The Most Influential Superhero Movies of the Early 2000s

The Most Influential Superhero Movies of the Early 2000s

In the middle of the 1990s, superhero films were not taken seriously. After the disastrous Batman & Robin film directed by Joel Schumacher in 1997, movies depicting superheroes were not said to be serious work. Batman & Robin was a box office disappointment and not many studios wanted to touch the genre for a long time.

As the 21^st Century began, studios began to take a chance with the superhero genre. After years of toiling through various ideas and directors (e.g. Tim Burton’s failed Superman project with Nicholas Cage), certain films paved the way for superhero films to be taken seriously by critics, audiences, and the box office.

Below is a list of films that paved the way for the superhero film phenomenon we have today:

1)     X-Men (2000)

While it may have been complicated to plan out on paper, the very first X-Men film helped get the movement started. There is no doubt the X-Men stories are complex, however, the characters have always had a following. With the success of the animated cartoon that came out in the 1990s, choosing the X-Men to create a feature film around made sense.

The movie wasn’t perfect but was entertaining and accepted by audiences and critics. Hugh Jackman, who was cast a few weeks after filming began when Russell Crowe turned the role down, proved the character of Wolverine belongs on the big screen. Former Star Trek star Patrick Stewart was a perfect choice for Charles Xavier and Sir Ian McKellen captured Magneto’s anger perfectly. Hollywood veteran Anna Paquin played Rogue perfectly and Halle Berry proved the character of Storm can make its way from the comic book pages to the silver screen.

The film’s buildup and plot took long to develop but it proved great superhero films can be made. It was the start of what was to come next.

2)     Spider-Man (2002)

The buildup and anticipation around the first Spider-Man film starring Tobey Maguire and directed by Sam Raimi was enormous. The film was heavily marketed and well-made trailers drew vast interest. With the help of computer technology, bringing the famous web slinger to the silver screen turned from dream to reality.

I recall going to the Solon movie theater on opening weekend and it was crowded to the point you could barely walk in the lobby. Lines were almost out the door as moviegoers waited to be seated to see the film. It had been years since that movie theater was packed like this to see one movie. What they were about to witness changed the landscape of the superhero film genre forever.

The film’s plot captured your attention from the opening minutes and Maguire, who wasn’t a fan of the character as a child, brought Peter Parker to life convincingly on the big screen. Kirsten Dunst proved to be the perfect choice for Mary Jane and Willem Dafoe brought Norman Osborne and the Green Goblin from the pages to the screen in one of the best portrayals of the character.  The entire audience was blown away by the movie and wanting more when the ending credits were rolling across the screen.

I will admit I was at that same Solon movie theater the next night to see Spider-Man again. I brought my sister with me and I wanted to get her reaction. I also wanted to see how I would feel witnessing the film for a second time. She walked out feeling the same way I did the night before and I still couldn’t get over how incredible the film was. It proved that a superhero movie can take a community and country by storm.

3)     Spider-Man 2 (2004)

After the success of the first Spider-Man film, there was huge anticipation with the sequel. Maguire was returning to play the role for the second time and the villain was going to be Doctor Octopus, played by Hollywood veteran Alfred Molina.

Doctor Octopus has been a popular character in the comics and Molina was a classically trained actor playing the part. Molina’s portrayal was not only accurate but also creepy enough to create the perfect foil between Spider-Man and one of his arch enemies. The easy-to-follow plot made the film enjoyable and it proved sequels can be successful.

4)     Batman Begins (2005)

Prior to Batman Begins coming out, the caped crusader had a rocky run on the big screen in the middle of the 1990s. While Tim Burton’s Batman Returns was a success, the sequels by director Joel Schumacher, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, were not as well received. Schumacher made the films campy and took away the dark elements that made the original Batman films by Tim Burton a success. Michael Keaton, who had the role of Batman in Burton’s first two caped crusader flicks, declined to come back after hearing Schumacher wanted to take out the dark elements in the script. The franchise ended up being ruined and it was a long time before studios wanted to touch Batman again.

The trailers and marketing for Batman Begins were well conceived and created interest in the film, however, there was still skepticism. Many recalled the horrible Batman & Robin film from Schumacher and wondered how this one was going to turn out. Schumacher was replaced by Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale was brought in to play Bruce Wayne and Batman.

The film’s dark tone reinvigorated life into the Batman movie franchise. By utilizing Liam Neeson to play Ra’s Al Guhl and Cillian Murphy to play The Scarecrow, the film took Batman back to his dark roots and it was one of the best caped crusader stories brought to life on the screen. Bale’s performance was well praised by critics. The plot was harder to follow than in the past but brought back vast interest in the Batman character.

This is the only film I was willing to see three times in a three-month span. After seeing it the first time with friends, another friend expressed interest in seeing it. I didn’t hesitate to go again. My other friend walked out saying, “I can see why you wanted to see this one again.” The film captured my attention like no other Batman film and I had to see it again just to believe it was that good.

Later that summer, the third time I saw the film came on a trip with my parents to Chicago. It was playing at the IMAX theater at the Navy Pier and I expressed interest in going. My parents were still skeptical about it after taking my sister and me to see Batman & Robin on a family vacation in 1997 and walking out wondering why we wasted two hours of our lives on such a horrible film. By the time they got done watching Batman Begins on a bigger screen, both were asking when the sequel was coming out.

5)     The Dark Knight (2008)

While it seemed odd at the time, casting the late Heather Ledger as The Joker proved to be one of the most brilliant casting movies of all time. Ledger’s untimely death was unfortunate and there was anticipation over how he was going to play Batman’s arch nemesis in the sequel to Batman Begins.

Within minutes, it was hard to tell it was Ledger playing the role. Gone was the Australian accent and the makeup masked any resemblance to his trademark looks. Ledger creeped out audiences and provided one of the most accurate portrayals of the character. It was apparent his performance helped make the film what it is and he deserved to walk away with the Academy Award for playing the Joker.

It has been eight years since The Dark Knight was in theaters and it is still considered to be one of the best superhero films. Nolan’s way of telling a complex story and the variety of themes makes it a masterpiece.

The script was complicated but Nolan was masterful in using several themes present in the comic strips. Influenced by The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween, and some of the early appearances of the Joker from the 1940s, the script was well done and came together in one of the best superhero films out there.

6)     Iron Man (2008)

Casting Robert Downey Jr. was a risk at the time. Downey’s drug problems made it difficult for him to get roles in Hollywood around the time Iron Man was being scripted. Downey had been given numerous chances but wasn’t able to stay clean. Putting him in a role that would require several films down the road was a risk Marvel took but proved to have one of the greatest rewards.

Jon Favreau as a director was a risk as well. The actor turned director was known for directing the holiday classic Elf but nothing action packed. Favreau lobbied Marvel for the chance to direct one of his favorite comic book characters and was given the chance. Similar to casting Downey as Iron 

Man/Tony Stark, the risk Marvel took on Favreau had a great reward.

As a director, Favreau proved he can take a lesser-known character to the average person and make it a box office hit. Favreau’s method of directing created a film that was easy to follow, characters the audience enjoyed, and a film that paved the way to set up the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Downey brought Tony Stark to life and Iron Man has become one of the most recognizable Marvel characters as a result of his portrayal.