Kaitlyn Murphy
It’s no secret — the comic book film genre struggled a bit in 2023.
Marvel Studios hit historical lows ratings-wise on two of their entries for the year, DC films “bombed” at the box office by barely making more than it cost to produce them and audiences have grown tired of the same formulaic storytelling in the genre.
In order for a superhero film to be a box office success in today’s streaming-centric climate, it has to break the mold. The days of the one-dimensional villain intent on destroying the planet are over; studios have to get creative and offer character-driven narratives with meaningful plotlines.
If studios don’t go above and beyond for their projects today, people will simply forgo the theater experience and wait for it to stream free on Netflix or Disney+.
That being said, some notable 2023 entries hit the mark with creativity and uniqueness that deserve to be celebrated as the year comes to a close — even if a few of their counterparts did not.
From Marvel, DC and more, here are the best and worst superhero films released this year.
Honorable Mention: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
While technically not a superhero film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a box office smash this year, crossing the billion dollar mark and becoming the highest grossing film based on a video game in its first week.
The film was good-old-fashioned family fun, and felt like a love letter to kids of all generations who grew up playing the games.
Animated with vibrant color and consideration for settings made famous by the games, The Super Mario Bros. Movie transports the audience into a universe with limitless potential for expansion.
The star-studded cast and viral song “Peaches” by Jack Black also make the film even more fun, and it feels wrong not to include it on this list.
Best: Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3
As the final film of the franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an emotional rollercoaster that showcases the best aspects of the superhero genre.
The Guardians’ found family trope has been incredibly satisfying to watch unfold over the past 9 years, and even though not every character got their ideal ending, the final scene is one of Marvel’s best.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also had a signature killer soundtrack, and laugh-out-loud moments that broke the tension from some of Rocket Raccoon’s upsetting flashback sequences.
The film served audiences a perfect blend of humor and heart, and was undoubtedly one of the best of the year.
Worst: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
It seems like Marvel just didn’t really care with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
The first two installments of the franchise were witty, engaging and rooted in at least a little bit of realism, but Quantumania threw all of that out the window.
Marvel delivers some of the worst visual effects it has ever produced as the Lang family travels to the microscopic quantum realm, and spends most of the movie trapped inside the ugly place.
The story is forgettable and formulaic, and the dry script left typically sharp Paul Rudd with nothing to work with.
Not to mention the recent development of Jonathan Majors’s conviction and firing from Marvel, leaving the studio without their villain of the future, Kang.
Quantumania is one big mess that hopefully isn’t repeated in the future.
Best: Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle set a new standard for representation in superhero films, and was an entertaining ride from start to finish.
It features the first lead Latino superhero, Jaime Rojas, played by Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña. The film was shot entirely in Puerto Rico, and directed by Àngel Manuel Soto who took pride in showcasing the Latino experience.
In a refreshing break from tradition, Rojas learns he acquired the powers of the Blue Beetle suit in front of his whole family. There’s no sneaking around and keeping secrets, Rojas relies heavily on his family for guidance as he navigates his new powers.
While the villain storyline is a bit weak, the family fight scenes and hilarious banter are sure to make audiences hungry for more Blue Beetle in the future.
Worst: Shazam: Fury of the Gods
Shazam: Fury of the Gods was by no means a terrible movie.
There’s a nice found family dynamic between Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his foster siblings, all of whom inherit the powers of Shazam and team up to keep the city of Philadelphia safe.
It felt a bit odd to have a DCU film set in a real city when so many of them aren’t, and one of the major fight scenes takes place inside the Phillies stadium, Citizens Bank Park.
The main issue with Fury of the Gods is that Asher Angel and Zachary Levi play Billy Batson in completely different ways, despite being the same character in different forms. Angel takes more of a laid-back approach to Billy, while Levi’s Shazam is hyperactive and cracks pretty horrible jokes.
There is also obnoxious product placement towards the end of the film, and a rocky plot that’s hard to stay engaged with.
It’s unfortunate that the young actors are in the film for minimal screen time, since Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer have a natural chemistry as foster brothers.
Best: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the best superhero movie of 2023, and one of the best of all time.
The groundbreaking animation is a visual feast for the viewer, as Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) travels through the Spider-Verse and meets Spider-people who’ve never been shown on screen before.
His chemistry with Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) is still apparent throughout the film, even in moments when he feels neglected and betrayed by her.
Metro Boomin’s soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the trials and tribulations Miles has to face as not only a teenager figuring out how to navigate life, but a superhero who feels isolated from people like him.
The villains in the film are nuanced and aren’t simply just “bad guys” – their stories are fleshed out and it’s hard not to empathize with them.
Across the Spider-Verse ends with a nail-biting cliffhanger that will surely bring audiences back for more of Miles’s story.
Worst: The Flash
DC released The Flash at the worst time possible — barely a week after Across the Spider-Verse.
Across the Spider-Verse is a better film in every way, and they both feature a super son trying to mess with the multiverse to save one of his parents.
While Ezra Miller’s portrayal of Barry Allen is fine, it feels underwhelming compared to previous versions of the speedster audiences have seen (Grant Gustin, mainly.)
The Flash has some of the worst CGI to ever grace the big screen, especially in one of the first scenes where Barry has to save babies falling from a collapsing building.
The two-and-a-half hour run time could’ve been easily cut down with the amount of scenes that do nothing to advance the plot.
Best: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem came out of left field for many people this year, scoring an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and performing well at the box office.
With a blend of hand-drawn and CGI animation, the film is a crazy trip through the sewers of New York where the Ninja Turtles live in hiding, due to their overprotective father who knows the world wouldn’t accept them.
But when the city is faced with super villains, the brothers come out of hiding to fight crime and become the heroes they were meant to be.
Mutant Mayhem is filled with fun and hilarious moments, helping the animated superhero genre thrive in 2023.
