15 greatest superhero movies of the decade

15. Deadpool

Released: February 12, 2016

A lot of superhero fans were understandably apprehensive before Deadpool hit the big screen.

First of all, the Merc With A Mouth didn’t earn his nickname for no reason, as he’s known for both his vulgar tongue and violent approach in the comics, and that left all of us wondering if that would translate well to screen (or if it would have to be watered down). And then came the fact that Ryan Reynolds would be reprising the role and, in spite of how good he was in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, fans hadn’t forgiven Fox for the poor reinvention of the character.

But alas, everything came together in 2016, as Deadpool hit theaters (after several years in development hell) and put all of those fears to rest.

The comic-accurate portrayal of the character we had been waiting for, Reynolds was nothing short of a revelation in the role, bringing Wade Wilson’s arrogant voiceovers and impossible personality to life with an appropriately charismatic performance, while his relationship with Morena Baccarin’s Vanessa made for a compelling and yes, touching narrative.

Deadpool single-handedly revolutionized the genre. Yes, that might sound like a gross overstatement, but the film proved that R-Rated superhero movies could still contain all the flare, action and fun of PG-13 superhero movies without having to go all dark and gritty. And it worked – oh, it really worked.