5 Major Superhero Movies With Female Leads, Ranked From Worst to Best (Including Supergirl)

With Supergirl having just hit theaters, there has unsurprisingly been an increase in conversations about women-led superhero movies. Unfortunately, that is in part because, while Supergirl’s Rotten Tomatoes scores have proven to be mixed, with the audience score coming in significantly higher than the critic score, the reviews of the movie and much of the online discourse have been fairly negative. Rightfully, questions have been raised about how objective these opinions have been and whether they might actually be stemming from a bias against women-led superhero movies in general.

It’s a fair question, especially because superhero movies centered on women are so few and far between. They’ve certainly grown over the last several years, which is good, but online backlash demonstrates that some in the MCU and DCU fanbases are going to automatically hate on something that focuses on a woman (the common refrain that “no one wants this” is particularly silly, because clearly, people do—box office numbers make it clear that “no one” is absurd). Even so, not every woman-led superhero movie has been good. Here are 5 major women-led superhero movies, ranked from worst to best.

5) The Marvels

I really wanted to like The Marvels. Individually, I think these characters are solid. Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel was one of the best MCU characters released after Avengers: Endgame, and I loved Monica Rambeau in WandaVision and the fact that she had a direct connection to Captain Marvel (who I also like as a character, despite the misogynistic backlash that she and actress Brie Larson have frequently been subjected to by MCU fans). It therefore seemed like a no-brainer and a slam dunk for this movie to be great.

Unfortunately, the movie was in part hurt by Secret Invasion, arguably one of the worst MCU TV shows, if not the worst, which came out several months earlier. And, of course, there was backlash simply by nature of there being three women leading the movie. Even so, The Marvels does have its fair share of issues. The plot is a bit messy, some moments visually looked jarringly cheap even compared to the franchise’s shows, and some of the sillier plot points didn’t come across as funny. It’s truly a shame, because these characters are so much better than this movie.

4) Captain Marvel

As mentioned, Brie Larson and Captain Marvel both get a lot of hate in this franchise, much of it having to do with misogyny. In fact, deny it though they may try, a fair few in the larger superhero fanbases simply don’t like to see a massively powerful female character (or an “overpowered” character, as some within this group might want to put it). Yet, Larson is actually a solid actress, and Captain Marvel is not a terrible movie. No, it’s not among the greatest MCU movies, but it’s enjoyable to watch, and there’s plenty to like about it.

This story feels unique compared to many of its MCU counterparts, Larson’s acting is solid, and the movie lays the foundation for both the power Captain Marvel has as a character and her importance moving forward—in fact, Captain Marvel has had many returns to the MCU screens both big and small since, and this story has consistently felt like important context for why she is the way she is (as well as why she’s so close with Nick Fury).

3) Supergirl

I’ll admit that I, too, found many issues with Supergirl. In fact, there were many things about the movie that didn’t make sense, not the least of which was the decision to draw young teenage girls as an audience only to traumatize them with a child sex trafficking plot that frankly felt unnecessary. There is also the issue with the needle drop battle sequence, which didn’t work nearly as well as a similar scene in Superman (which was no doubt what Supergirl was going for). However, there were plenty of positives in the movie, too.

As many have already said, Milly Alcock was actually great in the role, despite the naysayers. Likewise, the young actress who played Ruthye was great, and their dynamic on screen together really worked. Unsurprisingly, David Corenswet’s moments in Supergirl were also great, and his on-screen chemistry with Alcock has continued to work incredibly well—which also makes Man of Tomorrow all the more exciting. Many online reactions and reviews would have one believing that the movie is horrible and unwatchable, but that’s just not the case. It’s flawed, but it’s also fine, especially compared to some others.

2) Black Widow

Among the better women-led superhero movies released over the last several years is Black Widow. Like the others on this list, this movie received its fair share of hate; however, it was also hurt by the timing of its release. With its 2021 release, Black Widow hit the big screen during an era that was still being heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, there are many things about this movie that make it excellent. For one, it introduced one of the MCU’s best new characters, Yelena Belova, who has gone on to be critically important to the MCU’s future.

Florence Pugh was also brilliant as Yelena, which undoubtedly contributed to her ongoing popularity, and other Black Widow cast members like David Harbour were also great. Importantly, Black Widow also gave Natasha Romanoff the focus that she had long deserved and introduced her compelling but also very tragic backstory, which helped to flesh out her character all the more (although that unfortunately happened after she had already died in Endgame). Moreover, Black Widow is simply hilarious, especially when it comes to their family dynamic.

1) Wonder Woman

Finally, the single best women-led superhero movie that has been released in the last decade or so is Wonder Woman—and, yes, I say this with the full acknowledgment that Wonder Woman 1984 is unequivocally one of the absolute worst. However, before that sequel came along and injured the franchise overall, Wonder Woman was an excellent superhero movie. Despite criticisms about Gal Gadot’s acting not only in this movie but also in others, such as the live-action Snow White, she actually really shines as Diana.

Her on-screen chemistry with Chris Pine also works, and watching her navigate the world, especially during her encounters with men, is hilarious. Sure, the movie isn’t flawless, but as someone whose favorite Star Wars movie is Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, I don’t mind loving a movie that has its quirks and flaws. And, on the whole, Wonder Woman is absolutely one of the best women-led superhero movies, especially those released within the last decade.

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