Movies

10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good

10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good
Image credit: Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures

The 2010s were a decade that delivered a metric ton of superhero flicks! Some great, some, uh, let's just call them "remarkable" for different reasons.

1. Green Lantern (2011)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 1The Green Lantern Corps—space cops with magic rings, essentially. Our man, Hal Jordan, stumbles upon a dying alien and inherits this glow-in-the-dark piece of bling. The plot? Stop an evil space-cloud named Parallax.

Hilarity ensues. Hal's training montage in space is meme-worthy, and who can forget the moment he crafts a Hot Wheels track with the ring? Look, it's so bad it loops back around to being endearing. The circle of life, or the circle of CGI, rather.


2. Suicide Squad (2016)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 2So, you gather a bunch of bad guys, promise them freedom, and then ask them to save the world. What could go wrong? Introducing: Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and a few more who are less memorable.

Their mission? Stop Enchantress, a witch who wants to—you guessed it—destroy humanity. Hey, Jared Leto's Joker is in here too, but blink and you'll miss him. The movie's got plot holes you could drive a truck through, but come on, it's like watching a trainwreck—you can't look away.


3. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 3Nicholas Cage, cinema's very unique treasure. The man's back, and he's as fiery as ever. This time, he's out to save a kid who's slated to be the devil's vessel. Motorcycle stunts? Check. Blazing skull? Check. Over-the-top action? Double-check.

The plot rides faster than Ghost Rider's bike, but you'll be too entertained by Cage's antics to care. If Cage transformed into a meme mid-movie, would you be surprised?


4. Thor: The Dark World (2013)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 4Avengers assemble! Well, not really, it's mostly just Thor and Loki doing their sibling rivalry thing while trying to stop a dark elf. Yes, a dark elf named Malekith wants to plunge the universe into darkness with a red goo called the Aether. Why? Because every family gathering needs a little drama, even if that gathering spans realms.

Is the plot any good? Not particularly. Is Chris Hemsworth's Thor amusing? You betcha.


5. Jonah Hex (2010)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 5Meet Jonah Hex, a cowboy who talks to the dead, courtesy of some Native American magic. It's as bonkers as it sounds.

Hex wants to stop his arch-nemesis, Quentin Turnbull, from blowing up Washington with a super weapon. Throw in Megan Fox as a love interest, and voila, you have a campy Wild West extravaganza. It's the kind of movie you have to watch just to say you did.


6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 6Hey, what's the deal with sequels trying to stuff in more villains than a villain convention? Electro, Green Goblin, and a dash of Rhino—all crammed into one movie.

Peter Parker's balancing act involves romancing Gwen Stacy, finding out about his parents' mysterious past, and oh, saving New York. Again. Yes, it's a chaotic, tangled web, but the sheer ambition almost makes it commendable. Almost.


7. Fantastic Four (2015)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 7Four young geniuses create a teleportation machine and go for a spin to another dimension. Their joyride goes south, and they return with weird powers. It's Doctor Doom's time to shine, except he's less of a menacing villain and more of a moody teenager.

Cliché? You bet. But let's call it an awkward family photo of superhero flicks—one you look at and chuckle.


8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 8The turtles are back, and this time they've brought along some iconic villains. Bebop, Rocksteady, and Krang—the gang's all here.

The turtles must stop Krang from opening a portal and bringing his war machine to Earth. Plus, there's a mutagen that can turn the turtles human. Will they or won't they? The plot is as thin as a pizza crust, but hey, it's cheesy fun.


9. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 9Jean Grey gets a power-up, and like anyone with sudden, cosmic might, she can't handle it. She's manipulated by an alien shapeshifter—yes, aliens, because mutants weren't complicated enough.

Long story short, Jean goes rogue, and the X-Men try to save/stop her. Is the plot disjointed? Is the Phoenix storyline butchered? Yes and yes. But it's like a high-speed train derailment—you can't help but be fascinated by the chaos.


10. Justice League (2017)
10 Superhero Movies from the 2010s So Bad, They're Actually Good - image 10And last but not least, let's hear it for the team-up that tried. Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg unite to stop Steppenwolf from terraforming Earth.

Sound epic? It should be. But alas, the film never quite lives up to the sum of its parts. What it lacks in cohesive storytelling, it makes up for in meme-worthy moments. Mustache CGI, anyone?