10 Best Superhero Movie Endings, Ranked
Endings can be tricky to pull off. Happy, sad, or with a twist, if a movie doesn’t stick the landing, it can leave a bad taste in the mouths of viewers and ruin all the goodwill it may have built up. Luckily, sticking the landing is something that most superheroes excel at, and there are plenty of terrific superhero movie endings to prove it.
From Marvel movies to DC and everything in between, they all feature endings that run the gamut of emotions, able to bring audiences to their feet or tears. Despite modern superhero movies basically trademarking the post-credits scene, this list will be focusing on the best endings that occur before the credits start rolling on their respective films. The ranking will take into consideration factors like how well the ending ties the film’s themes together, the execution itself, and its legacy within the genre.
10
The Snap
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Killing off a superhero is certainly one way to pack an emotional punch. Killing off dozens of fan-favorite superheroes is an emotional punch, kick, and spit in the face while the audience is lying in the fetal position. Dusting half of their all-star cast at the end of Avengers: Infinity War was certainly a bold move by Marvel that had fans clamoring to see what the follow-up would bring.
While everyone had a personal saddest moment as they saw their cinematic heroes get turned into the most popular Kansas song, the one that seemed to resonate far and wide was Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Ashing right in front of his mentor, Tony Stark, was the emotional peak of the film, and it colors Robert Downey Jr.‘s performance from that moment until his sacrifice in the next film. A terrific ending that would rank higher if it weren’t for Marvel’s refusal to keep any of their good heroes down. Death rarely sticks in the MCU, and even though most audiences were shocked to see such a genocide, they all knew it wasn’t going to be permanent.
9
“It was beautiful.”
‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019)
It may have ruined the MCU going forward, setting a bar that’s been impossible to clear since, but damn if Avengers: Endgame didn’t let Earth’s Mightiest Heroes go out on a high note. Between Tony Stark’s funeral and Sam Wilson getting handed the shield, there were plenty of moments to get a comic fan misty-eyed, but best of all was seeing Steve Rogers get a second chance at a normal life with Peggy Carter.
Forget whether the movie completely screwed up the MCU’s timeline, Endgame gave an emotional resolution to one of its most beloved characters that had been built up ever since the character plunged into icy waters and became a capsicle. For all the bombast and time traveling and assorted other nonsense that Marvel threw at the screen, to end on a slow dance may be the best decision they ever made across twenty-three movies.
8
“I’ll look into it.”
Batman Begins (2005)
The MCU can’t hog all the glory when it comes to superhero endings, and their rivals over at Detective Comics have got plenty of finales to hang their capes on, most of them coming from their Batman movies. Both of Tim Burton‘s takes on the character end similarly, with someone looking over Gotham with the bat signal high in the sky, be it the Caped Crusader himself or Catwoman. Those are both early bangers in the career of the World’s Greatest Detective, but they are just slightly outdone by Christopher Nolan‘s gritty reboot, Batman Begins, which ends with one hell of a promise of things to come.
Meeting on a rooftop with Detective Jim Gordon, a newly minted bat symbol attached to a spotlight, Christian Bale‘s gravel-voiced anti-hero gets a tantalizing tease of a new criminal on the rise when he’s handed his calling card, a Joker. That moment had Batfans primed for the future of Nolan’s Gotham, and the director capped it off with a soaring leap into the night, the iconic score swelling, ushering in a whole new era of superhero cinema.
7
Anyone Can Wear the Mask
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse’ (2018)
With nearly as many actors putting on the red and blue spandex as have the pointy cowl, Spider-Man has an ever-expanding web of movies and endings to his name. While many end with the same sweeping, swinging across the city note of jubilance, they’ve all found ways to put their unique spin on it. Just like its lead character, the stylized animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows a distinct path.
As Miles Morales finally gets to tell the audience his origin story, earning his place alongside the various other Spider-people, he also gives them a wonderfully inclusive message that hits right in the heart of any kid (or adult) who dressed as the webslinger for Halloween. Anyone can wear the mask, and anyone can be the hero. An emotionally stirring ending that caps off the best Spider-Man movie ever made, and helps make it the action movie masterpiece that it is.
6
“Go get ’em, tiger.”
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Spider-Man has too many exploits to simply be limited to his animated ones, and the character’s live-action escapades have provided an embarrassment of riches when it comes to endings. There’s the declaration of great power and responsibility in Tobey Maguire‘s first outing, Andrew Garfield‘s return to heroics at the end of the otherwise interminable The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and the bittersweet taste of Tom Holland going back to basics in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Those are all great endings, but they can’t quite match the uncertainty that surrounds the ending of Spider-Man 2.
When Mary Jane Watson leaves her groom-to-be at the altar to meet Peter Parker in his apartment, it seems like the character might finally be getting everything he ever wanted. Fans know all too well that good things never last long for webhead, and as sirens sound in the distance and Parker swings off through the city, the camera lingers on Kirsten Dunst as she looks on with a forlorn face that tells the audience that their happiness will be fleeting at best.
5
Flying With a Smile
‘Superman’ (1978)
Uncertainty is one thing, but what most audiences want out of their superhero escapism is to leave the theater feeling like they’re walking on air, which is something that the man from Krypton is especially adept at. Christopher Reeve‘s performance as Superman across four films transcended the character. Even before suffering his tragic accident that left him paralyzed, Reeve embodied the truth and justice that had defined the Man of Steel with the perfect combination of earnest charm and guilelessness.
In his first outing in the red undies and blue tights, Reeve instantly endeared himself to an entire generation in a moment that may seem saccharine and silly out of context, but as an ending, is superhero perfection. After dropping Lex Luthor and his henchman off at prison, Superman takes flight into the stratosphere, rounding Earth just as the sun begins to crest. As John Williams‘ iconic score swells, he looks directly at the camera and, with a sly smile, flies off into superhero history.
4
The Family Suits Up
‘The Incredibles’ (2004)
Brad Bird‘s The Incredibles is an essential superhero movie that manages to put the big boys in their place with its memorable characters, thrilling action, and incredible comedy. It also helps that its story of family dysfunction grounds its superheroics in relatable emotions. Watching the Parr family struggle together makes their fights all the more exhilarating, and the ending that sees them comfortably embracing their abilities is a perfect summation of their story.
While Incredibles 2 would eventually provide audiences with an answer (that they didn’t need) to what happens next, it doesn’t diminish the original film’s perfect ending in any way. Watching the family don their domino masks to take on the nefarious Underminer is the kind of family bonding one hopes the new Fantastic Four movie will try to strive for.
3
‘I am Iron Man.”
‘Iron Man’ (2008)
Kicking off the MCU in style, the original Iron Man looks practically quaint in comparison to what Marvel movies have become over a decade and a half later. The franchise truly wouldn’t be where it is, though, if it weren’t for Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau‘s essential superhero film of 2008. The movie announced the arrival of a new superhero in town, and one that was keen to forge a unique path.
Prior to Iron Man, the majority of superhero movies hinged on the identities of their characters remaining secret, with reveals saved for the biggest of moments across their respective franchises. Iron Man instantly, and iconically, jettisons that preconceived notion as Tony Stark stands before a press room and makes his bold declaration. That’s one hell of a way to start a cinematic universe.
2
The Hero Gotham Deserves
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
As fun as a billionaire playboy philanthropist announcing to the world that he’s a superhero is, there’s something far more powerful in a hero who is willing to make the tough decisions, even if that means casting themselves as the villain. The superhero masterpiece The Dark Knight ends with Batman taking the fall for Harvey Dent’s death and murders, a shock to the system back in 2008 that hasn’t lost an ounce of power since.
No comic book movie ending perfectly encapsulates its hero as well as The Dark Knight’s does. Batman fights for the soul of Gotham by any means necessary, and if that means building a lie that protects the reputation of former hero Harvey Dent, then so be it. Nolan’s Batman films are filled with stark symbolism, and the ending of the best film in the franchise is as perfectly symbolic of its anti-hero and his place in the shadows as any depiction has ever been.
1
Logan’s Death
‘Logan’ (2017)
Everyone saw it coming. It seemed inevitable that Hugh Jackman‘s final (at the time) film as the mutant Wolverine would end with him making the ultimate sacrifice. Even for those who went into Logan knowing their favorite mutant was going to bite the bullet, it didn’t stop them from crying like babies when the ending came.
It’s rare enough in movies that actors stick with a single character for as long as Jackman did, and rarer still that they get to give them a proper farewell, but that’s exactly what the Aussie actor and director James Mangold did in their neo-Western superhero movie. Logan, bloodied and bested by the personification of all his rage, reaching out to hold the hand of his daughter as he finally passes away following a life of turmoil and pain, is as emotionally devastating as any superhero movie will ever be.
