Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy continues to go down as one of the most influential superhero trilogies out there. It not only maintained Spider-Man’s status as the world’s greatest superhero but also set a standard for comic book movies that’s still felt today. With that in mind, it’s also been surpassed by other great superhero trilogies without dishonoring Rami’s work.
Spider-Man 3 may be hailed as the weakest of the trilogy, but there are still a lot of positives to pull from it and an important lesson that not all great trilogies will have three perfect movies. Some will have issues, but if the overall message sticks and the popularity doesn’t wane, it helps ensure what it means to be a great superhero trilogy.
The Captain America Trilogy Gives the MCU Hero a Clear Arc
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a franchise filled with many great heroes and a few trilogies that maintain momentum throughout. Captain America remains one of the best surprises, though, as his trilogy follows a storyline that doesn’t need the larger MCU to make perfect sense. Captain America: The First Avenger is a traditional and effective origin story that is both fun and makes Steve Rogers a fun character. It also shows audiences how different his time was before he heads to the modern age.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still considered the best MCU movie even after a decade, and that’s because of how well the Russo Brothers inducted Captain America into a modern setting that felt fresh and enhanced his character. The political thriller angle, Bucky’s return, and its grounded story make this one a great watch and a perfect example of how elevated superhero films can get.
Captain America: Civil War finishes off a stellar trilogy and also gives fans an Avengers mini-sequel. It sees Steve Rogers challenge the law in a way he would’ve never done in the first movie, and shows him fight friends, and does so only to resort to sacrificing the title he’s held for so long. It’s an action-packed and emotional movie that justifies why this trilogy is so great.
While each film in Cap’s story is amazing, looking at them all together shows a story about a man who blindly followed his nation, even if the grim ends justified the means. But The Winter Soldier showed him that his side isn’t as good as it seems and can be corrupted, while Civil War sees him separate from government allegiance and opts to tell a story about how sticking to one’s ideals is more important. It’s a deep story the MCU didn’t need to explore, but it’s better off doing it.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Gives Audiences a Lot to Chew on
James Gunn did something special with 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. He helped make a ragtag team of heroes with messy origins far more palatable and introduced an entire cosmic universe to the MCU. What resulted was a move with style and great music, but also Marvel’s answer to Star Wars. Plus, having Star-Lord, a human, as the focal point helps viewers get acquainted with talking trees and raccoons.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is best watched right after the first one, and it feels like the best way to tie up the loose ends around Peter Quill and Gamora. It also expanded the MCU by introducing a Celestial in Ego and also giving side characters like Yondu their time to shine. There’s so much character development that happens in the background that it’s hard not to notice, and it makes the sequel work.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 feels much more personal and is very much Rocket Raccoon’s story. While it’s still an ensemble, the film gives each character their time to shine and delivers a final curtain call on a team that felt more like a family. It’s a harder watch as Rocket’s origin is tragic, but to see him overcome his trauma and embrace who he is is worth the watch alone.
The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, its focus is to tell great character stories, and that’s why, no matter which member is focused on, the trilogy gives them all clear arcs so they’re completely different from where they started. It’s a feat in storytelling and deserves the praise that it gets.
The Dark Knight Trilogy is One of the Most Iconic Superhero Trilogies of All Time
Christopher Nolan’s work on Batman revolutionized comic book movies and delivered one of the most grounded takes on the character in recent years. While it could be argued that the films went a little too grounded, it’s likely the genre wouldn’t be the same without them. Batman Begins is a deep look at the Batman mythos and ends with a feeling that bigger things are on the way. A great cast and action become highlights of what is a powerful story.
The Dark Knight is often considered the best comic book movie of all time, and that’s thanks in large part to what Heath Ledger brought to the Joker. He single-handedly evolved the character into a modern menace and enhanced a story that posed deep questions about society that remain relevant today.
The Dark Knight Rises is often seen as the weakest of the three films, but it’s also one that sticks to its guns no matter what. It’s a long movie, and Bane has an anticlimactic end, but the themes, iconography, and characters are still huge in the comic book movie space. Even now, Bane’s fight with Batman is still one of the best ones put on screen and honors the comics to the best of its ability.
What Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy accomplishes is telling a story about the myth of Batman. The idea that everything everyone loves about the character, from the comics to the cartoons, came from a grounded story like this is the feeling it wants to evoke, and it nails it. Being Batman in the real world isn’t easy, and the films show this. But it also leaves viewers with a feeling that heroes can be anyone if they have the strength to fight injustice for the right reasons.