On the surface, it seems like horror and superheroes wouldn't mix well. The hope and mostly feel-good conclusions that superhero films inspire in the audience doesn't typically mesh with the drab and often uneasy feeling that viewers are left with after a bleaker horror story. Since acclaimed horror director Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell) signed on to helm the MCU's highly anticipated Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, rumors have spread that the film will have the most horror elements of anything done in the MCU thus far.
This may come as a surprise to some, but the mixing of superhero and horror isn't as few and far between as one might think. In fact, Raimi himself was mixing the two elements more than 30 years ago. Let's take a look at some of the best superhero movies that belong in the horror genre, ranked.
8 The New Mutants (2020)
The New Mutants was technically a spinoff from the X-Men film series, and completed in 2017 with a planned 2018 release, but development hell kept this film at a standstill until 2020, when it had an uninspiring release during the peak of COVID-19. This film follows five young mutants who discover their abilities while being held captive in a secret facility and must fight to escape with their lives. Josh Boone (The Fault in our Stars) directed, and while there were plenty of horror elements, the story and scenes never quite came together as hoped, even with a strong cast of Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Ana Taylor-Joy (The VVitch, Last Night in Soho), and Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things). The New Mutants was a massive financial failure, and seen as the last nail in Fox's Marvel coffin, but still an entertaining enough watch in a shallow pool of a sub-genre.
7 Swamp Thing (1982)
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Before his work on The Nightmare on Elm Street, horror master Wes Craven dipped his toes into the superhero swamp with Swamp Thing, one of DC's more vengeful and monster-like characters. In this Craven-written vehicle, a scientist creates a strange chemical while working in the swamps, and is covered with it when a violent incident takes place as an opposing company wants what he'd worked on. The scientist becomes the plant-like monster Swamp Thing, and exacts his revenge on those that made him this way. The film isn't fantastic, but has a lot of makeup effects, great environmental shots, and strong performances from both Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) and Adrienne Barbeau (Creepshow). The film had a strong showing on both cable and video, which helped it spawn of sequel in 1989 titled The Return of Swamp Thing.
6 The Wraith (1986)
In this 1980s cheese-fest that just celebrated its 35th birthday, a man is murdered in front of his girlfriend by a gang of thugs, and comes back a year later as a futuristic racer, disguised as someone else, and ready to exact revenge on those who killed him, freeing both his girlfriend and brother from the horrific futures that lie within the hands of the gang. The cast is full of great actors, including Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes, Sherilyn Flynn, Randy Quaid and Clint Howard. The Wraith is filled with excellent kills, tons of exploding cars, and a rockin' soundtrack sporting the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Bonnie Tyler, and Corey Hart.
5 The Toxic Avenger (1984)
When a shy mop boy by the name of Melvin falls into a vat of toxic waste, evil doers don't stand a chance against The Toxic Avenger! Created by Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman, this strange superhero film is filled with goop and brutal kills as "Toxie" bashes heads, shoves appliances into criminals' throats, and deep-fries their heads. One of the most popular Troma films of all time, The Toxic Avenger produced comics, toys, cartoons and video games. The film spawned two more sequels, and a new reboot is on the way, starring Peter Dinklage in the lead role.
4 Blade (1998)
In Marvel's first go with combining horror and superheroes, Blade brought in Wesley Snipes as a vampire slayer who was half-vampire himself. Though the story or action of the film isn't necessarily horrific, the inclusion of classic horror monsters, the gore, and the dark, gritty theme are enough to list the film in the horror superhero category. Recently, a new Blade film was confirmed as part of the next phase for the MCU, casting Mahershala Ali in the title role, and it's thought that his voice is the one being heard in the after-credits scene in Eternals.
3 Blade II (2002)
In Guillermo del Toro's only contribution to Marvel films, Blade II took everything that the first Blade film brought and bumped it up a level. The sets, scenery and effects were all improved, the villain was more imposing, and the story was overall better. More dangerous mutant vampires were introduced in this film, and it had an all-around gorier and scarier feel. Blade II was just as well received by the critics as the first film, but absolutely smashed its $54 million budget by posting $155 million worldwide numbers.
2 Brightburn (2019)
Brightburn is essentially the story of Superman's childhood in a "What If?" scenario. What if Clark Kent was bullied and used his powers to do evil instead of good? The film follows Brandon, whose ship crashed when he was a baby, and he's raised by a loving couple. Upon being bullied and discovering his powers, Brandon uses them to cripple and murder both his bullies and those who try and control him. This film may be the bleakest on this list, and the brutality and intensity put it well-within the horror realm. The film did a decent job making its money back, and a sequel was green-lit, with a hopeful release in 2023.
1 Darkman (1990)
In Sam Raimi's first entry into superhero films, he turned Dr. Peyton Westlake into the horribly disfigured Darkman, a brilliant scientist hellbent on taking revenge to those that left him for dead. Darkman has amazing Evil Dead-style freakout moments, and a wonderful cast the includes Liam Neeson in the lead role, Frances McDormand, and Larry Drake. The aesthetic is fantastic in an almost noir Tim Burton style, and Danny Elfman created a powerful and driving score. Though Neeson didn't return to the role, Darkman spawned two more sequels in 1995 and 1996. The film doesn't rely too heavily on either of the genres, making it the perfect fit for both superhero and horror films, and still being a fun ride that everyone can enjoy.