With DC Studios’ newest reboot of the Man of Metal now streaming on HBO Max, followers are as soon as once more hovering via the skies of Metropolis, debating heroes and villains, and revisiting the everlasting concept of what actually makes a hero. The brand new Superman film helmed by James Gunn, marks a recent chapter for DC’s cinematic universe. It’s brighter, extra character-focused, and leans into legacy with out being weighed down by it. Whereas reception has been combined, it’s undeniably a reset button for a franchise that appears to have been trying to find its middle for some time now.
However after getting watched Kal-El punch via ethical dilemmas and alien threats, what subsequent? HBO Max is changing into a hub for superhero films, particularly in terms of DC’s sprawling and experimental catalog. The streamer provides a variety of caped crusaders and messed-up vigilantes. Whether or not you’re within the temper for one thing traditional, controversial, or fully offbeat, there’s a post-Superman watch ready for you.
Right here’s a listing of 10 superhero (or superhero-adjacent) films to look at on HBO Max after Superman.
‘Blue Beetle’ (2023)
Jaime Reyes is only a common school grad attempting to reconnect along with his household when a mysterious artifact referred to as the Scarab chooses him as its host. Instantly, Jaime finds himself belonging to a world of high-tech armor, sentient weaponry, and company villainy. With the Scarab’s voice continuously in his head and his household caught within the crossfire, Jaime should do every part in his energy to defeat Kord Industries and its ruthless CEO Victoria Kord.
A Coming-of-Age Superhero Origin Story
Balancing action-packed sequences with household fluff, this one stands out not only for its vibrant visuals and kinetic swimsuit design, but in addition for its honest portrayal of home Latino life and identification. Director Ángel Manuel Soto’s lens makes Jaime’s journey really feel private, and scenes the place Jaime’s kin rally round him are exceptionally enjoyable. Total, Blue Beetle didn’t dominate the field workplace, nevertheless it resonated with audiences.
‘Chronicle’ (2012)
Three highschool buddies, Andrew, Matt, and Steve, encounter a glowing crystal buried deep in a collapse Seattle. Days later, they begin to develop telekinetic powers, which they initially deal with like a sport by flying, shifting objects, and enjoying pranks, however as their skills develop, the cracks of their friendship are seen, and so they evolve from awkward teenagers to one thing much more harmful.
When Energy Meets Ache
Whereas not technically set throughout the DC universe, Chronicle provides a fascinating have a look at a superhero origin story via a uncommon, found-footage lens. The climax is especially chaotic as a result of Andrew turns right into a disturbing villain. It’s like watching an individual’s powers bloom in actual time, with no mentor or mission or ethical compass. Dane DeHaan’s efficiency is great, and the film was a sleeper hit.
‘Logan’ (2017)
In near-future America, Logan, as soon as the fierce Wolverine, is now a fiery, getting old man hiding out close to the Mexican border. Mutants are almost extinct and Logan spends his days taking good care of a deteriorating Charles Xavier, whose thoughts is not steady. When a younger lady named Laura, bearing claws and rage much like his personal, enters their lives, Logan is pressured into one final battle.
Violent however Soulful
James Mangold’s Logan builds in direction of a brutal, heartbreaking finale within the woods, the place Logan should confront his legacy and mortality. It’s much less a superhero film and extra a western elegy because it strips away the gloss to disclose one thing actual. Hugh Jackman offers his most layered efficiency as Wolverine, whereas Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier is tragic and tender. Dafne Eager, as Laura, is solely unforgettable.
‘The Suicide Squad’ (2021)
In The Suicide Squad, Activity Power X is again, however this time, below James Gunn’s loopy command. A brand new batch of expendable villains, together with Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark, are despatched to the island of Corto Maltese to destroy an alien experiment referred to as Undertaking Starfish. Harley Quinn returns along with her traditional aptitude and even will get a standout arc that’s each violent and poetic.
Deranged Supervillain Spectacle
A gleeful demolition of superhero tropes, this one embraces gore, gallows humor, and real pathos. The route is daring and unapologetic, with Gunn giving every character a second to shine. Even those you least count on. John Cena’s Peacemaker steals scenes along with his deadpan absurdity and even earns himself a standalone sequence after. It’s not for everybody, however for these craving one thing wild and bizarre after Superman, The Suicide Squad is a must-watch.
‘Watchmen’ (2009)
Set in an alternate 1985 the place Nixon continues to be president, the world is getting ready to nuclear conflict, and masked vigilantes have been outlawed, Watchmen opens with the homicide of The Comic, a government-sanctioned antihero. His loss of life units off a series of occasions that pulls former teammates right into a conspiracy that threatens the world, and it’s potential that one among them could also be orchestrating the chaos.
A Morally Advanced Superhero Story
Thought of unfilmable for years, the live-action movie was stranded in growth hell for almost 20 years. However Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s seminal novel is so visually meticulous and philosophically heavy that it is smart. With its deliberate pacing, stylized violence, and chilly tone, it’s not simple to look at. Nevertheless it’s additionally very formidable in tackling themes of energy and identification and, by the top, it redefines what “saving the world” actually means.
‘Joker’ (2019)
Joker’s Arthur Fleck is a struggling clown-for-hire and aspiring standup comic dwelling in a decaying Gotham Metropolis. Mentally ailing, remoted, and repeatedly dismissed by society, his sluggish unraveling is punctuated by a sequence of humiliations, all culminating in a violent transformation into the Joker, which in flip sparks a violent rebellion steeped in dread and discomfort.
A Villain’s Origin
A daring and unsettling character research that throws typical superhero tropes out of the window in favor of a gritty, psychological drama grounded in real-world struggles, Joker is undisputedly the most effective films within the style. Joaquin Phoenix’s efficiency, his physicality, his snicker, and his vacant stares, all create a portrait of a troubled man. The film’s not a crowd-pleaser, nor does it supply catharsis, however it’s compelling all the way down to its very core.
‘Superman’ (1978)
Whereas fashionable superhero films have pushed the style in daring new instructions, Richard Donner’s unique Superman nonetheless stays a sizzling favourite. It traces the origin of one of the iconic heroes, and kicks off with Kal-El being despatched to Earth as an toddler. He’s raised in Smallville as Clark Kent, takes his time to find his powers, and as an grownup, he turns into Superman, working undercover as a mild-mannered reporter whereas saving lives in secret.
It is a Delusion Made Fashionable
That is the place all of it started. Donner’s route strikes the right stability between spectacle and sincerity, and Christopher Reeve’s portrayal stays definitive. Furthermore, the movie’s rating by John Williams is famous, and its sensible results, although dated, nonetheless carry a nostalgic appeal. Superman was a field workplace hit, and it acquired a number of Academy Award nominations, setting an ordinary for many years of superhero storytelling.
‘Jonah Hex’ (2010)
Within the aftermath of the Civil Battle, Jonah Hex, a disfigured bounty hunter with one foot within the supernatural, roams the American frontier haunted by visions and vengeance. He was betrayed by the villainous Quentin Turnbull, however the U.S. army provides him an opportunity at redemption by enlisting him to cease Turnbull’s plan to unleash a weapon of mass destruction.
A Break From Capes and Cities
Jonah Hex is a curious entry within the superhero style, and it’s apparent with its 11% Rotten Tomatoes rating. However regardless of being odd, it stays dedicated to a grim and stylised tone. Director Jimmy Hayward tries to fuse spaghetti Western aesthetics with supernatural comedian lore, and whereas the result’s uneven and the pacing feels prefer it’s stumbling, there’s a unusual appeal to its apocalyptic imaginative and prescient that makes it price watching after Superman.
‘The Darkish Knight’ (2008)
In The Darkish Knight, chaos settles into Gotham when the Joker begins a marketing campaign of terror that forces Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and DA Harvey Dent to confront the justice system and the inspiration of town. Because the Joker manipulates occasions, Dent tragically transforms into Two-Face, and Batman is pushed to make inconceivable decisions.
Crime Story in Superhero Pores and skin
Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film is commonly cited because the style’s excessive watermark, and for good motive. Its rigidity builds relentlessly, with sure set items etched into cinematic reminiscence. The themes, like sacrifice, duality, and chaos vs. management, paired with Hans Zimmer’s rating, add to the temper. After all, Heath Ledger’s Joker is mesmerizing. Total, The Darkish Evening isn’t simply popcorn leisure, it’s severe cinema.
‘The Batman’ (2022)
A current entry works ideally finest as a follow-up to 2025’s Superman, and fortuitously, HBO Max has loads of these. The Batman stands out. It follows a reclusive Bruce Wayne donning the cowl in his second 12 months as Batman. When a cryptic serial killer referred to as the Riddler begins concentrating on town’s elite, Batman should navigate an online of lies that leads again to his circle of relatives’s legacy.
Heroism Means Exhibiting Up
With moody visuals and a slow-burning thriller that ends in a flood, each literal and emotional, this one has lots of traits of a noir detective film. Directed by Matt Reeves, the movie reimagines Batman as a brooding investigator reasonably than a vigilante, and the shift works due to Robert Pattinson’s uncooked and introspective efficiency. Paul Dano’s Riddler is chilling, Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is the right foil, and Michael Giacchino’s rating pulses with dread.
- Launch Date
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July 11, 2025
- Runtime
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130 minutes
- Director
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James Gunn