The saying that animation is only for kids is a myth now. Anyone who still believes it must be living under a rock! With the giant leaps the technology behind animation has taken, the quality of the movies has become vastly better. This article lists 50 best-animated superhero movies that have hit the screens in the last few decades.
These films are not very big on a budget nor have an extensive runtime. They are short and to the point but a lot of fun. The plotlines are great, and the execution of most of them is better. Now, whenever we speak of superheroes, the two names that come to mind are Marvel and DC!
But just so you know, there are also some famous superhero movies outside these two production houses. But don’t you worry about a thing! This article has segregated the long list of animated superhero films into three groups – DC, Marvel and Miscellaneous. You can go through it and take your pick according to your mood and choice.
DC Best Animated Superhero Movies
1. Justice League: Gods and Monsters
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Benjamin Bratt, Tamara Taylor
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Justice League: Gods and Monsters
This animated feature-length film takes place in an alternative universe of DC where the famed “good” superheroes – Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are vigilantes operating outside the law. This one is going to shock you!
2. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
- Director: Jay Oliva
- Voice actors: Justin Chambers, Michael B. Jordan
- IMDb: 8.1/10
About Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
This is one of those fan-favorite DC animated movies. Flash races against time to fix the mistakes in his timeline. Alternative versions of our favorite heroes crop up throughout the movie as easter eggs.
3. Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1
- Director: Jay Olivia
- Voice actors: Ariel Winter, Peter Weller
- IMDb: 7.9/10
About Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 1:
Remember Alex Dunphy from Modern Family? That actress voices the role of Robin in this DC comics-inspired animated film. Gotham city has not seen Batman for ten years, and in the meantime, new kinds of criminals have risen. Watch this to find a retired batman in his mid-fifties fighting crime!
4. Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2
- Director: Jay Olivia
- Voice actors: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter
- IMDb: 8.3/10
About Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2:
Well, the first installment made this list, so the sequel also does. In this film, Bruce Wayne continues his legendary fight with the Joker. It also features his clash with Superman.
5. Superman vs. the Elite
- Director: Michael Chang
- Voice actors: George Newbern, Robin Atkin Downes
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Superman vs. the Elite:
Besides his cape and laser eyes, what Superman is known for best is his idealism. In this animated film, he is challenged by a new influx of superheroes who hate this aspect of his character. It is regarded as an adult film due to its mature themes.
6. The Lego Batman movie
- Director: Chris Mckay
- Voice actors: Will Arnett, Michael Cera
- IMDb: 7.3/10
About The Lego Batman movie:
This lego movie is bound to reduce you to splits. It has excellent comedic timing and will be a hoot for adults and kids. It showcases the sidekick-cum-adopted son relation of Batman with Robin.
7. Justice League Crisis on Two Earths
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: William Baldwin, Mark Harmon
- IMDB: 7.2/10
About Justice League Crisis on Two Earths:
This is one movie where you are going to witness something unbelievable. A suitable version of Lex Luthor! Yeah! He comes from another earth to get the help of the superheroes on this earth to save his world. This film stands out for its fantastic voice acting by Baldwin and all the rest.
8. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
- Director: Kevin Altieri
- Voice actors: Kevin Conroy, Dana Delaney
- IMDb: 7.8/10
About Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Several high-profile mobsters are murdered. And Batman gets accused! Watch this Warner bros movie to learn how the caped crusader clears his name. Few people know that this film holds the honor of being the first ever animated superhero film that DC released.
9. All-Star Superman
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: James Denton, Christina Hendricks
- IMDb: 6.8/10
About All-Star Superman:
This gripping tale occurs in the DC animated Universe where THE Superman is near death! It remains faithful to its comic book material. Superman gets poisoning by the sun’s radiation (apparently, global warming is harmful to the Kryptonian as well!), and Lex Luthor uses this opportunity to create more trouble.
10. Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam
- Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
- Voice actors: Zach Callison, James Garner
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam
Watch this film animated superhero film to find out about the origin story of another superhero essential to the DC universe – Shazam! The Black Adam, who is even stronger than Superman (yes, you read that right), attacks the earth to find Shazam.
11. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
- Director: Curt Geda
- Voice actors: Will Friedle, Mark Hamill
- IMDb: 7.7/10
About Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Gotham’s clown prince of crime is back, and the very talented Mark Hamill voices him to a creepy perfection. Remember the vintage batman cartoon series? This film reprises those characters and becomes the last film in the Batman Beyond series. It works as a proper goodbye for Bruce Wayne.
12. Batman: The Killing Joke
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill
- IMDb: 6.4/10
About Batman: The Killing Joke
This is one of those animated superhero films which is quite dark and not directed toward children. It is adapted from a graphic novel of the same name. The Joker captures and kidnaps the daughter of Commissioner Gordon – Barbara, to get to Batman.
13. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Clancy Brown, Kevin Conroy
- IMDb: 7.1/10
About Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Imagine a universe where the infamous Superman villain Lex Luthor becomes the President. Fans have judged that it is one of the best superhero films. For a change, Batman and Superman fight on the same side and try to stop the spreading evil of Luthor.
14. Justice League: Doom
- Director: Lauren Montogomery
- Voice actors: Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly
- IMDb: 7.4/10
About Justice League: Doom
Witness this animated film’s legendary clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom. It features the Vandal Savage in the DC Universe, creating problems for our heroes.
15. Batman: Under the Red Hood
- Director: Brandon Vietti
- Voice actors: Bruce Greenwood, Jensen Ackles
- IMDb: 8.0/10
About Batman: Under the Red Hood
Jensen Ackles, of Supernatural and The Boys fame, plays the titular role of Red Hood in this movie. He is not your average villain but more like an anti-hero due to his tragic backstory. Despite this, the film shines through in animation due to its fantastic chemistry and interactions between Batman and Red Hood.
16. Justice League Dark
- Director: Jay Oliva
- Voice actors: Matt Ryan, Camilla Luddington
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Justice League Dark:
This is one of those animated dc films which incorporates elements of the supernatural in it. The demon Etrigan debuts, and you get to see a lot of action between heroes and villains, both having supernatural abilities.
17. Justice League: The New Frontier
About Justice League: The New Frontier
This entire animated film is set in a retro period, specifically in the 1950s. And, of course, Wonder Woman is a part of it! It features a host of new superheroes who join in the action in a world where the Government forms a part of the hostile forces.
18. Batman: Year One
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Bryan Cranston, Ben McKenzie
- IMDb: 7.3/10
About Batman: Year One
Another of those animated films tells the superhero stories of one Batman and is aimed at a more mature audience. The run time is short, but it makes up for it with its impressive action sequences involving Batman and our own Gordon. Bryan Cranston is, as usual, remarkable in his portrayal of the character.
19. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Christian Slater, Vanessa Williams Billy Brown
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
If you haven’t been staying under a rock, you know all about the suicide squad movie that hit the big screen. So why should the animated genre fall behind? This movie will shock you with an impressive kill list and, at the same time, is bound to tickle the funny bones. Not a lot of movies can boast of such a combination.
20. Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
- Director: Justice Copeland
- Voice actors: Drew Johnson, William Moulton Marston
- IMDb: 5.9/10
About Wonder Woman: Bloodlines
Unfortunately, Wonder Woman does not have many animated films to her name. One of the few, this dc film is set in the background of her home Themyscira. A collection of villains called Villainy Inc. (no subtlety there!) is the main antagonist of the Amazonian warrior princess here.
Marvel Best Animated Superhero Movies
21. Hulk Vs.
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Fred Tatasciore. Mathew Wolf
- IMDb: 6.9/10
About Hulk Vs.
Marvel’s giant green guy, The Incredible Hulk, takes on two other superheroes in this animated film. Watch it to witness the fight scenes between him and X-man Wolverine and the Norse god Thor.
22. Ultimate Avengers
- Director: Curt Geda
- Voice actors: Justin Gross, Grey Griffin
- IMDb: 6.6/10
About Ultimate Avengers
The live-action superhero movies’ fans might find similarities with The Avengers while watching this one. There is an intrusion of aliens on earth, and Fury assembles the Avengers. It might impress the vintage hardcore fans but isn’t much to talk about as an animated film.
23. Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme
- Director: Patrick Archibald
- Voice actors: Bryce Johnson, Paul Nakauchi
- IMDb: 6.6/10
About Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme
This 2007 marvel studios animated film plays out the origin story of Doctor Strange long before the live-action movie. Bryce Johnson beautifully captures the arrogance yet vulnerable side of Stephen Strange. Hardcore Marvel fans or fans of animation are going to love it.
24. Planet Hulk
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Rick Wasserman, Lisa Ann Beley
- IMDb: 6.7/10
About Planet Hulk:
This film served as a kind of inspiration for the insane superhit Thor Ragnarok movie of the Marvel cinematic universe. It wasn’t a copy, but they took Hulk’s storyline of ending up on a strange planet and being forced to fight there.
25. Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse
- Director: Bob Persichetti
- Voice actors: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson
- IMDb: 8.4/10
About Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse
Even fans of DC, Marvel’s arch-rival, agree that this is one of the best-animated adaptations Marvel has come up with. It also broke new ground by casting a black spiderman for the first time. It had Miles Morales and several other spidermen from other Universes making their appearances.
26. Iron Man: Rise of Technovore
- Director: Hiroshi Hamasaki
- Voice actors: Norman Reedus, Matthew Mercer
- IMDb: 5.2/10
About Iron Man: Rise of Technovore
Watch this to glimpse of some of your favorite, but lesser-featured characters like War Machine and Hawkeye. It’s Iron Man, so it isn’t much of a leap to guess that the main antagonist is a tech terrorist!
27. Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United
- Director: Eric Radomski
- Voice actors: Adrian Pasdar, Roger Craig Smith
- IMDb: 5.4/10
About Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United
Most films featuring these two marvel superheroes mean that they are going to be at loggerheads. But not this one. In this animated film, they got each other’s backs and fought the Taskmaster and the Red Skull
28. Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher
- Director: Kenichi Shimizu
- Voice actors: Jennifer Carpenter, Brian Bloom
- IMDb: 5.7/10
About Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher
Black Widow’s treatment in the MCU might have annoyed you if you are like me. To remedy that, watch this animated film focused on the assassin turned avenger as she races against time to stop Leviathan.
29. Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors
- Director: Alfred Gimeno
- Voice actors: Dee Bradley Baker, Chloe Bennet
- IMDb: 5.3/10
About Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors
This one is more like a bunch of digital shorts than a movie. If you are tired of watching the original six, it is a good change of pace with new faces like Avengers. The animation is nothing to complain about, and the young phase of the superheroes stands out.
It might be more relevant now that MCU is setting up all of these new young characters through movies and Disney plus web series.
30. The Invincible Iron Man
- Director: Patrick Archibald
- Voice actors: Marc Worden, Gwendoline Yeo
- IMDb: 5.8/10
About The Invincible Iron Man:
Marc Worden nicely captures the cocky attitude of Stark in this film. This one was released before Robert Downey Jr. took the mantle of Iron Man. The film shows his origin story of getting wounded and captured.
31. Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell
- Director: Eric Radomski
- Voice actors: Fred Tatasciore, Liam O’Brien
- IMDb: 5.3/10
About Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell
This one brings the lesser-seen combination of the Incredible Hulk and the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange to frame. They travel to the dream dimension and destroy the nightmare, both literally and metaphorically! The Hulkbuster also makes an appearance.
32. Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
- Director: Jay Oliva
- Voice actors: Noah Crawford, Brenna O’Brien
- IMDb: 6.2/10
About Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
This animated feature is different from Secret Wars because the new heroes have taken up the mantle of the original ones. Here, the literal kids of the Avengers band together to avenge their parents. The movie features Natasha, Rogers’ son, Thor and Sif’s kid, etc.
33. Thor: Tales of Asgard
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Matthew Wolf, Rick Gomez
- IMDb: 6.2/10
About Thor: Tales of Asgard
After the recent release of the fourth Thor movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, people have generally been hyped about Thor’s journey. You can watch this animated superhero movie to go along with Thor and his brother Loki on their quest to find an ancient sword.
34. Ultimate Avengers II: Rise of the Panther
- Director: Will Meugniot
- Voice actors: Justin Gross, Grey Griffin
- IMDb: 6.5/10
About Ultimate Avengers II: Rise of the Panther
Our favorite Black Panther comes to our screens, and Jeffrey D Sams voices him with great skill. The plot is that the alien army Chitauri invades Wakanda, and the Avengers band together despite their differences to fight them. Avengers Infinity War seems to have lifted this storyline for the movie!
35. Big Hero 6
- Director: Don Hall
- Voice actors: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit
- IMDb: 7.8/10
About Big Hero 6:
Yes, this is a marvel movie adapted from marvel comics. But it does not feature any of the well-known marvel superheroes and does not happen inside the MCU! This is the story of a teenager Hiro Hamada, a genius in robotics.
This Disney narration is so good at establishing the heartfelt bond between the main characters that it also won an Academy Award.
36. Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United
- Director: Eric Radomski
- Voice actors: Adrian Pasdar, Fred Tatasciore
- IMDb: 4.6/10
About Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United
This is one of those animated superhero films with 3D animation, and it bodes well with the combined forces of two of Marvel’s most famous heroes- Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. Yes, the science bros of Marvel Cinematic Universe!
37. Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands
- Director: Chris Rutkowski
- Voice actors: Dove Cameron, Skai Jackson
- IMDb: 5.3/10
About Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands
This animated film focuses on Gwen Stacy, and if you are a fan of the Spider-Gwen storyline, you would love to see this film where she kicks some ass. She is a ghost-spider and has to balance her double life while the real spiderman is virtually out of the picture.
38. Marvel Super Heroes: Frost Fight
- Director: Eric Radomski
- Voice actors: Mick Wingert, Matthew Mercer
- IMDb: 5.0/10
About Marvel Super Heroes: Frost Fight
This one is a good pick for the kids’ Christmas watchlist. The Avengers band together to stop a frost giant and Loki from attacking and stealing the powers of Santa. This one has the Avengers saving Christmas!
39. LEGO Marvel Superheroes: Black Panther – Trouble in Wakanda
- Director: Michael D. Black
- Voice actors: James Mathis III, Keston John
- IMDb: 5.6/10
About LEGO Marvel Superheroes: Black Panther – Trouble in Wakanda
Remember Killmonger from the MCU movies? He joins forces with the crazy Titan Thanos to steal Vibranium, and as expected, it is upon Black Panther to stop them. This lego movie is hilarious, and the younger audience will enjoy it.
40. Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron
- Director: Sol Choi
- Voice actors: Dee Bradley Baker, Chloey Bennett
- IMDb: 4.7/10
About Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron
Riri Williams is a black engineering prodigy who cannot relate to her peers due to age differences. She takes inspiration from the original Iron heart, Iron Man, and goes on to save her best friend, who gets kidnapped. We also get to see the cameos of other Marvel women’s gang superheroes!
Other Animated Superhero Movies
41. The Incredibles
- Director: Brad Bird
- Voice actors: Craig T Nelson, Samuel L Jackson
- IMDb: 8.0/10
About The Incredibles:
A happy family living their life in the suburbs turns out to be superheroes living undercover. This Pixar film was a super hit due to its comic timing, heartfelt emotional moments and a good plot. It even won 2 Oscars, so give it a try if you haven’t watched this gem already.
42. The Incredibles 2
- Director: Brad Bird
- Voice actors: Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter
- IMDb: 7.6/10
About The Incredibles 2:
The sequel to the superhit animated film is equally good with the familiar siblings’ banter and the caricature-style villains! Nelson shines truly in his role as Mr. Incredible. Kids will love it, and they can take back a lot of moral lessons like the values of doing good and honoring family.
43. Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms
- Director: Phil Weinstein
- Voice actors: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair
- IMDb: 6.4/10
About Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms
This animated film is taken from the famous Hellboy comics and has a live-action film. This one is set in Japan and will be a hit among Manga lovers as they see their favorite comic come to life on the screen. The only new voice actor in this one was Peri Gilpin voicing Kate.
44. Mosaic
- Director: Roy Allen Smith
- Voice actors: Anna Paquin, Kirby Morrow
- IMDb: 5.9/10
About Mosaic:
A young actress in New York gets the powers of a chameleon! The movie features an original character created by Stan Lee. This animated film is set in a museum in NY city and involves an Interpol agent and his investigation of an ancient artifact.
45. The Condor
- Director: Steven E. Gordon
- Voice actors: Wilmer Valderrama, Kathleen Barr
- IMDb: 4.7/10
About The Condor:
This movie revolves around another character Stan Lee created beside his Marvel stint. This film takes place in the same Universe as that of Mosaic. After Tony Valdez becomes newly orphaned and loses the use of his legs, he resolves to win a skateboarding competition. He uses the tech his parents left behind to do so.
46. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever
- Director: Roy Burdine
- Voice actors: Michael Sinterniklaas, Peter Laird
- IMDb: 7.6/10
About Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever
This movie will delight ninja turtles’ fans, both young and old! That is because here, the newer and grittier Ninja Turtles collab with the old classic version and fight against villains on a multi-dimensional scale.
47. Megamind
- Director: Tom McGrath
- Voice actors: Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt
- IMDb: 7.3/10
About Megamind:
This movie had an all-star cast and became so popular that it led to three sequels and even a video game! The main protagonist of this film is a brilliant supervillain from outer space who fights against his arch-rival Metro Man. This film is different than the rest as it revolves around a villain instead of a hero.
48. Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
- Director: Sam Liu
- Voice actors: Stuart Allan, Jake T Austin
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
Besides the Incredible series, this might be the only popular animated superhero film Marvel and DC did not release. Only people with prior knowledge of the teen titans universe will completely understand it, so give the first few movies a watch before picking it. There are a few gruesome details as it is targeted at the older kids.
49. Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo
- Director: Michael Chang
- Voice actors: Greg Cipes, Scott Menville
- IMDb: 7.0/10
About Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo
The superhero teens find themselves in the heart of Japan in this film. They fight two kids of contrasting villains here – a tech-savvy Saiko-Tek and the ancient Brushoman legend. The animation, the color palette, the voice acting, and the storyline stand out in this installment.
50. Teen Titans GO! to the Movies
- Director: Aaron Horvath
- Voice actors: Greg Cipes, Scott Menville
- IMDb: 6.7/10
About Teen Titans GO! to the Movies:
This teen titans movie has everything it was originally famous for -fantastic fight sequences, hooking plot lines, humor and goon animation. Even grownups will love this one as it is laden with nostalgia. It also has a little bit of Hollywood sparkle thrown into it!
*[The last three movies in this list are inspired by DC comics but are included in the Miscellaneous list as the Teen Titans franchise does not feature any of the general DC superheroes and is very different from the Justice League movies.]
Phew! That is an extensive list. Anytime you want to set the mood for taking on the world, watch these animated superhero films and get a kick of inspiration. Or you can let the kids watch it to learn some good values through the medium they love the most – cartoons on screen!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What are some of the animated superhero movies of 2022?
Ans: Animated superhero movies in 2022 are Catwoman: Hunted, Constantine: House of Mystery, Teen Titans Go & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem In The Multiverse, Green Lantern: Beware My Power and DC League of Super-Pets.
Q2: What are some of the r-rated animated superhero movies?
Ans: Some of the r-rated animated superhero movies are Ghost In The Shell (1995), Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000), Pink Floyd – The Wall (1982), Paprika (2006), Perfect Blue (1997), Batman: The Killing Joke (2016). Heavy Metal (1981), and Sausage Party (2016) among many others.
