It's only August, but that's it for superhero movies this year. Fortunately, there's plenty to look forward to on the horizon, including Supergirl, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and a plethora of TV shows in the remainder of 2025 (starting with Peacemaker season 2).
This year has been another difficult one for the genre. While three of the four movies released received glowing reviews, they've all struggled at the box office, and none of them will come close to reaching $1 billion...even $600 million seems optimistic for the highest-grossing movie on this list.
As you've likely figured out by now, this feature ranks 2025's superhero movies—Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps—from worst to best. This is only one person's opinion, though, and we're sure you'll have your own.
Check out our ranking by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
4. Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Studios did a great job with Captain America: Brave New World's trailers, but the movie itself didn't live up to them. Extensive reshoots tried and failed to rescue a project that clearly wasn't working at the script level, with the decision made to pivot to a tone more like Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
In the end, the movie might have been better off embracing the campiness of The Leader and Serpent Society, because the versions of those characters we ended up with failed to strike a chord.
On the plus side, Anthony Mackie was on top form, as was Harrison Ford. The Red Hulk battle, while brief, was an undeniable highlight, even if it was capped off with the Multiverse Saga's worst post-credits scene. This isn't a terrible movie, but it was a disappointing one. The MCU's new Captain America deserved better.
3. Superman
This might be controversial, but Superman ending up in third place takes nothing away from what a great movie it is. The first DC Studios blockbuster sets the tone for the new DCU, delivering a joyous take on the Man of Steel that feels most welcome at a time when the world appears endlessly divided on, well, everything.
The movie didn't benefit from including so many characters, though it wasn't something that hurt it too much either. Superman isn't Gunn's best film, and that's evident from generic ideas like Ultraman being a Superman clone and characters like the Kaiju and Baby Joey. Then, there's the controversy surrounding why Jor-El sent his son to Earth in the first place.
Overall, though, Superman was a successful start for the DCU and will end up being the year's highest-grossing superhero movie. We'd have liked to see Gunn play it less safe (losing the day-of-the-week formula was a shame), but this movie was a win overall. And what a star-making turn for David Corenswet.
2. Thunderbolts*
Thunderbolts* flopped at the box office, and the reasons for that have already been covered in great depth (including by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige). While *The New Avengers weren't a draw in terms of ticket sales, what Jake Schreier achieved here makes it very easy to see why he's set to helm the upcoming X-Men reboot.
Packed full of practical stunts and effects, Thunderbolts* told a compelling story about depression and loneliness. It also explored characters like The Sentry and Yelena Belova in touching, meaningful ways that felt more akin to the A24 movies this was likened to than your typical superhero fare.
Emotionally moving and a showcase for its stars, Thunderbolts* deserved a bigger audience and will hopefully find one in the years ahead. Florence Pugh stole the show, and the sooner we see this team in action again in next December's Avengers: Doomday, the better.
1. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a little rough around the edges at times. Some big edits were clearly made (that's evident from John Malkovich's absence as Red Ghost) to get this movie under two hours, but the result is a pitch-perfect take on Marvel's First Family that takes its cues from one of the greatest storytellers of all time: Jack Kirby.
Filmmaker Matt Shakman knocked this reboot out of the park. There's always room for improvement due to fan preference—Shakman could have gotten a little more adventurous with Mister Fantastic's abilities—but this was ultimately the version of this team fans have spent decades waiting to see on screen.
The cast excelled in their respective roles, while the sight of Galactus stomping through New York is not one we'll soon forget. It's a great shame to think The Fantastic Four: First Steps' box office performance could relegate the team to supporting players in the MCU, because this is one family we'd love to spend more time with.