10 Best Superhero Movie Reboots So Far

Not many people know that 2005’s ‘Fantastic Four’ was actually a reboot of legendary filmmaker Roger Corman’s 1994 adaption ‘The Fantastic Four,’ which was never released. With the new ‘Fantastic Four’ opening in theaters on August 7, we have compiled for you a list of our favorite superhero movie reboots so far.

After comedic versions of the Caped Crusader in the ‘Batman’ TV series and Joel Schumacher films, director Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins’ finally gave audiences what they wanted from a Batman movie. The result was a dark yet realistic film, which is now the gold standard in superhero-origin movies.

‘First Class’ may have been a prequel to the original ‘X-Men’ series, but it really acted more as a reboot of the entire franchise, so it’s probably best to call it a “preboot.” It reinvented old characters, introduced new ones and ignored most continuity, while at the same time breathing fresh air into the franchise and setting up a brand-new trilogy.

‘Man of Steel’ marked the second time Superman has had a big-screen reboot, and the result laid the groundwork for the upcoming ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and the future of the entire DC cinematic universe.

A reboot of director Ang Lee’s 2004 ‘Hulk’ starring Eric Bana, ‘The Incredible Hulk’ incorporated more elements from the classic ‘70s TV series than the comics. While Ed Norton would eventually be recast with Mark Ruffalo for the Hulk’s future appearances in the MCU, Norton gave an outstanding performance as Dr. Bruce Banner. 

Technically this movie was a reboot, since the character first appeared in 1990’s straight-to-video ‘Captain America.’ ‘The First Avenger’ finally brought Steve Rogers to theaters in all his WWII glory, setting up the character’s role in ‘The Avengers,’ ‘Winter Soldier’ and beyond.

Marvel’s street avenger first came to the big screen in 1989 starring Dolph Lundgren in the title role. However, the film was extremely low budget and didn’t get much of a theatrical release. The reboot was a much bigger film and starred Thomas Jane as Frank Castle/the Punisher.

Actually conceived as a sequel to ‘Superman II,’ director Bryan Singer left the ‘X-Men’ franchise to help bring DC’s flagship character back to the big screen. Brandon Routh skillfully filled the role Christopher Reeve originated, while Kevin Spacey was absolutely brilliant as Lex Luthor.

The only film on our list that is not based on an actual comic book character, this reboot captured the subversive humor and political commentary of the original film, while successfully updating the story for a modern generation. 

A reboot of the popular Sam Raimi ‘Spider-Man’ series, ‘Amazing’ was the first film in the franchise to feature Peter Parker’s parents, as well as an excellent performance from Andrew Garfield as your friendly neighborhood web slinger.

A reboot of ‘2004s ‘The Punisher’ (which itself was a reboot), ‘War Zone’ featured a higher level of violence and more supervillains than the previous film, as well as a strong performance from Ray Stevenson as the title character.