Looking Back From 2026: Every Major 2021 Superhero Movie Ranked
2021 superhero movies ranked: The Suicide Squad outshines the pack while Thunder Force flops, and Spider-Man: No Way Home comes second.
The superhero genre has never been bigger, but looking back from 2026, 2021 still stands out as a strange, ambitious, and slightly overstuffed year. That was the season Hollywood truly roared back after pandemic shutdowns, with Marvel, DC, and even Netflix throwing major superpowered stories at audiences. Some films arrived on streaming, others used hybrid releases, and one Spider-Man event briefly made the whole world show up at the same cinema. The best blockbusters triumphed despite shared-universe baggage. The weaker entries drowned in too many characters, too much nostalgia, or muddled third acts. This retrospective ranking moves from the bottom of the barrel to the top pick.
| Rank | Film | Studio or Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Thunder Force | Netflix |
| 7 | Venom: Let There Be Carnage | Sony/Marvel |
| 6 | Zack Snyder's Justice League | HBO Max/DC |
| 5 | Eternals | Marvel Studios |
| 4 | Black Widow | Marvel Studios |
| 3 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Marvel Studios |
| 2 | Spider-Man: No Way Home | Sony/Marvel Studios |
| 1 | The Suicide Squad | DC/Warner Bros. |
8. Thunder Force
A major step down from Netflix's earlier family superhero hit We Can Be Heroes. Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer deserved much better material. The comedy rarely lands, and the action beats feel disposable. By 2026 it remains a reminder that star power alone cannot save a limp script.
7. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Tom Hardy's sequel is a popcorn movie first and everything else second. Carnage deserved more room to breathe, and the Eddie Brock versus Venom conflict resolves too quickly to carry much weight. That said, it is lightweight fun, and the post-credits scene that dragged Venom into the MCU gave everyone something to talk about.
6. Zack Snyder's Justice League
The Snyder Cut finally became real, and it is undeniably better than the 2017 theatrical version. Ray Fisher's Cyborg gets a superb arc, and the tone feels consistent. Unfortunately, four hours without disciplined editing drags the story down. The film works, but not smoothly.
5. Eternals
Chloé Zhao brings natural light and genuine introspection to the MCU. Lauren Ridloff's Makkari and Barry Keoghan's Druig are unexpected standouts. The trouble is that the third act collapses into a generic end-of-the-world battle. It feels like two different films stitched together, even though the diversity and ambition are welcome.
4. Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh have electric chemistry, and the spy-thriller themes are explored with welcome consistency. But the film arrived years too late, serving as a flashback for a character who had just been killed off. It feels like a Phase 2 movie in Phase 4, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier still does this genre better.
3. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Simu Liu is perfectly cast as the everyman hero who also happens to be the son of an ancient crime lord. Tony Leung's Wenwu is one of the most soulful villains the MCU has produced, and Awkwafina's Katy adds a welcome breath of fresh air. The beautifully choreographed action makes the CGI-heavy climax feel more jarring, but the film's strengths easily outweigh its weaknesses.
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home
On paper, this should be the most overstuffed superhero film of the year. It throws in Doctor Strange, multiple villains, and three Spider-Men. Yet somehow it works because the entire emotional core rests on a teenager making a mistake that threatens to destroy his world. The nostalgia is earned rather than cheap, and the result is an ambitious love letter to the whole franchise.
1. The Suicide Squad
James Gunn's soft reboot takes the best parts of the 2016 film and tosses the rest aside. The R-rating is earned early, and the movie uses that freedom to explore weird, violent, and surprisingly heartfelt ideas. It was never going to be a massive hit after the franchise's rough start, but from a pure quality standpoint, it is the clear pick of 2021's superhero crop. The 2021 lineup proved that even in a shared-universe era, individual voice still matters.