The best superhero movies often promote ideas and talks of heroism within the everyday life of those who view them. Critics pan these movies as formulaic at times, but there have been pmanycases where they have broken the standard mold of what defines them.
These movies share one common trait, strong writing. Well-written movies make viewers think harder about the characters and their situations. Critics often respond better to these well-written movies as well, given how strong writing can carry a narrative well. The superhero movies with the strongest writing can please fans and critics alike.
10 1989's Batman Offers More Than The Surface Level Hero Vs Villain Story
There's more to this 1989 classic than the high-quality acting and the stunning visuals. Certain liberties are taken with how characters like Batman and the Joker are characterized. Making the Joker the killer of Batman's parents creates a deeper connection to these characters before they even assume their alter egos.
Batman jumpstarted a saga of movies before eventually being rebooted into the Dark Knight Trilogy. Many fans regard this movie as the strongest in that series of Batman movies.
9 Deadpool Has Some Of The Best Comedic Writing In Any Superhero Movie
The 2016 Deadpool movie was jumpstarted by someone passionate about the character. A large part of why this movie happened is because of the push by Ryan Reynolds. Things really started moving when a concept clip from the movie was leaked and fan demand became apparent.
What resulted was one of the funniest written R-rated superhero movies to date. Deadpool can even be credited with the resurfacing of more R-rated superhero movies.
8 The Original 2008 Iron Man Movie Set The Groundwork For The MCU
Iron Man is what truly jumpstarted the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe as it's known today. It provided a unique and grounded take on the iconic comic book character of Tony Stark. The final line, "I am Iron Man" is one of the most memorable lines in the entirety of the MCU.
Robert Downy Jr.'s performance made him synonymous with the role of the Billionaire superhero wearing a weaponized suit of armor. What makes the movie's writing strong are the questions it raises about weaponry, who should use it, and if it should be used.
7 Captain America: The Winter Soldier Is Regarded By Many MCU Fans As Having Some Of The Strongest Writing
Many Marvel fans view the first Captain America movie as one of the weaker phase one movies, only really being beaten out in that category by the first Thor movie. Its high-quality writing and storytelling that sets 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier apart from its predecessor.
In addition to the writing, The Winter Soldier does a lot for the MCU storywise as well, with Hydra's corruption of S.H.I.E.L.D. causing a lot of problems later down the line. The Winter Soldier character would later become one of the most influential characters in the entirety of the MCU. As an introduction to this character, it's one of the strongest written.
6 The Incredibles Is One Of The First Superhero Films To Question Collateral Damage Accountability
The talk of collateral damage in superhero movies is common these days, but back in 2004, it was only a concept that was starting to be explored. Pixar's The Incredibles asked that question and gave serious consequences to reckless heroics.
This movie follows the superpowered Parr family as they try their best to live a normal life despite having superpowers due to a ban on superheroism being enforced. Eventually, the family is dragged back into the fold, and a sinister plot against them and the entirety of their kind is uncovered.
5 Avengers: Infinity War Is The Result of A Decade Of Build-Up
If Iron Man laid the groundwork for the MCU, then the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War is what that groundwork was laid out for. With over a decade's worth of films to establish this universe, this movie felt like the real case of everything coming together, tying back timeline-wise as far as Captain America: The First Avenger.
While this movie isn't the storyline's conclusion, it had one of the most powerful and impactful stories to tell by putting the Avengers at their absolute lowest, with only a slight glimmer of hope that they could potentially prevail.
4 The Character-Driven Story Of Spider-Man 2 Is What Has Many Fans Returning To Rewatch
The first major trilogy of Spider-Man movies is what many fans regarded as popularizing Marvel's properties in film format for the modern era, especially after many failed attempts to replicate what DC had in the 90s with their Batman movies.
2004's Spider-Man 2 has some of the best writing in all of that trilogy. In it, the conflict between the characters of Peter Parker and Harry Osborn only continues to grow following the death of Harry's father in the first movie. What makes this writing some of the best is that it questions the role that Spider-Man has on the personal life of Peter Parker and whether or not he can continue life as a hero.
3 The Dark Knight Is Highly Regarded As The Best Batman Movie Ever Made
The grounded take on Batman's escapades in the 2008 film, The Dark Knight is still highly regarded as one of the best. This is only supported even more so by the strong writing surrounding the film's antagonist, the Joker, as he tries to break Batman.
This film's take on the Joker is one that no one else has been able to replicate as he's viewed as more of an anarchistic force than the campy playful nature of his comic counterpart.
2 Logan Is A Worthy Conclusion To The Character From The Original X-Men Movies
When it was announced that Logan would be Hugh Jackman's final outing as Wolverine, many fans wondered how it would be handled, especially after the critically panned solo movies centered around the character. Once the rumors of Old Man Logan's story being adapted into film form surfaced, it started to gain even more traction.
The writing for 2017's Logan is one of the darkest yet strongest takes on the X-Men hero. Logan had all but lost the majority of his friends and kind, only to find Laura, who has similar abilities to him. The writing for this film takes itself seriously in its grounded approach, and the violence it has is about as vicious as fans always wanted from Wolverine in films.
1 The Message of Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse Is An Uplifting one
The 2018 film, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse ends with the message that anyone can take up the mask and become as heroic as Spider-Man. That message is carried throughout the film as the audience follows Miles Morales, who slowly starts to come to terms with his new role as Spider-Man with the help of different versions of the character.
This film delves deep into the question of "What does it mean to be Spider-Man?" The simple answer to that question is always getting back up, no matter how hard life knocks them down, or how hard a villain does in some cases.