Ever since superhero films have become the talk of the town in cinema, they’ve taken audiences on quite a rollercoaster ride. By the time of the year 2019, things like the Marvel Cinematic Universe had reached the end of their first big saga, DC Comics was making big changes to their game plans, and the animated superhero film space was nothing to be messed with, either.
Safe to say, 2019 was a big year for superhero film. There wasn’t a movie that year that wasn’t the talk of the town, and that’s a testament to how good superhero fans were eating good. The content released that year is incredibly memorable to this very day. There are even some out there that, until recently, have gone on record on the internet stating that this was the last great year for superhero cinema. But how do these releases all stack against each other? It’s a tougher competition than one would realize.
6
‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ (July 2nd)
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Image via Sony Pictures Releasing</figure>
There’s no doubt that Tom Holland‘s series of MCU Spider-Man films is a success. With his newest flick, Spider-Man: Brand New Day being the third highest-grossing film of all time, it’s safe to say that this franchise is legendary. The weakest of the series, unfortunately, is 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. However, that’s not to say it’s a bad movie by any means. This film has some amazing moments in it, and also features one of the greatest cinematic Spider-Man villains in history.
Jake Gyllenhaal‘s Mysterio is excellent in every way. His performance is excellent; the way he manipulates Peter Parker is masterful, and his illusions bring great visual spectacle. Pete’s character arc is good—not the best—and serves the film well enough to get audiences through to the end. While the second act is a bit weak, the first and third acts are great and certainly make up for it.
5
‘Joker’ (October 4th)
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Image via Warner Bros. Pictures</figure>
The Clown Prince of Crime is one of, if not the most famous, comic book villains of all time—one of the most famous cinematic villains, too. So, it only made sense that, one day, he’d get a project of his very own. He’s had some solo runs in the comic books, and they obviously sold well, so it wasn’t a risk of any kind for Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Comics. In fact, many could argue that this was always going to be a certified hit. Especially with the person at the Joker helm…
It’s been clear for quite some time that if a project is going to bring Batman’s greatest villain to life, a good actor needs to step into his shoes, and the one and only Joaquin Phoenix does so in Joker. Without a doubt, Phoenix is the biggest highlight of this October film. The story of Joker is strong, but nothing to truly write home about. The best part is Phoenix, and he owns the screen for every single second he appears.
4
‘Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (March 31st)
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Image via Warner Bros. Animation</figure>
Live-action films weren’t the only masters of the superhero realm in 2019, either, as animation had some great releases, as well. At the end of March, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation released the crossover of a lifetime with Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Based on the comic book crossover of the same name, this movie is a perfect example of how to do a good team-up film. Seeing the gritty and serious Bat-Family come across the “cowabunga”-shouting, goofy Ninja Turtles is a joy. Not to mention, their ninja skills match with Batman’s fighting style very well, too.
This movie is fun, action-packed, and also manages to have a great emotional arc at the same time. Everyone here gets a good character arc, and the movie has fun getting there while it’s at it. The way these two franchises contrast with each other is perfect, and provides some great moments across the entire film that help bring out each sides’ character arcs in a great way. The action also has some top-tier choreography, bringing the intense martial arts both sides are masters of to life perfectly.
3
‘Shazam!’ (April 5th)
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Image via Warner Bros. Pictures</figure>
The DC Extended Universe has an interesting reputation among audiences, to say the least. With their films being consistently argued about among fans online, one might be surprised to find there’s actually a universally loved film within it by the name of Shazam! This project is one of the most heartfelt superhero movies of the year, following one Billy Batson (Asher Angel) as he is thrown into a new foster him while desperately searching for his long-lost mother.
Throughout his journey of entering this new household and becoming the superhero known as Shazam (Zachary Levi), he finds a new family and learns the importance of putting effort into relationships with those who genuinely love and care about him. It’s such a youthful, lighthearted movie that has audiences laughing and smiling in one moment, and borderline crying in another. Director David F. Sandberg did a phenomenal job bringing this to life and crafted one of the best DC movies in a while (in 2019).
Four powers, and four completely different kinds of person behind them.
Here is what you would wake up with, what it would cost you, and why the MCU keeps handing it to
somebody exactly like you.
You get the power that is really about taking the hit so that
nobody else has to. Strength in the MCU always lands on people who were already carrying too
much, which is exactly why it suits you.
- Your instinct is to put yourself between the problem and the people, and you do it
before anybody has thought to ask. - Bruce Banner is the most interesting version of this because his story was never about
lifting things, it was about control. - The catch with strength is that people stop checking whether you are alright, since you
have made a habit of looking like you always are. - You would be the one everybody calls at two in the morning, and you would answer every
single time.
You get the power that never switches off. Spider-sense is a gift
and a nervous system on permanent alert, and the people who get it in these films are always
the ones who were already worrying about everybody.
- You read a situation faster than you can explain it, and you are usually right in a way
you cannot show your working for. - Peter Parker is the template because he takes on more than he can hold and then
apologises for not holding it well enough. - Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrived in July 2026 and put him back to being local, broke
and permanently on call. - The cost here is real, since a power that warns you about everything also means you are
never quite off duty.
You get the quietest power in the building, and quietly the most
useful. Invisibility comes with force fields for a reason, because the people who prefer not
to be seen are usually the ones holding a shield around everybody else.
- You notice everything, largely because you spend more time observing a room than
performing in it. - Sue Storm is the strongest member of her team and the least interested in anybody saying
so, which is very much your energy. - The Fantastic Four: First Steps finally gave the family a proper MCU home in 2025 and
made her the centre of it. - Your risk is that being unseen becomes a habit rather than a choice, and the people who
love you would like a look in.
You get the biggest and least comfortable power on the list, the
one that runs directly on feeling. Chaos magic is not really a superpower in the MCU so much
as an emotional state with consequences attached.
- You feel things at a volume other people do not, and you have spent years managing that
rather than being managed by it. - Wanda is the best written character Marvel has, precisely because her power and her
grief turned out to be the same thing. - WandaVision remains the high point of Marvel television, and it works because the
spectacle is only ever a symptom. - The warning attached to this one is simple. A power that answers to how you feel is only
ever as steady as you are.
2
‘My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising’ (February 26th)
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Image via Studio Bones</figure>
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular modern anime out there. It’s taken over the West ever since its debut in 2016, and even continues to hold a grip over audiences after the final season’s release. Because of this success, it had the chance to get some films to hit theaters every few years and the best is, without a shadow of a doubt, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising. This film is a rollercoaster ride of fight sequences, great character moments, stellar animation, and an engaging plot from start to finish.
The new villains added to the series, Nine (Yoshio Inoue and Johnny Yong Bosch) and his goons, are deadly in every way and provide a reasonable challenge for all of Class 1A to face—with how many students there are, they need to be pretty powerful to take them all on. Written by the original mangaka, Kohei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising has a phenomenal script and the third act is one of the best third acts of 2019 superhero cinema. Who could forget Double One For All?
1
‘Avengers: Endgame’ (April 16th)
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Image via Marvel Studios</figure>
The finale of the MCU’s “Infinity Saga” was always going to be the biggest movie of the year—of the decade, honestly. Currently consistently fighting for the spot of highest-grossing movie of all time, Avengers: Endgame‘s quality is undeniable. The proof is in the pudding of the sheer reputation, box office gross, and massive impact it had on cinema as an entire medium.
Avengers: Endgame manages to bring the entire MCU together for one grand finale, while still giving it a relatively grounded, relatable, and emotional story. The emotional through line of the movie is wonderfully written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and keeps the action and spectacle massive, while not losing the entire point of the story. Audiences stay emotionally invested the whole way through, which is absurdly important when making a movie like this one. Avengers: Endgame is unforgettable in almost every way, and, most likely will be for quite some time to come.
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
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Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
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