Intriguingly, 2024 has been hailed as reinvigorating the MCU, despite there being only one movie release, while DC took a heavy blow for the reception and performance ofJoker: Folie à Deux, and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe seemingly ground to an inauspicious end. The writing was very much on the wall for that series, andSony will have further plans for their Marvel characters, but the triumvirate ofMadame Web,Venom: The Last Dance, andKravendidn’t exactly move the needle.
Pulling focus out a little, 2024 was not a great year for comic book movies. There were a fair number of them, but whether any of them other thanDeadpool & Wolverineactually lasts in memory in any sort of way is very uncertain. The very fact that anyone reading this already knows what the top pick of the year is tells its own story, in that respect. It was a year that promised less than many previous ones, though, with Marvel slowing things down and the DCU set to kick off in 2025 withJames Gunn’sSuperman, but these days, a slow year still meant that we got no less than eight DC and Marvel movies.
Before we start to look to the future and the promise ofMarvel’s upcoming MCU moviesand the arrival of the DCU reboot, let’s look back at the year that saw Chris Evans' MCU return, three Sony Spider-Man spin-offs, and a slam-dunk Joker sequel that was anything but…
Madame Web
Cast
Madame Web is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Taking place in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, the movie revolves around a clairvoyant woman who can look into different dimensions. Dakota Johnson stars in the lead role, with Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor comprising the rest of the cast.
The most memeable comic book movie of the year - and possibly of all time - for all the wrong reasons,Madame Webwas hardly the curtain raiser any superhero movie fan would have wanted. Somewhatundermined by a frankly unhinged marketing campaignthat was only usurped late in the year byWicked’s junkets as the stand-out campaign (again for the wrong reasons), the film is, plainly a mess.
Dakota Johnson’s weirdly disaffected performance as the titular hero was fun if you choose to accept it as a comedy, but the movie never actually promised that. Nonetheless, almost every line of dialogue is incredibly poor, the villain speaks in weird platitudes (and was redubbed in a very hollow, distracting way), and the tone is incredibly jarring. There’s also a very discomforting wink-wink-nudge-nudge dance around ayoung Peter Parker’s involvementthat feels too much like snarky bait, and hangs undelivered promise over the door.
In the long run, Madame Web will be remembered for theTwilight Zone-like vibes, some quite astonishingly obvious Pepsi product placement, and for being far more funny that it ever intended to be, in the worst way. That’s if it’s remembered at all.
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
Sony releasedtwoSpider-Man universe moviesin 2024, and they were both terrible disappointments.Madame Web’s problems shouldn’t be a surprise, given the IP, but whenKravenwas announced with JC Chandor directing and Aaron Taylor-Johnson starring, it looked to have real potential. Russell Crowe even came along for the ride as Kraven’s over-bearing father, and plays the rotten core of this weird meditation on toxic masculinity. But the great lie ofKraven: The Hunteris that it was ever interesting enough without Spider-Man.
Kraven’s greatest enemy and target is Spider-Man, not a philosophical battle with the sins of his father. That is a concrete fact. It’s almost like Chandor and his creative team watchedJokerand decided the world needed another slice of discourse, rather than just making the easiest movie from the available raw materials. It also doesn’t help thatthe higher purpose of its message is balanced with a silly spirit that is wildly at odds with the overly serious tone, and technical issues that stand-out glaringly.
Kraven The Hunter Ending Explained
Kraven the Hunter ends with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character becoming the classic Spider-Man villain (the result of some surprising decisions).
If anyone had told me in advance that I would be watching a version ofMarvel supervillain Chameleonwhose powers manifest as him being able to flawlessly mimic Harry Styles and Ozzy Osbourne, I would have laughed them out of the building. And yet here we are: that actually happened. Put that alongside some of the worst redubbed sequences since… well,Madame Web, and you get a real slice of what this odd movie actually was.
Watchmen: Chapter 1
A mysterious murder in an alternate 1985 sets the stage for an unraveling conspiracy involving former superheroes in this animated update of the classic series. As tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union escalate, masked vigilantes grapple with their pasts while confronting a dark truth that could change the world forever.
The animated adaptation ofWatchmenholds an interesting place in DC’s history, with Zack Snyder’s live-action iteration of the story in 2009 being the last time audiences saw the characters in film format. The 2024 movie changed this, bringing a version ofWatchmenthat was far closer to its comic roots - though not identical due to the 2.5-D-esque art style.
Animating the story ofWatchmendoes add a certain something to many parts of the narrative - with Rorschach’s ever-moving mask lending another subtle layer of menace to the character, and the ways in which certain figures move and deliver lines adding depth to their overall depiction. However, the sheer similarity between the animated release and the comic does also raise questions about how much this kind of adaptation was even called for, making itan instalment some may prefer to instead avoid in favor of the original comic itself.
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One is an animated film set in the DC Universe, where heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman unite with counterparts from multiple Earths. They confront an imminent existential threat, gathering under the leadership of the mysterious Monitor to prevent a multiverse-wide cataclysm.
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two follows the combined forces of superheroes including Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, as they battle an invading army of shadow demons threatening all realities. They confront hidden secrets involving the Monitor and Supergirl, which challenge their efforts to save the multiverse.
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Three continues the saga with the Anti-Monitor unleashing an unyielding assault on surviving Earths. As universes face annihilation, heroes from different timelines unite with the Justice League and allies in a final confrontation against this formidable threat to existence.
Crisis On Infinite Earths is still one of DC’s most ambitious comic projects all these years later - and the animatedJustice League: Crisis On Infinite Earthstrilogy does right by not only the massive scale of the story, but also the considerable pre-existing timeline of theDC Animated Universeit takes place in. After 11 years of the universe,Crisis On Infinite Earthsbrings that universe to a grand conclusion, doing justice to a colossal range of characters and their legacies.
While the sheer scope of the tale at hand meansCrisis On Infinite Earthsis forced to skip over some characters more than others - and only pay passing lip service to some key moments - it’s arguablystill the most authentic adaptation of the comic arc. It’s also one of very few releases where you can see such a wide range of iconic DC characters in one place, which is sure to give it a long-lasting significance in the comic franchise’s history.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to Todd Phillips' critically acclaimed comic book thriller Joker. Reprising his Academy Award-winning performance as the failed comedian Arthur Fleck, Joaquin Phoenix revisits the iconic DC character alongside Lady Gaga, who makes her debut as Joker’s lover Harley Quinn in this standalone continuity of the DC Universe.
Given its box office performance, you could be forgiven for raising your eyebrows at the idea thatJoke: Folie à Deuxwould deserve a podium finish. You’d probably be more surprised that I’d probably say whether it’s better thanVenom: The Last Dancechanges almost every time I think about it. What doesn’t change is how baffled I continue to be at the wider reception to Todd Phillips' sequel to the most surprising billion dollar DC success. BecauseFolie à Deuxis a genuinely good movie.
The problem for the sequel is the discourse aroundJoker’s original ending, and Phillips' insistence on allowing the audience to interpret the film’s message. The sequel then unpulled those punches with gusto, to the point where the best reading of the film is as a meta-commentary about the wayward reception of the original. I’m still convinced thatthe only way you could misunderstandJoker: Folie à Deuxas a betrayal of the original is if you willfully ignored the messages quite obviously planted in the original with all the subtlety of a house brick.
Joker: Folie A Deux Ending & Real Meaning Explained
Joker: Folie à Deux takes a wildly different direction than Todd Phillips' first DC movie suggested, completely deconstructing Arthur Fleck’s story.
Discourse gets in the way of everything in this pair of movies, and it’s probably a good thing thatFolie à Deux’s box office failurehas killed this part of DC’s Elseworlds project. But before that point, it’s important to note that Phoenix once more is excellent as Arthur Fleck, Lady Gaga plays a great and compelling foil to him, and Brendan Gleeson is pretty good. Now let’s all move on.
Venom: The Last Dance
Venom: The Last Dance is a film directed by an undisclosed director, featuring the character Venom in a thrilling narrative. The movie explores the alien symbiote’s latest challenges and transformations as it navigates through a world full of danger and new adversaries.
Listen, I’m a Venom movie fan. I’ve been a Venom movie fan since day one (when I saw the firstVenomin 2018). SoVenom: The Last Dancewas a movie specifically made for me. It leaned even harder into the offbeat dynamic of Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom, offering plenty of fun moments of squabbling and heartfelt scenes where the symbiote and its host were forced to say goodbye. Although I’m not convinced we’ve seen the last of Hardy’s Venom,The Last Dancegives him a proper sendoff.
Of course, there are still some weak points in the movie. Michelle Williams' Anne Weying is missed inVenom: The Last Dancesince she and her chemistry with Hardy’s Eddie were a highlight of previous movies. Further, the inclusion ofMarvel supervillain Knull, with seemingly no plan to bring back the Thanos-level villain, feels pointless when Hardy has emphasized hisVenom movie trilogyis complete.We’ve also ended the series with no appearance of Spider-Man, which is a bit disappointing.
Deadpool & Wolverine
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
In the theatrical landscape, there wasn’t a whole lot of competition for the best superhero movie of 2024, butDeadpool & Wolverinestill wins it easily. It’sthe event-style MCU tentpole that has been lacking in Marvel Studios' post-Endgameera, giving moviegoers a reason to head to the theater. Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool makes the transition to the MCU and finally teams up withHugh Jackman’s Wolverinefor a two-hander that’s as funny as it is action-packed.
There’s also, of course, the many, many cameos and surprise appearances from returning Marvel stars and actors who’ve only been cast in superhero roles in fans' dreams.Deadpool & Wolverinemanages to tell a really solid buddy comedy story while still including these fan service-y elements. There might be some debate about whether other MCU movies - mostlySpider-Man: No Way HomeandAvengers: Endgame- have handled these types of things better, butDeadpool & Wolverinecarried it off well enough to be the best superhero movie of 2024.
