Best Superhero Movies on Netflix Right Now

Release Dates: May 3rd, 2022, June 30th, 2004, and May 4th, 2007 | Run Times: 2 hours 1 minute, 2 hours 7 minutes, and 2 hours 19 minutes | Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, Alfred Molina, Thomas Haden Church, and Topher Grace

Though Sam Raimi‘s hugely influential superhero trilogy recently swung onto Disney+, the original Spider-Man trilogy is still available to stream for Netflix subscribers. In 2002, fans saw Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) get bitten by a radioactive spider and become the spectacular Spider-Man for the first time in a big-budget blockbuster. Before the many prolific adaptations we have now, Sam Raimi delivered an impeccably directed and tonally unique take on one of comics’ most popular characters. We see the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man face the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) in the original Spider-Man, tangle with Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) in Spider-Man 2, and battle Venom (Topher Grace) and Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) in Spider-Man 3, all three of which are available to watch on Netflix.

Release Date: July 10th, 2020 | Run Time: 2 hours 5 minutes | Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Harry Melling, Veronica Ngo, and Natacha Karam

Though admittedly more of an action film than a superhero film, The Old Guard does feature soldiers who can’t die, so it counts. Led by an individual known only as Andy (Charlize Theron), the Old Guard is a unique squad of mercenaries who have lived for centuries and have an advanced healing factor. When Andy recruits young Nile (KiKi Layne) to her squad, she also attract the attention of those who seek to use their gifts for evil.

Release Date: December 25th, 2020 | Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes | Director: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: YaYa Gosselin, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra Jones, Adriana Barraza, Boyd Holbrook, Christian Taylor, J.J. Dashnaw, and Taylor Dooley

A superhero film for younger audiences, We Can Be Heroes centers on a group of young heroes-in-training who have to step up to save their pro-superhero parents. When the superhero team known as The Heroics are captured by invading aliens, their children need to learn how to hone their powers and work as a team if they hope to save them. There’s even a case to be made that We Can Be Heroes exists in a cinematic universe alongside Robert Rodriguez’s other family films, as it features characters from the Spy Kids franchise and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

Release Date: April 16th, 2010 | Run Time: 1 hour 57 minutes | Director: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloë Grace Moretz, Chrstopher Mintz-Plasse, Garrett M. Brown, and Evan Peters

Switching back to a more adult superhero story, Kick-Ass was essentially Deadpool before Deadpool. Before Aaran Taylor-Johnson became tapped to play the Spider-Man anti-hero in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter, the actor played Dave Lizewski – a high school student who decides to fight crime as the masked hero Kick-Ass. That task proves easier said than done, as the life of a superhero is bloody and dangerous. He also finds himself competing with other vigilantes who call themselves heroes.

Release Date: April 9th, 2021 | Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes | Director: Ben Falcone

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementieff, and Melissa Leo

Another satirical superhero comedy, Thunder Force turns Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer into superheroes. Despite being a comedy, the world that Thunder Force begins in is a bleak one, with supervillains like The King (Bobby Cannavale) controlling everything and everyone. That’s what prompts best friends Emily Stanton (Octavia Spencer) and Lydia Berman (Melissa McCarthy) to become unlikely heroes to protect the world from those who wish it harm.

Release Date: July 9th, 2021 | Run Time: 1 hour 37 minutes | Director: Douglas Attal

Starring: Pio Marmaï, Vimala Pons, Benoît Poelvoorde, Leïla Bekhti, Swann Arlaud, and Gilles Cohen

Moving on to overseas to a film from France, How I Became a Super Hero essentially asks what would happen if anyone anywhere could get superpowers. The answer – chaos. As seen in the evil plans of the characters in other superhero stories like The Incredibles and The Boys, giving superpowers to everyone also means giving superpowers to people who don’t deserve them.

Release Date: August 28th, 2020 | Run Time: 1 hour 36 minutes | Director: David Galán Galindo

Starring: Javier Rey, Verónica Echegui, Brays Efe, Antonio Resines, Ernesto Alterio, and Carlos Areces

Staying in Europe but then moving to Spain, Unknown Origins is a serial killer film that uses superheroes as its primary subject. When a string of strange murders begins popping up in Madrid, the detectives involved realize that this killer seems to be a fan of comic books. This leads the Madrid police to recruit a local comic shop employee to find out what this mysterious madman is planning.

Release Date: July 28th, 2023 | Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Director: Jeremy Zag

Starring: Annouck Hautbois, Benjamin Bollen, Antoine Tomé, Fanny Bloc, and Jeanne Chariter

Based on the hit animated series of the same name, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie explores the French crimefighting duo like never before. The 2023 film showcases the origins of Marinette (Annouck Hautbois) and Adrien (Benjamin Bollen) and how they each became Ladybug and Cat Noir. Their first ever adventure turns out to be something far different than either of them expected.

Release Date: October 23rd | Run Time: 1 hour 34 minutes | Director: David Bowers

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron, Ryan Stiles, Eugene Levy, Donald Sutherland, Elle Fanning, Nathan Lane, and Samuel L. Jackson

Astro Boy may have been something of a flop at the box office, but it has amassed a dedicated following thanks to being available on streaming. Set in a futuristic utopia, Dr. Tenma (Nicolas Cage) creates a one-for-one robotic recreation of his son Toby (Freddie Highmore) and names him Astro. The naive robotic boy finds himself becoming an unlikely hero when the city’s evil President Stone (Donald Sutherland) tries to use Dr. Tenma’s technology for his own devices.

Release Date: August 5th, 2022 | Run Time: 1 hour 22 minutes | Directors: Andy Suriano and Ant Ward

Starring: Ben Schwartz, Omar Benson Miller, Brandon Mychal Smith, Josh Brener, Eric Bauza, Rhys Darby, Kat Graham, John Michael Higgins, and Haley Joel Osment

A feature film based on the Nickelodeon series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie offers even more animated Turtle Power for those itching for it after seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. You’re favorite martial arts reptiles Leo (Ben Schwartz), Raph (Omar Benson Miller), Mikey (Brandon Mychal Smith), and Donnie (Josh Brener) are back to fight New York’s enemies. This time, they find themselves saving the city from the dreaded Krang Empire.

Release Date: June 2nd, 2017 | Run Time: 1 hour 29 minutes | Director: David Soren

Starring: Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Jordan Peele, and Kristen Schaal

Dan Pilkey legendary toilet humor books come to life in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Best friends George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) typically spend their days writing comic books and tormenting their grumpy principal, Mr. Krupp (Ed Helms). They find a way to make their curmudgeon principal think he is the invincible Captain Underpants, but he’ll now need to be a real hero if he wants to defeat the evil Professor Poopypants (Nick Kroll).

Release Date: September 2nd, 2020 | Run Time: 1 hour 32 minutes | Director: Felix Binder

Starring: Cornelia Gröschel, Tim Oliver Schultz, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Nina Kunzendorf, and Frederic Linkemann

The German film Freaks: You’re One of Us tells the story of a cook who somehow gets superpowers. When Wendy (Cornelia Gröschel) discovers she is impervious to harm and has enhanced strength, she understandably floats the idea of becoming a superhero. She finds that difficult as soon as she begins to learn about the origins of her mysterious powers.