The world now lives in a golden age of superhero/supervillain movies. With the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DCEU, comic book properties are the main projects that make audiences flock to the movies. However, that wasn't always the case.
Superheroes were the subject of ridicule from audiences, critics, and even movie studios for years. This led to some superhero films getting their deserved attention years later or becoming even more beloved as the current era approached.
Sky High (2005)
With Lynda Carter as the school principal, Kurt Russell as a superhero, and Bruce Campbell as a grumpy gym coach, Sky High was a movie that both paid tribute to and parodied superheroes. It featured a young boy discovering his powers inherited from his parents, similar to Invincible. Later, he had to attend a high school where powered individuals trained to become the next generation of heroes - a concept that DC would later turn into an animated series.
At the time, Sky High was a mild success for a lower-budget film and only received average reviews. However, years later, Sky High has become more famous along with its subgenre's success. This is due to its still relevant commentary on social status and student division while and its ever-amusing superhero adventure story.
Darkman (1990)
Before he ever did Spider-Man, Sam Raimi got to create and direct his own superhero. When mixing The Spirit with classic Universal creatures like Frankenstein's monster and the Invisible Man, Raimi created Darkman. The story was about a scientist who was brutally tortured and disfigured by criminals, forcing him to use his research to create perfect disguises in order to seek revenge.
At the time, there had never been a dark anti-hero story like Darkman. It was violent, gory, and filled to the brim with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead style. Liam Neeson owned the Darkman role, playing a dark hero long before Netflix's Daredevil was popular.
The Incredibles (2004)
Pixar is always revolutionary but The Incredibles, in a way, paved the way for the style of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Incredibles managed to tell an intriguing and epic superhero story while still including plenty of comedy as well.
Most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings levity to the stories, keeping the whole family entertained. Additionally, much like The Incredibles, it keeps the audience gripped with its powerful plots, captivating characters, and astonishing action sequences. Furthermore, Brad Bird's animated adventure also had similarities to Watchmen, tackling the idea of superheroes becoming outlawed.
Watchmen (2009)
Speaking of Watchmen, when it was released in 2009, superhero movies were mostly made for escapism and fun. So, sadly, Zack Snyder's superhero epic suffered from coming out at the wrong time, since not everyone liked the idea of deconstructing superheroes to their core. Now, in a world where multiple cinematic universes are taking this approach - even pitching stories about evil versions of Superman - Watchmen would be more accepted.
Zack Snyder's Watchmen was a box office success at the time, but over the years, it has garnered even more praise from fans. This is due to many revisiting after experiencing what Zack Snyder brought to his trilogy of the DC Extended Universe, which similarly balanced deconstruction and escapism.
Mystery Men (1999)
Another form of superhero media that has become popular is parodies and satires. These movies poke fun at the tropes that come from comic books and comic book movies. Mystery Men was one of the first to attempt such a thing, which led to it being swept under the rug.
Over the years, now that the subgenre is more popular, audiences are rediscovering the wild yet witty humor of Mystery Men. The story featured a bunch of C-list superheroes trying to save the world when the biggest hero disappears, and those who actually saw it have championed its comedy to this day.
The Mask (1994)
Does a violent anti-hero who takes out the bad guys while breaking the fourth wall sound familiar? That's because before the Deadpool movies were so successful, Jim Carrey's The Mask did it first. It may not have the gore and the dozens of F-bombs, but it still managed to showcase a similar character and concept over two decades before the first Deadpool movie.
The Mask was a huge success at the time which helped make Jim Carrey an A-list actor due to his acting talent. Now, because of his fame as the Mask, fans have wanted to see Jim Carrey return to superheroes in either a Marvel or DC project.
Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm (1993)
There are a ton of animated movies based on the DC multiverse, and one of the first was formed as a spin-off of the iconic Batman: The Animated Series. Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm is not only considered a great animated movie but also often labeled by fans as one of the best comic book movies ever made.
It was one of the few DC animated films to hit theaters, and it garnered quite the fanbase, but ever since its release, most other DC animated films headed straight-to-video. Years later, in 2018, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse received a theatrical release, earning similar forms of praise and even winning an Oscar.
Hancock (2008)
Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice covered the topic of how dangerous superheroes are and the damage they cause. Years prior, Hancock delved into this idea and showed a reckless superhero who had to learn to become better for the people.
Will Smith's first superhero outing is another that was mildly successful but would be rediscovered more later. With its realistic take on superheroes, its many great performances, and some clever twists, Hancock is a must-see for superhero fans.
Blade (1998)
The 1990s nearly killed the superhero subgenre with films like 1997's Batman & Robin and Steel. Then in 1998, Marvel brought the world Blade, starring Wesley Snipes. It was a massive success that not only saved Marvel but was a precursor to more successful films such as Spider-Man and X-Men.
Blade was also ahead of its time because it took a C-list superhero, reinvented him, and turned him into an icon. Wesley Snipes' Blade was so popular that even the comics began taking more inspiration from the movies than the original incarnation. To top it all off, Blade was the movie that paved the way for other Black superhero movies such as Black Panther and Hancock.
Unbreakable (2000)
Often tied with The Sixth Sense as M. Night Shyamalan's best film, Unbreakable is the perfect attempt at a realistic drama about a superhero character. Long before Todd Phillips' Joker or Logan, Unbreakable showed audiences a dark and very different (but still applause-worthy) take on superheroes.
The personal journey of Bruce Willis' David Dunn discovering his powers and his innermost desire to stop crime was previously unseen in superhero cinema, but it was beloved by those that watched it. However, despite its mild success, it wouldn't be until twenty years later that the Unbreakable universe would continue with Split and Glass.