While every year of the last few decades has had some important superhero movies, there are few that are as important and impactful as the likes of 2008’s lineup. Not only was the Marvel Cinematic Universe—one of the most profitable media franchises of all time—born this year, but audiences got what is known as one of the best superhero movies ever made, as well.
While it also had some flicks that were rough around the edges, 2008 was a foundational year for the superhero cinematic world. There were massive shifts in the industry because of the films released this year. This year is one for the books and it cannot be denied that without the superhero movies that released in 2008, the movie industry would not be nearly where it is currently.
6
‘Superhero Movie’ (March 28th)
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Image via The Weinstein Company/MGM</figure>
Not every movie is perfect, and that is most certainly the case with Superhero Movie. Being a parody of superhero films in the vein of how Scary Movie is a parody of the horror genre, this flick is surprisingly hilarious, and pokes fun at the superhero film space in some very funny ways. Taking a lot of inspiration from Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man, the X-Men franchise, and Batman, Superhero Movie cracks jokes that every fan of Marvel or DC Comics would enjoy.
But, as the Scary Movie series has proven, just because a project is funny, doesn’t mean it’s a good movie. Aside from the great comedy, the script is very weak—but, honestly, that’s kind of the point. Parody films typically aren’t meant to be what most would define as “good,” and are simply there to provide the viewer with a good time and be very rewatchable. That is definitely the case with Superhero Movie, and that’s allowed it to be memorable for many.
5
‘Hancock’ (July 2nd)
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Image via Sony Pictures Releasing</figure>
Before Will Smith was slapping Chris Rock, he was slapping bad guys around as the infamous Hancock in the cleverly titled Hancock. The quality of this movie is truly a tragedy because, for the first half of the film, it’s actually not that bad. It presents a great premise of a man given incredible powers, but having zero responsibility or accountability, given the chance to be better upon meeting someone who genuinely cares.
Hancock starts great and convinces audiences that the movie is going to be better than they’ve heard it is . . . until the final half of the flick. The project takes one of the biggest downfalls of the year and goes from awesome to terrible so fast that it could give viewers whiplash. What begins as a character study that is actually pretty moving, becomes a convoluted plot with a confusing and ridiculous mythology that ruins everything the plot had going for it. People still genuinely wonder to this day what on Earth happened to make such a steep downfall in quality even possible in the first place. The world may never know.
4
‘Hellboy II: The Golden Army’ (July 11th)
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Image via Universal Pictures</figure>
While it’s somewhat fallen to the wayside—at least in superhero cinema, that is—the Hellboy franchise is beloved by many. While the first film was well-received, it’s arguable that the second, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, is even more so. The movie is praised for how creative it is in its character designs, worldbuilding, and great humor.
There’s a lot of practicality in Hellboy II: The Golden Army as well, with Hellboy (Ron Perlman) himself being a fully practical costume. It makes sense why this film is so beloved, given the fact that it was brought to life by legendary director Guillermo del Toro. The performances all across the board are incredible, and make this movie such a fun watch.
Four people, four completely different ideas of what it means to have
somebody in your corner. Here is who picked up, what they would ask of you, and what you would get
back.
You want the friend who does not leave. Steve is the one who
turns up at the door without being asked, who remembers what you said you were worried
about, and who has never once made you audition for his attention.
- His entire character is built on a single sentence, which is that he will not abandon
somebody just because it has become expensive to keep them. - He is far funnier than people give him credit for, and the joke is almost always at his
own expense rather than yours. - The friendship comes with a cost, since being close to Steve means being dragged into
fights that were never yours and being glad about it later. - You would get a friend who tells you the hard thing to your face and then defends you to
everybody else in the room.
You want the friend who is genuinely exhausting and completely
worth it. Tony will forget your birthday, then build you something at four in the morning
that you did not know you needed, and hand it over as though it were nothing.
- He is bad at saying the warm thing out loud, so he says it in hardware instead, which is
why everybody around him ends up with upgraded everything. - Being his friend means putting up with the disappearing, the deflecting and the jokes
that arrive about ninety seconds too early. - What you get in return is somebody who will spend an unreasonable amount of money and
effort on a problem the moment it becomes yours. - He is the loudest person in the room and the one most likely to be quietly panicking
about all of you.
You want the friend who replies in four seconds and apologises
for it. Peter is earnest in a way that is almost unfashionable, and he will take on far more
than he can carry rather than admit that he is struggling.
- He is the only one on this list who needs looking after as much as he looks after you,
and that balance is exactly what makes it a real friendship. - Nobody in the MCU is better at the small stuff, from remembering the thing you were
nervous about to showing up with food you did not ask for. - Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrived in July 2026 and put him back where he works best,
which is broke, local and carrying the weight on his own. - You would get a friend who is sincerely, embarrassingly happy for you when something
goes right, with no edge to it at all.
You want the friend who insults your shoes, fixes your phone and
then quietly rearranges your entire life for the better. Shuri does not do soft reassurance,
and that is the reason you would believe her when she says you are fine.
- She is the smartest person in almost any room she walks into and treats that as a reason
to tease you rather than a reason to lecture you. - The teasing is the affection. When Shuri stops making fun of you, something has gone
seriously wrong and you should probably ask her about it. - Her story is the one on this list that goes somewhere genuinely dark, which is what
turned her from a scene stealer into the emotional centre of the films. - You would get a friend who never pities you, never softens the truth, and never once
lets you take yourself too seriously.
3
‘The Incredible Hulk’ (June 13th)
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Image via Universal Pictures</figure>
One of the most underrated MCU film is arguably the only Hulk film audiences have gotten within it: The Incredible Hulk. Is it a perfect movie? No, definitely not. However, The Incredible Hulk is a great example of how good movies can fall to the wayside, even if they’re in a cinematic universe like the MCU—granted, this is only the second film in it. It also has one of the best designs for Hulk (Edward Norton) in cinema.
The Incredible Hulk has a great Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dynamic between Bruce Banner and his green alter ego. Viewers truly feel a real push and pull between the two personalities, and it creates a great sense of tension. It subverts traditional superhero movie tropes of heroism, and it is one of the more unique MCU movies from Phase One.
2
‘Iron Man’ (May 2nd)
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Image via Marvel Studios</figure>
The MCU, however, began with the one and only Iron Man on May 2nd, 2008. Many would claim that one of the main reasons the MCU got to continue and grow was because of the mass success of Iron Man. This was a huge comeback for Robert Downey Jr. as an actor—after a troublesome past—and he proved that he was the same astounding performer as he’d always been prior. He brought a character arc and depth that really hadn’t been seen much before that.
The way that director Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. managed to craft an extremely flawed protagonist—a weapons manufacturer that is actively selling weapons to the enemy (unknowingly, but still profiting off war)—and still made the audience want to cheer for him and succeed. It’s not easy to write a character like that, but these two bring one of the best superhero protagonists to life with grace.
1
‘The Dark Knight’ (July 18th)
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Image via Warner Bros. Pictures</figure>
Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight is almost unanimously known as one of the best superhero movies ever made, and for good reason. The screenplay—written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan himself—is astounding and is studied by screenwriters everywhere. The way that the Nolan brothers question human decency and the breakdown of the corruption in the very institutions that make up society as we know it.
The biggest highlight that’s noted, though, is obviously the portrayal of the Joker by the legendary Heath Ledger. This is a groundbreaking performance that people still call back to as a generational display of acting prowess. He owns every single scene he’s in, and out-acts almost every single scene partner he has. It’s genuinely a phenomenal work of art.
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