These sequels lived up to the hype! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the second installments of superhero movie franchises that arguably surpassed their predecessors.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the second installment
00:13of superhero movie franchises that arguably surpassed their predecessors.
00:18Not to get too technical, but we'll be looking at direct sequels within franchises.
00:23For example, we're not considering The Avengers as a sequel to Iron Man.
00:26Trust me, you're gonna be in a puddle of blood on the ground in 5, 4, 3, COME ON, 2.
00:34How did we get this shit?
00:37Number 10.
00:38X2.
00:39Was there any other way to kick things off than with one of the best opening scenes in
00:48any movie ever?
00:50Once named Empire Magazine's best comic-to-film adaptation ever made, X2 does exactly what
00:56a sequel is precisely meant to do.
00:58Remind fans what they loved about its predecessor, while taking that and deepening it.
01:04Indeed, much like X-Men before it, X2 examines themes of social injustice and systemic discrimination.
01:23But this time, in an even bolder and more clear-cut way.
01:26To follow up to the film that arguably launched the modern-day cinematic superhero takeover,
01:31this sophomore effort delivers without going through the motions, and arguably captures
01:36the franchise at its peak.
01:45Number 9.
01:46The Suicide Squad.
01:54When Warner Bros. poached Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn from Marvel
01:57Studios, they gave him free reign to adapt any DC comic that interested him.
02:02Gunn decided to fulfill a career goal and make a Suicide Squad movie, but only if he
02:07could go all out and make the hard-R adaptation he had longed for.
02:23The studio obliged, so Gunn took that and ran with it.
02:27The result is The Suicide Squad, a standalone follow-up to David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad
02:33that blows Ayer's original film away.
02:36Recruiting a murderous role-cast to bring this gang of low-lifes to, well, life, Gunn's
02:41sequel is hilarious, violent, and occasionally hilariously violent.
02:46Above all, it's a rip-roaring good time.
02:54Number 8.
02:55Black Panther, Wakanda Forever.
03:07As if expectations for the sequel to Marvel Studios' first Best Picture nominee weren't
03:13high enough, series star Chadwick Boseman's tragic 2020 passing presented a monumental
03:19challenge to the film's cast and crew.
03:32Thankfully, director Ryan Coogler managed to pull it off with aplomb, crafting a film
03:37that not only continues the first Black Panther story in a captivating way, but satisfyingly
03:42pays tribute to the series' fallen lead.
03:45Even still, Wakanda Forever went beyond a Best Picture nomination and landed Angela
03:49Bassett, who plays Cream Ramonda, an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress and
03:54first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
04:07Number 7.
04:08Blade II.
04:19As if that wasn't enough twos for you, this supernatural anti-hero sequel was released
04:23on March 22nd.
04:25Directed by future Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro, Wesley Snipes returns as the titular
04:30vampire hunter in a second installment that, while received lukewarmly at the time, has
04:35since evolved into a camp classic of the superhero genre.
04:39The Pan's labyrinth and Shape of Water director was the perfect choice to elevate an already
04:43groundbreaking character who, in almost every way, bucks tradition.
04:56Unsurprisingly, it's all tied together by Snipes and his steely, cooler-than-cool performance.
05:02The guy clearly eats, sleeps, and breathes Blade.
05:05Oh, and by the way, we checked, and February 22nd was a Friday that year.
05:11Missed opportunity, New Line Cinema.
05:25Number 6.
05:26Superman II.
05:27The Richard Donner Cut
05:34The fact that Mario Puzo, author of the book that The Godfather is based on, co-wrote this
05:39screenplay isn't the most interesting thing about it.
05:42That says a lot about the troubled production of Superman II, from which original director
05:47Richard Donner was fired.
05:49Later known for directing the Goonies and the Lethal Weapon films, Donner oversaw this
05:54director's cut, restoring his original vision of a follow-up to the first Superman
05:57film, also directed by him.
06:09This version was praised by American Cinematographer for, quote, offering a more consistent balance
06:15between adventure and romance, not to mention a clearer understanding of what audiences
06:19loved about Donner's first film.
06:29Number 5.
06:30Batman Returns
06:42When Warner Bros. allowed Tim Burton unprecedented creative control on his sequel to 1989's
06:47Batman, he turned his signature style all the way up, coming up with a characteristically
06:53spooky gothic take on the character.
06:55Case in point, it's a dark, snowy Christmas movie that came out in the middle of June.
07:14That being said, Burton's creative risks pay off.
07:17Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito are simultaneously off-putting and instantly memorable, turning
07:22in groundbreaking performances as Catwoman and the Penguin, respectively.
07:32A financial and critical disappointment at the time of its release, owing largely to
07:36its horror-tinged tone that alienated audiences, Batman Returns has since made its comeback
07:42as a cult classic of the genre.
07:44Number 4.
07:45Logan Logan
07:56Set in a dystopian possible future, Logan pushed the boundaries of what audiences had
08:01to this point expected from the X-Men franchise, and superhero movies as a whole.
08:06Starring an Oscar-worthy Hugh Jackman, the film benefits greatly from his chemistry with
08:10newcomer Daphne Keene.
08:12In a rare sign of acknowledgment of the superhero genre by the Academy, Scott Frank, James Mangold,
08:17and Michael Green were nominated for an Oscar for the film's screenplay.
08:30Although 2024's Deadpool and Wolverine negates Jackman's claim that he would be hanging
08:34up his claws for good, it can't be denied that Logan, as directed by Mangold, is an
08:39impressively gritty, mature, and above all, heartfelt superhero story.
08:49Number 3.
08:50Captain America The Winter Soldier
08:57Watching this MCU installment will make you realize precisely why Kevin Feige was right
09:02to entrust the keys to the franchise to Joe and Anthony Russo.
09:05A riveting action thriller before you added superhero genre trappings, Winter Soldier
09:10also famously drew from 70s conspiracy flicks like Three Days of the Condor, even casting
09:16that film's lead Oscar-winner Robert Redford in a nod to the Russo brothers' influences.
09:34We'd be foolish not to mention that the film presented fans with the best action sequences
09:38of the entire series.
09:40Employing stunts and practical effects, combined with razor-sharp fight choreography, the Russos
09:45managed to craft a sequel that outshined its predecessor.
09:59Number 2.
10:00Spider-Man 2
10:12Can you believe that, for Sam Raimi's sequel, the role of the titular web-slinger was almost
10:16filled by none other than Jake Gyllenhaal?
10:19While the Oscar nominee is a great actor, Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker is the heart
10:23and soul of Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.
10:26While Tom Holland's Spidey is good fun, Raimi and Maguire's second outing is a finely-tuned
10:31masterpiece of blockbuster filmmaking, building on the world established in the first film
10:35while ascending to new heights of heroism in the process.
10:43Spider-Man 2 beautifully captures the spirit of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's comics by
10:48tapping into Parker's humanity and what drives him, elevating Maguire's portrayal
10:52of the character into an everyman that all of us can root for.
11:04Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:07Thor Ragnarok
11:08Director Taika Waititi's threequel breathed electrifying new life into the God of Thunder's
11:15He transformed himself into a snake and he knows that I love snakes, so I went to pick
11:18up the snake to admire it, and he transformed back into himself and he was like, yeah, it's
11:22me!
11:23And he stabbed me.
11:24We were eight at the time.
11:25Hellboy 2 The Golden Army
11:27Guillermo Del Toro really has a knack for nulling sequels, doesn't he?
11:40Avengers Infinity War
11:42A two-billion-dollar masterclass in upping the stakes.
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12:13The Dark Knight
12:14Yeah, you saw this one coming, but can you blame us?
12:29We're literally talking about the first Oscar-winning superhero film here.
12:33The highest-grossing film of 2008, which was highly anticipated by fans after Christopher
12:38Nolan's Batman Begins, turns out to not only be a smash hit, but a critical success
12:43too.
12:44While some internet commenters were initially unconvinced by Heath Ledger's casting as
12:48the Joker, the Australian actor defied all expectations, winning a Posthumous Academy
12:53Award for his gripping performance.
13:06Taking influence from Heath, Jaws, and The Godfather, Nolan imbued the Batman franchise
13:10with a depth and thoughtfulness that gave audiences something to chew on that wasn't
13:14just popcorn.
13:15This sequel isn't just a great superhero movie, it's great cinema, period.
13:32Did we forget your favorite superhero movie sequel?
13:34Are there any sequels that you think are even better than the first?
13:37Don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below!