What is the update on Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse?
Not too much has been revealed about Sony Pictures Animation‘s third Spider-Man at this point in time; however, a recent update reveals that this movie will be making a big change from the first two.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Sony’s Kristine Belson and Damien de Froberville said that, for the first time in the franchise, they’ve brought a live-action DP, Alice Brooks, to direct the camera in a way the franchise hasn’t done before.
Belson said when asked if working on Beyond the Spider-Verse was as “straining” for animators as the reported work conditions of Across the Spider-Verse, “Nobody has to work on a show they don’t want to work on. Even though you’ll hear — whether it’s Spider-Verse or other shows — that people go through these really difficult crunch times, everybody wants to be on the most ambitious and most exciting shows.”
De Froberville added, “We made some changes to the pipeline to, not avoid — because Chris and Phil are always going to iterate late — but to lessen the amount of iteration on the back end. We brought on a live-action DP, Alice Brooks. She’s been directing camera in a way that we hadn’t done on Spider-Verse before. We’re in animation on Spider-Verse now. Because the directors and Chris and Phil have a chance to iterate so much early on while we’re in story, and truly visualize what it’s going look like by the time those sequences flow into the Imageworks pipeline, there’s way less changes.”
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is currently expected to be released on June 18, 2027, in the United States.
Originally reported by Brandon Schreur at SuperHeroHype.
There was a time when most blockbuster movies and popular television series found their way onto Netflix. Yet as the market for streaming grew, the amount of superhero movies on the service decreased. However, Netflix still hosts some of the best superhero movies ever made.
What are the best Superhero movies on Netflix as of January 2026?
Today, Netflix is more frequently associated with superhero streaming series than movies. They produced a number of mature series based on the world of Marvel Comics, like Daredevil. They also stream most of the Arrowverse shows based on DC Comics, thanks to a long-running licensing deal with The CW. Despite that, and most of these properties slowly making their way to Disney+ and HBO Max, there are still some fine superhero movies to be found on Netflix.
Hellboy (2004)
In 1944, a group of Nazi sorcerers led by the infamous Rasputin tried to summon several demons into their service. Thanks to the efforts of an Allied strike force and scholar Trevor “Broom” Bruttenholm, they failed. However, an infant demon was discovered in the aftermath. Broom adopted this Hellboy as his own son, and trained him to become a force for good.
Six decades later, Broom and Hellboy are employed by the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. With their aid, the BPRD have become humanity’s first line of defense against various monsters and magicians. Unfortunately, Rasputin’s allies have resurrected him, and they are determined to finish what they have started.
There have been four films to date based upon Dark Horse Comics‘ superhero Hellboy and two cinematic reboots. Despite this, many feel that the first effort remains the best. This is largely due to the efforts of Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who scripted and directed the film. It is also thanks to Ron Perlman‘s masterful performance as the noble demon. It is also notable as the only Hellboy film adaptation to date to merit a sequel.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Peter Parker is a brilliant but socially awkward teenager with dreams of becoming a scientist. This leads him to seek out a former colleague of his father, Dr. Curt Connors, who is studying cross-species genetics. A lab accident leads to Peter being bitten by a genetically-altered spider and becoming something new… The Amazing Spider-Man.
When Connors is similarly transformed into a monstrous lizard man, Spider-Man must step up to save the city. This is made more difficult thanks to the efforts of NYPD Captain George Stacy, who thinks Spider-Man is more menace than superhero. This, in turn, endangers Peter’s romance with classmate Gwen Stacy, who just happens to be Captain Stacy’s daughter.
Marc Webb faced a serious challenge following after Sam Raimi in developing a new Spider-Man film franchise. It is debatable how well he succeeded. However, The Amazing Spider-Man does have a devout fandom for several reasons.
Many fans prefer Andrew Garfield‘s more wise-cracking take on Peter Parker than the more brooding variant played by Tobey Maguire. Another selling point for the movie is Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and her chemistry with Andrew Garfield. Such is her popularity that many hope she may still find her way into the MCU as Spider-Gwen.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Miles Morales was a smart student, struggling to fit in and live up to the standards of his NYPD officer father. Chance leads to his being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining powers similar to those of the city’s greatest hero, Spider-Man. It also leads to Miles being entrusted with the only way to stop New York’s worst crime-boss from traveling between dimensions and wrecking reality after Spider-Man dies.
In over his head and untrained in his new powers, Miles doesn’t think it is in him to be a hero. Fate intervenes again, giving him an unlikely teacher in the form of another Peter Parker from another world. Unfortunately, this Spider-Man is not the superhero he once was. However, with more and more Spiders showing up, Peter will have to remember what comes with great power. And Miles will learn that anyone can wear the mask.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a revelation upon its release. Beyond being a blockbuster success, it was a critical smash. Even those critics who normally turn up their noses at superhero movies praised the film for its innovative concept and revolutionary animation. It ultimately earned 52 industry awards, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA for Best Animated Feature Film.
The film opens with the standard origin of four baby turtles and a rat being mutated into humanoid creatures by mutagenic ooze. However, this group of turtle boys hide themselves from the world because of their foster father Splinter’s fear of humanity. Not because of some need to maintain a superhero secret identity. Despite this, his sons long to be a part of the world above their home in the sewer.
The existence of the Ninja Turtles is uncovered by aspiring teen journalist April O’Neil, after they recover her stolen moped. This leads to a partnership, as the TMNT help April investigate a series of crimes tied to the sinister TCRI. It also leads to the discovery of another found family of mutants, pressured into a life of crime by their charismatic leader, Superfly.
Mutant Mayhem was notable for being one of the few times the Ninja Turtles actually seemed to act like real teenagers. It was also marked by a unique visual aesthetic, and for how well it merged ideas taken from a wide scope of earlier adaptations. The end result was a reboot that won over a new generation of fans while satisfying the old guard.
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
Long ago, demons preyed on humanity. Hither came three young women, warrior poets who mixed song and sorcery to fight the demons. They created the Honmoon; a mystic barrier that limited the power of demons on Earth. Through the centuries that followed, three women in a generation would be chosen as the new guardians of the Honmoon. Today, those guardians are Huntrix – a K-pop idol group consisting of rebellious Mira, innocent Zoey, and confident Rumi.
Huntrix are challenged in popularity by a demon-backed idol group called the Saja Boys. This leads to a battle of the bands for the souls of the world. However, Rumi has a secret; a half-demon heritage that threatens to break up the band and her friendships with Zoey and Mira.
Some may question the inclusion of KPop Demon Hunters on a list of superhero movies. Certainly it is more heavily influenced by Korean culture and mythology than traditional comic book heroics. Yet at its core, the movie is a magical girl story, with summoned weapons, colorful costumes, and secret identities. That makes it a superhero movie by most metrics, in terms of story if nothing else.
How we picked the best Superhero Movies on Netflix in 2026
As noted earlier, there is little in the way of superhero movies on Netflix in 2026. However, there were still enough titles to make narrowing the list down to a top-five difficult. To that end, these movies were assessed based upon their influence, awards won, and success in establishing an on-going franchise.
A radioactive super-spider must have bitten pop culture, because we’re stuck on superhero media like Spider-Man to a wall. The 21st century is the age of the supe: never have caped crusaders been more relevant, more topical, more inescapable than they are right now. While the modern era may be the heyday of heroes, decades of crimefighting cinema paved the way here. Caped crusaders of the past walked so modern ones could—quite literally—fly.
These are the ten greatest superhero movies of all time.
Watchmen (2009)
(Warner Bros.)
Directed by Zack Snyder, Watchmen is a shocking deconstruction of superhero identity. Adapted from Alan Moore’s all-time great graphic novel, the film tells the story of a group of washed-up crime fighters dragged back into the public eye after one of their number is murdered. What begins as a dark and dismal whodunnit soon evolves into a sci-fi thriller of globe-spanning proportions. While some of The Watchmen are content to hang up their capes and cowls, others are still looking to bring about the greater good—and decide to do so by the evilest means. Watchmen‘s greatness stems from its darkly human portrayal of superheroes, fallible people blessed with infallible abilities, cursed to make mistakes. No one’s perfect, but the pressure is enough to make any caped crusader crack. Over the course of Watchmen, many caped crusaders will. Except for Rorschach, he was pretty cracked from the get-go.
Blade (1998)
(New Line Cinema)
Directed by Stephen Norrington, Blade is the most underrated superhero movie ever made. Wesley Snipes plays the titular vampire killer, a gunslinging, sword-swinging badass that oozes charisma from every pore. On the hunt for a powerful bloodsucker summoning an evil god, Blade cuts a swath through creatures of the night with bloodstained style. One of the first superhero movies with a dark and sinister tone, Blade ushered in a new era of gritty superhero media, laying the foundations for horror-adjacent hits like Hellboy and The Crow. What truly makes Blade great is its contributions to vampire myth. The blood rave that begins the film? Iconic. Vampire folktales have been around for centuries, but none of them involved dancing to techno while drenched in O negative until this film came along.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
(Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
The culmination of a decade of superhero films, Avengers: Endgame is the most ambitious “season finale” ever produced. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the film stands at the pinnacle of the Marvel cinematic universe, a multi-million dollar testament to the modern-day popularity of the superhero genre. To take down Thanos once and for all, the Avengers assemble literally everyone—ten years’ worth of caped crusaders show up to a battle for the fate of the universe. The result was goosebump-inducing—a last stand that conjured up laughter, tears, and shouts of victory from movie theater audiences across the world. Avengers:Endgame was the culmination of a pop-culture phenomenon, a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that can never be repeated. Like the fight with Thanos, you just had to be there.
Black Panther (2018)
(Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther is the tale of T’Challa, the king of Wakanda. While serving as his nation’s protector—the Black Panther—T’Challa must take down a rebel Wakandan who wishes to break from the country’s isolationist policies and spark a worldwide revolution. The film was a one-of-a-kind addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an Afro-futurist adventure that became a cultural touchstone. Aside from being a cinematic work of wonder, the film’s soundtrack was an equally landmark contribution to rap and hip hop—featuring collaborations from Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Vince Staples. A glorious chapter in modern superhero mythology, Black Panther was a crystallized moment of history in the making. Wakanda forever.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
(Sony Pictures Releasing)
The Incredibles was arguably the greatest animated superhero film for quite some time, and then along came a spider to challenge it for the title. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse served as a departure from the Peter Parker norm, putting a younger webslinger into the spotlight. Miles Morales is the Spider-Man for a new generation, and the film follows his coming-of-age quest to become the hero whose deeds will stand the test of time. Part action and part sci-fi, Into The Spider-Verse is a gloriously comic-booky romp through parallel dimensions, each one a triumph of animation. It’s one of the most cinematically beautiful films on this list—brain chemistries were permanently changed watching the upside-down shot of Miles falling upward into the New York City skyline.
Superman (1978)
(Warner Bros.)
Directed by Richard Donner,Superman walked so modern superhero movies could fly. Well, technically Superman flew, too—but you get what I mean. The film covers all the Kryptonian bases, beginning with Superman’s escape from his doomed home planet and culminating in a showdown with his archnemesis Lex Luthor. Superman also marked the beginning of Christopher Reeve’s career, one of the most iconic and sincere performances the genre has ever produced. Reeves’ Kent is statuesque, but he’s also gentle, awkward, and deeply human—a Boy Scout with a heart of gold. He doesn’t feel like a god hiding among mortal men, but a man answering the call to become something greater, and the result is all the more compelling. The true star of this film, however, is the special effects—staggering flight sequences filmed without the help of CGI. Despite being made nearly half a century ago, Superman remains as visually impressive as any modern-day superhero movie on this list.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
(Sony)
Directed by Sami Rami, Spider-Man 2 pulled off the impossible: improved upon its near-perfect predecessor. After surviving the near-death experience that was The Green Goblin, Peter Parker suits up once more to take on a far deadlier foe: Doctor Octopus. Played by Alfred Molina, Doc Ock was part tragic hero and part horror movie monster—brought to life by some of the most astounding puppetry effects in movie history. While Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin was nothing to sneeze at, this tentacled terror was easily Spider-Man’s most challenging villain to date—though that runaway subway train was also one tough customer. While Spider-Man is a superhero story at its core, it borrows from other film genres to create a cosmopolitan whole. Doc Ock’s solar fusion machine feels like peak H.G. Wells sci-fi, while the hospital tentacle attack sequence is a nightmarish callback to Rami’s Evil Dead roots. And of course, Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s romance is the Romeo and Juliet of the superhero genre.
The Incredibles (2004)
(Pixar Animation Studios)
Directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles is the story of cinema’s greatest superfamily. A blood-related spin on the Fantastic Four,The Incredibles style themselves after classic heroes from the mid-20th century—an homage to campy superhero flicks of yesteryear. But don’t be fooled by the family-friendly veneer, this film hides darker themes beneath its Eda Mode-tailored exterior. Like a kid-friendly Watchmen, The Incredibles is a tale of superhero disillusionment—its villain twisted by his inability to see heroes as flawed and fallible people. More mature than its marketing campaign suggested, The Incredibles teaches two incredibly important life lessons: 1) even the most well-intentioned heroes can hurt people without meaning to, and 2) never, ever, ever wear a cape—especially near a plane turbine.
Logan (2017)
(20th Century Fox)
Directed by James Mangold, Logan brought Academy Award levels dramatic weight to a genre known for its lightheartedness. Set in a near-future world where mutants are dying out, the film centers around a Wolverine long past his prime. Struggling to live on after the X-Men have all but bitten the dust, Logan is given a new reason to be after finding a lost little girl with powers like his own. Hunted by mutant killing mercenaries, Logan and Laura bear down upon their foes like twin tornadoes of claws and teeth. A surrogate father/daughter tale of survival, Logan unfolds with all the gruesome gravitas of The Last of Us. Violence in this film isn’t a “biff-pow-thwack” comic book affair; it’s a bloody, desperate struggle with emotionally traumatizing results. Logan is a brutally beautiful elegy for one of the most beloved heroes ever created—until Deadpool dug him up again.
The Dark Knight (2008)
(Warner Bros.)
Directed by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight is widely considered a top contender for the title of Greatest Superhero Movie Ever Made. Centered around one of the most beloved hero/villain pairs in comic book history, The Dark Knight sets the stage for the ultimate Batman vs. The Joker showdown. The casting is impeccable: Bale’s grim Dark Knight plays perfectly against Heath Ledger’s madcap Crown Prince of Crime, resulting in some of the most palpable on-screen chemistry in movie history. These two actors “complete” each other, just like the Joker suggests. Combine these top-notch performances with mind-boggling action sequences, a hair-raising script, and one of the best scores ever composed, and you’ve got a superfilm on your hands.
Sarah Fimm (they/them) is actually nine choirs of biblically accurate angels crammed into one pair of $10 overalls. They have been writing articles for nerds on the internet for less than a year now. They really like anime. Like… REALLY like it. Like you know those annoying little kids that will only eat hotdogs and chicken fingers? They’re like that… but with anime. It’s starting to get sad.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse villain Tombstone is making his way to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as Deadline reports that Marvin Jones III (Black Lightning) will be reprising the animated role in live-action. Deadline further reports that Jones will purportedly return to voice Tombstone once more in the upcoming Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, having skipped the middle entry in the trilogy, 2023’s Across the Spider-Verse.
One of many crime bosses in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, Tombstone is usually depicted as an imposing Black person with albinism; he has sharp chompers and granite-like skin that’s hard to cut. The creation, by writer Gerry Conway and artist Alex Saviuk, first made his Marvel Comics debut in Web of Spider-Man #36 in March 1988, and has been a staple of Spidey’s criminal underworld ever since.
Given Tombstone’s recent appearance in the Spider-Verse films, there’s no doubt going to be a lot of speculation that Brand New Day could potentially give us the MCU’s own take on Miles. The recent casting of Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) and Trammel Tillman (Severance) also has left fans wondering if the Morales family in some way will be a presence, and of course, Miles’ uncle Aaron already appeared in Spider-Man Homecoming, played by Donald Glover.
Whether or not we see Miles or any other Spidey-sona in Brand New Day, Jones is joining a stacked cast of familiar faces that includes Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, and Michael Mando returning as Homecoming‘s version of Scorpion.
Despite its current production delay, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still currently set to release July 31, 2026.
