Everyone has a favourite comic book movie, making it nearly impossible to decide which of them is truly best. Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, and Avengers: Endgame are surely all in the mix, but The New York Times may have finally given us a somewhat definitive answer.
The outlet polled more than "500 influential directors, actors and other notable names in Hollywood and around the world," asking them to choose the best movies released in the 21st Century (January 1, 2000, to today).
That excludes Superman: The Movie, for example, but two superhero movies did manage to make it into the list. The first of those is 2018's Black Panther; it ranks at #96, and is described as follows by the site:
"There’s so much to love. It’s a superhero spectacle that actually has something important to say, about how identity, history and responsibility intersect. Wakanda, the Afrofuturistic world where the story takes place, is a visual wonder. The women (played by Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o and Letitia Wright — all excellent) aren’t just sidekicks or love interests. Michael B. Jordan, as the tragically villainous Killmonger, has never been more swoon worthy. And, of course, Chadwick Boseman shines in the title role, sadly one of his last before dying of cancer."
However, if this poll is to be believed, then The Dark Knight is most deserving of the title for the greatest superhero movie of all time. No other comic book adaptation ranked higher than Christopher Nolan's 2008 sequel to Batman Begins in this list (it sits at #28).
Here's how the site describes the movie that pitted Christian Bale's Caped Crusader against Heath Ledger's Joker:
Indifference to superheroes isn’t a prerequisite for making a great film about them. But Christopher Nolan’s allergy to comic-book logic and his infatuation with the grown-up crime movie canon (especially 'Heat' and 'The Godfather') revitalized a character still laboring to emerge from the miasma of 'Batman & Robin.' The second entry and high-water mark of Nolan’s 'Dark Knight' trilogy poses fruitful questions about the naïveté of its protagonist’s moral code. But the film’s greatest asset is Heath Ledger, whose staggering performance as the Joker set the bar for subsequent supervillains forever.
For those of you curious about what made the Top 10, we're sure you'll agree that this ranking makes for interesting reading...
10. The Social Network
9. Spirited Away
8. Get Out
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6. No Country for Old Men
5. Moonlight
4. In the Mood for Love
3. There Will be Blood
2. Mulholland Drive
1. Parasite