, some are inevitably hits, while others don't meet the mark. This comes at a time when audiences have higher standards than ever and know what they want to see. With this in mind, here are the five best superhero sequels, as well as five of the five worst.
Best: Thor Ragnarok
Thor Ragnarok injected Thor and his franchise with some much needed new life. As a consequence of this Thor has exploded to the height of his popularity. The new and more humorous take on the character was embraced by audiences and continued into the next two Avengers movies.
The movie was a massive success, introducing a cast of colorful characters, reinventing old ones, and ditching the ones that didn't work. The movie was such a hit that there is another Thor movie on the way, making him the first MCU hero to get a quadrilogy.
Worst: Age Of Ultron
While far from a terrible movie Avengers: Age of Ultron deserves a spot on this list. The main problem with the film is it can't help but buckle under its own attempts to set-up a host of phase three movies including, Captain: America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarock, and the next Avengers movies. As a result of this, the story it's trying to tell becomes muddled.
There's simply too much going on, and the narrative is unfocused, and, while there's a lot to enjoy here when compared to the first movie, the results are rather disappointing.
Best: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier caught audiences off guard when it hit cinemas back in 2014. After his two previous appearances in Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, Steve Rogers didn't leave much of an impression, with Iron Man being the MCU's undisputed top dog.
But this film changed all that showing audiences a Captain America that hadn't seen before. The movie reinvented Steve Rodgers for the twenty-first century, delivering some of the year's greatest action and one of the genre's coolest bad guys. Since then, Steve has become even stronger and become the franchise's most consistent and beloved characters.
Worst: Kick-Ass 2
Kick-Ass 2 landed into cinemas with a thud, pleasing neither critics or audiences and bringing the franchise to an abrupt halt. Kick-Ass was a breath of fresh air way back in 2010 at a time when there were far fewer comic book movies released. It twisted the genre on its head and proved to be a great superhero film in its own right.
Unfortunately, the sequel was anything but. It was lackluster and misguided. Taking the characters everyone had grown to like and turning them into boring idiots. The bad guy was weak, and it tried way too hard to be edgy. But, worst of all, the action was forgettable. Such wasted potential.
Best: Spider-Man 2
Despite numerous Spider-Man movies being released in the years since Spider-Man 2, it could be argued that none have matched its quality. Telling a unique story like none before in Superhero movies, the film sees Perter Parker give up his alter ego for a good stretch of the film.
Expertly showing what a curse his powers are and how he would be better off without the spandex, the film made Peter Parker into a bonafide hero and also delivered one of the all-time great comic book villains in Doctor Octopus, bringing him to life excellently.
Worst: Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice
The first time the iconic Batman and Superman met on the big screen—what could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, a whole lot could go wrong. The film was a jumbled incoherent mess that tried to do everything and satisfied no one.
Portraying Superman as a mute brooding loner and Batman as an unhinged murderous psychopath, it's hard to understand why in the name of God the film was ever green-lit. While the film still has its defenders to this very day, there's no denying that the film was underwhelming and proved a turning point for the DCEU, being a crucial factor in its untimely demise.
Best: Logan
Logan was a pitch-perfect send off for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. Delving deeper into Wolverine's psych and taking him out of the comic book world of the X-Men movies and tossing him into a more realistic world. Introducing audiences to an older, weaker Logan who was no longer the frontman of the world's greatest super-hero team.
The film's violence and brutality suited the character well; this is, after all, a superhero who goes around stabbing people. If only this had been the final X-Men film, then the franchise could have gone out a high note. But, unfortunately, it wasn't.
Worst: X-Men 3
Coming hot off the heels of the excellent X-Men 2, X-Men 3 was bound to disappoint. And, oh boy, did it. Taking two of the greatest X-Men stories, the dark phoenix saga and the mutant cure, and smashing them together into one movie for no apparent reason.
The effects were worse, the costumes were laughable, but its worst offense was the way it treated its characters. Tossing aside Cyclops was a waste of his character, and, once again, if your name isn't Wolverine, Professor X, or Magneto, you get nothing to do. It was a tipping point for the franchise, and it has continued to offer a mixed bag of sequels.
Best - The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight was a revelation back in 2008 and launched one of the world's most popular superhero—and supervillain—to even greater heights. The film was dark, tense, and mature. A film about chaos and order perfectly captured The Joker and Batman's relationship.
But Heath Ledger's portrayal of the clown prince of crime was what stuck with audiences the most. Showcasing a breathtaking performance which earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Even twelve years on, the film remains a benchmark for quality and one of the genre's best offerings.
Worst: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the definitive case study of how to not do a sequel. Guilty of the very worst indulgences of the movie industry, the film has quite the rap sheet: too many villains, setting up sequels and spin-offs, and way too many subplots. The end result is an incoherent mess that feels like an unfinished videogame with DLC coming a few months to finish the product off.
It's a shame too, as, on paper, it should all work. The cast is excellent, and Spidey's costume looks better than ever. Andrew Garfield, and, more importantly, Spider-Man, deserved so much better.