Superhero fatigue might be real, and the two powerhouses, Marvel and DC, know it. Thus, they’ve decided to slow down and take things a lot easier, which means we are in for a lot fewer superhero movies every year. Indeed, with the release ofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps, Marvel has hanged the tights for over a year; the next time it returns, it’ll be in late 2026, with the long-awaitedAvengers: Doomsday, which is shaping up to be the crossover event of the year. DC is taking a lot less time, as following the successful launch ofSuperman, it’ll return in June 2026 withSupergirl.
We haven’t had such a superhero-free year in quite a while, so it does feel like a breath of fresh air. It also allows us to take a step back and assess the four superhero movies of this year. On a side note, we technically still have one superhero movie this year, as the delightfully gonzoThe Toxic Avengerwill finally escape limbo and premiere in late August, but for the sake of this list, we will only focus on the major efforts from the two perennial competitors.This list will rank every Marvel and DC movie of 2025based on their critical and fan reception, importance for their respective franchise, tone, consistency, and overall quality.
4’Captain America: Brave New World'
Directed by Julius Onah
Captain America: Brave New Worldhad the daunting task of being the first superhero movie of 2025. The debut ofAnthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as Cap, the movie was alsocarrying quite a bit of baggage, undergoing several reshoots and delays and facing an increasingly unstable landscape for superhero movies. The plot centers on Wilson as he uncovers a conspiracy against the President of the United States, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). To its credit,Brave New Worldis not a bad movie, but it is adisappointing and confusedone.
For some bizarre reason, Marvel chose to make two of its 2025 tentpoles backdoor sequels for movies most people didn’t really care about. InBrave New World’s case, it wasThe Incredible Hulk, a movie the MCU itself spent years trying to forget. The story feels likea disservice to Wilson’s Cap, even as Mackie tries his hardest to sell it. Speaking of Mackie, it’s wild that the movie would drown his natural charisma in a story that asks very little of him other than looking solemn and slightly confused as he’s guided from plot beat to plot beat. Even worse was thatMackie was thrown under the busonce the movie failed with critics and underperformed at the box office. For his part, Ford gets quite a bit to do and is trying hard, preventingBrave New Worldfrom collapsing. Legends likeGiancarlo EspositoandCarl Lumblyfeel wasted, while the ever-reliableTim Blake Nelsoncan’t do much to elevate a paper-thin villain. Overall,Captain America: Brave New Worldfeels like a nonstarter, a movie that tries to be too many things at once — superhero blockbuster, political thriller, character-driven drama — and forgets to be the most important thing: entertaining.
Captain America: Brave New World
3’Superman'
Directed by James Gunn
James Gunn’s DCU finally made its debut on the big screen withSuperman.David Conreswetsteps into the red trunks to fightNicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, joined byRachel Brosnahanas Lois Lane.Supermanhadmany expectations to live up to; not only was it supposed to start Gunn’s universe, but it also needed to erase the bittersweet memory of the Snyderverse, even as a vocal minority furiously tried to hold on to it. To many, the movie would also be a factor in determining if there was still any interest in DC as a franchise.
Luckily,Supermanbeat the odds and becamea solid hit with critics and audiences. The usual Gunn trademarks are here: cute animal companion, excessive comedy accompanied by occasional bursts of crass humor, and a charming and emotional story that makes you truly care about these people.Supermanoften struggles with tone, and the kumbaya dialog can sometimes be a bit too much. However, the film remains awell-intentioned and welcome palate cleanserfollowing a decade of overly gritty and ultimately disappointing DC efforts that led nowhere.Supermanisn’t perfect: it’s tonally confused, oddly paced, andfar more interested in establishing the DCU as a whole thanSuperman as a character. Yet, as the first entry in a new universe,Supermandoes what it needed to: it makes you hope for a better future for DC,paving the way for future entriesto be bigger, bolder, and better.
2’The Fantastic Four: First Steps'
Directed by Matt Shakman
Yetanother movie with an uphill battle, this time starring not one but four superpowered individuals.The Fantastic Four: First Stepsis the long-awaited debut of Marvel’s First Family in the MCU after years of hopes and theories.Pedro Pascal,Vanessa Kirby,Joseph Quinn, andEbon Moss-Bachrachstar as Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm in an adventure that pits them against Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
LikeSuperman,First Stepshad a steep hill to climb. As the third iteration of the team (technically fourth, but that is another story), it had to erase the bad memories of the 2015 version and the beloved but still disappointing legacy of the 2005 team; for the most part, it succeeds. The MCU deliversthe defining version of the First Family, and the film does a better job balancing tone thanSuperman. Unlike other superhero movies,First Stepshasa striking and distinct visual approach, further enhanced by a killer score byMichael Giacchino. Not everything works, though;Marvel’s underwhelming villain issue remains, and the overall thingfeels edited to death. However, the high points far compensate for the low ones.First Stepsthrives on the strength of its cast and their chemistry together, and it offers quite possiblythe best chase sequence in MCU history, boosted by impressive VFX and a powerful showcase of the Silver Surfer.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
1’Thunderbolts*'
Directed by Jake Shreier
No superhero movie of 2025 had it harder thanThunderbolts*. As the first movie of the summer, it had to deliver on the spectacle while dealing with the aftermath ofBrave New World’s disappointment. Starring a large ensemble of familiar but not necessarily popular MCU characters, the film follows these antiheroes as they assemble to face an unexpected threat. IfBrave New Worldwas an unofficial sequel toThe Incredible Hulk,Thunderbolts*is one forBlack Widow.
Out of all the superhero movies of 2025,Thunderboltswasthe biggest and most pleasant surprise. It subverted many expectations of the genre in favor ofa gentle story about loneliness, trauma, and guilt. The heroes in this movie win not by punching but by hugging — literally. More importantly,Thunderboltsdoesn’t overdo it, letting the character’s actions speak for themselves and makingthe emotionally charged moments all the more powerful.Thunderboltskept things close to the chest in its marketing campaign, which led to a more satisfying cinematic experience but contributed to middling results at the box office. Yet, it also helped the MCU come out of the creative bump it was in andpaved the way forFirst Stepsto do better. More importantly,Thunderboltsdared to do something different with the tried superhero formula; it sacrifices action for character-driven beats, but it also proves that there truly is more to these types of movies than just guys in tights throwing punches.
