Fans Rank Top 10 Black Superhero Movies of All Time

Fans have gathered on Ranker to vote for the top 10 superhero movies that focus, in one way or another, on black superheroes. Some results might surprise you, while some were perfectly reasonable to expect.

10. ‘Blade Trinity’ (2004)

The third installment of the original franchise wasn’t received all that well and it’s considered a dark spot on the otherwise fantastic franchise. Personally, the movie wouldn’t cut it in my top 10, but taking into account that the franchise overall indirectly saved Marvel from going bankrupt I can understand why fans are sentimentally tied to it.

9. ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ (2014)

‘The Winter Soldier’ is not entirely revolving around a black superhero, but it did introduce Sam Wilson as Falcon to the MCU. This was an extremely important moment in the MCU since as you all probably know, Sam Wilson grew some important that he inherited the mantle of Captain America. He is set to get his own movie next year titled ‘Brave New World.’

8. ‘Meteor Man’ (1993)

‘Meteor Man’ is the first non-DC and non-Marvel movie on this list, but it’s not the last. This superhero comedy starred Robert Townsend in the leading role, and despite the movie being a lot more humble than today’s spectacular superhero films, it made history, simply due to it being one of the earliest movies focusing on a black superhero.

7. ‘The Incredibles’ (2004)

‘The Incredibles’ features Frozone Bob’s best friend who can form ice from humidity, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, still, I’m not exactly sure that this movie belongs on this list at all and I would omit it altogether. This is definitely one ranking I do not agree with at all.

6. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

This movie is way too low on this list. ‘Into The Spider-Verse’ did wonders for African-American representation in animated superhero media, but also for the Spider-Man franchise in general. Miles Morales is more popular as Spider-Man among younger audiences than Peter Parker is.

Miles Morales is the son of an African-American father and a Puerto Rican mother born in Brooklyn, New York. If we have to determine the character’s ethnicity, Miles Morales is an African American Latino, so you have double the representation.

5. ‘Spawn’ (1997)

Spawn is not exactly a superhero, but the movie is still iconic. Michael Jai White starred as Al Simmons aka Spawn, and he is one of the earliest, if the earliest portrayals of black antiheroes on-screen. The movie was tanked by critics, but it’s legendary due to its brilliant utilization of practical effects. I would still rank it below Spider-Verse however.

4. ‘Blade II’ (2002)

‘Blade II’ was a successful movie, with Wesley Snipes returning to reprise his role as Eric Brooks. Despite following the same formula as the previous movie, it still did not manage to emulate the success and charm of the original. This is likely why it’s ranked “so low.”

3. ‘Hancock’ (2008)

I have sort of a love-hate relationship with ‘Hancock.’ I loved the premise, but I hated that the story wasn’t continuing, we could at least get an origin story of sorts. Still, ‘Hancock’ landed pretty high despite being ‘Critically mauled” on release by critics.

2. ‘Blade’ (1998)

No rationale is needed for this one. The original ‘Blade’ movie did everything right, the action, the star, dark and gritty atmosphere, it was the gold standard for comic adaptations at the time.

Marvel filed for bankruptcy in 1996, but ‘Blade’ (1998) put them back on the right path – perhaps not financially, per se, but certainly in the eyes of Hollywood and the public.

Not only was ‘Blade’ a financial success – it provided the blueprint on how to make an obscure character popular, how to build on an actor’s strength, and how to make superhero movies relatable.

1. ‘Black Panther’ (2018)

‘Black Panther’ wasn’t just a movie; it was a cultural phenomenon as African-Americans felt truly represented in the MCU for the first time in forever, I guess. The movie was used as inspiration for some social movements as well as some memes. Chadwick Boseman left a permanent mark in the cinematic universe until sadly passing away due to colon cancer.

The movie changed a lot of things both in the MCU and outside of it, and practically everyone knows what Wakanda is about nowadays. The movie, in my opinion, should be much higher.

What would you change in this list? Let us know in the comments below!

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