Since the birth of cinema, a multitude of comic book superheroes have seen their tales unfold on the silver screen, each new adaptation providing viewers with a unique take.
At times, there emerges a superhero film that revitalizes an old intellectual property, either by introducing fresh ideas or rejuvenating the series in a way that appeals to a younger audience hungry for something exciting and innovative.
Instead of following the traditional narrative structure seen in previous Fantastic Four movies, The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes a fresh approach by skipping the team’s familiar origin story and introducing an early-1960s cosmic conflict against the destructive entity Galactus, rather than featuring the classic villain Doctor Doom.
In terms of appearance and atmosphere, it immerses its powerful team into a vibrant, fashionably retro-futuristic landscape reminiscent of the mid-century, a stark contrast to the overly cheesy comic-book feel of the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films, or the monotonous, dismal tone of the forgettable 2015 remake.
It’s not the first instance that a superhero film has presented fans with a fresh, daring perspective on their beloved comic book series; “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is just another example of this trend.
Over time, the character of Batman has undergone numerous reinventions on the big screen, with each portrayal of his story growing progressively darker. Similarly, a new Spider-Man film has appeared in cinemas approximately every few years since the early 2000s, and two of these movies have set new benchmarks for quality. Lastly, the X-Men franchise has experienced multiple reboots, introducing fresh takes on the themes, visual style, and settings.
The depiction of Batman in films has evolved repeatedly, with each version getting darker than the last. Every few years since the early 2000s, a new Spider-Man movie has premiered, and two of these have raised the bar for quality. Additionally, the X-Men series has been revitalized through several reinventions that offer unique perspectives, visual styles, and settings.
Below, discover 10 superhero movies that took its franchise in exciting new directions.
Superhero Movies That Reinvented Their Franchise
1. Batman (1989)
Previously, Batman’s on-screen appearances were limited to the melodramatic serials of the 1940s and the cartoonish camp of the 1966 film. However, Tim Burton revolutionized this with his “Batman” (1989) movie, featuring Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as the twisted Joker. This film, with its gothic setting, psychological undertones, and Art Deco-inspired depiction of decaying industry, was both stylish and forward-thinking for its time. It signaled a move towards darker tones and mature themes in superhero films, leading to the creation of three sequels and an acclaimed animated series.
2. Spider-Man (2002)
In 2002, Sam Raimi’s film “Spider-Man” wasn’t the first Spiderman movie; that honor goes to a cheesy TV movie from CBS in 1977 which had a theatrical release abroad. However, it might be considered the most influential in the franchise. The market for superhero movies was uncertain at best by the early 2000s, with only a few exceptions like “X-Men” in 2000. But things shifted when Tobey Maguire’s character, Peter Parker, appeared on screen. This movie, with its advanced (for the time) CGI, engaging performances, and an epic score by Danny Elfman, set the benchmark for modern superhero films. It paved the way for a new era of comic book blockbusters, establishing big-screen superhero movies as profitable ventures for studios and significant cultural phenomena.
3. Batman Begins (2005)
The movie “Batman Begins” delves into the troubled journey of Bruce Wayne, transforming him from a tormented individual into a vigilante fighting the corrupt, grimy underworld of Gotham. A shadowy villain intends to wipe out the city by causing massive destruction. In contrast to earlier, over-the-top Batman portrayals on screen, this 2005 film by Christopher Nolan took a more realistic approach, exploring the deep psyche and dark themes found in the Batman comics without any humor. By doing so, “Batman Begins” paved the way for a new wave of serious, gritty superhero films and franchise reboots, making it one of the most impactful movies within its genre and beyond.
4. X-Men: First Class (2011)
In the 1960s, during the tense period of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the movie “X-Men: First Class,” released in 2011, unfolds. It stars James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as young versions of Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), respectively. They join other young mutants to combat a mutant extremist intent on igniting a nuclear war. This gripping, historically resonant origin tale skillfully blends the espionage excitement of the era with Matthew Vaughn’s dynamic and action-packed filmmaking approach, along with the X-Men’s theme of fearing the other, resulting in a powerful, unique narrative. Essentially, “X-Men: First Class” revitalized a franchise that had previously revolutionized its genre more than a decade earlier.
5. Logan (2017)
In a future setting, the movie “Logan” stars Hugh Jackman in a poignant performance as a weary, worn-out Wolverine. He teams up with Charles Xavier to shield a young mutant girl from a malevolent organization. Drawing inspiration from the “Old Man Logan” comic storyline, this gritty 2017 film added an unforeseen, Western-influenced, dark tone to the beloved X-Men character, marking what was intended to be Jackman’s final portrayal of Wolverine. The outcome is the X-Men series’ most violent, complex, and emotionally intense film, often praised as one of the best superhero movies ever made.
6. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
In the film “Thor: Ragnarok” from 2017, directed by Taika Waititi, we find Thor stranded on an unusual planet as he battles to return home to Asgard and save his people from a looming disaster. While Chris Hemsworth’s charming portrayal of the fish-out-of-water, intergalactic himbo in the 2011 “Thor” and the colorless exercise in genre conventions known as “Thor: The Dark World” in 2013 were competent but unremarkable, this movie breathes new life into the franchise with a jolt of energy. Drawing inspiration from ’80s sci-fi/fantasy blockbusters and brimming with witty humor, this vibrant, humorous journey through the cosmos is one of the most original and entertaining films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
When “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was released in 2018, fans had previously encountered several versions of Peter Parker on screen. However, this animated movie breathed new life into the franchise by introducing a fresh web-slinger, Miles Morales. The story revolves around a teenage boy from Brooklyn who is grappling with his newly acquired superpowers alongside other Spider-people. With stunning animation, compelling character development, and an undeniable cool factor, “Into the Spider-Verse” set a high standard for creative superhero narratives, and it even explored the concept of the Spider-Man multiverse a few years before the MCU’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.
8. The Suicide Squad (2021)
To many DC enthusiasts, the 2016 release of “Suicide Squad” fell flat due to its grim tone, excessive visual effects, convoluted narrative, and underutilized ensemble cast. However, five years later, the franchise took a turn for the better with a much more successful follow-up film. Directed by James Gunn, who is known for his quirky humor from “Guardians of the Galaxy”, 2021’s “The Suicide Squad” managed to strike a balance between high-octane action and side-splitting comedy – something that the initial movie failed to achieve. Although “The Suicide Squad” didn’t perform exceptionally well at the box office, it garnered critical praise and laid the groundwork for the new DC Universe with its spinoff series focused on “Peacemaker”.
9. The Batman (2022)
Fans of Batman have witnessed the series become increasingly darker with each new movie, and 2022’s “The Batman” could be the darkest yet. In this film, Robert Pattinson portrays a younger Bruce Wayne who is not the polished billionaire we’re used to, but rather a troubled, grungy orphan struggling against the Riddler and Gotham’s criminal underworld. Director Matt Reeves’ interpretation of Batman leans towards a methodical detective story, resembling a somber police procedural. The movie has even inspired a spin-off TV series on HBO, titled “The Penguin,” which is a crime drama that’s received high praise.
10. Superman (2025)
After the glossy “Superman Returns” in 2006 and the somber “Man of Steel” in 2013, it was about time for a more modern, lighter approach to Superman, which James Gunn provided in 2025. David Corenswet stars as Clark Kent in this film, making “Superman” lively, entertaining, and sincere – qualities that the series had been missing for quite some time. Most significantly, the movie paves the way for a completely new DC Universe, suggesting a promising beginning for the future of the studio’s live-action comic book adaptations on the big screen.
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10. Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
In the film “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” Warner Bros. portrayed itself as a heartless entity ruled by an antagonistic algorithm, making a brilliant self-deprecating move in cinema history. The movie itself was lackluster and unamusing, causing the original “Space Jam” to seem like a masterpiece in comparison, such as “2001: A Space Odyssey.” LeBron James isn’t a poor actor—he’s no worse than Michael Jordan was in the initial film—but nearly everything else about “A New Legacy” was disappointing from start to finish. The movie appears to misunderstand the charm of Looney Tunes, and Bugs Bunny, in particular, is presented as a whiny complainer instead. My recommendation: Spend some time watching classic Looney Tunes cartoons on Max instead. Even a random short has more laughs than this entire two-hour film. The animation quality is also superior, despite having a budget significantly smaller than the $150 million spent on “A New Legacy.
9. Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
Originally, the budget for Independence Day was $165 million.
Independence Day may not have been a cinematic masterpiece, but it did feature some impressive performances and groundbreaking special effects for its time. It also showed the impact of death with realism, showing characters succumbing to fire or being buried under debris. Unfortunately, Independence Day: Resurgence fails to deliver in this regard. Most of society is destroyed in the film, but the destruction happens largely off-screen. The scale of the computerized chaos is so immense that there’s hardly any human element left; half the world gets wiped out, and it doesn’t seem to matter. Worse still, we don’t feel anything about it. (It doesn’t help that Will Smith, who starred in the original film, chose not to participate in Resurgence, and the actors who took his place lacked charisma.) To make matters worse, the final scenes of Resurgence suggest that the entire film was merely a setup for another sequel. Let’s hope this franchise doesn’t experience a second resurgence.
8. Alice Through the Looking Glass
Title Budget: $170 million
Disney’s first live-action Alice in Wonderland was not a masterpiece, but its sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, makes the original animated Alice in Wonderland seem like a masterpiece. Instead of focusing on engaging storytelling, it attempts to answer an irrelevant question about Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter character. The movie sends Alice (Mia Wasikowska) on a time-traveling adventure to discover why the Mad Hatter became so eccentric in the first place. If the Mad Hater was annoying as just a lunatic, he is unbearable with his tragic backstory. (You’ll find it hard to believe this, but his father never loved him.)
It’s almost fitting that Alice Through the Looking Glass carries a message about the value of time, given that it is one of the biggest cinematic squanders of it (along with $170 million) in recent history. After learning the film’s lesson, it’s already too late to implement it; you’ve already watched this disappointing production.
7. Suicide Squad
In this movie, the budget for the Suicide Squad was $175 million. Without the Suicide Squad, the predicament they are summoned to resolve wouldn’t have occurred. The antagonist is a renegade member of the Suicide Squad, and a significant portion of the story revolves around saving a character whose identity is initially unknown but eventually revealed as the founder and leader of the Suicide Squad. Essentially, in this film, the Suicide Squad serves as both the source of and the remedy for all the plot’s issues, much like how Homer Simpson describes alcohol.
The original Suicide Squad, as envisioned by director David Ayer, had a clear structure. However, when the movie was released, it had been extensively edited, leaving it in a disjointed state. It’s important to note that the “Extended Cut” won’t enhance the film. In fact, the Suicide Squad could have done without being extended. This marked the lowest point of the DC Extended Universe (RIP). Fortunately, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad was an upgrade, although it didn’t cost any less to produce.
6. Dolittle (2020)
5. Jurassic World Dominion
In this piece, the anticipated budget for the supposedly concluding Jurassic World movie was $185 million. Fans hoped to see characters from the original Jurassic Park and a tale that delved into what life would be like with dinosaurs taking over the modern world. Co-writer/director Colin Trevorrow managed to reunite the old cast, but he fell short on delivering an engaging plot. (Not to mention, top-tier talent doesn’t come free.)
Instead of a movie that progressed from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s cliffhanger ending, he pieced together two distinct Jurassic casts for an outlandish storyline involving genetically engineered locusts devastating the global food supply. By the time all the human characters gather at a strategically placed dinosaur sanctuary for a third-act rehash of the classic Jurassic formula, you might wish for your own demise.
4. Transformers: The Last Knight
In the final Michael Bay-directed “Transformers” film, “The Last Knight” (2017), the series’ continuity was dramatically altered, much like our anticipation for a more engaging storyline. The movie featured an unexpected twist when a character portrayed by Sir Anthony Hopkins disclosed that human characters from previous films, notably Shia LaBeouf’s Sam Witwicky, were part of a secret society assisting the Transformers for centuries. This included the Transformers being members of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table and hiding on Earth for centuries. However, the film didn’t delve deeper into this intriguing revelation, instead leaving these hints for potential future “Transformers” movies to explore. After “The Last Knight”, Bay left the series, and subsequent films mostly disregarded this backstory, leaving audiences pondering the Transformers’ role in the War of 1812.
3. Justice League
The estimated budget for Justice League was $300 million. This film should have been the crowning achievement of an intricately woven narrative, but unfortunately, it ended up as a hastily assembled finale to a confusing storyline. The cinematic universe that had started off promisingly fell apart completely. Zack Snyder initially directed the movie but left due to personal reasons, and Joss Whedon stepped in. However, the final product does not seem like something either of them would have created. The editing was haphazard, the tone was inconsistent, and the main villain was a soulless CGI character with no depth or purpose. (It’s hard to believe he aims to conquer the world when that’s his goal!) Although Snyder’s cut is available on Max, the original version of Justice League will forever be remembered as one of the weakest DC sequels ever produced.
2. The Electric State
1. Fast X
In simpler terms, the film “Fast & Furious” used to engage viewers with its character development. However, in “Fast X,” caring about the characters can lead to confusion since some characters behave differently compared to previous films, raising questions like whether Jakob Toretto has amnesia or John Cena’s character underwent a drastic change between “F9” and “Fast X.” Pondering over the storyline might leave you perplexed as you struggle to make sense of this convoluted yet dull revenge plot and its sluggish pace. The title “Fast X” could be seen as a self-critique, serving almost like a letter grade review for the film. Additionally, it’s worth noting that this movie reportedly cost $375 million, which might explain why Universal has been hesitant to produce “Fast X 2.”
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2025-07-22 16:58