5 Underrated 2000s Superhero Movies Nobody Talks About

Today, superhero movies are beloved, but back in the 2000s, it was a completely different story. Not everything looked like a massive franchise, and a lot of films were released without any clear playbook for what actually works in the genre. That’s why several productions slipped under the radar, even though many of them were trying out ideas that the internet would obsess over today. And when you stop and try to look back, you realize some of these films didn’t just have personality — they were doing something completely different from what audiences expected. Many of them only make sense in hindsight, when the genre became more predictable, and you can finally appreciate who was actually trying something new.

Unfortunately, no one really talks about them, but the truth is they’re missed because they broke the formula that eventually burned people out (after all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe had to reinvent themselves, right?). It’s worth dusting these films off because they have way more to offer than audiences realized during their first run. Here are 5 totally underrated 2000s superhero movies that almost nobody remembers when the genre comes up for debate.

5) V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta only avoided fading into obscurity because everyone recognizes the mask. The truth, though, is that very few people actually include it in the conversation when talking about superhero movies — and they should. It works as a political thriller first and a superhero movie second, which probably made a lot of viewers file it under a completely different category. The story follows Evey (Natalie Portman), who crosses paths with V (Hugo Weaving), a masked vigilante determined to take down England’s totalitarian regime. It’s sharp, provocative, and honestly does more with ideas and dialogue than many blockbusters do with massive budgets.

The movie has aged incredibly well. It has identity, it has purpose, and it never tries to soften anything just to fit a formula. Mainstream audiences remember “Remember, remember the fifth of November,” but forget that V for Vendetta delivers one of the strongest uses of the vigilante archetype on film. It wasn’t just “good for its time” — it’s good, period. And the reason it rarely comes up today is mostly because it was never treated like a superhero movie to begin with, even though it’s one of the most effective ones from that era (and it’s no coincidence a reboot is on the way).

4) Watchmen

This one sparked plenty of debate. Watchmen is the kind of movie you appreciate a lot more when you revisit it with a clearer head — that’s just the truth. At the time of its release, a lot of people wanted a traditional blockbuster, and Zack Snyder delivered the exact opposite: a heavy, morally loaded epic with zero interest in making things easier for the audience. The plot follows former vigilantes investigating a conspiracy tied to global politics and a potential collapse of world order. It’s not simple, but the movie never pretended it was.

Later on, it became obvious that Watchmen was simply too ambitious for its time, and that’s not necessarily a criticism. It wants to talk about power, trauma, failure, and ego in a way almost no superhero film from the 2000s dared to attempt. It’s not perfect (it absolutely has questionable choices), but very few adaptations commit to their vision as firmly as this one. And when the conversation turns to underrated superhero movies, Watchmen almost automatically enters the list, because a lot of people only understood what it was doing years after the fact.

3) Spider-Man 3

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films are still considered favorites for a lot of older fans. But when Spider-Man 3 came out, it basically turned into a running joke — and that joke became so automatic that people stopped actually looking at the film itself. Watching it today, it’s way more interesting than people made it out to be. Yes, it has too many villains, and yes, emo Peter became a massive meme. But underneath all that, the movie was trying to explore something most superhero films in the 2000s weren’t touching: the moral downfall of its protagonist. In the story, Peter (Tobey Maguire) deals with the symbiote, new enemies, and the pressure of holding his personal life together. You can argue about execution, sure, but the ambition is definitely there.

Spider-Man 3 earns its spot on this list because it’s flawed, but far from lazy. The movie has real drama, real conflict, and tries to wrap up major arcs from the trilogy while pushing the character to his lowest emotional point. If it were released today, it would probably get a much warmer reception, because audiences are now used to messier and more dramatic superhero films. It’s a classic case of a movie that became a punchline and lost its place in more serious discussions — and that’s honestly a huge injustice.

2) Sky High

A lot of people remember Sky High, but only if someone brings up superhero movies that were part of their teen years. And that’s strange, because it does something the genre wouldn’t fully embrace until much later: treating superpowers as an everyday thing, with humor and zero epic pretension. Nothing needs to be taken that seriously here (but it’s not dumb either), and that’s exactly why it’s so entertaining. The story follows Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the son of two famous superheroes, as he enters a high school for powered teens. Sounds simple, right? And it is, but it works absurdly well.

What makes this movie shine is how naturally it handles its world. Nothing is too grand, nothing is overly dramatic; it’s just a bunch of teenagers dealing with power, status, and expectations — and that gives the film a kind of authenticity that more serious modern blockbusters can’t replicate. Sky High had everything it needed to become a franchise and easily compete with X-Men in the teen-superhero lane, no question. But it ended up getting buried over time. Still, watch it (or rewatch it) today and you’ll see how ahead of its time it really was (and how strange it is that almost nobody talks about it anymore).

1) Unbreakable

Unbreakable deserves an award for being one of the most forgotten superhero movies of all time. This isn’t just about being underrated; it’s about being completely ignored, as if nobody even remembers it ever existed. When it came out, people were expecting another M. Night Shyamalan thriller, but what they actually got was a superhero origin story built like a psychological drama. A lot of viewers simply didn’t know what to do with that, and that’s the truth. The story follows David Dunn (Bruce Willis), who slowly discovers he might have superhuman abilities, while Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to convince him he’s a real hero. No explosions, no costume, no spectacle — just ideas.

And that idea is exactly why the film hits so hard for anyone looking for something different. Unbreakable did everything people now call “modern superhero storytelling” long before the genre caught up: realism, ambiguity, restrained performances, slow-burn pacing, and emotional buildup. Plenty of 2000s movies were ahead of their time, but this one truly was because nobody back then was ready for a superhero story that demanded attention and patience. Now that audiences are used to more serious approaches thanks to the MCU and DCU, it’s obvious how unfairly it was treated. It’s not just underrated; it’s essential.

Did you know any of these movies? Have you watched them? Let us know in the comments!