5 Best Comic Book Movie Reboots Of All Time, Ranked

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We live in an age where comic book reboots and revivals are something of the norm. Whether you're a DC or Marvel fan accustomed to company-wide reboots that alter or throw out entire continuities, or you're a casual viewer who realized long before "Spider-Man: No Way Home" that there were three different Spider-Man actors in the span of 10 years, these updates can be quite hit-or-miss. That's why we compiled a list of the best out there.

From wall-crawlers and masked vigilantes to national symbols and teams of misunderstood heroes, we've put together five comic book movies that do the best job at updating, rebranding, and rebooting their characters. Sometimes the bar is quite low for a reboot to follow, but other times it comes off the heels of a successful trilogy. However you feel about the "original" incarnations, these reboots do their darnedest to get the job done right.

Before beginning, we'd like to give honorable mentions to both "Man of Steel" and "The Incredible Hulk." While both are a bit controversial, they deserve a nod for pulling from specific eras of their characters' respective histories and translating them on screen.

• Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans
• Director: Marc Webb
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 136 minutes
• Where to watch: Disney+

After Sam Raimi's near-perfect, game-changing Spider-Man trilogy ended in 2007, nobody thought Sony would revive the wall-crawler anytime soon. However, in 2012, "The Amazing Spider-Man" hit theaters with a rebooted take that took the web-slinger in a completely new (yet still quite familiar) direction. Helmed by the appropriately-named Marc Webb, "Amazing" took Spidey back to high school and told the story anew.

"The Amazing Spider-Man" is an interesting blend of the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko comics that feels a bit more modern than Raimi's almost timeless trilogy. It highlights Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) dazzling intellect, reintroduces Spidey's webs as a product of scientific genius rather than biological mutation, and explores the mystery behind the disappearance of Peter's parents, which connects directly to Oscorp and his own origins. With a fascinating mythology and a more capable and intelligent love interest in Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, this series was off to an excellent start.

Unfortunately, while "The Amazing Spider-Man" was generally well-received, its sequel, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," failed to land with audiences and critics alike. As a result, Sony made a deal with Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thus cancelling any plans to continue this story further. Thankfully, Garfield got to return in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

• Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
• Directors: Pete Travis, Alex Garland
• Rating: R
• Runtime: 95 minutes
• Where to watch: Lionsgate+ on Prime Video

A common criticism of comic book reboots is that they tend to skew too "grimdark." Taking a colorful character and adapting them into a moody, cynical hero surrounded by bleak realism had become commonplace by the early 2010s. But while that style may not work every time, it did wonders for Judge Dredd. Before "Dredd," all fans had was the Sylvester Stallone "Judge Dredd" — and this one is leagues better.

Starring Karl Urban as Mega-City One's toughest law enforcer, "Dredd" is a gritty, violent, and all-around stylish take on the character. Urban is an inspired pick as the titular antihero, playing the stoic, tough-as-nails judge with ease. Even better, "Dredd" is far more accurate to the world of the comics than the Stallone-led predecessor. It pulls no punches when it comes to Judge Dredd's violent "take no prisoners"-style war on crime, amassing a cult following as a result.

"Dredd" may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a thrilling sci-fi action picture that fires on all cylinders. While Karl Urban and his fellow castmates want a sequel, there has been no real development on another "Dredd" for some time. While we can hope that Urban will return to the helmet in the future, fans will always have this killer reboot to fall back on.

• Cast: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving
• Director: Joe Johnston
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 124 minutes
• Where to watch: Disney+

It's fair to wonder how "Captain America: The First Avenger" qualifies as a reboot. Believe it or not, the star-spangled icon first appeared on the big screen back in 1990 in the oft-forgotten "Captain America." Only released in theaters internationally, "Captain America" went straight-to-video in the U.S. — and for good reason. So, when Marvel Studios decided to redeem the red, white, and blue hero, those familiar with the '90s outing were unsure how it would go. Thankfully, "The First Avenger" blew it out of the water.

By taking Captain America (Chris Evans) back to World War II, Marvel thoroughly explored the character's origins, set up future installments, and meditated on the time period when superheroes first exploded on the page. "The First Avenger" is a stunning origin story that extends beyond the usual "ordinary man gets powers" concept. Even before picking up the shield and being enhanced by the life-changing super-soldier serum, we're inspired by Steve Rogers' self-sacrificing heroism.

The ending of "The First Avenger" leads right into "The Avengers," which itself spring-boarded Cap into his own trilogy. Eventually, his story ended (for now) in "Avengers: Endgame," which bookends nicely with his initial MCU outing. While many consider the sequel, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," to be among Marvel's very best, it would not have been possible without "The First Avenger."

• Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence
• Director: Matthew Vaughn
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 132 minutes
• Where to watch: Disney+, HBO Max

"X-Men: First Class" is not your traditional comic book movie reboot. Technically, it's a prequel to the original X-Men trilogy, with James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender playing younger versions of Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier and Ian McKellen's Magneto. However, considering how much "First Class" retcons from the original films, and that it was positioned as a "soft reboot," we had to add it to this list. 

For so long, the X-Men movies had been positioned as the "Hugh Jackman Wolverine show" that anything not so narrowly focused on the character was considered a win. "First Class" was that win, giving us not only additional context into the age-old rivalry between Professor X and Magneto, but filling out the world in a way that hadn't been explored. The Cold War setting and taking the mutants back to their '60s roots was a fabulous choice, further alienating "First Class" from the trilogy that came before.

Although "X-Men: Days of Future Past" combined threads from "First Class" and the original trilogy (again centering on Wolverine), "X-Men: First Class" is a masterclass in re-imagining Marvel material. Matthew Vaughn outdid himself, and it's a shame that the post-"Days of Future Past" sequels failed to live up to such high standards. As a one-and-done superhero flick, it's basically flawless.

• Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 140 minutes
• Where to watch: HBO Max

As far as superhero movie reboots go, no film has had the generational impact of "Batman Begins." After Joel Schumacher practically killed the Dark Knight with "Batman & Robin," the DC icon's big screen fate was in limbo for years. But when Christopher Nolan was handed the reigns, penning a re-imagining of the character beside David S. Goyer, "Batman Begins" was born — and led to arguably the best superhero trilogy yet.

With Christian Bale as a tortured Bruce Wayne, learning the art of theatrics and warfare to avenge his parent's death and strike fear into the heart of criminals, "Batman Begins" grounds the Caped Crusader in a Nolan-esque reality. "Begins" goes where no other Bat-flick had gone before, unpacking both the worst moments of Bruce's life and the training he endures. He returns to Gotham just in time to battle not just organized crime, but also the League of Shadows.

"Batman Begins" is arguably the most successful of the bunch here, if not only because it led to "The Dark Knight," often considered one of the best superhero films of all time. This led to an epic conclusion in "The Dark Knight Rises," that served as a definitive end to this version of the character. With "Begins," Nolan shed Batman of campy buffoonery and revived the hero for a new generation.