Superhero movies aren't generally regarded for their writing, so if a movie receives positive reception for its script, fans know the screenplay must be truly impressive. With so many superhero movies made over the last forty-plus years, viewers have been treated to some truly epic quotes.

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There are so many timeless quotes in superhero movies that some are integrated into everyday verbatim, parodied, and/or celebrated by movie fans. What's truly inspiring is when superhero movies end up inspiring those who are watching – regardless of who they are – in addition to the heroes.

Updated by Jodi Nicholls on 19th September 2022: This list has been updated to improve the reading experience and reflect the most up-to-date information on the subject matter.

10 "You Either Die A Hero Or Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain."

The Dark Knight

Harvey Dent sitting across from Bruce and Rachel at dinner in The Dark Knight

In The Dark Knight, Harvey Dent rises through the ranks of Gotham as a DA who's not afraid of the mob. When he and Rachel Dawes go to dinner and meet Bruce Wayne there, Dent delivers this infamous line about the way Gotham City works. It makes Bruce realize that Dent may be his ticket out of being Batman forever.

The irony of the quote is that, by the end of the film, this is exactly what happens to Dent. He dies after being corrupted by the Joker, and Batman takes the fall for his heinous crimes as Two-Face. Batman becomes the 'villain Gotham needs' while Dent is given a hero's sendoff.

9 "Don't Be What They Made You."

Logan

A dying Wolverine in the X-Men film, Logan, while Laura (X-24) looks on in tears

At the very end of Logan, the titular hero is on his last legs. After Laura kills X-24 – an evil clone of Logan – with an adamantium bullet to the head, she realizes the original Logan doesn't have much time left. As he dies, Logan imparts his words of wisdom to stop Laura from ending up like him.

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The quote encapsulates what Logan tried to get away from his entire life. He wants to make sure Laura follows a different path, even though they share the same abilities. Logan is the only superhero film to date to garner an Oscar nomination for screenplay writing, and rightfully so.

8 "If You're Nothing Without The Suit, Then You Shouldn't Have It."

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Tony scolds Peter in Spider-Man: Homecoming

When a ferry is cut in half and Iron Man bails out Spider-Man, Peter is more frustrated than ever with his supposed mentor, Tony Stark. As Peter vents his frustrations to what he thinks is an empty Iron Man suit, he's caught off guard when Tony exits the suit and confronts him.

Tony tells Peter that having a high-tech suit is an asset, but there's more to being a hero than a fancy suit. To make his point, he takes the suit from Peter and refuses to return it. Thankfully Stark's lesson boded well for Peter, as he defeated Vulture with his homemade suit without any supporting technology.

7 "Just Because Someone Stumbles And Loses Their Path, Doesn't Mean They're Lost Forever."

X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Charles Xavier speaks with his future self for help in X-Men: Days of Future Past

The X-Men are having a rough time in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Charles Xavier has had enough. He ends up speaking to his future self, Professor X, who assures him that not all is lost, even though it seems that way. The pep talk changes Charles in the past, and with some help from other X-Men, he's able to stop Magneto from assassinating the President.

Seeing two generations of X-Men crossing paths with each other was great, but James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart are the only two versions of the same character who come face to face. The quote was so strong that it made another appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness eight years later, which just so happened to costar Stewart.

6 "It's Not Who I Am Underneath, But What I Do That Defines Me."

Batman Begins

Batman Begins - Bruce wearing his suit and looking down at Gotham

Before Batman goes off to confront Ra's Al Ghul, he saves Rachel Dawes and a child from crazed inmates in the Narrows of Gotham. Rachel implores Batman to give her his name in case he dies. Batman responds with this epic quote, revealing the true meaning of his mission as Batman.

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Fans were skeptical when Christopher Nolan was rebooting Batman after the dreadful Batman & Robin essentially killed the Batman franchise. Suffice to say, Nolan blew expectations out of the water with his grounded and gritty take on Batman, which was given high marks for its story and writing.

5 "And I Am... Iron Man."

Avengers: Endgame

Iron-Man in Avengers Endgame wearing the Infinity Gauntlet moments before he dies

At the climax of Avengers: Endgame, Thanos is on the cusp of re-obtaining the Infinity Stones and destroying the universe. Iron Man confronts him, takes the stones from him, and snaps his fingers. As a result, Thanos and his army are dusted from existence, but it comes at the cost of Tony Stark's life.

The line is a great callback to the very end of Iron Man, where Stark reveals himself as Iron Man to the public. It couldn't have been a better sendoff for Robert Downey Jr., who officially retired the character after playing him for eleven years.

4 "With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility."

Spider-Man

Unlce Ben tells Peter about how great power comes with great responsibility in the Sam Raimi film, Spider Man

This quote is known by most, if not all, superhero fans, and Cliff Robertson was given the honor of delivering Uncle Ben's iconic line in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movie. After delivering this iconic line to Peter, Uncle Ben is killed later that night. Peter subsequently blames himself and is moved to become a superhero.

Taking this mantra and applying it to his mission as Spider-Man, Peter realizes he was given a gift, and with that gift, has a responsibility to protect people. The mantra has appeared in some form in most Spider-Man movies ever since.

3 "I Can Do This All Day."

Captain America: The First Avenger

A pre-serum Steve Rogers getting into a fight in an alley in Captain America: The First Avenger

Steve Rogers was just a scrawny kid from Brooklyn. Often smaller than his enemies, he got into his fair share of fights but never backed down to bullies. After being given the super-soldier serum and becoming Captain America, it never changed who Rogers was on the inside.

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This quote perfectly illustrates the character of Steve Rogers. He'll never back down from a fight, whether it's with friends or enemies, and will always fight to his dying breath. Cap says this line several times across the MCU films, even to a future version of himself while they fight!

2 "Fourth Wall Break Inside A Fourth Wall Break? That's Like... Sixteen Walls!"

Deadpool

Wade does his laundry within a fourth wall break in the superhero film, Deadpool

While Deadpool explains to viewers who Blind Al is, he takes viewers back to a previous fourth wall break to show Blind Al at the laundromat with him. Wade delivers this very on-point line, which tells viewers everything they need to know about Wade's style, humor, and storytelling capabilities.

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Deadpool was a breath of fresh air to the superhero genre and relied heavily on fourth-wall breaks. The character knows he's in a movie and that people are watching him, which opened up the film to lots of humor and is by far the funniest superhero movie to date.

1 "I Believe There's A Hero In All Of Us That Keeps Us Honest..."

Spider-Man 2

Aunt May in Spider-Man 2 delivers the most inspirational speech in all superhero movies

In Spider-Man 2, Aunt May is clearing out her house with her young neighbor Henry, who asks Peter where Spider-Man has gone. When Peter replies that Spider-Man is gone, Aunt May delivers a heartfelt speech about why it is important to be a hero. The full quote is: "I believe there's a hero in all of us that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally, allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want most, even our dreams." This speech effectively brings Peter closer to being Spider-Man again.

There's no other quote in the film as inspiring as this one. Not only does it spur Peter to return to his role as Spider-Man, but it also inspires viewers as well. Anyone can be a hero should they choose to be, but the price will always be high. As Aunt May says, heroes may have to give up their dreams for the good of others.

Next: 10 Weirdest Quotes From Superhero Movies