2023 will be a great year for comic book sequels. Marvel has a full slate, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania this February, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 in May, and The Marvels in July. Not be outdone, DC only has sequels to Aquaman and Shazam as well as The Flashthe Scarlet Speedster’s first solo project and a quasi-sequel to the misguided and ultimately disappointed Justice League.
Indeed, the comic book genre is alive and thriving, producing new movies every year and expanding exponentially. However, not all superhero sequels are worthy of acclaim, and not all earn it. Those that do often rank from safe to serviceable, with only a select few transcending their genre’s limitations, whether by offering something fresh or by upping the ante and featuring emotional stakes that live up to their larger-than-life premises. From films within the MCU to entries that pre-date the modern superhero boom, these sequels are the very best the comic book genre has to offer.
5. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
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Many might say Avengers: Endgame is the best MCU movie, but they would be wrong. Endgame is an ambitious but scattered film that falls apart the minute you try to analyze its feeble plot. Infinity War is the superior film, thanks largely to Josh Brolin and Zoe Saldaña’s performances, which provide a firm and compelling basis and add some much-needed gravitas.
4. Batman Returns (1992)
Tim Burton’s gothic and bleak look into the Batman mythos resulted in two of the best and most interesting takes on the Dark Knight. However, his vision is truly unrestrained in the 1992 sequel Batman Returnswhich sees the titular hero facing three different threats in the form of the Penguin, Catwoman, and ambitious businessman Max Schreck.
3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Captain America series gave us arguably the best film in the MCU. Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows Steve Rogers as he discovers SHIELD has been compromised. Accompanied only by the Black Widow and the Falcon, Rogers sets on a quest to uncover the conspiracy, coming face to face with a ghost from the past in the form of the deathly Winter Soldier.
The Winter Soldier is the rare sequel that ups the ante not only in action setpieces but also in emotional turmoil. By framing the action around Steve’s connection to Bucky Barnes, the film gifts itself a powerful emotional hook that keeps the action grounded even when the plot deviates into the usual Marvel brand of big and loud. Featuring Chris Evans’ best performance throughout his MCU tenure and aided by the always-reliable presence of Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Redford, The Winter Soldier is a tense and well-paced thriller that honors previous entries into the spy genre and earns its place as Marvel’s best film.
2. Spider-Man 2 (2002)
Tobey Maguire gives his best performance as Peter Parker, finding the perfect balance between the character’s duty as Spider-Man and his longing for a normal life. The film also receives considerable help from the scene-stealing Alfred Molina, whose Doctor Octopus is among the best Spider-Man villains ever. With a strong emotional hook and several thrilling action sequences that make the best out of Doc Ock’s visually stunning gimmick, Spider-Man 2 is the perfect example of the heights a comic book movie can achieve when guided by a director who understands the genre’s strengths and weaknesses.
1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan’s 2008 sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight was a game-changer and a turning point for the comic book genre. The film follows Batman as he questions himself and his self-imposed boundaries when facing the Joker, an anarchist and self-described agent of chaos who throws Gotham City into mayhem.
The Dark Knight is a riveting crime drama disguised as a superhero film. Nolan’s neo-noir and overly bleak approach to Batman brings out the character’s greatest strengths, enhanced by Heath Ledger’s tour-de-force performance as the Joker. The Dark Knight is a near-perfect adaptation of the comic books, updating the setting to reflect timely topics of escalation and terrorism while respecting Batman’s essence. The film is a before and after for modern superhero films; many future projects have tried to emulate it, but none has been able to replicate its unique blend of genres.
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