Which superhero has the best filmography?

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I'd still pick Batman over Iron Man or Captain America for several reasons:

1. He's proven he can be successful through multiple different versions.

2. He's had most of his success without the benefit of being involved in shared cinematic universes and teamup films.

3. As I said, even his bad films are iconic. Are the likes of Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, The First Avenger, and Age of Ultron better than, say, Batman & Robin? Sure. But they're also not as memorable as Batman and Robin.

Differences on which films we may remember aside, I can't say that I see the value in being memorable if it's not being remembered for something positive.

 

[henzINNIT]

RDJ's 'Iron Man' had a ridiculous run and never dipped too low. No other versions though.

Of the ones on the poll, I'd have to say Batman. All of them have bad entries but Batman has scored several times and seems to be an evergreen comic book character.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Where's Cap?

The Captain America Trilogy and the Avenger films were mostly great.

Batman is dragged down by Snyder and Schumacher.

 

[The Batman]

I can't say that I see the value in being memorable if it's not being remembered for something positive.

I can, it's why "The Room" has a following, and why "Mystery Science Theater 3000" has lasted 12 seasons and 200+ episodes.

 

[Zarex]

Whenever folks try to compare the respective careers of the two Good Will Hunting boys, I am quick to remind them that Mr. Damon doesn't have an iconic flop like Gigli on his IMDB page. Affleck for the win!

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I can, it's why "The Room" has a following, and why "Mystery Science Theater 3000" has lasted 12 seasons and 200+ episodes.

The Room has a following because those people remember it for something positive, which is that it's hilarious. Unintentionally so, but hilarious nonetheless. This popularity angle also works poorly with your point that the MCU films aren't remembered or, judging by the reasoning around The Room, don't have a following.

However, to try to go directly to the core of it as I'm more interested in the general point than how it relates to any specific film; if I remember a film that I thought was terrible and just wasted my time, in what way does that make it better than a film that entertained me decently for the moment but I don't remember much anymore? For me it is worse that I remember something just because it annoyed me, just as I'd rather not be remembered by someone than having offended or hurt the person and be remembered for that. I just don't see "memorable" as having inherent value but instead dependent on the "why".

 

[The Batman]

The Room has a following because those people remember it for something positive, which is that it's hilarious. Unintentionally so, but hilarious nonetheless.

I wouldn't say "The Room" is remembered for something positive.

This popularity angle also works poorly with your point that the MCU films aren't remembered or, judging by the reasoning around The Room, don't have a following.

I agree it works poorly...mainly because that's your strawman version of what I posted, not what I actually posted.

I said that Batman and Robin is more memorable than 4 particular MCU films. I did not say that MCU films aren't remembered. I also did not say that they don't have a following.

 

[a user]

Where's Cap?

The Captain America Trilogy and the Avenger films were mostly great.

Batman is dragged down by Snyder and Schumacher.

Indeed. Why no Captain America on poll? (Not counting the 1990 movie.)

Still would've voted for Batman, but he'd definitely be the closest runner-up.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I wouldn't say "The Room" is remembered for something positive.



I agree it works poorly...mainly because that's your strawman version of what I posted, not what I actually posted.

I said that Batman and Robin is more memorable than 4 particular MCU films. I did not say that MCU films aren't remembered. I also did not say that they don't have a following.

So the following of the film hate it but still watch it? In my experience it's seen as a "so bad it's good" film, and good is positive.

Seems I missed to add some words when hastily changing what I wrote so the wording became poor. Sorry for that. The intent was for it to be put in relative terms, meaning that I doubt that those films are less remembered and have lesser followings than B&R.

But again it's not so much about the specific films but rather that the notion that being memorable has inherent value and is not dependent on why something is remembered.

 

[The Batman]

Seems I missed to add some words when hastily changing what I wrote so the wording became poor. Sorry for that. The intent was for it to be put in relative terms, meaning that I doubt that those films are less remembered and have lesser followings than B&R.

I mean...ok. Again, I never said B & R has more of a following than those particular MCU films, or is better remembered.

 

[Mjolnir Reborn]

I mean...ok. Again, I never said B & R has more of a following than those particular MCU films, or is better remembered.

Ok, then I guess I don't understand what you mean by saying that something isn't as memorable if it doesn't mean that people will remember it less. The link between memorable and having a following was made in your The Room example.

 

[Iceman]

I'd still pick Batman over Iron Man or Captain America for several reasons:

1. He's proven he can be successful through multiple different versions.

2. He's had most of his success without the benefit of being involved in shared cinematic universes and teamup films.

3. As I said, even his bad films are iconic. Are the likes of Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, The First Avenger, and Age of Ultron better than, say, Batman & Robin? Sure. But they're also not as memorable as Batman and Robin.

No.1 is what is most important for me. We don’t yet know that the next Iron Man will have the same appeal without RDJ but we do know Batman played by different actors and in different eras can be great.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

No.1 is what is most important for me. We don’t yet know that the next Iron Man will have the same appeal without RDJ but we do know Batman played by different actors and in different eras can be great.

Definitely. This is the yardstick.

 

[InCali]

I saw B&R once and the only thing I remember is some people fell and died.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I can get behind Batman being the best answer to this question, I mean without resorting to cheats like I did.

No other CBM character has a strong trilogy to fall back on that is fondly remembered and talked about to this day, and the director of two of the best films in the entire Planet of the Apes franchise is working to deliver to us something that can make us feel hopeful about the future of the character in cinema. He also had two very special animated movies that were released in theaters, focusing on the original; Bruce Wayne. You can say Spider-Man has a special animated movie too, but the original is not the center character in it, the focus is a successor of his in a reality that came to an end in comics.

Sure Cap and Shellhead have their high points in cinema, but most of the best films for each character is an ensemble film.

 

[Bayne]

I saw B&R once and the only thing I remember is some people fell and died.

I saw it last year (got a box set of all the 90s bat films and gave them all another chance).

The only thing I really remember about it is ice puns, the credit card and the safe scene (or was the safe scene in Forever?).

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

I saw it last year (got a box set of all the 90s bat films and gave them all another chance).

The only thing I really remember about it is ice puns, the credit card and the safe scene (or was the safe scene in Forever?).

The safe scene was indeed in Forever.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I can get behind Batman being the best answer to this question, I mean without resorting to cheats like I did.

No other CBM character has a strong trilogy to fall back on that is fondly remembered and talked about to this day, and the director of two of the best films in the entire Planet of the Apes franchise is working to deliver to us something that can make us feel hopeful about the future of the character in cinema. He also had two very special animated movies that were released in theaters, focusing on the original; Bruce Wayne. You can say Spider-Man has a special animated movie too, but the original is not the center character in it, the focus is a successor of his in a reality that came to an end in comics.

Sure Cap and Shellhead have their high points in cinema, but most of the best films for each character is an ensemble film.

Winter Soldier is not an ensemble piece.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Winter Soldier is not an ensemble piece.

That's one movie, and that's one take on it considering some might look at Black Widow's and Falcon's involvement as a team-up story ingredient.

 

[Adhesive Boy]

Iron Man seems like the choice. He's been in some of the top movies of the genre and he doesn't have any crap ones. Cap is a close competitor but he has his relatively unknown trash movie.

The options in the poll all have several trash movies.

 

[Another_Fool]

Probably Batman. However I think a case can be made for Captain America. Take away the 90s movie and what do we have?

Winter Soldier
Civil War
Infinity War
Endgame
The First Avenger
Avengers.

The only real dud that has Evans' as Cap is Age of Ultron.

Iron Man is in similar films but IM 2 and IM3 are among the worst of the MCU imo, and I also really don't like his inclusion in Homecoming.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Really tough question posed. For me, it's Superman.

The original 1978, and it's sequel (okay III & IV) downgrade the average but then the Snyder trilogy for me, (the best super-hero trilogy ever), bring back up the 'overall'.

Wholly appreciate I am going to 'side' for Superman, he's my fave, but genuinely believe and love Snyder's trilogy, so they negate the last two of Reeve four films.

 

[psylockolussus]

Hmm, I think Spider-Man now.

Despite Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 3, the filmography of Spider-Man is much richer and diverse especially with Sony animated films. Iron Man has only been played by 1 actor in the movies, and imo it makes it less interesting than Spider-Man in the movies.

Also, No Way Home is quite a celebration of all the live action Spider-Man movies, and one of the comic book films.

 

[The Batman]

If we're counting DTV's, then Return of the Joker, Under the Red Hood, and Dark Knight Returns tips things in Batman's favor, IMO.

If not, I'd say Batman and Spider-Man are practically tied at this point. Personally, I think Far From home is supremely dull, but it got good reviews, and that can't be ignored

 

[Dr.]

Obviously, you'd evaluate a filmography as a ratio of # of good movies over total number of movies. Thus, characters like Spider-Man or Iron Man might score in the 80-90% region. But, mathematically speaking :nerdy:, you’d get an even better rating by finding a one-off specimen that happened to be excellent. E.g., if you thought highly of the one-and-only Blue Beetle movie, then (by definition) its score comes in at 100%. :wink: