5 Best Superhero Westerns, Ranked

There are enough great sci-fi Westerns to prove that both genres complement each other. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising to learn that many awesome superhero movies also share DNA with horse operas. It makes sense, as both are broadly concerned with ideas like justice and heroism. With that said, which superhero Westerns represent the best of the bunch? That's what we are here to find out.

Westerns and superhero movies offer plenty of variety, meaning that filmmakers have been able to merge elements of both to tell interesting stories. Some superhero flicks follow outlaws and bandits through the cosmos. Others are more down-to-earth tales about aging warriors chasing redemption. Some are comedies with happy endings, while others set out to break our hearts.

This list offers something for all tastes — if you want laughs, frights, or action-packed mayhem, we have you covered. That said, they all represent superhero Westerns at their best, so let's take a look at our picks and discuss why they're awesome.

Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) is similar to the Old West antiheroes Clint Eastwood used to play. Apart from riding a motorcycle and having a flaming skull for a head, he is an archetypal drifter cowboy. Marvel's "Ghost Rider" franchise was inspired by Westerns — the character even has roots in the wild frontier — but 2011's "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is like a horse opera on steroids.

"Spirit of Vengeance" follows Cage's character as he protects a mother (Violante Placido) and her child from some demonic evildoers. This forces them to go on the lam, with Blaze fending off the Devil's henchmen along the way. It's essentially the age-old Western story of a reluctant hero contending with bandits, albeit with a supernatural twist.

You will either love or hate "Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance." The film was helmed by "Crank" directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, so expect fast-paced, over-the-top mayhem throughout. It also boasts one of Nicolas Cage's craziest performances, but who doesn't love watching him chew the scenery? If you are looking for a gung-ho action-horror adventure that embraces Western tropes, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is hard to beat.

John Carter originates from Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" novels, which go all the way back to 1917. He's a prototype for the more traditional superheroes who came after, with some fans even comparing him to Superman. Sadly, Disney's "John Carter" movie flopped at the box office, while the Man of Steel found success in the DCEU. But despite that and unenthusiastic reviews, "John Carter" is still an entertaining action-adventure that will appeal to fans of superhero flicks and Westerns.

"John Carter" follows the titular hero (Taylor Kitsch), a Civil War veteran who gets transported to Mars following a bizarre encounter in a cave. He then gains superpowers, gets caught up in another conflict, and falls in love with a princess (Lynn Collins) while contending with the threats the Red Planet throws at him. What else do you need from a movie?

Some moments in "John Carter" wouldn't seem out of place in a straightforward Western, such as Carter running from cavalrymen in the 1800s. Meanwhile, the Red Planet boasts stunning desert vistas that fans of John Ford films will feel smitten by. "John Carter" is an ambitious, visually stunning movie that deserves more respect — but not every film can be a box office hit.

James Gunn's "Guardians of the Galaxy" is frequently compared to the "Star Wars" movies, which were inspired by old Western serials and samurai flicks. "Guardians of the Galaxy" also immerses itself in Western tropes, but subverts them enough to feel original, fresh, and exciting.

The heroes in 2014's "Guardians of the Galaxy" are a ragtag group of outlaws with questionable pasts. They aren't as brutal as the rogues in Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch," but they share a similar sense of criminal camaraderie. What's more, the film depicts outer space as a wild frontier that's full of lawlessness. Take the Ravagers, for example, interstellar criminals who would thrive robbing stagecoaches and trains in the Old West.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" ranks among the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies because it rejects the notion of clear-cut heroes. The Guardians are lovable, sure, but their flaws and outlaw tendencies are a key part of their charm. Like so many great Westerns, it's a story of outcasts who exist on the fringes of acceptable society, but presented in a way that's fun for the whole family.

When we think about wealthy, masked vigilantes who deliver justice, Batman immediately springs to mind. That said, more people ought to talk about Zorro, the influential pulp character who predates the Dark Knight by several years. If you want to get acquainted with the crusader, look no further than Martin Campbell's "The Mask of Zorro," a superhero Western that remains one of the best movies of the '90s.

"The Mask of Zorro" is actually a tale of two Zorros. Set in 19th-century California, it follows the original hero — a wealthy nobleman known as Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) — as he takes a student (Antonio Banderas) under his wing. Their goal? To stop to a corrupt despot whose crimes against Don Diego are unforgivable. Cue the swashbuckling and a rousing story about sticking it to one's oppressors.

Producer Steven Spielberg predicted that "The Mask of Zorro" would be the final Western to get made without CGI. Other genre efforts (like "Django Unchained") have resisted the allure of digital effects since then, but "The Mask of Zorro" proves that the old-school ways are timeless. The action scenes are exquisite, and you can't go wrong with a cast that includes Hopkins and Banderas at the top of their games. This character deserves more cinematic adventures.

"Logan" is an elegiac send-off to Fox's "X-Men" movies that takes many of its cues from revisionist Western tales. Logan (Hugh Jackman) is an aging, haunted soul who exists in a world he feels disconnected from — like all those gunslingers trying to survive during the final days of the wild frontier. Think William Munny (Clint Eastwood) from "Unforgiven," but with claws.

This one follows Logan as he reluctantly helps a young mutant, X-23 (Dafne Keen), find a safe haven. Thus begins an adventure across the modern-day frontier, as they come into contact with cyborg assassins and the baddies who want X-23 for their own nefarious purposes. There's a little "True Grit" in there, but "Logan" is darker than that John Wayne classic.

Unsurprisingly, Westerns were the main influences behind "Logan." Sam Peckinpah movies and "Shane" inform the film's story, themes, visual style, and tone. "Logan" also deconstructs superhero movies in the same way Peckinpah's revisionist Westerns dispelled romantic myths about the Old West. The film is a reminder that violence has consequences, and heroes don't always ride off into the sunset in one piece.