What a difference a decade makes! In 2010, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still in its infancy,
The Dark Knight Trilogy was still playing out, and
Spider-Man was in the process of being rebooted.
Now, we have both a Marvel Cinematic Universe and a DC Extended Universe, while there are more comic book TV shows on the air than ever before with new ones premiering on what feels like a monthly basis. Needless to say, things have changed, and it's a very good time to be a fan.
It's been a very busy decade here on CBM, and we've decided to tackle an almost impossible undertaking by ranking every single Marvel and DC movie and TV show from worst to best.
From duds like
Dark Phoenix and
Powerless to hits like
Watchmen and
Avengers: Endgame, we think you guys will find this interesting reading and you're bound to be surprised by what lands where (not to mention having your own opinions we'd love to hear).
So, to check out this ranking of the decade's Marvel and DC adaptations, simply click on the "View List" button below!
Fantastic Four (2015)
Possibly the worst superhero movie of all-time,
Fantastic Four was a total mess ruined by reshoots and an apparent complete lack of understanding of what makes Marvel's First Family so great.
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
Have you ever wanted to see Ghost Rider p*ss fire? If so, this was definitely the movie for you, and while it was an improvement over the hero's first movie, it was also a crass and ugly mess.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The movie that killed
The Amazing Spider-Man franchise wasted Jamie Foxx's Electro, delivered a horrific version of the Green Goblin, and somehow even botched a great baddie like Rhino.
Jonah Hex (2010)
The cast was amazing (well, maybe not Megan Fox...) but this movie didn't have the right creative team and it quickly devolved into a complete disaster and a real let-down for fans of the character.
Powerless (2017)
The first superhero sitcom was a great idea on paper, but DC Entertainment decided to go back to the drawing board and reshot the pilot, changing the tone and show itself into a forgettable bore.
Inhumans (2017)
Inhumans should have been great, especially with a huge budget and IMAX release. Instead, Jeph Loeb and Scott Buck dropped the ball and delivered a bland, laughably bad small screen adaptation.
Human Target (2010)
There was nothing inherently bad about this DC TV show, but we're willing to bet that you'd forgotten it until now, right? It just failed to leave a lasting impact, hence why it only had two seasons.
Dark Phoenix (2019)
Another Marvel movie from Fox which was butchered by reshoots,
Dark Phoenix had few redeeming qualities and was a sad, underwhelming end to this now bygone era of
X-Men movies.
The Gifted (2017)
The prospect of an
X-Men TV show was one that got fans really excited, but little did we know that it would end up being a generic sci-fi drama with only tenuous links to that wider universe.
Gotham (2014)
Gotham lasted five seasons longer than anyone could have imagined, and while it certainly had some solid moments and its fair share of fans, it didn't exactly do justice to Batman's storied legacy.
Green Lantern (2011)
Warner Bros. made some huge mistakes with
Green Lantern, but it had at least some decent moments even if Parallax was a massive fart cloud and the special effects let the movie down again and again.
The LEGO Batman Movie (2017)
The LEGO Movie was awesome and, in comparison, this was a major disappointment. It was good fun and featured plenty of memorable Easter Eggs, but that final battle was just downright silly.
Venom (2018)
Venom was a massive box office hit and it certainly has its fans, but it could and should have been so much better. As a Spider-Man fan, it's hard not to be disappointed with how this one turned out.
Cloak & Dagger (2018)
The show has flown under the radar, and while it's managed to find a solid mix or drama and grittiness along with two good leads, the storylines aren't the best and visually, it looks very generic.
Iron Fist (2017)
It started off strong but rapidly went downhill, and even the show's second season didn't make up for the mistakes of the first. Showrunner Scott Buck clearly didn't understand this hero at all.
Titans (2018)
A series with a ton of potential,
Titans has been squandering it since day one. It took two seasons for Robin to become Nightwing and despite the odd great episode, nothing happens for the most part.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
It wasn't that bad in 2012, but
The Amazing Spider-Man failed to deliver "The Untold Story" it promised and The Lizard looked laughable. It didn't help that Peter Parker was a hipster douche, of course.
Suicide Squad (2016)
There were hints of a better movie here, but Warner Bros. panicking over the response to
Batman v Superman ensured that this was a tonal mess with only a handful of bright spots (Deadshot!).
Iron Man 2 (2010)
A rare misstep from Marvel Studios,
Iron Man 2 was far too concerned with world building to be a good movie in its own right. It also featured a terrible villain. Still, the experience likely taught them some big lessons.
Pennyworth (2019)
It's still early days for this series, but it's definitely showing some promise and, if nothing else, fans of
Gotham should be happy. How much of a lasting impact it's going to leave remains to be seen.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Another disappointing Marvel Studios sequel, this one isn't as bad as some would have you believe, but it was a muddled effort that failed to make good use of both its villain and the unique London setting.
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Bryan Singer attempted to deliver a colourful superhero blockbuster here, but he couldn't quite pull it off. Instead, Apocalypse looked comical and, as per usual, several mutants were wasted.
Krypton (2018)
Krypton's run has come to an end and it's a shame because despite the somewhat silly premise, Doomsday, Brainiac, and Lobo proved to be real highlights (they also all looked awesome).
Runaways (2017)
Runaways made some bold creative decisions and there were exciting moments aplenty in that first season. Unfortunately, it never really capitalised on the great premise of embraced the comics.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
Many of you will rank this sequel much higher (Josh Brolin was great as Cable), but it felt like too much of a retread of the first movie and, honestly, the Merc with the Mouth's antics need freshening up.
Thor (2011)
The God of Thunder's origin story was fun but not quite as ambitious as later Marvel Studios movies. It successfully introduced these characters, though, but should have made better use of The Destroyer.
The Defenders (2017)
It was a blast seeing these characters all share the screen after following them in their respective solo outings and while The Hand was a waste of time, the action scenes mostly made up for that.
Ant-Man (2015)
As origin stories go, this was a decent one and Ant-Man is one of the best additions to the MCU. We can't help but wonder how much better Edgar Wright's version would have been, though!
Justice League (2017)
Some would argue that this should be quite a bit lower on this list, but seeing these heroes share the screen was still amazing and Joss Whedon's joyful take on Superman was very comic accurate.
Supergirl (2015)
Melissa Benoist has proved to be a great Supergirl and while the show has made some terrible creative decisions (everything James Olsen related, for example), the actress remains a highlight.
Smallville (2011)
Smallville's final seasons aired during this decade (we know, it's hard to believe) and that disappointing finale aside, they were still an enjoyable ride for longtime fans of the Superman TV series.
Agent Carter (2015)
It's a shame that
Agent Carter only lasted for two seasons because it had the makings of a great show. It isn't exactly essential viewing but fans of the MCU will find plenty to love here.
Luke Cage (2016)
The first six or so episodes of
Luke Cage were simply superb. It was all downhill from there, though, and while season two was an improvement, a baffling finale definitely alienated a lot of fans.
Legends Of Tomorrow (2016)
An argument that
Legends of Tomorrow has outstayed its welcome could definitely be made but that doesn't mean it hasn't provided a lot of big laughs and fun adventures over the years!
Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
The Wasp's MCU arrival was long overdue and while Ghost was an underwhelming villain and the sequel didn't take quite enough risks, it was a much-needed palette cleanser after
Infinity War.
Constantine (2014)
It says a lot that fans loved this series so much that Matt Ryan's John Constantine was brought back from the dead and added to the Arrowverse (where he now appears in
Legends of Tomorrow).
Batwoman (2019)
We've only just really started delving into
Batwoman but the series shows a lot of promise and Ruby Rose appears to be fitting into the Arrowverse nicely as Kate Kane. It just needs a better villain!
The Punisher (2017)
That second season was a complete and utter failure but the first did a great job with Frank Castle despite his origin story being far too convoluted. It's also hard to fault Jon Bernthal's performance.
Black Lightning (2018)
Separate from the wider Arrowverse,
Black Lightning has been given the opportunity to stand on its own two feet and it's successfully done so with some powerful, hard-hitting stories.
The Wolverine (2013)
The Wolverine did a tremendous job of retelling Logan's time in Japan, but it all went downhill in a studio mandated final battle which felt completely out of place with the rest of the movie.
Doom Patrol (2019)
This one isn't to everyone's tastes, but it's up there as one of the best things the DC Universe streaming service has done. Their Titans introduction wasn't great, but the characters came into their own here.
Doctor Strange (2016)
It was admittedly a little too similar to Iron Man's origin story in some respects and Dormammu didn't live up to expectations, but this was still a visually stunning, trippy adventure for Doctor Strange.
Swamp-Thing (2019)
#SaveSwampThing! This series introduced a lot of stellar characters to the DC Universe and both Swamp-Thing himself and the show's horror elements came together to create compelling viewing.
Legion (2017)
Many fans would argue that this is among the greatest comic book TV shows of all-time. It was certainly pretty bold in terms of storytelling, and that final season embraced the source material.
Shazam! (2019)
Shazam! took the DCEU down a lighter, arguably more, ahem, Marvel-lous path, but it paid off and Asher Angel and Zachary Levi did a tremendous job even if the Seven Deadly Sins were hard to look at.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
It's easy to forget that this is a Marvel movie and while it may only bear a passing resemblance to the source material, it's still a heartfelt, visually beautiful movie that's an absolute must-see.
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)
Bringing together the casts of the new and original
X-Men movie gave
Days of Future Past a real event feel, and while the Sentinels didn't exactly look great, everything else here worked really well.
Arrow (2012)
Arrow got off to a rough start on The CW but as time passed, it delivered plenty of stellar action and stories which it was impossible not to get invested in even if it couldn't quite maintain that quality.
The Flash (2014)
Just pipping
Arrow to the past thanks to those strong early seasons,
The Flash may not be as good as it once was (we blame the villains for that) but it's hard to beat the likes of Reverse-Flash and Zoom!
Deadpool (2016)
Given its limited budget and constant pushback from Fox, making Deadpool was no easy feat but Tim Miller and Ryan Reynolds definitely pulled it off with a hilarious, R-Rated unmissable origin story.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
A strong origin story for the Star Spangled Avenger, this movie introduced a hero who was truly good and the special effects to create that skinny Steve Rogers were truly groundbreaking at the time.
Aquaman (2018)
Like
Shazam!,
Aquaman was tonally very different to what had come before but it was an absolute blast with visuals that were out of this world. Black Manta and Ocean Master were clear highlights.
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
This sequel wasn't to everyone's liking but James Spader's Ultron was an awesome villain and the introductions of characters like Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and The Vision worked wonderfully.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)
Another series which has had its ups and down,
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has become appointment viewing for many fans and those early tie ins to Marvel's movies made for essential viewing.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
It was by no means perfect but
X-Men: First Class put the franchise back on the right track...briefly! James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender stole the show here and that final scene ruled.
Daredevil (2015)
Daredevil made a lot of crucial mistakes over the course of its three seasons but it also did a lot right and we're keeping everything crossed that Kevin Feige brings back this Man Without Fear.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
It was hard to adjust to some of the changes made to Spider-Man in order to modernise the wall-crawler but this took the hero down the right path and delivered lots of truly spectacular moments!
Captain Marvel (2019)
Despite all the controversy surrounding this release and the fact it wasn't the best MCU origin story,
Captain Marvel made for awesome viewing and it was awesome to see Carol Danvers in action.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
No one really expected much from
Guardians of the Galaxy when it was announced but not only did the movie exceed expectations, it also became an instant classic with an incredible soundtrack.
Man Of Steel (2013)
Some of the creative decisions here may not have sat well with fans, but this was the reboot Superman needed at the time and that sequence of the hero taking flight for the first time is iconic.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
A lot of people would put this movie at the bottom of the list for The Mandarin plot point alone, but look past that and you'll surely agree that this was, in many ways, the best
Iron Man of the three.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
The best
Spider-Man movie to date (it's certainly up there with
Spider-Man 2),
Far From Home made some jaw-dropping creative decisions and gave us the best post-credits scene in the MCU's history.
Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
I'm sorry, but seeing Batman (played by Ben Affleck, no less) fighting Superman on the big screen was amazing and the fact that it was so heavily inspired by
The Dark Knight Returns was a real treat for fans.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Russo Brothers entered the MCU in style with this awesome adaptation of "The Winter Soldier" storyline from the comics and those fight scenes remain among the genre's best even five years on.
Wonder Woman (2017)
The first female-led superhero movie certainly didn't disappoint and if you didn't get chills during that "No Man's Land" scene, we don't know what to say! Gal Gadot, meanwhile, was fantastic here.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
It may look small in scale compared to the likes of
Infinity War and
Endgame but, at the time, seeing all those heroes share the screen - and fight! - was crazy, as was Spider-Man's MCU introduction.
Logan (2017)
Honestly, we're better off treating this as the final chapter in Fox's
X-Men saga, because it was pretty much the perfect send off for Wolverine (even if him fighting a clone instead of Sabretooth sucked).
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The finale to
The Dark Knight Trilogy was certainly divisive but that battle with Bane in the sewers was filmmaking at its finest and the moment Batman sacrificed himself was edge of your seat viewing.
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers may seem tame by today's standards (and Joss Whedon screwed up shooting it like a TV show) but it was an asbolute game-changer and did the impossible by assembling this team.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Taika Waititi saved the
Thor franchise with this threequel which introduced a long list of amazing characters and visuals unlike any other we'd seen in the MCU up until this point...and since!
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
It may be the MCU's version of
The Empire Strikes Back with its "To Be Continued..." style ending but it was an epic, action-packed adventure which left our minds truly blown after that ending.
Watchmen (2019)
You may think we're jumping the gun by including this still relatively new series so high up on this list, but
Watchmen is without a doubt the best comic book show of 2019, and could wind up being ranked among the all-time greats.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Somehow even better than the first movie,
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 made us all fall in love with Baby Groot and delivered a heartwarming, epic tale which featured plenty of surprises.
Black Panther (2018)
The first Marvel Studios movie to receive a "Best Picture" nomination at the Oscars,
Black Panther deserved every bit of acclaim it received and was a powerful, unforgettable film. Wakanda Forever!
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
Remember when we said
Far From Home was the best
Spider-Man movie to date? Well, in terms of live-action efforts, that's true, but this Oscar winner was a masterpiece and an absolute blast.
Joker (2019)
Despite all that talk of Joker inciting violence, it instead received widespread critical acclaim and $1 billion at the box office. It may not be comic accurate, but it's a powerful, beautifully acted film.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
The perfect finale to "The Infinity Saga," Avengers: Endgame did not disappoint and included some of the most memorable, crowd-pleasing moments in any superhero movie to ever grace the screen.
What are your thoughts on our ranking of the past decade's superhero movies and TV shows? Do you have your own ranking? As always, let us know in the comments section below!