All 4 Superhero Movies Of 2026 Ranked

Published Sep 25, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT

Richard Craig is a Senior Author at Screen Rant covering film and TV. Richard has also written extensively about horror and film soundtracks, contributing a chapter to the first major academic collection on the folk horror genre, The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror. Richard is also a performing musician and holds an MA in Music and Sound Art.

2026 has been one of the quietest years for superhero movies in recent memory, with four movies of varying quality. After years in which Marvel and DC collectively released half a dozen major theatrical projects annually, the genre's live-action output has been reduced to just four movies. That's a remarkably small lineup for a genre that dominated multiplexes throughout the 2010s and early 2020s.

Notably, this ranking is limited to live-action theatrical releases, excluding animated superhero films and special-event releases. Despite the reduced quantity, the year has still been significant. DC continued building its new cinematic universe following Superman, while Marvel delivered Tom Holland's long-awaited fourth solo Spider-Man adventure.

The year also featured the unusual theatrical re-release Avengers: Endgame Encore, which returned one of the MCU's biggest successes to cinemas with additional promotional material tied to Marvel's future plans. The superhero calendar isn't quite finished either.

Marvel's next major crossover, Avengers: Doomsday, is scheduled for December, meaning the year's biggest comic-book event is still ahead. Until then, these four releases represent the entirety of 2026's live-action superhero slate. Some delivered exactly what audiences hoped for, while others had more limited ambitions.

4 Legend Of The White Dragon (2026)

Legend of the White Dragon occupies a unique place in 2026's superhero landscape. Developed over several years and released following the death of star Jason David Frank, the film carries considerable emotional weight for fans of the actor and the Power Rangers franchise.

The story follows former hero Erik Reed, who becomes a fugitive after being blamed for a devastating battle that destroyed part of Virtuo City. Legend of the White Dragon was described as a mature take on the Power Rangers, and it certainly deserves credit for its ambition. Crowdfunded origins rarely lead to a feature attempting this level of world-building.

However, when compared with the year's larger superhero releases, its limitations become more apparent. The storytelling often struggles to balance its mythology, and the visual effects cannot consistently match the scale the narrative demands. As a tribute to Jason David Frank's career, it succeeds. As a superhero movie competing against Marvel and DC, it falls short of the stronger entries released in 2026.

3 Supergirl (2026)

Milly Alcock's debut solo adventure represents an important step for the new DC Universe. Drawing heavily from Tom King's acclaimed Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, it depicts Kara Zor-El as she joins Ruthye Marye Knoll on a mission to hunt down the villainous Krem, while also crossing paths with Jason Momoa's Lobo. Critics generally agreed that Alcock emerged as the movie's greatest strength.

Rather than presenting Kara as a female version of Superman, Supergirl explores a very different personality. She is restless, cynical, and still haunted by memories of Krypton's destruction. It feels distinct from both previous screen adaptations and David Corenswet's Superman.

The movie's placement reflects its uneven execution rather than a lack of ambition. Reviews frequently praised Alcock while criticizing aspects of the action and pacing. Some critics also felt Lobo's inclusion distracted from Kara's journey. Nevertheless, Supergirl succeeds as a character introduction and significantly expands the scope of DC's new shared universe.

2 Avengers: Endgame Encore (2026)

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Ranking a re-release alongside entirely new films may seem unfair, but Avengers: Endgame Encore was still one of the year's most significant superhero events. Marvel brought the 2019 blockbuster back to cinemas ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, adding additional material designed to better set up the plot following the pivot away from Kang.

Viewed on its own merits, Endgame is one of the genre's defining achievements. It successfully concluded over a decade of interconnected storytelling while delivering memorable moments for Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and the wider Avengers roster. Few superhero films have matched its combination of scale, emotional payoff, and audience investment.

Its ranking comes down to one unavoidable factor: it isn't actually a new movie. The Encore version added only a few minutes of new footage in credits scenes. It ultimately relied on accomplishments achieved seven years earlier. While still enormously entertaining, Avengers: Endgame Encore could never generate the same excitement as a genuinely new chapter in the genre.

1 Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

No superhero movie released in 2026 came close to matching the impact of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the film places Peter Parker in a dramatically different position. With the world having forgotten his identity, Peter is forced to rebuild his life while facing new threats without the support system that previously defined him.

The movie's success extended far beyond positive reviews. Upon release, Brand New Day shattered the domestic opening-weekend record previously held by Avengers: Endgame, earning approximately $360 million in North America. It also posted one of the biggest global openings in movie history and rapidly surpassed numerous box-office milestones.

Those numbers would mean little if Brand New Day itself did not deliver, but audiences responded enthusiastically to Tom Holland's performance and the film's more mature direction. By emphasizing Peter's loneliness and independence while still delivering a large-scale Marvel spectacle, Brand New Day managed to feel both fresh and familiar. It was joyful, emotional, and thrilling, making Brand New Day the best superhero movie of 2026 – so far.