10 Saddest Superhero Movies of All Time, Ranked
Superhero movies may typically be high-flying and filled with fast-paced action, but that doesn’t mean they’re always happy-go-lucky or triumphant and epic. Being a hero is not easy and oftentimes, their stories end in tragedy. This can lead to some of the best superhero movies having bittersweet or just genuinely sad endings. As sad as they can be, a depressing ending can actually end up making for some of the best superhero movie endings.
Whether the heroes lose, they have to give up something they want, or simply suffer a lot throughout the entirety of the movie, superhero movies can honestly be some of the saddest action flicks out there. One of the most noble things about being a hero is how much they suffer, yet still continue to fight on and protect others. So the sadness within a superhero movie can often make it even better than it’d been before. There are plenty of sad superhero projects out there, so it’s hard to compare, but there are some that are truly devastating.
10
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018)
Directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo
Part one of the big finale to the legendary Infinity Saga, Avengers: Infinity War, is a pretty tragic Marvel Cinematic Universe entry. With Thanos (Josh Brolin) making his way to Earth for the Infinity Stones, audiences knew that the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the rest of the MCU characters were going to struggle. Comic book fans had a pretty good idea of what was to come, but general audiences were caught completely off guard by how sad this movie ended up being.
Much like the iconic “Infinity Gauntlet” Marvel Comics storyline, the Avengers suffered a lot in their battle against the Mad Titan. Whether it was the death of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Heimdall (Idris Elba) at the top of the film, Thanos sacrificing Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) having to kill the love of her life, and, most memorably, the Avengers finally losing and half of the universe being snapped to dust, this movie is full of sadness.
- Release Date
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April 27, 2018
- Runtime
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149 minutes
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Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark / Iron Man
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Chris Evans
Steve Rogers / Captain America
9
‘Watchmen’ (2009)
Directed by Zack Snyder
Compared to other superhero movies that have been made over the years, Watchmen is already one of the most different. It’s one of director Zack Snyder‘s most recognizable movies because his dark, gritty, and often depressing style is all over it. Rather than being triumphant or hopeful in any way, Watchmen subverts expectations by being extremely introspective and pretty devoid of happiness. It’s very real and honest with what the real superhero experience would look like and that leads to it being a pretty bleak movie.
The commentary the movie has on justice is really intriguing and, at the end of the day, no one truly wins. There’s a lot of moral complexity and the antagonist of the film actually prevails. Unlike Avengers: Infinity War, though, the heroes don’t go on to fight back in the film afterward—there is no film post-Watchmen. The end of the movie sees the heroes deciding to stay quiet about the truth to protect people. It’s not just sad, it’s evocative.
8
‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ (2023)
Directed by Kemp Powers, Joaquim Dos Santos, and Justin K. Thompson
Yes, the first Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie was pretty emotional. But that film, at least, ends in a happy ending. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is filled with harrowing looks at justice, heroism, and absolutely screws over the Spider-Man everyone loved from the first movie, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore). He’s just a young man who wants to find somewhere to fit in and when he finally finds the place he thinks will accept him, they reject him, and he’s even told that he doesn’t belong there and never did. It’s heartbreaking.
While the action in this Spider-Man film is high-stakes and fast-paced, keeping things exciting, it’s an all-around depressing movie. Not only is Miles rejected by the very people he wants so badly to be with, but he’s lied to by his closest friends and is told that in order to protect the universe, he must stand by and let his father die at the hands of the Spot (Jason Schwartzman). This goes against everything that previous Spider-Man films have said about justice and that’s exactly why it hurts so much and Spider-Man 2099 (Oscar Isaac) ends up being one of the primary antagonists.
7
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Not only is The Dark Knight considered one of the best superhero movies of all time, but it’s an all-around tragedy for the ages. Everyone suffers in this movie, and it doesn’t stop at any point. The emergence of the Joker (Heath Ledger) spells nothing but chaos and depression for not just Batman (Christian Bale) but all of Gotham City.
Not only do Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and Bruce’s hopes of a life with her die in a ploy by the Joker that destroys him inside, but the subsequent fall of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) because of it leads to the biggest tragedy of the movie. The quote (the best in a Batman movie, too), “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain,” is the perfect example of why. The man who was supposed to be the hope of Gotham City falls, and the hero decides, in order to protect that hope, to take the blame for the horrific crimes Dent caused. Batman loses in a way he never has before.
6
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022)
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever finds itself being one of the saddest superhero films, not only because of the content within the film but because of the context from the real world. After the heartbreaking passing of Chadwick Boseman, director Ryan Coogler had a huge decision to make with a lot of weight on his shoulders. Were they going to recast T’Challa or kill him in-universe?
The latter was the choice, and it turned out incredibly well for the film. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a massive tribute to the late actor, and they did it excellently—resulting in a very emotional ride. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever feels heartbreaking, as audiences deal with T’Challa’s death alongside Shuri (Letitia Wright) in the film. Her character arc in the movie is phenomenal and one of the best in Phase 4 of the MCU. She not only has to deal with her brother’s loss but, eventually, her mother’s death, as well.
5
‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ (2014)
Directed by Marc Webb
No matter how much flak the movie gets, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is, easily, one of the saddest Spider-Man and superhero films of all time. That’s because of the end of the movie, which adapts “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” comic book storyline, in which Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) loses the love of his life at the hands of the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) and… himself.
The story itself is already devastating, but what makes it even harder to watch is the likes of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. If The Amazing Spider-Man movies had anything going for them, it was the astounding chemistry between the two actors, which got people wildly invested and connected to them. So people genuinely cared about these characters, regardless of the story issues, and were destroyed to see Gwen meet her end. Not to mention, Garfield gave one of the best performances of his career as he held Gwen in his hands as she died.
4
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (2023)
Directed by James Gunn
If any superhero director knows how to pull on an audience’s heartstrings, it’s none other than James Gunn himself. The other Guardians of the Galaxy movies are definitely quite emotional and are certainly contenders for being in the top 10, but neither of the first two movies stack up against the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn decided to bring the backstory of the fan-favorite Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) to light, and it is horrific.
The first two films definitely hint at Rocket’s troubled past, but seeing it happen through flashbacks in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 broke audiences everywhere. Seeing how terribly the little guy was treated in his past and how he was created is truly heartbreaking. This makes Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an emotional rollercoaster that hits some incredibly sad points. It’s one of the darkest plots in the MCU.
3
‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)
Directed by Sam Raimi
Spider-Man 2 is constantly regarded as one of the greatest superhero films of all time and a huge reason for that is not just its thrilling action, but how deeply human it is. Director Sam Raimi is a master at making superhumans feel… human. The entire movie spends 90% of its time emotionally curb stomping Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and making his life exponentially worse.
Peter Parker is so depressed that he manifests losing his powers. It’s a perfect example of how Spider-Man can genuinely make Pete’s life worse, but shows why, regardless, he can never give it up. He holds too much responsibility. It’s only in the very last scene that something truly goes his way. Before that, he consistently lets Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) down, breaks his Aunt May’s (Rosemary Harris) heart over the truth behind Uncle Ben’s (Cliff Robertson) murder, destroys his friendship with Harry Osborn (James Franco), and, when finally given the chance to be with the love of his life, he has to give it up to keep her safe. Spider-Man 2 is heartbreaking.
2
‘The Crow’ (1994)
Directed by Alex Proyas
The Crow is another film that finds itself being deeply sad because of both events in the movie and real-world events, as well. Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) is a deeply tragic character within the project. After being brutally murdered alongside his wife, he’s resurrected to get revenge—but not fully brought back. He’s merely a ghost that still carries the horrible pain he felt losing his wife. Because of this, Eric will never be at peace. He will always be in agony over this horrible loss.
But there are real-life things that happened that add a depressing context to the R-rated superhero movie. When filming the project, Brandon Lee was killed in an on-set accident. They could only finish the movie thanks to the help of stunt doubles Chad Stahelski and Jeff Cadiente. When watching the already sad film in this context, it creates a whole new feeling of sadness for viewers.
1
‘Logan’ (2017)
Directed by James Mangold
The common consensus among comic book and movie fans everywhere is that Logan is, by far, the saddest superhero film ever produced. Unlike others, this movie is not about winning at the end of the day. It’s about finding an ending. At the time (before Deadpool & Wolverine), it was meant to be the swan song for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
For a character so surrounded and driven by violence, he finds love. A fatherly love he never intended to have. This is a hero who has outlived all of his friends and family, besides one man who is rapidly declining in health. Those he loved are gone, and he’s abandoned the idea of loving again, until a young girl comes along and changes everything. The borderline-immortal hero finally finds his end at the conclusion of the film, giving one of the saddest quotes in superhero cinema, “So this is what it feels like.”
