Which means 2016 was the biggest year yet, with a whopping six major superhero releases.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
2016 was also a major year for expansion and introduction.
(Our #1 picks earned 6 points, #2 earned 5 points, etc).
Unfortunately, it’s easy to see why.
It’s bleak, joyless, and a bit disrespectful to the lineage of both characters.
Image via Warner Bros.
I genuinely likeWatchmenand that movie is the skim milk of fun.
ButBatman v Supermanisn’t entirely without merit.
Likewise,Ben Affleckcan double down as Batman and Bruce Wayne, and sell both.
Clay Enos/ & © DC Comics Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Suicide Squad
Suicide Squadmay have been doomed to fail from the start.
It had too many cooks and not nearly enough time.
All those pieces play their part well, butSuicide Squadnever recovers from being undercooked and over-manipulated.
On top of being riddled with problems, it’s straight up problematic.
To top it off,Jared Leto’sJoker is insufferable.
But he loses the character’s magic.
Image via Marvel
Fortunately, ifSuicide Squadnever fully delivers on its promise, it points to a promising future.
There are also a few great action set-pieces that highlight Ayer’s talent for combat cinema.
There’s a certain charm to it, at times.
Image via 20th Century Fox
But it invests too heavily in the past over the future.
But at least there was another great scene forEvan Peters' Quicksilver.
His powers have no logic, his motivation is weak, and his personality absent.
Image via Marvel Studios
Doctor Strange
Good news!
From here, the movies start getting really good.
Welp, at least it wasn’t Thanos this time.
Even with its formulaic faults,Doctor Strangedelivers an exciting expansion of the Marvel universe.
Deadpool
At long last,Deadpoolfinally got his due.
That cheeky, subversive lilt defines the best ofDeadpool, from opening credits to the final frame.
Basically,Deadpoolhits all the marks.
Captain America: Civil War
Somehow they pulled it off.
It’s a feat that was largely made possible by the clever subversion of Marvel’s standard villain arc.
A bold and unusual ending for superhero fare.
Civil Waris both sprawling and intimate.
And it’s the bets superhero film of 2016.
