Pretty much everyone will agree that the past decade or so, especially during the 2010s, was the golden age of superhero movies. What started with the likes of Superman and Batman really grew into something consistent with the likes of Blade, X-Men, and Spider-Man in the early 2000s. That gave way to the arrival of Iron Man, which started the Marvel Cinematic Universe and since then, it doesn’t seem like a year can go by without a few superhero movies hitting theaters.

Picking the single greatest year for the genre is tough, though. 2008 saw the aforementioned start of the MCU as well as The Dark Knight, which made box office history and is still considered one of the best films ever made. 2012 gave us The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, as well as some fantastic animated releases from DC. 2018 had Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, and more, while 2019 featured Avengers: Endgame, Joker, Captain Marvel, and Spider-Man: Far From Home.

That’s tough competition for any single year to keep up with, yet it feels like 2017 manages to do just that. The year was home to great projects from both Marvel and DC, saw more releases than usual within the genre, and only really had one misfire, which was the widely panned Justice League.

Logan Was An Academy Award Nominee

The argument for 2017 as the best year for superhero films begins with one that pulled off a rare feat, especially for the time, of earning an Academy Award nomination. This wasn’t for a single performance or for the more common categories found in big-budget projects like visual effects, costuming, or production design. Logan landed an Oscar nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, which still hasn’t been matched by another superhero film.

The choice to give Wolverine his own series of spin-off movies was a mixed bag. His first movie was disliked by fans and critics and its sequel, The Wolverine, was underrated and underseen. Logan changed everything by telling a grittier, R-rated story that focused on an older Wolverine as he dealt with his own mortality and took care of a young mutant who had the same abilities as he does. The film had fantastic action, great performances, and an emotional story. Many consider it one of the best superhero movies of all time.

The MCU Put Out Three Great Movies

While Logan was the best release by Marvel in 2017, the MCU itself also put out three fantastic films that year. The franchise was gearing up toward the heavily anticipated Avengers: Infinity War, and they were hotter than ever. The first MCU release of 2017 was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the sequel to the hugely successful first installment. This was another great film in what many believe is the best MCU trilogy.

It gave us more of the characters we love, expanded the universe, and hit harder emotionally than most people expected. The reveal that Peter’s dad killed his mom, Nebula opening up to her sister, Yondu’s redemption, and more were all moments that likely had many in the audience in tears. That film was followed up a few months later by Spider-Man: Homecoming, the first solo project about Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.

Again, this was a fantastic film that some say is among the MCU’s best. Spider-Man: Homecoming perfectly showcased the high school world that Peter was in, gave us just enough of Tony Stark, and featured one of the franchise’s best twists and best villains. It was met with widespread acclaim. The last movie put out by the MCU in 2017 was Thor: Ragnarok, which didn’t have high expectations because the first two installments weren’t beloved.

However, Thor: Ragnarok ended up easily being the best of the trilogy. Taika Waititi added so much energy and life to the proceedings, it featured the perfect mix of comedy, and it’s just a fun adventure. It also led right into Avengers: Infinity War, which was the cherry on top of another fantastic film from 2017.

Wonder Woman Was One Of The Best DCEU Films

The DC side of things had a lot to offer in 2017. Although the aforementioned Justice League was a clear misfire, earlier in the year, Wonder Woman was a hit. From Patty Jenkins, the movie gave us our first feature project centered on the titular character after her introduction in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Unlike that film, Wonder Woman received strong critical acclaim and grossed over $800 million worldwide.

Wonder Woman shared a lot in common with Captain America: The First Avenger in that the story takes place in the past. The period piece combined with a fish-out-of-water story to give us a fun take on Diana Prince. The cast performed well, there are some great action scenes, and outside of the big CGI battle at the end that most people didn’t like, it was a great movie. Wonder Woman ended up with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating, which is the second best for any DC release ever.

The LEGO Batman Movie Is Fantastic

The other stellar release from DC in 2017 was The LEGO Batman Movie, which was far better than most people likely expected. As great as The LEGO Movie was in 2014, a spin-off about Batman could’ve been a mistake. However, it ended up being fantastic. The animation is gorgeous, Will Arnett is hilarious as the Caped Crusader, and the story is accurate to the character while paying respects to previous Batman projects.

Reviews for The LEGO Batman Movie were great, making it one of the best animated superhero movies ever, especially on such a large scale. Sure, it relied on bringing in villains from other franchises, but it used them well and kept the focus on Batman, Joker, and the Bat-Family. The end result was a film that scored 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and was going to spawn a sequel until Universal Pictures acquired the rights to the LEGO brand and it was canceled.

Even if other years featured bigger hits or more important films for the genre, 2017 saw the release of six tremendous superhero movies. Whether it was an origin story, the arrival of a new hero, something animated, or an exciting sequel, 2017 had a little bit of everything for superhero fans, which is part of why it’s so special.