Top 10 Best Superhero Movie Sequels
These sequels lived up to the hype! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the second installments of superhero movie franchises that arguably surpassed their predecessors.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the second installment
00:13of superhero movie franchises that arguably surpassed their predecessors.
00:18Not to get too technical, but we'll be looking at direct sequels within franchises.
00:23For example, we're not considering The Avengers as a sequel to Iron Man.
00:26Trust me, you're gonna be in a puddle of blood on the ground in 5, 4, 3, COME ON, 2.
00:34How did we get this shit?
00:37Number 10.
00:38X2.
00:39Was there any other way to kick things off than with one of the best opening scenes in
00:48any movie ever?
00:50Once named Empire Magazine's best comic-to-film adaptation ever made, X2 does exactly what
00:56a sequel is precisely meant to do.
00:58Remind fans what they loved about its predecessor, while taking that and deepening it.
01:04Indeed, much like X-Men before it, X2 examines themes of social injustice and systemic discrimination.
01:23But this time, in an even bolder and more clear-cut way.
01:26To follow up to the film that arguably launched the modern-day cinematic superhero takeover,
01:31this sophomore effort delivers without going through the motions, and arguably captures
01:36the franchise at its peak.
01:45Number 9.
01:46The Suicide Squad.
01:54When Warner Bros. poached Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn from Marvel
01:57Studios, they gave him free reign to adapt any DC comic that interested him.
02:02Gunn decided to fulfill a career goal and make a Suicide Squad movie, but only if he
02:07could go all out and make the hard-R adaptation he had longed for.
02:23The studio obliged, so Gunn took that and ran with it.
02:27The result is The Suicide Squad, a standalone follow-up to David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad
02:33that blows Ayer's original film away.
02:36Recruiting a murderous role-cast to bring this gang of low-lifes to, well, life, Gunn's
02:41sequel is hilarious, violent, and occasionally hilariously violent.
02:46Above all, it's a rip-roaring good time.
02:54Number 8.
02:55Black Panther, Wakanda Forever.
03:07As if expectations for the sequel to Marvel Studios' first Best Picture nominee weren't
03:13high enough, series star Chadwick Boseman's tragic 2020 passing presented a monumental
03:19challenge to the film's cast and crew.
03:32Thankfully, director Ryan Coogler managed to pull it off with aplomb, crafting a film
03:37that not only continues the first Black Panther story in a captivating way, but satisfyingly
03:42pays tribute to the series' fallen lead.
03:45Even still, Wakanda Forever went beyond a Best Picture nomination and landed Angela
03:49Bassett, who plays Cream Ramonda, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and
03:54first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
04:07Number 7.
04:08Blade II.
04:19As if that wasn't enough twos for you, this supernatural anti-hero sequel was released
04:23on March 22nd.
04:25Directed by future Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro, Wesley Snipes returns as the titular
04:30vampire hunter in a second installment that, while received lukewarmly at the time, has
04:35since evolved into a camp classic of the superhero genre.
04:39The Pan's labyrinth and Shape of Water director was the perfect choice to elevate an already
04:43groundbreaking character who, in almost every way, bucks tradition.
04:56Unsurprisingly, it's all tied together by Snipes and his steely, cooler-than-cool performance.
05:02The guy clearly eats, sleeps, and breathes Blade.
05:05Oh, and by the way, we checked, and February 22nd was a Friday that year.
05:11Missed opportunity, New Line Cinema.
05:25Number 6.
05:26Superman II.
05:27The Richard Donner Cut
05:34The fact that Mario Puzo, author of the book that The Godfather is based on, co-wrote this
05:39screenplay isn't the most interesting thing about it.
05:42That says a lot about the troubled production of Superman II, from which original director
05:47Richard Donner was fired.
05:49Later known for directing the Goonies and the Lethal Weapon films, Donner oversaw this
05:54director's cut, restoring his original vision of a follow-up to the first Superman
05:57film, also directed by him.
06:09This version was praised by American Cinematographer for, quote, offering a more consistent balance
06:15between adventure and romance, not to mention a clearer understanding of what audiences
06:19loved about Donner's first film.
06:29Number 5.
06:30Batman Returns
06:42When Warner Bros. allowed Tim Burton unprecedented creative control on his sequel to 1989's
06:47Batman, he turned his signature style all the way up, coming up with a characteristically
06:53spooky gothic take on the character.
06:55Case in point, it's a dark, snowy Christmas movie that came out in the middle of June.
07:14That being said, Burton's creative risks pay off.
07:17Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito are simultaneously off-putting and instantly memorable, turning
07:22in groundbreaking performances as Catwoman and the Penguin, respectively.
07:32A financial and critical disappointment at the time of its release, owing largely to
07:36its horror-tinged tone that alienated audiences, Batman Returns has since made its comeback
07:42as a cult classic of the genre.
07:44Number 4.
07:45Logan Logan
07:56Set in a dystopian possible future, Logan pushed the boundaries of what audiences had
08:01to this point expected from the X-Men franchise, and superhero movies as a whole.
08:06Starring an Oscar-worthy Hugh Jackman, the film benefits greatly from his chemistry with
08:10newcomer Daphne Keene.
08:12In a rare sign of acknowledgment of the superhero genre by the Academy, Scott Frank, James Mangold,
08:17and Michael Green were nominated for an Oscar for the film's screenplay.
08:30Although 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine negates Jackman's claim that he would be hanging
08:34up his claws for good, it can't be denied that Logan, as directed by Mangold, is an
08:39impressively gritty, mature, and above all, heartfelt superhero story.
08:49Number 3.
08:50Captain America The Winter Soldier
08:57Watching this MCU installment will make you realize precisely why Kevin Feige was right
09:02to entrust the keys to the franchise to Joe and Anthony Russo.
09:05A riveting action thriller before you added superhero genre trappings, Winter Soldier
09:10also famously drew from 70s conspiracy flicks like Three Days of the Condor, even casting
09:16that film's lead Oscar-winner Robert Redford in a nod to the Russo brothers' influences.
09:34We'd be foolish not to mention that the film presented fans with the best action sequences
09:38of the entire series.
09:40Employing stunts and practical effects, combined with razor-sharp fight choreography, the Russos
09:45managed to craft a sequel that outshined its predecessor.
09:59Number 2.
10:00Spider-Man 2
10:12Can you believe that, for Sam Raimi's sequel, the role of the titular web-slinger was almost
10:16filled by none other than Jake Gyllenhaal?
10:19While the Oscar nominee is a great actor, Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker is the heart
10:23and soul of Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.
10:26While Tom Holland's Spidey is good fun, Raimi and Maguire's second outing is a finely-tuned
10:31masterpiece of blockbuster filmmaking, building on the world established in the first film
10:35while ascending to new heights of heroism in the process.
10:43Spider-Man 2 beautifully captures the spirit of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's comics by
10:48tapping into Parker's humanity and what drives him, elevating Maguire's portrayal
10:52of the character into an everyman that all of us can root for.
11:04Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:07Thor Ragnarok
11:08Director Taika Waititi's threequel breathed electrifying new life into the God of Thunder's
11:15He transformed himself into a snake and he knows that I love snakes, so I went to pick
11:18up the snake to admire it, and he transformed back into himself and he was like, yeah, it's
11:22me!
11:23And he stabbed me.
11:24We were eight at the time.
11:25Hellboy 2 The Golden Army
11:27Guillermo Del Toro really has a knack for nulling sequels, doesn't he?
11:40Avengers Infinity War
11:42A two-billion-dollar masterclass in upping the stakes.
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12:13The Dark Knight
12:14Yeah, you saw this one coming, but can you blame us?
12:29We're literally talking about the first Oscar-winning superhero film here.
12:33The highest-grossing film of 2008, which was highly anticipated by fans after Christopher
12:38Nolan's Batman Begins, turns out to not only be a smash hit, but a critical success
12:43too.
12:44While some internet commenters were initially unconvinced by Heath Ledger's casting as
12:48the Joker, the Australian actor defied all expectations, winning a Posthumous Academy
12:53Award for his gripping performance.
13:06Taking influence from Heath, Jaws, and The Godfather, Nolan imbued the Batman franchise
13:10with a depth and thoughtfulness that gave audiences something to chew on that wasn't
13:14just popcorn.
13:15This sequel isn't just a great superhero movie, it's great cinema, period.
13:32Did we forget your favorite superhero movie sequel?
13:34Are there any sequels that you think are even better than the first?
13:37Don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below!