3 Superhero Movies From 2000 That Rewired Every ’90s Comic Book Fan’s Brains

The superhero genre has grown into one of the biggest and most successful genres in modern cinema, but it wasn’t always the box office behemoth it is today. Throughout the 20th century, comic book movies were often looked down on or otherwise dismissed. The difficulty in bringing them to life in a convincing manner due to technical limitations was certainly a factor, but the dawn of the 21st century marked a huge shift in the genre. The year 2000 saw the release of some majorly influential comic book movies, evidencing a shift not just in how superhero movies could be approached artistically, but in how successful they could be with audiences and critics.

The following movies were all released in the year 2000, and they all served as seminal movies for the genre’s massive surge in popularity in the years that followed. By pushing the envelope and expanding the genre’s cinematic horizons, these comic book movies completely rewired fans’ brains after the various superhero movies of the ’90s. 2000 was an incredible year for superhero cinema, and these films prove it.

3) X-Men

2000 marked the beginning of Fox’s X-Men movie franchise, but it also ushered in a whole new era of comic book adaptations. The movie, which follows the story of an amnesiac Wolverine joining the X-Men and helping thwart Magneto’s plan to turn all the world’s leaders into mutants, marked the first major superhero blockbuster of the 21st century. In many ways, X-Men is one of the most important superhero movies in the genre’s history.

The movie’s live-action adaptation of the iconic Marvel characters was utterly mind-blowing to many ’90s comic book fans. The way X-Men perfectly translated the characters onto the big screen was exceptional, and the fact that it boasted an incredible ensemble cast only furthered its appeal. It was a clear example of how even the more complex and character-heavy comic book narratives could work on the big screen, complete with competent visual effects that still hold up today, cementing X-Men as one of the most important entries into the genre to date.

2) Unbreakable

While Unbreakable isn’t actually a comic book movie, comics are still important to its superhero story. Starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000 film tells the story of a man who learns he possesses superhuman durability and strength, as well as a form of psychometry. His mentor of sorts is Elijah Price, a comic-obsessed man living with a genetic disorder that makes his bones incredibly fragile. The movie’s story examines the superhero genre from a fascinating perspective, putting a somewhat grounded spin on its most common tropes.

Even looking back on it more than two decades after its release, Unbreakable is still such a pitch-perfect meta-narrative that manages to sit squarely within the superhero genre while also serving as a love letter to the comic books that inspired it. The movie’s compelling original story proved that not all superhero movies needed comic book origins to pay homage to comic book fans, and also added a new dimension to the genre. With a well-written story and excellent performances from its stars, Unbreakable set itself apart from all the superhero movies that came before it.

1) Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker

Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker might not be the best-known superhero movie outside the circles of the genre’s more dedicated fans, but that doesn’t detract from its incredible quality. Based on the animated series Batman Beyond, the direct-to-video animated movie follows an older Bruce Wayne as he assists his successor, Terry McGinnis, in investigating the apparent return of Batman’s former arch-nemesis. As well as continuing the story of Batman Beyond‘s version of Batman, Return of the Joker quietly redefined superhero movies in a way that’s often overlooked.

Comic book fans of the ’90s had grown used to animated adaptations being heavily sanitized in order to appeal to a younger audience. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker bucked that trend, instead leaning into its darker and more mature ideas, establishing the potential of animated superhero movies in the process. The movie helped reestablish the ways in which animation could bring comic book stories and characters to life, rewiring fans’ brains in the process.

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