10 Best Superhero Movies To Watch on HBO Max After ‘Superman’

With DC Studios’ latest reboot of the Man of Steel now streaming on HBO Max, fans are once again soaring through the skies of Metropolis, debating heroes and villains, and revisiting the eternal idea of what really makes a hero. The new Superman movie helmed by James Gunn, marks a fresh chapter for DC’s cinematic universe. It is brighter, more character-focused, and leans into legacy without being weighed down by it. While reception has been mixed, it is undeniably a reset button for a franchise that seems to have been searching for its center for a while now.

But once you have watched Kal-El punch through moral dilemmas and alien threats, what next? HBO Max is becoming a hub for superhero movies, especially when it comes to DC’s sprawling and experimental catalog. The streamer offers a wide range of caped crusaders and messed-up vigilantes. Whether you’re in the mood for something classic, controversial, or completely offbeat, there is a post-Superman watch waiting for you.

Here’s a list of 10 superhero (or superhero-adjacent) movies to watch on HBO Max after Superman.

‘Blue Beetle’ (2023)

Jaime Reyes is just a regular college grad trying to reconnect with his family when a mysterious artifact known as the Scarab chooses him as its host. Suddenly, Jaime finds himself belonging to a world of high-tech armor, sentient weaponry, and corporate villainy. With the Scarab’s voice constantly in his head and his family caught in the crossfire, Jaime must do everything in his power to defeat Kord Industries and its ruthless CEO Victoria Kord.

A Coming-of-Age Superhero Origin Story

Balancing action-packed sequences with family fluff, this one stands out not just for its vibrant visuals and kinetic suit design, but also for its sincere portrayal of domestic Latino life and identity. Director Ángel Manuel Soto’s lens makes Jaime’s journey feel personal, and scenes where Jaime’s relatives rally around him are exceptionally fun. Overall, Blue Beetle didn’t dominate the box office, but it resonated with audiences.

‘Chronicle’ (2012)

Three high school friends, Andrew, Matt, and Steve, stumble upon a glowing crystal buried deep in a cave in Seattle. Days later, they start to develop telekinetic powers, which they initially treat like a game by flying, moving objects, and playing pranks, but as their abilities grow, the cracks in their friendship are visible, and they evolve from awkward teens to something far more dangerous.

When Power Meets Pain

While not technically set within the DC universe, Chronicle offers a captivating look at a superhero origin story through a rare, found-footage lens. The climax is particularly chaotic because Andrew turns into a disturbing villain. It’s like watching a person’s powers bloom in real time, with no mentor or mission or moral compass. Dane DeHaan’s performance is excellent, and the movie was a sleeper hit.

‘Logan’ (2017)

In near-future America, Logan, once the fierce Wolverine, is now a fiery, aging man hiding out near the Mexican border. Mutants are nearly extinct and Logan spends his days taking care of a deteriorating Charles Xavier, whose mind is no longer stable. When a young girl named Laura, bearing claws and rage similar to his own, enters their lives, Logan is forced into one last battle.

Violent but Soulful

James Mangold’s Logan builds towards a brutal, heartbreaking finale in the woods, where Logan must confront his legacy and mortality. It’s less a superhero movie and more a western elegy as it strips away the gloss to reveal something real. Hugh Jackman gives his most layered performance as Wolverine, while Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier is tragic and tender. Dafne Keen, as Laura, is simply unforgettable.

‘The Suicide Squad’ (2021)

In The Suicide Squad, Task Force X is back, but this time, under James Gunn’s crazy command. A new batch of expendable villains, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark, are sent to the island of Corto Maltese to destroy an alien experiment known as Project Starfish. Harley Quinn returns with her usual flair and even gets a standout arc that’s both violent and poetic.

Deranged Supervillain Spectacle

A gleeful demolition of superhero tropes, this one embraces gore, gallows humor, and genuine pathos. The direction is bold and unapologetic, with Gunn giving each character a moment to shine. Even the ones you least expect. John Cena’s Peacemaker steals scenes with his deadpan absurdity and even earns himself a standalone series after. It’s not for everyone, but for those craving something wild and weird after Superman, The Suicide Squad is a must-watch.

‘Watchmen’ (2009)

Set in an alternate 1985 where Nixon is still president, the world is on the brink of nuclear war, and masked vigilantes have been outlawed, Watchmen opens with the murder of The Comedian, a government-sanctioned antihero. His death sets off a chain of events that pulls former teammates into a conspiracy that threatens the world, and it’s possible that one of them may be orchestrating the chaos.

A Morally Complex Superhero Story

Considered unfilmable for years, the live-action film was stranded in development hell for nearly two decades. But Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s seminal novel is so visually meticulous and philosophically heavy that it makes sense. With its deliberate pacing, stylized violence, and cold tone, it is not easy to watch. But it’s also very ambitious in tackling themes of power and identity and, by the end, it redefines what “saving the world” really means.

‘Joker’ (2019)

Joker’s Arthur Fleck is a struggling clown-for-hire and aspiring standup comedian living in a decaying Gotham City. Mentally ill, isolated, and repeatedly dismissed by society, his slow unraveling is punctuated by a series of humiliations, all culminating in a violent transformation into the Joker, which in turn sparks a violent uprising steeped in dread and discomfort.

A Villain’s Origin

A bold and unsettling character study that throws conventional superhero tropes out of the window in favor of a gritty, psychological drama grounded in real-world struggles, Joker is undisputedly one of the best movies in the genre. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, his physicality, his laugh, and his vacant stares, all create a portrait of a troubled man. The movie’s not a crowd-pleaser, nor does it offer catharsis, but it is compelling down to its very core.

‘Superman’ (1978)

While modern superhero movies have pushed the genre in bold new directions, Richard Donner’s original Superman still remains a hot favorite. It traces the origin of one of the most iconic heroes, and kicks off with Kal-El being sent to Earth as an infant. He’s raised in Smallville as Clark Kent, takes his time to discover his powers, and as an adult, he becomes Superman, working undercover as a mild-mannered reporter while saving lives in secret.

It’s a Myth Made Modern

This is where it all began. Donner’s direction strikes the perfect balance between spectacle and sincerity, and Christopher Reeve’s portrayal remains definitive. Moreover, the film’s score by John Williams is legendary, and its practical effects, though dated, still carry a nostalgic charm. Superman was a box office hit, and it got multiple Academy Award nominations, setting a standard for decades of superhero storytelling.

‘Jonah Hex’ (2010)

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Jonah Hex, a disfigured bounty hunter with one foot in the supernatural, roams the American frontier haunted by visions and vengeance. He was betrayed by the villainous Quentin Turnbull, but the U.S. military offers him a chance at redemption by enlisting him to stop Turnbull’s plan to unleash a weapon of mass destruction.

A Break From Capes and Cities

Jonah Hex is a curious entry in the superhero genre, and it’s obvious with its 11% Rotten Tomatoes score. But despite being odd, it stays committed to a grim and stylised tone. Director Jimmy Hayward tries to fuse spaghetti Western aesthetics with supernatural comic lore, and while the result is uneven and the pacing feels like it’s stumbling, there is a strange charm to its apocalyptic vision that makes it worth watching after Superman.

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

In The Dark Knight, chaos settles into Gotham when the Joker begins a campaign of terror that forces Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and DA Harvey Dent to confront the justice system and the foundation of the city. As the Joker manipulates events, Dent tragically transforms into Two-Face, and Batman is pushed to make impossible choices.

Crime Story in Superhero Skin

Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie is often cited as the genre’s high watermark, and for good reason. Its tension builds relentlessly, with certain set pieces etched into cinematic memory. The themes, like sacrifice, duality, and chaos vs. control, paired with Hans Zimmer’s score, add to the mood. Of course, Heath Ledger’s Joker is mesmerizing. Overall, The Dark Night isn’t just popcorn entertainment, it is serious cinema.

‘The Batman’ (2022)

A recent entry works ideally best as a follow-up to 2025’s Superman, and fortunately, HBO Max has plenty of those. The Batman stands out. It follows a reclusive Bruce Wayne donning the cowl in his second year as Batman. When a cryptic serial killer known as the Riddler begins targeting the city’s elite, Batman must navigate a web of lies that leads back to his own family’s legacy.

Heroism Means Showing Up

With moody visuals and a slow-burning mystery that ends in a flood, both literal and emotional, this one has a lot of characteristics of a noir detective movie. Directed by Matt Reeves, the film reimagines Batman as a brooding investigator rather than a vigilante, and the shift works thanks to Robert Pattinson’s raw and introspective performance. Paul Dano’s Riddler is chilling, Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle is the perfect foil, and Michael Giacchino’s score pulses with dread.