When most people think of comic book movies, the first thing that comes to mind is usually a cape, a cowl, some flying people and some kind of world-ending threat. But comic books are so much more than superhero showdowns. The medium has produced an incredible variety of stories from gritty crime sagas, sci-fi thrillers, to action-packed comedies. And none of them rely on heat vision or super serums. In fact, some of the best comic book adaptations ever made don’t feature superheroes at all.
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From alien hunters to needy, narcissistic boys, these stories prove that comics are a rich storytelling format that reach in all directions. Here are 10 great comic book movies without superheroes:
1) 300 (2006)
Now though we’ve said that not all comic book heroes have super serums, some are very much “suped up”. Before the superhero boom really kicked into overdrive, 300 was there in all its bronzed, muscle-bound glory. While Leonidas and the Spartans aren’t superheroes, they fight with the kind of grit and defiance that would make Batman proud.
300 showed what comic book adaptations could do with bold visuals and stylized storytelling. Based on Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s graphic novel, it brought the Battle of Thermopylae to stunning life. Director Zack Snyder leaned into the comic’s dramatic flair. He did what he does best — creating hyper-stylized scenes and epic shots that embraced the artistic vision of the comics. Pairing that with slow-motion action, exaggerated masculinity, and mythic proportions, and Miller’s work stepped onto the screen with authenticity.
The film’s success came from numerous key ingredients, including its relentless visual punch and quotable dialogue. For a movie that’s almost 20 years old, 300 is still standing tall. It launched a thousand memes, has been cited as the catalyst for the gym bro boom, and redefined comic book style on screen.
2) Men in Black (1997)
Yes, Men in Black is indeed based on a comic book, though many thought the comics came after the first movie. Lowell Cunningham’s The Men in Black series was initially published by Aircel Comics before they were later acquired by Marvel. And while Agent J and Agent K aren’t superheroes, they are part of an intergalactic immigration enforcement agency with the best gadgets this side of Stark Industries.
The 1997 film combined buddy-cop comedy, sci-fi action, and practical effects to create one of the most memorable and rewatchable films of the ’90s. For many critics, it was Will Smith’s timing and charisma alongside Tommy Lee Jones’ deadpan delivery that made characters’ connection — and in turn the original move as a whole — work so well.
The franchise may have deviated somewhat by changing the tone from dark conspiracy to sci-fi comedy, and splitting off into international storylines, but the foundations are still there. And the subject matter makes it all the more unique.
3) Wanted (2008)
Adapted (albeit very loosely) from the Mark Millar and J.G. Jones comic, Wanted took the comic’s core premise of secret assassin societies — and an underachieving protagonist — and turned it into a sleek, bullet-curving action flick. James McAvoy is excellent as Wesley, who starts the movie as a paper-pushing nobody, only to discover he’s part of a deadly legacy. Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and director Timur Bekmambetov crank up the style, and while the film veers away from the comic’s darker supervillain satire, it keeps the ultra-violence and rebellious tone intact.
Critics call it a cult movie for good reason — Wanted is stylish, absurd, and packed with moments that made audiences wonder if bullets really do that?
4) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Where Wanted is all about grim-faced assassins, Scott Pilgrim is its rainbow-colored opposite. Based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, Edgar Wright’s 2010 film adaptation is a kinetic blast of retro video game energy and millennial angst. Scott has to battle Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes in hyper-stylized duels filled with sound effects, life bars, and literal power-ups. It’s a rom-com, a musical, a comic book movie, and an 8-bit fever dream all rolled into one.
Michael Cera is a perfect casting for Scott, and with Edgar Wright’s telltale style of adding great soundtracks and understated comedy, this is a great adaptation from page to screen. Many feel that the movie is arguably the best comic book movie ever made, precisely because it commits so hard to translating the feel of a comic and not just the story. There are no supes here (except for Brandon Routh as the vegan Todd Ingram), there’s just one apathetic and reluctant bassist punching his way through a lot of emotional baggage.
5) Dredd (2012)
Forget the 1995 Judge Dredd film. 2012’s Dredd is the real deal. It’s an ultra-violent, stripped-down adaptation of the long-running Judge Dredd comics from 2000 AD. Karl Urban’s take on the stoic enforcer of Mega-City One is intense, faithful, and criminally underrated. Unlike traditional superhero films, Dredd is a brutal day-in-the-life story that traps its characters in a high-rise slum controlled by a drug lord (played with icy menace by Lena Headey). There’s no origin story, no grand arc—just judgment.
It was widely acclaimed and beloved by fans, and has been the recipient of a 13-year campaign for a sequel, supported by Urban himself. And it’s not hard to see why; visually stunning and unrelentingly cool, Dredd proves you don’t need a cape to be a legend… Or the Law.
6) Sin City (2005)
No list of non-superhero comic book movies is complete without Sin City. Another adaptation taken from the Frank Miller’ collection, this time his hard-boiled graphic novels.
Robert Rodriguez’s 2005 film is a visual marvel that recreates the black-and-white aesthetic of the source material with jaw-dropping precision.
The interwoven stories of corrupt cops, vengeance-driven antiheroes, and dangerous dames feel more noir than Marvel. It’s a world where nobody is good, but some are worse than others. Sin City revolutionized cinema, using digital filmmaking to bring Miller’s panels to life like no movie had done before. Stylish, violent, and unapologetically adult, Sin City changed the game.
7) V for Vendetta (2005)
“Remember, remember the Fifth of November…” V for Vendetta is a political statement wrapped in a pop culture icon, and an example of how comics can confront real-world ideologies. 20 years on and the Guy Fawkes mask is still used by people as an anti-establishment symbol.
Based on the Alan Moore and David Lloyd comic, the film adaptation stars Hugo Weaving as the masked anarchist V, who wages war against a fascist British regime. Natalie Portman’s Evey undergoes a harrowing transformation, shedding her fear in the face of totalitarianism. While Moore famously disavowed the adaptation, the film remains a powerful and thought-provoking work. It was well ahead of its time in terms of both comic book adaptation and focusing on themes of surveillance, government overreach, and rebellion continue to resonate.
8) Oldboy (2003)
Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is a landmark of Korean cinema, and yes, it’s based on a Japanese manga of the same name. This 2003 thriller tells the story of Oh Dae-su, a man imprisoned for 15 years without explanation, then suddenly released and set on a path of vengeance.
Calling Oldboy intense would be an understatement. The movie’s famous hallway hammer fight has been imitated but never duplicated, and its shocking twists land with the kind of emotional gut punch few superhero films dare to attempt. Though it deviates significantly in plot and tone, critics have called it a mesmerizing meditation on revenge and identity, and while there are no costumes or powers, the psychological and physical warfare here is next-level.
9) Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Matthew Vaughn knows his way around a comic book adaptation, and with Kingsman: The Secret Service, he delivered a slick, subversive take on the spy genre. Based on the Kingsman comic by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, the movie blends James Bond action with British humour and comic book flair.
Taron Egerton’s Eggsy is a streetwise recruit who joins a secret spy organization.
This was also a breakout moment for Colin Firth. In a move similar to Liam Neeson’s when he starred in the first Taken, Firth surprises as a sharply dressed agent who can throw down with the best of them. That brutal fight scene in the church made everyone see Mr Darcy differently. And let’s not forget Samuel L. Jackson’s lisping villain.
Kingsman succeeds because it balances fun with heart. It’s absurd and over-the-top, but never hollow. And with the genius-level casting for the first movie, with other iconic actors as Michael Caine and Mark Strong, it was a great espionage romp.
10) Road to Perdition (2002)
Last but definitely not least, Road to Perdition is proof that comic book movies can be Oscar-worthy drama. The movie is a masterclass in visual storytelling. You may not even realize it’s based on a comic until the credits roll, but that’s what makes it so great.
Based on the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner, Sam Mendes’ 2002 film follows Tom Hanks as a mob enforcer seeking vengeance with his young son in tow. Set during the Great Depression, Road to Perdition is a somber, haunting film about fathers, sons, and the cost of violence. Paul Newman delivers one of his final and most powerful performances, and Conrad Hall’s cinematography earned a posthumous Academy Award.
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