Audiences flocked to musicals in the 1890s, and as soon as movies gained the ability to talk, they started singing as well. So why not rank those 50 years of superhero movies and, since that’s a nice big, round number, why not pick the best 50 superhero movies from that span of time? That gives me plenty of space to include all the best Spider-Mans, the best Batmans, plus the best superheroes that aren’t by Marvel or DC — or based on existing comic-book IP at all. (Spoiler alert: Jonah Hex did not make the cut.) The 50 Best Superhero Movies of the Last 50 Years Here are the 50 essential superhero movies over the last half century.