It may be hard to imagine a world were the House of Mouse didn’t own the rights to every Marvel property. Fromthe Avengers, to the X-Menand now, most recently, The Defenders and The Punisher. All they need now is the complete rights to Spider-Man. However, it was only a few years ago that other companies (Fox, Netflix, and Sony) were releasing Marvel movies and shows to a varied degree of critical success and praise from fans. There have been numerous Marvel movies released by other companies aside from Disney. Sure, some of these titles don’t compare to the power of the MCU, but some deliver an experience very different from any the MCU has offered so far. Here are the best Marvel movies not released by Disney.
8Blade (1998)
1998’sBlademost likely predates all your favorite Marvel movies, even Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, which we will get to later.Bladebrought one of Marvel’s coolest superheroes to the big screen in spectacular fashion, and essentially kick-started the whole superhero movie craze. AlthoughBladeisn’t perfect, its dark tone, brutal action, and exceptional performance from Wesley Snipes as the “day-walker” makesBladean iconic and ground-breaking Marvel movie.
7X-Men: First Class (2011)
Most were rightfully doubtful of a brand-new reboot of theX-Menfranchise, especially considering the original trilogy didn’t have the best of endings. However, we were all wrong, andX-Men: First Classdelivered a very engagingX-Menmovie with an exceptional cast and an awesome villain. Kevin Bacon was terrifying and intimidating as Sebastian Shaw, giving the mutants much more dire stakes. The young cast was perfect in this movie, with Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Jennifer Lawrence leading the new crew, all bringing their A-games to their respective characters.X-Men First Classcertainly isn’t the bestX-Menmovie, but it certainly is an underrated gem.
6X2: X-Men United (2003)
Sure, the originalX-Menis an amazing comic book movie in its own right, butX2: X-Men Uniteddoubled down on everything that made the first so great, as well as fixing the issues that fans and critics had with the first movie. For a very long time,X2was the bestX-Menmovie, as well as one of the best comic book movies ever. It gave fans more from the characters they loved, as well as introduced some new faces, like Nightcrawler and William Stryker. The film’s story was far more interesting, and came with much greater stakes. It still goes without saying that the cast is impeccable, with Hugh Jackman, Sir Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart leading this superhero epic.
The action was also ahead of its time, and contains some of the best comic book movie action scenes ever. Including Wolverine’s berserker rampage through the X-mansion, Nightcrawler invading the White House, and the brutal battle between Wolverine and Lady Deathstrike.
Related:Hugh Jackman’s Best Wolverine Moments in the Franchise, Ranked
5Spider-Man (2002)
Superhero movies were pretty rare to come by around the time thatSpider-Manwas released, let alone good ones. But in came Sam Raimi, who delivered one of the best comic movies and origin stories of all time. What’s not to love about this movie? Yes,Spider-Mancertainly is cheesy and dated, but there is no denying thatSpider-Manhas a certain comic book energy that you won’t find anywhere else.
Tobey Maguiredelivered a brilliantly-layered performance as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, a character fans have an undying connection and nostalgia to. Similarly, Willem Dafoe was brilliantly over-the-top as Green Goblin, giving fans a performance and villain that they will never forget. Sam Raimi delivered some phenomenal action, alongside some pretty scary moments for a superhero flick, mostly due to Raimi’s horror background.Spider-Manis nothing less than iconic, and even with the outstanding superhero movies we have been graced with since,Spider-Manstill stands as one of the best comic book movies to date.
4Deadpool (2016)
Deadpoolhad been a movie fans were clambering to see ever since Ryan Reynolds made his debut as the merc with a mouth (or should we say merc without a mouth) inX-Men Origins: Wolverine. Finally, seven years later,Deadpoolwas released, and was far better than fans could have ever expected. Likewise,Deadpoolwas proof that not only do R-rated superhero movies work, but they can become incredibly successful, breaking new ground for more R-rated superhero movies to come, from both Marvel and DC.
Ryan Reynolds proved he was born to play Deadpool, delivering hilarious jokes andmemorable quotes, while also looking awesome in the red suit. The action was very creative and incredibly exciting, even if most of the action was CG. The fourth wall breaks are incredible and far better than anyone could have imagined. The villain is perhaps the weakest aspect of the movie, but the comedy, performances, and action all make up for it.
3X-Men Days of Future Past (2014)
Years beforeSpider-Man: No Way Home,X-Men Days of Future Pastspectacularly brought together theFirst Classcast alongside the cast of the originalX-Mentrilogy. This was a genius concept, and director Bryan Singer pulled it off perfectly. Not only do we get the old cast and theFirst Classcast together, but audiences were introduced to Quicksilver, played impeccably by Evan Peters. Quicksilver quickly (no pun intended) became a fan favorite, mostly thanks to Evan Peters, but also the jaw-dropping slow-motion scene, which kick-started the speedster slow-mo trend, that is starting to feel very tiresome. Similarly, the story was engaging, Hugh Jackman was back as Wolverine, which is always delightful, and Peter Dinklage was a very intimidating villain.
Related:All X-Men Movies, Ranked
2Spider-Man 2 (2004)
It goes without saying, thatSpider-Man 2is a superhero classic. Delivering everything fans loved about the first and more. Over-the-top action, interesting characters, along with great, although sometimes cheesy performances from the whole cast. Tobey Maguire proves to be a perfect Peter Parker, bringing so much charm, intrigue, and awkwardness to the character, making him someone that is so incredibly hard not to love. AlthoughSpider-Man 2may have lacked in the Willem Dafoe department, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Otto Octavius, or “Doc Ock”, more than made up for it, as an incrediblylayered and maniacal villain.While not as over the top as Dafoe, his performance was still nonetheless entertaining. Not to mention, J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, was one of the best live-action comic book movie castings ever.Spider-Man 2is a classic with an unprecedented amount of nostalgia, making it one of the best comic book movies ever.
1Logan (2017)
If it wasn’t forDeadpoolpaving the way for R-rated superhero movies, its doubtful we would have received one ofthe best superhero movies of all time,Logan.Loganis an exceptional character study that most modern movies attempt to live up to, and is proof that superhero movies can come with many layers. Thankfully, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart return to their respective roles as Wolverine and Professor X, to deliver exceptional performances and heart-breaking send-offs to their beloved characters. Sure, most of the movies on this list are cheesy superhero affairs, which arguably makes them so enjoyable. ButLoganis an impeccably layered comic book movie, which has been hailed as one of the greatest movies, not just comic book movies, of all time. Logan brilliantly leans into its R-rating, and delivers much glorious gore that adds to the enjoyment and realism to the flick.
