These Animated Superhero Films Deserve More Love Than They Get

Animation has always had a special place in the hearts of people, as it is one of the most expressive ways of storytelling. Action scenes, emotions, and lighting features that are not possible in live-action films are dynamically brought to life here in an unimaginable way. 

Movie Insiderz has compiled a list of eight best animated superhero films that are not exclusively meant for kids but rather more mature cinematic works that deserve more love than they actually have. 

8 animated superhero films deserve more love 

The Incredibles (2004)

IMDb: 8

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Brought to life by Brad Bird, The Incredibles is a love letter to 60s sci-fi superhero movies like The Fantastic Four. This film follows the story of a family of retired superheroes. The father, Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson), decides to return to his crime-fighting life, and Mrs. Incredible, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), balances her life as a mom of two along with life as a superhero. 

The film gained popularity due to its highly relatable family sitcom story fused effortlessly with thrilling superhero spectacle. It deconstructed the superhero genre years before the modern cinema boom by investigating midlife crisis, suburban boredom, and the friction of family life. 

Megamind (2010)

IMDb: 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%

With Tom McGrath taking the director’s chair here, Megamind is about a brilliant blue alien supervillain who accidentally kills his longtime heroic rival, Metro Man. He lacks purpose to fight and therefore resorts to making a new superhero, Titan. When Titan turns evil, Megamind must take up the role of the city’s savior.  

The film became famous as it cleverly flips the classic superhero story. It is not always necessary for a superhero to be all-powerful and flawless; rather, there could be a supervillain who later realizes that winning leaves him with no purpose in life. Themes like identity, nature versus nurture, and redemption with sharp, meta-humor shine with bright colors all over the film. 

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

IMDb: 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Jay Olivia serves as the director of this film, where the Flash (voiced by Justin Chambers) has to collaborate with a non-existent Justice League to reverse an altered timeline and prevent a war between Aquaman’s (Cary Elwes) Atlantis and Wonder Woman’s (Vanessa Marshall) Amazons. 

Finding a PG-13 movie but with a darker, grittier tone is hard, which The Flashpoint Paradox does phenomenally. It established characters that would continue to serve connected properties. It set expectations with a Flashpoint comic event, altering everything about time tampering and the level of cynicism each DC animated character demonstrated in brutal and bloody conflicts. 

The Lego Batman Movie (2017)

IMDb: 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Led by director Chris McKay, the story centers on Batman (voiced by Will Arnett), who works with his sidekick Robin (Michael Cera) and the police commissioner’s daughter, Barbara, to thwart Joker’s (Zach Galifianakis) plans of taking over Gotham City. 

What could be special about this LEGO animated film, you might ask? With excellent production, the film bagged numerous award nominations and wins. The brilliant reconstruction of Batman’s 80-year lore is fantastically portrayed with high-energy and fast-paced brick animation blended with heartfelt performances. The film is a magnificent family-fun watch with a spectacle that is unmatched by any other LEGO movie. 

Constantine: City of Demons (2018 movie)

IMDb: 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

Directed by Doug Murphy, the film follows the story of John Constantine, a detective of the occult, trying to save a friend’s daughter from a mysterious coma. An exotic nurse, who is also the queen of angels and an Azrec deity, helps Constantine in the journey. The project initially debuted as shorts before being stitched together to form a feature-length film.  

The pic is special because it delivers the most R-rated, uncompromised, and comic-accurate adaptation of DC’s Hellblazer source material. It has genuine graphic horror, which sets it apart from PG-13 material but delivers a deeply personal story. Actor Matt Ryan’s reprisal of John Constantine makes the film stand out, bringing the exact cynical charm and weary grit for which Keanu Reeves’ Constantine was known.  

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

IMDb: 8.4

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

A new cinematic vision from directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman received overwhelming appreciation for focusing on a younger version of Spider-Man, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), rather than Peter Parker (Jake Johnson). Here, Miles struggles with the pressure of becoming the new Spider-Man while staying true to his individuality and becoming friends with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld).

The film is a remarkable step in the world of animation, as it revolutionized the genre by blending hand-drawn comic book techniques with 3D CGI. The distinct feel of a living comic book with the dotted texture aesthetic was stunning. Marking the theatrical lead debut for Afro-Latino teenager Miles Morales was a milestone of its own in tune with a meta-humor narrative intertwined with themes of identity and mentorship.  

Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, describing it as having a “wonderfully trippy, dreamlike quality” that added to its surreal and imaginative experience. 

Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 (2021)

IMDb: 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Under the direction of Chris Palmer, Batman (voiced by Jensen Ackles), Lieutenant Gordon (Billy Burke), and D.A. Harvey Dent (Josh Duhamel) create a pact to fight a mysterious Holiday Killer who has been targeting the underworld and leaving a trail of terror and murdering mob members on holiday. While the three pact members are busy bringing down mob boss Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, they have to stop the Holiday Killer. 

The film is considered a faithful adaptation of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s iconic 1996 comic book. It is one of the most influential DC comic detective stories ever written. Batman appears to be more of a detective than a superhero, making him rely more on his brain this time and fully invested in the ground investigation. The film-noir effect with compelling voice acting makes it an irreplaceable superhero animated film. 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

IMDb: 8.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson took on directing duties for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which is the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga. Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) has to travel through the multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and other Spider-People to fight an unfathomably strong villain.   

The film is my personal favorite due to its jaw-dropping animation style that makes the comic art come to life on the big screen. The vibrant animation colors and bold visuals breathe life into emotional and action scenes, which were never experimented with and witnessed before in any superhero animation film. Packed with a high-stakes narrative and absolutely fast-paced action combined with emotional family stories, they were some of the doozy elements that deserve all the love in the world.