5 Superhero Origin Movies Better Than Batman Begins

There have been hundreds of Superhero origin movies throughout Hollywood. Although these various origin movies have been good or bad in their own ways, some movies cannot simply be ignored for being better. Although Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins is hailed as one of the most iconic superhero origin movies, there are others that might just be better.

Naturally, we decided to rank them and compare them all against Batman Begins. This list contains a mix of animated flicks, horrific superhero movies, and slow-burns that involve superpowers. Kicking off this list is a 2014 iconic superhero movie that adults and kids loved to watch.

5 Big Hero 6 Was the Ultimate Team-Up Movie

Warm, adorable, and funny, Big Hero 6 hugs you like a warm Ramen bowl. Although the scenes involving Tadashi’s death at the beginning of the movie hit you like a truck, Big Hero 6 proved that superhero stories don’t have to be only about superpowers.

Although an animated flick, Big Hero 6 asks the bigger questions about life, quest, and humanity in an age ruled by robots (highly relatable). Although we wouldn’t say it’s better than Batman Begins, it is a pretty strong competitor for its audience range.

Big Hero 6 is available to stream on Disney+.

4 Chronicle Highlights The Darkness of Superheroes

Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins slyly flirts with the concepts of darkness. From the fear toxin to Bruce’s rage, from Gotham to the League of Shadows’ fascism, the themes of darkness are aplenty. However, the film’s ending reins Batman back towards control and code.

On the other hand, Josh Trank’s Chronicle doesn’t flinch from the darkness. The film lets heroes become the villain, and does it with three parallel case studies. The plot follows three high school seniors who form a bond after gaining telekinetic powers from an unknown object.

Although the film starts out funny and lighthearted, one of the high schoolers ends up going down a darker path. Naturally, letting its heroes be “heroes” is a big plus point over Batman Begins.

Chronicle is available to stream on Disney+.

3 Man of Steel Set Up Zack Snyder’s Grim Superman Perfectly

While Batman Begins mostly succeeds at tonal control, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel takes the crown for simply doing the unexpected. While the Christopher Nolan flick was busy trying to set up dark areas, Man of Steel did not care to flinch away from the violence that Snyder wanted to showcase.

Although DC characters are often kept PG-13, Superman, in his fight with General Zod, destroys half of Metropolis and, in the end, snaps his neck (one of the most controversial endings out there).

While Batman Begins represented Bruce Wayne as a man of code and conduct, Man of Steel showcases a reckless Superman driven by emotions who eventually learns to be the superhero he was meant to be.

Man of Steel is available to stream on HBO Max.

2 Iron Man Was The Perfect Marvel Origin Movie

Iron Man was a gamble. Back when Hollywood hadn’t heard about cinematic universes, Marvel Studios went ahead and cast Robert Downey Jr. in a role that was one of Marvel’s most important characters.

That movie ended up becoming the foundation upon which the Marvel Cinematic Universe is based. RDJ’s performance as Tony Stark does more character work in less time than Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne (no offence). Having similar tropes (riches, suits, fighting injustice), Batman Begins is more of a standalone crime drama rather than a connected narrative.

Naturally, Iron Man wins this battle purely for setting up the premise for the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Iron Man is available to stream on Disney+.

1 Unbreakable is the Ultimate Slow-Burn Superhero Horror

Quite a surprise, right? So was this M. Night Shyamalan movie that literally redefined what origin movies are supposed to look like. Starring Bruce Willis in the lead role, Unbreakable deals with the themes of dread when an ordinary person discovers their superpowers.

Unbreakable did something that Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins structurally cannot do. The latter film has action set pieces, a clear villain, and a hero who trains toward competence. In the Shyamalan film, however, there’s dread, stillness, and a horror-movie pace applied to a fast-paced genre.

It’s weird, it’s strange, and totally unique. Unbreakable simply redefined what superhero origin movies can look like, making it the best movie on this list.

Do you agree with our picks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Unbreakable is available for rent on Apple TV.