Aggressively Audacious List of the Best Animated Superhero Films

This is the first, and will probably be the only, list that I have done focusing on animated superhero films. As you can tell from my previous lists on the best superhero films not featuring characters from Marvel or DC comics, superhero films are an intriguing niche genre that I enjoy that has now become mainstream. I recently completed a series of decades lists for the best live-action superhero films, wherein I started with the 1990s, and followed that up with the 2000s, and then went back to the old-timey era before the 1990s, and concluded with the 2010s.

But of course on this list I wanted to do something quite different. We are focusing today on the animated superhero films that have been produced and released over the years. There are no limitations on this other than the definitional ones that it must be animated and a feature length film. That means that we are drawing from the full range here of films based on DC Comics characters, Marvel characters, and of course the original or non-Coke or Pepsi characters. No limitations also means no temporal range restrictions. That is one thing that makes this list truly different from my decades lists. There has been a massive explosion of the number of animated superhero films within the last 10-15 years, so the bulk of the entries will be from that time period. Likewise, there were not many feature length animated superhero films before the 1990s, so there are no films on this list before that decade.

Because there were no temporal restrictions and because I am not planning to do any other animated superhero lists, I made this list much longer than I normally do, at 25 entries, to truly highlight as many films as I can. That combination of factors means that our temporal distribution ends up being quite skewed. Of the 25 films on the list: 1 film was released in the 1990s; 4 were released in the 2000s; 19 films were released during the 2010s; and 1 film was released during the 2020s. There is also a significant distortion in these films between the three types of categories: DC, Marvel, and Other. DC Comics has truly dominated the market both in terms of volume and quality of animated films, so they really dominate this list for both reasons. The breakdown on this means that 4 films are based on Marvel characters, 15.5 films are based on DC characters, and only 5.5 films were neither DC or Marvel characters. The half point split there is because one of the films on the list is a crossover film between DC and a non-DC set of characters, so I am counting that as half DC and half Other.

The other distorting element on the list is just my personal preferences in terms of what I like in stories in general but also in superhero stories. I tend to not like the overpowered, cosmic, and magical stuff. I prefer the more grounded and human-scale types of stories. That means that between those preferences and the sheer number of films that DC has released, there end up being a lot of Batman movies on this list. The result is that Batman gets a name mention in the title of 11 of the 25 films on this list, and that is not even counting the various appearances that character makes in the various Justice League films and whatnot. Hey if Marvel released more films, and if DC wanted to make films about their other lesser powered characters then we would have less Batman on this list. But that is what those companies have chosen to produce, so thus that is what gets reflected on my list. One other note is that where films have been released in two parts, I have ranked them together. You will see what I mean.

As always, I really enjoy the superhero genre. And though the animated component of my exploration of the genre is over (at least for now), I will continue to produce more lists and commentary about the superhero genre. Again, while they require some time and effort, I do enjoy the hell out of making these lists. All of these films come with a recommendation from me, and obviously the ones at the top of the list are a stronger recommendation. And in general, I hope you enjoy reading these lists even a fraction as much as I enjoy putting them together!

1. The Incredibles (2004)

So I will be completely honest here. This movie was always in the top spot as soon as I thought of doing this list. This one came in at number 3 on my list of the the best non-Coke or Pepsi superhero movies, so it should be no surprise that this film tops the list. There were some other great animated superhero films, especially those made by DC Comics, but this first Incredibles film will probably always be my favorite animated superhero film. Everything I said in that initial write up is still true: “What more is there to say about The Incredibles that hasn’t already been said? It’s the best Fantastic Four movie that we may ever get. It’s a fantastic blend of a superhero take on both a family drama and a spy thriller. Syndrome is an absolutely fantastic villain character as the personification of the problems/pathologies of nerd/fan culture. It works as both a fantastic standalone film as well as situated with a larger cinematic universe. (Look up the Pixar theory.) All of the voice actors are fantastic. Yes, at this point I’m intentionally saying fantastic to really hammer home that point. Yeah, there really isn’t anything new to say about this movie. It’s pretty great, and I have noting to say against it.”

2. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns – Parts 1 and 2 (2012 and 2013)

This is the first of our entries that is technically two movies but is actually just a singular story told over two parts. The fact that it is all one story and that these are meant to be viewed together is why I am including them as one entry. This is really just a two and a half hour long animated movie. Of course this is the official film adaptation of the iconic miniseries “The Dark Knight Returns” by Frank Miller released back in 1986. The film seems to closely follow the series and is simply fantastic. An older Batman comes out of retirement to reignite his war against crime and free the people of Gotham from the Mutant gang that terrorizes its citizens, as well as having climactic resolutions to some classic Batman villains (Joker and Two-Face) who also come out of retirement. Batman’s successes in this venture attract scrutiny from the police and above, eventually leading to an iconic confrontation with Superman. Several live action movies, such as The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2015), have drawn elements from this original story, but these animated films are the definitive film version of Miller’s story. Peter Weller (RoboCop) providing the voice of an older Bruce Wayne/Batman was an inspired casting decision that is the icing on top.

3. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

There have actually been a lot of Lego superhero films, especially for the DC Comics characters. There are several reasons why this one stands out above all of the rest. For one, it is set in the same film universe/continuity as The Lego Movie (2014) and features the same voice actor in Will Arnett as Batman. For another, because this was theatrically released that means it was given a larger budget than the other Lego superhero movies, which means better production value and so many big name actors providing voice roles. I cannot even be exhaustive here, but just a few examples include: Michael Cera as Robin, Zach Galifianakis as Joker, Rosario Dawson as Batgirl, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred, Mariah Carey as the mayor, Channing Tatum as Superman, Jonah Hill as Green Lantern, Conan O’Brien as Riddler, and appropriately Billy Dee Williams as Two-Face since he was not given the opportunity to play the villain version in live-action. And for the third and most important reason, the film is just so well done in every way. We get an irreverent and over-the-top but not disparaging version of a Batman story. Because it is a children’s movie it is silly, but the film is smart in its silliness and provides as much fun for the adults/parents as it does for the children. This film is some of the most fun I have ever had watching an animated film and is a near-perfect execution of its concept. I actually saw this one in theaters when it came out, and I loved it then and still do now.

4. Batman: Hush (2019)

This is the first of several film entries on this list that is set within the DC Animated Movie Universe. That universe features a series of interrelated stories with most of the same voice actors playing the same characters throughout the various films. This film is an adaptation of the story arc within the Batman comics from 2002-2003. What makes this one stand out is that it is more of an investigative story as Batman tries to unravel the mystery of this new villain Hush. The strength of the film is it truly immerses the viewer into the mystery of the plot as Batman tries to figure out who Hush is, what his endgame is, and how Hush knows Batman’s secret identity. There are so many twists and turns along the way, but the film manages to pull it off. The exploration of the relationship between Batman and Catwoman is also a true highlight.

5. Incredibles 2 (2018)

It almost feels unfair to say that this film fails to live up to the heights of the original. While that is certainly true, even being a lesser re-tread version of the original done by Pixar still ends up being pretty great. Screenslaver could have been an even greater supervillain on par (pun intended) with Syndrome from the original, but Screenslaver was underdeveloped and ironically was not given enough screen time. But still, the voice acting is still amazing, and the Pixar magic is still there with this one even if the formula is becoming a bit more obvious at this point.

6. Justice League Dark (2017)

Justice League Dark is another film set within the DC Animated Movie Universe. Given my preference for realistic human-scaled, and grounded superhero films, I tend to not be a huge fan of the magical dimension to the superhero universes. However, this was one of the rare exceptions where the magical stuff really worked for me. A series of murders and violent instances of paranormal origin leads Batman (on behalf of the Justice League) to recruit John Constantine and others to investigate and tackle this threat. On some level the plot functions as another Batman investigative story, but operates in a way that through the magical/paranormal dimensions Batman is out of his element and must lean on the somewhat dysfunctional recruits to discover who is behind it all. As a bonus: Matt Ryan voices John Constantine in this film and universe in addition to portraying the character in the 2014-2015 television series and in the characters various Arrowverse appearances.

7. Batman: The Long Halloween, Parts One and Two (2021)

Batman: The Long Halloween is the most recent entry on my list here. It is based on the limited series of the same name that ran from 1996 to 1997. In this two-part film, Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent investigate a series of murders that occur on holidays over the course of a year. The first occurs on Halloween (hence the name of the film) and each time the killer leaves a token or item at the scene of the crime representing the holiday. For example, the killer leaves a jack-o-lantern at the scene of the first murder. This is another great Batman mystery story but is set relatively early on in Batman’s career where he has not yet mastered the criminal investigative techniques. That gives Gordon and Dent more to do as the investigation and these murders wind their way through the lives of the three characters over the subsequent year. The film also serves as a great origin story for Dent and his transformation into Two-Face. This is a film that took me off guard at first, especially with Batman not yet being the genius criminal investigator, but its human-scale and grounded mystery story ended up being one of my favorites. I have not yet checked out the limited series that the film is based on, but I intend to after watching this film.

8. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is the first movie set within the DC Animated Movie Universe, and Barry Allen’s time traveling is what creates the alternate timeline that the universe occupies. This film draws from the Flashpoint story arc wherein Barry Allen travels backwards in time to prevent the death of his mother. This altered timeline then has deleterious and widespread ramifications as it causes ripples throughout the timeline and causes various events and characters to change. For example, the Atlanteans led by Aquaman and the Amazons led by Wonder Woman are at war with each other and the conflict has consumed most of Europe. In this version, Bruce Wayne was the one killed in the alley, and this resulted in Thomas Wayne becoming Batman and Martha Wayne going insane and becoming the Joker. Barry Allen retains memories of the unaltered timeline and joins with this version of Batman to re-create his speed powers and find a way to travel back in time again to restore the timeline. Sometimes time travel as a plot device can be overdone and feel tired, but this film manages to succeed because it creates an interesting new world and new assortment of characters. This was a great start to the DCAMU and is still one of its best and most intriguing entries.

9. Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)

I will admit that I might be ranking this one a little higher than I should. But as a kid, I was a fan of both Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and would design various types of joint adventures for the various action figures that I had. So while this film is based around the crossover comic miniseries from 2015-2016, this type of story was also something very much out of and that appealed to my 1990s child self. And I mean that in the best way possible. In this film, Shredder and the Foot Clan join up with Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins for a plot to destroy the people and city of Gotham. Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles encounter each other through their separate pursuit of the case, and initially believe that the other is working for Shredder. However, the Turtles and the Bat Family eventually team up to save the city. As I said at the beginning, this film appeals to me on many levels, and is just done surprisingly well. Honestly, this is the best animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and is probably the second best TMNT movie overall, after the amazing 1990 live action film of course. Plus, who doesn’t want to see Batman fight Shredder?!!?

10. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the oldest animated film on this list, and is one of the few to be released theatrically. The film is set within the universe and continuity of Batman: The Animated Series and uses the same music and animation style. That means we get the great performances of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker. As they touch on in the honest trailer, the strength of the film is that it is mostly a character study on Bruce Wayne himself and his rekindled relationship with girlfriend Andrea Beaumont, how he negotiates his desire to have his own life with her and his obligation to avenge his parents, all while pursuing a new murderous villain taking on the guise of a Phantasm. While I do not hold this one in as high of a regard as some people do, this is still a solid Batman movie and remains one of the best animated Batman films there is. Honestly, the weakest part is the end where they tack on a Joker angle just to better utilize Mark Hamill, but you know it’s a strong movie when that is the weak part.

11. Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

This film is inspired by the Under the Red Hood story arc from the Batman comics from 2004 to 2006. This one is difficult to talk about without giving too much away, so oh well. The film begins with Joker’s abduction and execution of the Jason Todd version of Robin. A few years later a new villain emerges donning the name and mask of the Red Hood, and goes on a one man war against the Black Mask’s control over organized crime in Gotham. Much to Batman’s surprise, this Red Hood has all of the same skills as Batman and has full knowledge of all of Batman’s strategies and weapons/gadgets. Of course Batman does some further investigation and we find that the body of Jason Todd that was brought back is not the real one. Ra’s al Ghul had resurrected Jason Todd in the Lazarus Pit, because he felt responsible for his death given that he was the one who had hired the Joker to distract Batman. Like with so many others, Jason Todd went somewhat crazy after being revived by the pit and eventually takes on the identity of the Red Hood and sets out on his mission of revenge against the Joker. Jason tries to pressure Batman to finally kill the Joker, but Batman saves the Joker, and Jason disappears after a bomb explosion. Now that I have overexplained the plot, this film works well as an investigation story but also as an examination of Batman’s grief and guilt. It gets into levels of emotional complexity that we often do not see from Batman.

12. Batman vs. Robin (2015)

Batman vs. Robin is another entry from the DC Animated Movie Universe. One of the recurring characters and themes of this universe is Damian Wayne as the new Robin and his relationship with his father Bruce Wayne/Batman. Damian’s mother is Talia al Ghul, and thus his grandfather is Ra’s al Ghul. Damian was introduced into this film universe back in 2014’s Son of Batman. However, this film is the best examination of their relationship and the points of difference in their philosophies on vigilantism and violence. Batman of course is opposed to killing, while Damian was raised in the League of Assassins and has no problem at all with taking a life. The plot takes this character tension and developing relationship between father and son, and tests it against the revived Court of Owls criminal secret society of wealthy Gotham residents. Talon, a leader within the Court of Owls, attempts to develop a mentor relationship with Robin, and tries to win Robin over to their side since he also has no problem with killing and considers it true justice. This film works for me on a number of levels. There is the mystery angle about who the Court of Owls is and whether they are even real. But more importantly, there is the examination of the parent-child relationship when it comes to the superhero life. That is something that we rarely get to see on screen, and Batman vs. Robin sets a high bar in that regard.

13. Planet Hulk (2010)

Hey that’s enough Batman movies for a while, right? It almost surprises me to write it, but believe it or not, I consider Planet Hulk to be the best animated film that Marvel has done thus far. That is surprising because I am actually not a huge fan of the Incredible Hulk. Hulk is fine within an ensemble, but I rarely find him all that interesting solo. But this film is the notable exception as it manages to present a unique and intriguing solo outing for big green guy. The film is of course based on the Planet Hulk story arc that ran in the comics from 2006 to 2007. Elements of that storyline were actually integrated into the live-action MCU film Thor: Ragnarok in 2017. However, this Planet Hulk film is the best and most complete film representation of that storyline thus far, and is part of the Marvel Animated Features series. Hulk gets exiled from Earth by the Avengers into space where his ship crashes onto the planet of Sakaar. Hulk is captured and enslaved by the government of the planet, and is forced to fight as a gladiator. Hulk is believed by some people on the planet to be their prophesied savior that will liberate them and the planet from the rule of the Red King. However, Hulk is a reluctant messiah, and conflicts build to a breaking point, especially when it is discovered that the Red King was responsible for the invasion of the ‘spikes’ that mutated and killed numerous residents. Eventually, the Red King is defeated and Hulk takes over. This is somewhat of a bizarre story for me especially given its more cosmic elements. But overall, it ranks this high on the list because it is well done, and manages to present a great and compelling solo Hulk story.

14. Megamind (2010)

Megamind as a story is essentially a twist on the classic Superman origin story. Two alien children are sent to Earth. However, one of them that looks more human lands with a loving family grows up to be Metro Man, the Superman-style savior of the city. The other lands in a prison and grows up to be a supervillain, Megamind, in large part because of how he was treated by society for not looking human and because of his inability to live up to the feats of Metro Man. The two battle for years, until one day Megamind seemingly finally kills Metro Man. Megamind enjoys his rule and domination over the city for a while now that there is no one to stop him. But eventually he grows bored with this and decides that he should create a new superhero from the DNA of Metro Man. Of course this new ‘superhero’ recruit, Tighten, has no sense of justice and quickly becomes a villain and overpowers Megamind. Megamind attempts to go into hiding only to find that Metro Man faked his own death in order to pursue a life of music. Megamind is unable to convince Metro Man to come out of hiding, and instead eventually Megamind decides that he needed to be the hero and save the city from Tighten, which he eventually does. The strength of this movie is the examination of the superhero and supervillain relationship, since Megamind as the supervillain truly needed to have that dynamic with a superhero in order to give his own life meaning. The theme of socialization into roles is also important here. Megamind largely became the villain because that was how people treated him, and not necessarily because that was who he wanted to be.

15. Big Hero 6 (2014)

This one is odd because it was produced as a Disney animated film even though it is based on the superhero team of the same name from Marvel comics. Hiro is a genius young inventor working in robotics. He develops the technology to have functional micro-robots that are mentally controlled and operated through a headset. The bots can thus be commanded to perform a task simply by the person wearing the headset thinking of the task. However, when Hiro does not want to sell his tech, it is stolen and the building is burned down to cover up the theft so that Hiro thinks the bots were destroyed in the fire. His older brother, and fellow robot engineer, Tadashi perished in the fire. Hiro eventually learns through the help of the Baymax medical robot that Tadashi made for him that the bots were stolen. Hiro and Baymax eventually recruit his team of friends and fellow robot engineers to design and build their own superpower suits and technology to defeat the villain. We also learn that the villain is attempting to enact his own revenge against someone else for the death of his loved one. Broadly speaking, the honest trailer is correct in identifying the good and bad in this film. Big Hero 6 is at its strongest when it is delving into the themes of family and friendship, and how people cope with grief and traumatic loss. And it is at its weakest when it becomes more a generic superhero action film toward the end. In short, this is an interesting case where even though Disney already owned Pixar at this time, they were still trying to replicate or do their own spin on the Pixar method of storytelling.

16. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

This film is based off the children’s book series Captain Underpants. The film centers around these two boys who are chronically in trouble because of their pranking behavior. They hypnotize their school principal, Mr. Krupp, in order to try to get out of the punishment of being placed in separate classes. Through the hypnotism they are able to convince the principal that he is in fact Captain Underpants, the superhero from their homemade comic books. The trigger is water, so whenever he is exposed to water he switches back and forth between the Mr. Krupp and Captain Underpants persona. The boys are eventually able to get Captain Underpants to defeat the evil plot of the school’s new science teacher, Professor Poopypants, who builds a machine that will eliminate all laughter. Yes the story sounds juvenile, and it is given that the target audience is children. However, the film is fun and even smart at times in ways that will also appeal to parents/adults.

17. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies exists in a world where Lex Luthor is President of the United States. Luthor begins recruiting superheroes to serve in positions in the government. Superman and Batman are of course highly skeptical of this. Luthor is able to frame Superman for the murder of Metallo, and Luthor places a bounty for the capture of Superman. This makes Superman and Batman outlaws and they set out to uncover what is actually happening with Metallo’s death and about the meteor heading toward the planet. They have run ins with superheroes and supervillains who are pursuing the large bounty for their capture. They eventually learn that Luthor intends to let the meteor crash into Earth and devastate the planet so that he can rule the world. The film works because it leans into its buddy action movie and outlaws on the run dimensions. One of the other strengths is the three main members of the voice cast with Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tim Daly as Superman, and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, who had all played those roles in the animated television series.

18. Justice League: Doom (2012)

Justice League: Doom centers around the formation of the Legion of Doom, except in this version it is Vandal Savage that brings this group of supervillains together. Savage was able to have Mirror Master break into the Batcave and steal Batman’s plans for subduing the other members of the Justice League should the need arise where they got out of control. The Legion then implements more lethal versions of Batman’s plans against the Justice League, and is successful in subduing them though obviously the League, and in particular Batman and Cyborg, is able to assist each other and avoid loss of life. The next step in Vandal Savage’s plan is to launch a rocket into the sun and trigger a solar flare that will kill half of the planet and destroy all technology. The second part of Savage’s plan is less interesting for me as the viewer, but the whole dynamic of using Batman’s contingency plans against the Justice League is simply inspired villainy.

19. Batman: Year One (2011)

Batman: Year One is exactly what the name implies. It centers on Bruce Wayne’s transformation into Batman, and the first year of that mission in Gotham as Batman. The story is based on Frank Miller’s story arc from the comics in 1987. The live-action film, Batman Begins, drew some story influence from that run of the comics. I mentioned above for the Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie that it is admittedly possible that I was ranking that one a little too high. Well, I am aware that the opposite is probably true for this one. Year One is a good movie that just did not hit me as well upon re-watch as it did the first time I saw it. I remember feeling captured by and drawn into this movie the first time that I saw it, but that was also before I had seen more animated superhero films, especially more of the Batman films. But in recently re-watching this one in the context of all the other superhero and Batman films that are out there, this one struck me as just another good one.

20. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

I am sure that some of you will be surprised that I am placing this one so relatively low on the list. I am sure for some people this would top their list. This is one of those movies that has been super-hyped as one of the greatest movies of all time and even has a 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Well I am apparently in the three percent of everyone else. I mean I like this movie fine, and it is well done for what it is. But I am also not a huge fan of what it is. I do not like multiverse stories. I do not like alternate versions of characters, and in particular I have never caught the Miles Morales bug. I also do not like this animation and visual style. When it comes to Spiderman stories, I want classic Peter Parker doing neighborhood and human-scale things. So again, it is good for what it is. We will see what direction they go in for the inevitable sequel, but, similar to what I said about the MCU Spiderman movies in the 2010s list, if they continue down this route then I cannot imagine liking the sequel any better.

21. The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)

The Powerpuff Girls was a television show that ran on Cartoon Network from 1998 to 2005. The Powerpuff Girls Movie is really just an extended origin story for the girls that builds off the brief overview of their origins provided in the introduction to the television show. The film covers how the girls were created, their names, their exploration of their abilities, their failed attempt at integrating into society as normal girls, and their first battle against a supervillain. This supervillain is of course Mojo Jojo, the genius-level intelligence chimpanzee, who was one of the more prominent regular villains from the show. While overall this is a pretty standard origin story superhero movie, and thus why I was never going to rank it that high on the list, I definitely have a soft spot for the show and the film is enjoyable enough for what it is. While I was perhaps a little above the target age group for the show when it came out, I also have younger sisters, so I was definitely exposed to this show on a regular basis when it was first airing.

22. Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)

This is a difficult movie for me to rank, and I am aware a younger crowd would likely rank this one even higher. In all honesty, I have never been a huge fan of the Teen Titans as a superhero team, and Teen Titans Go! has never been my favorite television incarnation of that team. It is obviously a newer show that began back in 2013, and thus, since it is a children’s show with a more silly and juvenile presentation of the team, I am very much not the target audience. However, this film worked for me because of the way that it pokes fun at DC Comics, the entirety of the superhero movie industry, and how it creates some interesting character tension and growth for Robin and within the team over this struggle to get his/their own movie. So despite the silliness of the whole thing, there is actually some interesting substance and commentary in here to make it worth the watch for an adult crowd.

23. Batman: The Killing Joke (2016)

Of all of the entries on this list, I suspect this one will be the most divisive. I am aware that even by including this one on this list, even at the relatively low ranking of 23, that is already too high for many people. This film is truly hated by a lot of people for its unnecessary additions at the beginning to flesh out the runtime and add more Batgirl drama. The honest trailer is correct in the sense that the additions contribute nothing actually good to the story, and this film is really just two different movies smashed together. There is the mediocre first half of the Batgirl drama, and then there is the far superior second half which is the actual Killing Joke adaptation. The film is technically an adaptation of Alan Moore’s short graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke from back in 1988. But again, as I said, there are numerous additions to the beginning that really drag down this adaptation. But I consider the strength of the second half (aka the actual adaptation) to be sufficient to salvage the movie enough for me to place it at 23 on this list. Plus you get the return of the classic duo of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker, so that has to count for something.

24. Ultimate Avengers (2006)

Ultimate Avengers is the first of the Marvel Animated Features series, which is the same series that produced the aforementioned Planet Hulk film. In terms of the story, in retrospect, this film feels like a rough draft version of the script they would use for the first live-action Avengers film. You regular readers will remember that I was quite fond of that first live-action Avengers film, placing it at number two on the 2010s decade list. It really feels like they took the story idea from this animated movie, and just improved and expanded upon it to integrate it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are definitely some significant differences between the two films, but there is also a lot in common. This film provides that fledgling and dysfunctional team dynamic that was so prominent in the live-action film as well as a climactic battle against the Chitauri. As you can tell from the title, the film draws from the Ultimate versions of the classic Marvel characters as they were reimagined in the early 2000s. While I certainly consider Planet Hulk to be a superior film, these two films really represent the cream of the crop of the Marvel Animated Features film series. Overall, this is a good film that is worth the watch, even if you are only a casual Marvel or Avengers fan.

25. Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015)

I am normally not a huge fan of alternate timeline stories or these types of ‘what if’ re-imaginings, but this one exceeded my expectations. This film is set in an alternate timeline where we get three very different versions of DC’s Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman). But to be clear, this is not just different versions of the characters, these are actually three different people inhabiting those names. The closest to the classic version would be Superman, but in this timeline General Zod arrived at Jor-El’s house before the baby’s escape pod could be launched, and Zod was able to imprint his DNA onto the child making him his son. This is a significantly darker world where these three superheroes as the Justice League are an autonomous entity that imposes their order through strength of might. This inspires significant distrust among some segments of the citizenry and the government, and the government engages in a secret project to develop ways to frame them for a series of murders and to take them out. Despite my general dislike of alternate timeline stories, Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a pretty solid and compelling story and is executed well.