Superhero movies are where pop culture, fandom, and critical opinion intersect—and Rotten Tomatoes is usually the battlefield where it all happens. Whether a film breaks the genre or is hardly watchable, the Tomatometer has become a critical scorecard for fans and filmmakers alike. Here’s a closer look at the superhero movies that critics and audiences have come to praise or denounce—and what makes them different.
The Best Superhero Films (As Crowned by Rotten Tomatoes)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
With a virtually flawless 97% Tomatometer and a 94% Audience Score, this cartoon phenomenon didn’t merely set the bar high—it flung it into another dimension. Sitting proudly at 21st place on Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the “300 Best Movies of All Time,” Spider-Verse was shoulder to shoulder with film giants such as Citizen Kane and The Godfather. Its daring animation, rich storytelling, and moving portrayal of Miles Morales make Spider-Verse a gem not only in the superhero genre but in animation in general.
Logan (2017)
Logan reset the parameters of what a superhero film could do. With its 93% critical and 90% audience score, it’s a dark, emotionally naked goodbye to Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. In a grim future world, Logan focuses on family, mortality, and legacy—eschewing spectacle for soul—and the result is unforgettable.
Black Panther (2018)
With a 96% rating, Black Panther is still the top-rated MCU movie on Rotten Tomatoes. Aside from the accolades, it had a seismic cultural effect, marrying Afrofuturism, political commentary, and traditional superhero narratives. It wasn’t a movie—it was an instant in movie history.
Other Top-Rated MCU Titles
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is well accustomed to having high scores. Avengers: Endgame (94%), Iron Man (94%), Thor: Ragnarok (93%), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (93%) received critical acclaim while smashing box office records. These movies live off character development, interesting arcs, and the right mix of humor, emotion, and high-stakes action.
The Worst Superhero Movies (By Rotten Tomatoes Standards)
Madame Web (2024)
At the top of the list of superhero flops is Madame Web, which scored a merciless 11% on the Tomatometer. Despite a hot cast featuring Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, the movie was uniformly trashed for its disjointed plot and missing direction. Even the stars appeared to distance themselves from it after release.
Kraven the Hunter (2024)
Another misstep from Sony’s Spider-Man franchise, Kraven the Hunter grossed an unimpressive 15% critic score on its opening. Kraven the Hunter puffed along with issues of pacing and confusion in tone, not delivering the intensity fans wanted from one of Spider-Man’s most classic villains.
The Crow (2024)
Lionsgate’s reboot of The Crow never really got off the ground. Stuck with a 22% score and lackluster box office attendance, this remake of the cult favorite wasn’t able to bring the original’s gothic urgency or emotional resonance.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
One of the biggest surprises of the year, Folie à Deux received a 32% rating despite the star power. Fans were split on its musical style and courtroom drama format. It just didn’t hit the same as the original Joker.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)
While it sought to bring the character back to horror, The Crooked Man received only 37% on the Tomatometer. While a few critics enjoyed the tone adjustment, the majority were disappointed with the underwhelming and unevenly performed effort.
Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
The last book in the Venom trilogy ended with a critical clunk, mustering only 41%. The die-hards came out in respectable numbers, but overall, the word was that the franchise had lost its momentum.
In the Middle: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
With a 78% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Deadpool & Wolverine were able to win the hearts of both fans and critics alike. As a raucous conclusion to Deadpool’s trilogy and a goodbye to Fox’s Marvel legacy, the movie struck a delicate balance between irreverent humor, action-packed pandemonium, and surprising emotion, demonstrating there’s life in the superhero format yet.
What Makes a Superhero Movie Soar or Sink
Rotten Tomatoes shows us one thing: superhero films thrive when they are risky. Whether it’s Into the Spider-Verse’s adventurous visual style or Logan’s grit and character-study sensibility, the best of them take the genre in bold new directions. Conversely, the duds seem to be hasty, by the numbers, or unclear of their vision, usually hamstrung by messy screenplays, underwhelming effects, or tone issues.
In a crowded genre like superhero movies, it’s not easy to do something different. But when a film finds that sweet spot between spectacle, story, and originality, it not only entertains but also leaves its mark. And as Rotten Tomatoes continues to demonstrate, not even caped crusaders are safe from the magic of a good (or bad) review.