The superhero genre of cinema may not be everyone's cup of tea, and that is okay (fans hear you, Scorsese). However, it is undoubtedly the most fashionable genre now, and one of the most enduring, with its popularity only increasing. Gathering fans from all around the globe, these movies offer escape and thrilling adventures to anyone who appreciates them.
Marvel and DC have introduced their audiences to some interesting plots, brand-new characters and compelling concepts this year. Yet, while 2022's superhero line-up looked quite promising, it turns out that not all projects met the high expectations imposed upon them by fans or critics. From bat-men and vampires to puppies and werewolves, here is a quick recap of 2022's superhero releases and their IMDb ratings.
8 'Morbius' - IMDb: 5.2/10
With a 5.2 IMDb score, Daniel Espinosa's Morbius takes the last place in this list. The movie follows scientist Michael Morbius, played by Jared Leto, who infects himself with a form of transgenic vampirism when trying to find a cure for his blood disease; as one would expect, with superhuman powers comes overwhelming bloodlust.
While it provides viewers with a decent amount of action scenes, there are many issues with Espinosa's movie — for instance, it falls incredibly short on CGI and lacks structure. Many fans also agree that the film completely misunderstood its audience. Nevertheless, post turning into Internet memes, Sony's third installment to its Spider-Man universe hit the theatres for the second time around.
7 'Thor: Love and Thunder' - IMDb: 6.3/10
With a 6.3 IMDb score, Thor: Love and Thunder centers around yet another adventure of the God of Thunder, except this time it counts with the help of Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg, and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). They all plan to fight Gorr the God Butcher, who seeks to make the gods extinct.
Taika Waititi's second MCU film is perhaps one of the most divisive films of the year. It seems that while some fans absolutely loved it, others were completely thrown-off by its jokes and slightly vacant plot. Apart from Christian Bale's magnificent performance, the movie feels somewhat underwhelming, which ended up disappointing a lot of people, especially considering how good the director's previous MCU installment was.
6 'Black Adam' - IMDb: 6.9/10
Ready to unleash justice on the modern world without a pinch of mercy, Dwayne Johnson steps into the shoes of DC's most powerful antihero in an origin story film that follows the post-events of Teth-Adam's freedom from his tomb nearly 5.000 years later.
While Jaume Collet-Serra's motion picture is hardly flawless, Black Adam ultimately turned out to be a pleasant surprise. "The Man in Black" makes for an engaging and action-packed watch with just the right amount of humor. On IMDb, it scores 6.9.
5 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' - IMDb: 6.9/10
Doctor Strange's second entry not only puts the Sorcerer Supreme back in the picture but also brings familiar faces, including Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). Xochitl Gomez makes her MCU debut as America Chaves in this spellbinding fantasy horror that follows the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. In Multiverse of Madness, Strange strives to make amends after casting a forbidden spell and desperately tries to restore reality as he knows it.
While Sam Raimi's movie also counted with mixed reviews when it came out, it has eventually proven itself to be IMDb worthy with a score of 6.9. Even if it lacked in some aspects and felt more like a Scarlet Witch film rather than a Doctor Strange one at times, MoM makes for a worthy watch nonetheless.
4 'Werewolf by Night' - IMDb: 7.2/10
Pun intended, Michael Giacchino's Halloween Special was nothing short of marvelous. The black and white film focuses on a lycanthrope superhero who uses his intriguing superpowers (which he acquired through a curse brought on by his bloodline) to fight evil.
Exuding old Hollywood monster movie vibes in the best possible way, Werewolf by Night feels like a breath of fresh air when it comes to the MCU. With a solid 7.2, this surprisingly good and stylish feature is undoubtedly a great homage to its source material.
3 'DC League of Super-Pets' - IMDb: 7.3/10
There is hardly anything more adorable than animated dogs with superpowers, and DC League of Super-Pets depicts exactly that. In this entertaining movie, Krypto, Super-Man's pet and best friend, embarks on a rescue mission when his master is kidnapped.
Wonderfully animated by Animal Logic, Jared Stern and Sam J. Levine's pawsome film makes for a cute, charming, and amusing watch both for kids and adults. On IMDb, the film scores 7.3.
2 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' - IMDb: 7.3/10
A stunning portrayal of grief and loss, Ryan Coogler's touching homage to Chadwick Boseman is now led by Letitia Wright's Shuri and beautifully explores the way she navigates through rage and pain. In this powerful movie, the people of Wakanda fight to protect their country as they mourn the death of their king T'Challa.
Certainly one of Marvel's best, Wakanda Forever ranks second on this list with a 7.3 score — the second Black Panther entry is overall an incredible, box-office smash follow-up to the first installment and has successfully managed to fulfill fans' expectations.
1 'The Batman' - IMDb: 7.9/10
Gorgeously directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman takes home the award for the best superhero movie of 2022, scoring 7.9 on the platform. Centering around Robert Pattinson's Batman, the movie explores Gotham's hidden corruption when an enigmatic murderer goes on a killing spree and murders key political figures.
With a gloomy atmosphere and refreshing new take on the character, this neo-noir fan-favorite earned tons of praise from the moment it premiered, and for very good reason. Although its slow pace and long runtime may not be for everyone, many agree that The Batman is one of the best comic book adaptations ever.