The last year of the 2010s wasn’t the best-ever for the superhero landscape, yet we did see the majority of films from this genre be among the top-grossing films of all time. Avengers: Endgame lit up in critical acclaim and audience appeal, but there were dozen other superhero films in 2019 as well.
We’ve taken into account every release there was, be it direct-to-video or a wide theatrical release, and have placed main emphasis on the reasoning behind why the films were either great or not-so-great. With the 2020s now having kicked off, let’s refresh where we left things with the superhero genre by ranking all the 2019 films.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
The final installment in the mainline X-Men film series turned out to be the weakest, as the series once again failed to do justice to the “Dark Phoenix” saga. Featuring the X-Men acting against their characterizations, the film turned into a revenge flick.
With no resolutions to established storylines and a perpetual cliffhanger that doesn’t align with the timeline, X-Men: Dark Phoenix failed in all departments and closed out the series in the weakest way.
Hellboy
Forsaking story quality in favor of mindless violence, the Hellboy reboot was bereft of any substance where the matter of hitting the emotional points was concerned. With a thin plot that basically has Hellboy running from one place to another shooting and gouging, the movie never kicks off.
The main problem was how Hellboy tried to be far too much on the edgy side without giving any care toward how the earlier installments had a great story at heart. This one could only appeal to bullet-heavy viewers.
Brightburn
While it was highly anticipated for being a live-action take on what an evil Superman-like figure would be like, Brightburn was all potential and very little delivery. Once the crux of the story begins, the movie has a one-note personality.
It doesn’t take a chance at developing a layer on the main character other than that of violence, and while the horror elements were unique, the same can’t be said for the film’s execution, which dives into familiar territory.
Justice League Vs. The Fatal Five
The DC Animated Universe returned with the Justice League along with new heroes and villains well. While it has Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in sedate roles, the film does do a good job in raising Mental Health awareness with the inclusion of a character suffering from these issues.
For this reason, there’s an original spin on the backdrop of the story, even if the overall outline isn’t exactly the most engaging. Still, watching the DCAU return is a treat of its own.
Reign Of The Supermen
It’s hard to make Superman stories interesting since the Man of Steel is generally too powerful to put down for too long. With this film, one can appreciate the creativity that was injected by having multiple different versions of Superman.
However, the end result was a bit of a muddled affair as way too many Supermen dominated the screen, along with a bunch of stuff with too little runtime. Of course, the ending does compensate for these bouts of confusion, so there’s enough reason to watch the film.
Captain Marvel
The hype around this film was to see how it would affect Avengers: Endgame. However, Captain Marvel turned out to be more of its own thing. The performances of the cast were its high point, but the pacing of the plot was too formulaic.
It was more of the same in line with other MCU offerings to truly make the movie stand out, although the pairing of the titular character and Nick Fury did make up for some shortcomings.
Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans
While the film retained the exuberance of its predecessor and brought a crossover fans loved, it did suffer from treading much of the same ground as before. The gags, while being funny in places, had the effect of making the film too much of a parody of itself.
That’s not to say the movie isn’t enjoyable, but it definitely steers toward the younger fanbase end, and older viewers won’t be amused as much. Had some level of slapstick quality been avoided for genuine action, the movie would’ve fared much better.
Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
Since most Wonder Woman stories have other Justice League members prominently placed, it’s a wonderful change to have the superhero be front and center here. Even better is how the film has a variety of villains for her to face.
A drawback would be how the film failed to be as large in scale as the premise promises, but Bloodlines does make up for it through establishing connections between characters and having Wonder Woman at her best in action sequences.
Glass
The conclusion of the Eastrail 177 Trilogy combined both the superhero and horror elements the series was known for. Although Glass didn’t fully embrace either aspect, there’s no doubt the film was engaging throughout.
With Kevin Wendell Crumb once again grabbing the viewer’s attention through his 23 personalities, and Mr. Glass’s machinations finally coming to fruition, the movie was a gripping affair right until the climax. The ending might not be the best, but the overall story was strong enough.
Batman: Hush
In a worthy change from the norm, Batman: Hush chose to have romance as its main theme over the series’ trademark darkness. Also bolstering the film is the mystery aspect, as the chase to uncover the mysterious Hush dominates proceedings.
The movie’s seamless addition of a variety of Batman villains means that there’s hardly a moment of boredom since the pacing remains quick and the differing personalities of the bad guys make for a fun experience.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
After the somber ending of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home movie brought back the smiles and laughter toward the fans. With a road film setting where the characters journey to one beautiful backdrop after another, the movie’s cinematography and feel contributed greatly to the experience.
There’s also the fact that the film was also genuinely funny, along with bringing in the feels that developed Peter Parker’s character and his Spider-Man identity further. The anticlimactic reveal of Mysterio’s true intentions notwithstanding, the movie was a solid entry.
Joker
Some might not count this as part of the superhero genre, but all those Batman references make it hard to disqualify Joker. In any case, the Clown Prince of Crime’s origin story was both chilling and an oddly sympathetic take on the character.
The shining point being Joaquin Phoenix’s fantastic portrayal, Joker takes a grip on the viewer by diving into the mind of a villain and conveys a powerful message that is impossible to ignore.
Shazam!
Being something of a surprise package, Shazam! turned out to be the hidden gem of 2019. It was a lovely light-hearted run through the superhero landscape, a genre that sorely needed a breezy film such as this.
The film has enormous heart as well, with the theme of family shining bright, along with the effects keeping up with the youthful energy. Shazam! went a long way in proving that superhero films and comedies can go hand in hand.
Avengers: Endgame
You can’t count out a film that did justice to eleven years worth of storytelling and brought together more characters than you could count. Avengers: Endgame was a thrilling, heartbreaking, and emotionally draining affair that achieved everything from making audiences laugh to having them spilling tears.
There can’t be said enough of the film, as it held up in its grand scale by delivering epic action set pieces on top of ticking off boxes in the matter of continuity. It wasn’t the end of the MCU, but it sure as heck felt like a perfect finale.
