Every 2021 Superhero Movie And TV Show Ranked

Despite several movies being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was still a banner year for new superhero content. Some theatrical hits were released simultaneously to streaming, while some streaming originals were always intended for Disney+ or HBO Max. But high-profile tentpole blockbusters can't be slowed by world events, and the likes of Marvel, DC, and others all had major new releases hit screens this year.

Several members of the Avengers got their own shows in 2021, while the Justice League returned for a remix thanks to a rabid fan campaign. Several hit indie comics got long-awaited adaptations, and a few new animated kids' shows sprang up too. Not all were successful though: Some disappointed and will be quickly forgotten, while others soared and may go down as all-time classics. But which were which? 

From big screen superhero blockbusters to streaming originals, here's our ranking of all the new superhero movies and TV shows that bowed in 2021.

The first show to come from Netflix's deal to acquire comic book writer Mark Millar's "MillarWorld" in 2017, the streaming network bet big on "Jupiter's Legacy," an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name. The series followed a superhero family with a lineage stretching back to the 1930s, when the first generation received superpowers while hiding away on a remote island. Now, almost 100 years later, that first family of heroes — who are nearly immortal — have become the elder statesmen mentoring a new, younger group of heroes who can't seem to compare to their ancestors. Though it's well made and full of some strong performances, the show failed to find an audience, and critics were equally unkind, describing it as a nonsensical mess of a story that couldn't live up to its lofty premise.

Seen as Netflix's response to rival Amazon's adult superhero hit "The Boys," it unfortunately didn't deliver anything as interesting or as good. Though it was cancelled after its first season, star Josh Duhamel, who played The Utopian, hopes to reprise the role in another series.

Directly inspired by the classic 1980s cartoon that is still fondly remembered today, "Spidey and His Amazing Friends" currently airs on Disney Jr. and is in many ways a fresh take on the old series. Once again Spider-Man is teamed up with two friends, but replacing Iceman and Firestar are Spin (Miles Morales' Spider-Man, with a new name so kids don't get the two heroes mixed up) and Gwen Stacy as Ghost Spider/Spider-Gwen. The show is comprised of a series of computer-animated shorts aimed at toddlers, and full of appropriately kid-friendly action and adventure. 

Each episode is comprised of two stories that run about 10 minutes each, and see the trio take on classic Spider-Man villains like Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin. Some episodes feature guest stars from Marvel's large stable of heroes, with appearances from the likes of the Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. Bright, colorful, and wonderfully animated, it doesn't get high marks from comic book diehards, but has been nonetheless well-reviewed by parents of its young target audience for its wholesome stories and message of teamwork.

Though not highly acclaimed, the first "Venom" movie proved to be a crowd-pleasing monster flick, and its sequel, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" upped the ante by introducing another fan favorite character from the comics. Adding serial killing symbiote Carnage, newly installed director Andy Serkis managed to outdo the violence and intensity of the first movie in spite of a PG-13 rating. Picking up where "Venom" left off, death row inmate Cletus Kasaday is awaiting execution for his crimes when he's interviewed by Eddie Brock. Antagonizing the reporter, Kasaday provokes the Venom symbiote into showing itself and uses the opportunity to absorb a piece of the alien creature, turning him into an even more violent and crazed monster called Carnage.

The "Venom" sequel received mixed reviews from critics, but better ratings from audiences for its interpretation of the symbiote storyline, and the introduction of one of Marvel's most violent villains. It was a hit at the box office too, where it has so far secured the third highest domestic gross of 2021, and Hollywood's fourth highest global take.

Based on a more recent, lesser-known Marvel comic that debuted in 2010, the animated series "Hit Monkey" is a Hulu original animated series that opens on a for-hire assassin named Bryce. After his employer betrays him and leaves him for dead, he flees to the mountains where he comes to live among a group of snow monkeys who take him into their tribe. One of the monkeys learns from Bryce to be an adept killer himself and is banished. But after he leaves, Bryce's enemies return, killing the human hitman and the entire tribe of primates. Now haunted by Bryce's ghost, the exiled killer snow monkey sets out to get revenge on the murderous assassins who wronged them both. 

With an animation style reminiscent of the pop satire "Archer," the series has a similar tone and attitude, but with a brutality and intensity like few other animated series audiences have ever seen. Its all-star cast includes Jason Sudeikis ("Ted Lasso"), Olivia Munn ("X-Men: Apocalypse"), and George Takei ("Star Trek"). Reviews praised its unique story and fun action, but knocked it for not doing as much as it could have with its lead monkey protagonist. 

If "Guardians of the Galaxy" was thought to have opened the door to the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then "Eternals" is the one that blew down the walls entirely. The film introduced mainstream audiences to the world of the Celestials, Eternals, and Deviants created by comic icon Jack Kirby and inspired by "ancient aliens" theories that had become popular in the 1970s. Revealing a universe ruled over by a planet-destroying race of beings called Celestials, we meet their creations on Earth, the Eternals: powerful immortal beings who have lived among humans for thousands of years. It's a wild ride full of big ideas and loads of new backstory — punctuated by plenty of big superhero action and a handful of genuine surprises — that could change the way some view the MCU.

Though it currently holds the record for lowest Rotten Tomatoes score for a Marvel movie, and the only one to received a "rotten" rating, audiences clearly weren't as down on the film as critics. Its 78% audience score on the aggregate site once again illustrated the disconnect between fans and critics, with audiences seeming to embrace the film's grand cosmic story and dense mythology.

Originally slated to hit theaters in 2020, "Black Widow" was repeatedly delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually released in July 2021. The long-gestating solo film finally gave the spotlight to Marvel Studios' first female hero, who was introduced in 2010's "Iron Man 2." Surrounding actress Scarlett Johansson was a stellar cast that added David Harbour, Florence Pugh, and Rachel Weisz to the Romanoff family, while facing off against actor Ray Winstone as head of the Black Widow program.

A simultaneous "paid premium" release on Disney+ and a subsequent lawsuit from the actress caused unnecessary controversy off-screen, but the film itself was an effective superhero thriller that — while not groundbreaking — gave audiences the big screen action they were looking for. Some felt it was underwhelming, and it's possible that it would have played better if released earlier. It then might have been appreciated for its lower stakes as a refreshing breather from what would have been the recently-released, universe-shattering "Avengers: Endgame." Nonetheless, the movie gave Black Widow some sorely needed attention and backstory, and introduced her sister Yelena Belova to the MCU, a new face that would return for the Disney+ series "Hawkeye," and who looks to become a major player moving forward.

The second live-action Marvel series to premiere on Disney+, "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" had a lot to live up to after "WandaVision" came out of the gate and wowed audiences with its trippy high-concept premise and cinematic feel. Beginning where "Avengers: Endgame" left off, "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" opens with the surprising twist that Sam Wilson has surrendered the Captain America shield, feeling the mantle of the Avengers hero isn't meant for him. His old friend Bucky Barnes is angry about this, and the pair spar over the legacy of their former friend Steve Rogers. But when the government recruits its own new "Captain America" to wield the shield in the form of complicated anti-hero John Walker, and they simultaneously discover a sinister terrorist plot, the duo must work together to get the shield back and reclaim the Captain America identity — which ultimately goes to Sam.

With some surprise appearances by new MCU characters like Isaiah Bradley and his grandson Eli, U.S. Agent, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a villainous counterpart to Nick Fury who is seemingly recruiting her own team of heroes, "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" moved the "Avengers" story forward in unexpected ways, in a unique spy thriller only Marvel could make.

Debuting in theaters in 2021 was "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," a movie that was originally planned as part of Marvel's first phase in 2005, alongside the likes of "Iron Man," "Captain America" and "The Incredible Hulk." It would take more than 15 years to come to life,which was probably for the better, as its unique superhero story may have been harder to pull off when Marvel was still finding its footing. Combining elements from across the Marvel Universe, including its lead villain in classic Iron Man foe The Mandarin, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" finally gave fans a version of the big bad they wanted to see, played here by Hong Kong legend Tony Leung in his long-awaited Hollywood debut.

Starring Simu Liu as Shang-Chi — the son of the Mandarin who hopes to escape the shadow of his tyrannical father — and surrounded by a cast that included comedian and rapper Awkwafina, Ben Kingsley, the iconic Michelle Yeoh, and newcomer Meng'er Zhang, "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" combined a superhero origin story with fantasy, martial arts, and crime noir elements to produce something new and different that audiences embraced wholeheartedly. It earned the highest domestic gross at the box office until "Spider-Man: No Way Home" came along in December.

Marvel's "What If...?" was a long-running comic book series that had fun with a variety of alternate outcomes of popular comic book storylines. The animated adaptation posits what might happen if Peggy Carter became Captain America, or if Thor hadn't learned humility. With most of the MCU's star voice talent reprising their roles — including Hayley Atwell, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Benedict Cumberbatch — Marvel successfully mixed top-tier animation with Hollywood A-List talent to produce a series as polished and stylish as it was exciting. But what surprised most fans was that these stories weren't just hypothetical; by the end of the series it was clear that the ending of "Loki" opened the door to the multiverse, and the nine stories told in "What If...?" take place in alternate parallel worlds that actually exist. 

Stellar reviews have made it among the highest rated of any MCU project to date on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and audience response has lead to rumors that Marvel may resurrect some of the characters we met in the series in live action. Already, the trailer for "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness" has confirmed we'll see the dark version of the former Sorcerer Supreme.

From the creator of "The Walking Dead" came the Amazon original animated show "Invincible," based on the long-running superhero comic series that debuted back in 2003. Set in a twisted, adult-oriented, Marvel-esque world where heroes kill and violence is bloody and visceral, the series follows a teenager named Mark Grayson, the son of Omni Man, the most powerful hero on the planet. Mark soon discovers that he has inherited his father's powers and he's quickly given a superhero identity just as his father's teammates are mysteriously murdered. When it's revealed that his father is actually a villainous harbinger of alien invasion, sent to Earth decades before to prepare the planet for takeover, Mark is forced to take sides.

A faithful adaptation of the comic book, "Invincible" is a grim, vengeful take on popular superhero cartoons, and received universal acclaim from critics and fans alike. Reviews applauded the series for its strong voice performers — led by Steven Yeun and J.K. Simmons — its high quality animation, and complex storyline that's delivered with as much nuance and maturity as any live-action series.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" may be the third film in the webslinger's current standalone series, but in many ways it's also "Spider-Man 8," the culmination of every live-action "Spider-Man" film that's come before. When Spider-Man needs help to make everyone forget his secret identity, his fellow Avenger Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts a spell that goes horribly wrong and opens up a rift in the multiverse that pulls in villains from other realities. Along with Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus, Jamie Foxx's Electro, Thomas Haden-Church's Sandman, and Rhys Ifans' Lizard, the heroes from those earlier films arrive in the form of surprise appearances by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective Spider-Men.

It's an epic blockbuster in every sense of the word, a rousing superhero action movie that even manages to find room for Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock in his long-awaited MCU return, as well as appearances from J.K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson and even Tom Hardy's Venom. Some have knocked it for a logic-bending premise and some muddled plotlines, but even those critics give it glowing praise, and it's hard to deny it's anything but a crowd-pleasing joyride that more than lives up to the hype.