7 Forgotten Superhero Movies That Are Perfect for a Rewatch

Not every superhero story puts a hero in colorful tights or attaches a cape to your favorite adventurer. In fact, there are plenty of great superhero movies out there that don’t follow the usual genre conventions at all. Be they direct comic book adaptations or original creations inspired by the typical Hollywood blockbusters that hit the screens, there’s something about the unconventional superhero movie that just hits right.

This isn’t, of course, to say that just because something doesn’t follow the same formula or thinks a little outside the typical superhero box that it’s automatically a classic — far from it. There are certainly some duds worth marking and avoiding. But if you’re looking for something that still scratches that comic book itch while offering something different, unique, or just plain entertaining, then we’ve got a collection of movies for you. You won’t find Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man here, but you may find something you enjoy just a little bit more.

7

‘Blade’ (1998)

Image via New Line Cinema

For something a bit more tinged with horror, Blade is an action-packed vampire movie where the title protagonist (played by Wesley Snipes) plows his way through hordes of the undead. Before Spider-Man, before X-Men, Marvel first gained notoriety on the big screen with Blade. It changed the way that superhero movies were made, and pushed a lesser-known Marvel hero firmly into the spotlight, eventually spawning a trilogy and a short-lived television series.

Snipes’ Blade is everything you could hope for in a vampire hunter, and though one might argue that his war against the vampires doesn’t make him a superhero, almost everyone who’s seen the picture will beg to differ. With a solid cast, a clever plot, and seriously exciting action sequences, it’s easy to get past some of the dated CGI when enjoying this superhero horror flick. And if you like it, don’t sleep on the next two either.

6

‘Defendor’ (2009)

Image via Alliance Films

A year before James Gunn tried his own hand at superhero satire, director Peter Stebbings teamed up with Woody Harrelson for Defendor. When a mentally underdeveloped (and uber-violent) vigilante begins prowling the streets looking for a villain he calls “Captain Industry,” he finds himself on the trail of an actual criminal conspiracy as his actions are put under the microscope. This one is even better than Gunn’s Super.

Defendor is a complicated take on the superhero genre, but it’s Harrelson’s performance that really seals the deal. His part as Arthur Poppington is exquisite, blending off-beat humor with violent crime-fighting so seamlessly you don’t know whether to laugh or be worried. It’s intense, heartfelt, and certainly more complex than your standard cape-and-cowl material.

5

‘Megamind’ (2010)

Image via DreamWorks Animation

Another comedic take on the genre, Megamind is one for the kids. Centering on the title supervillain (Will Ferrell) after he defeats his longtime nemesis, the bad guy soon becomes the hero when it’s clear that his latest creation is far more evil than he ever could be. In some ways, he’s a Brainiac/Lex Luthor hybrid that has more heart and soul, and it’s due to this goodness within him that he turns to heroism. Essentially a deconstruction of the superhero film, it ends up sticking true to the genre by the end.

Megamind is a classic, and anyone who grew up in the early 2000s likely has fond memories of this DreamWorks animated production. In recent years, it’s spawned a sequel and a television series on Peacock, but the original is still the best of the batch. Ferrell is fabulous as Megamind, but his performance is best emphasized by the comedic talents of co-stars Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, and Jonah Hill.

4

‘The Rocketeer’ (1991)

Image via Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Before buying Marvel, it was rare for Disney to venture into the superhero genre. But when future Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnson decided to tackle a classic ’80s comic character that evoked the 1930s spirit of adventure and heroism, The Rocketeer was born. When pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) discovers a jetpack made by Howard Hughes (Terry O’Quinn), he takes to the skies to use the new technology to save lives, only to stumble upon a Nazi plot at the heart of Los Angeles.

The Rocketeer is very much in the same spirit of pulpy comic book adaptations like Tim Burton‘s Batman, Dick Tracy, and The Phantom, but while it’s quite traditional in its emphasis on ’30s comic book nostalgia, it doesn’t fit many of the dark and gritty tropes that would come to define the superhero genre in the coming years. In many ways, it’s more of a noir-style romance adventure than it is a typical superhero movie, and maybe that’s why it turned out so darn good — it’s almost too bad it never got a sequel.

3

‘Darkman’ (1990)

Image via Universal Pictures

Speaking of unconventional heroes, what happens when a horror director decides to create his own superhero based on the Universal Classic Monsters of the 1930s? You get Sam Raimi‘s Darkman, that’s what. A decade before he would tackle Spider-Man, Raimi turned Liam Neeson into the tortured title hero who seeks vengeance on the man who disfigured him and left him for dead.

Like The Rocketeer, Darkman feels very much like an homage to the ’30s comic books full of pulpy, noir crime drama, but still contains horror elements. Rather than focusing his new abilities (due to an experimental treatment) on saving lives like The Rocketeer, Darkman uses them for personal gain to take down the villains responsible for his plight, killing them if need be. He was an antihero long before it was cool on the big screen.

2

‘Unbreakable’ (2000)

If anyone could take the superhero origin story and turn it completely on its head, it would be M. Night Shyamalan. Following The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan reunited with Bruce Willis for an intimate character drama focused on the sole survivor of a massive train accident who discovers that he has superhuman strength. With the help of a wealthy comic book collector (Samuel L. Jackson), he learns to hone his senses and use them for the good of others, leading to some pretty drastic revelations.

Unbreakable is a phenomenal film. While it’s certainly an origin story, it’s about as unconventional as they come, and told in a way where the audience isn’t even expecting a twist at the end. Willis’ David Dunn is one of the best superheroes of the 21st century, and even though Shyamlan’s sequel, Glass, failed to stick the landing in many respects, it doesn’t taint the genius on display here.

1

‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Inspired by the science fiction pictures of the 1950s, director Brad Bird offered us a glimpse into his psyche with a brilliant animated feature that cut to the heart. The Iron Giant may not be your traditional superhero movie, but it certainly qualifies. When young Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) finds a giant robot (Vin Diesel) in the woods behind his home, he teaches the alien machine how to be the type of hero worthy of the Man of Steel himself. If you don’t cry watching this modern classic, then there’s likely something wrong with you.

The Iron Giant uses Silver Age Superman comic books as a springboard for a larger conversation of heroism that culminates in a final act that no doubt inspired The Dark Knight Rises‘ ending. It’s a beautiful picture of sacrifice and what it means to give one’s life for others, that to call the Giant anything but a superhero would be a failure to recognize his life, challenges, and choice to be like, well, Superman.