This is a list of superhero films produced by American film studios by year.
DC and Marvel
List of films based on DC Comics publications List of films based on Marvel Comics publications
Independents
List of television series and films based on Archie Comics publications List of television series and films based on Boom! Studios publications List of television series and films based on Dark Horse Comics publications List of television series and films based on Harvey Comics publications List of television series and films based on IDW Publishing publications List of television series and films based on Image Comics publications List of television series and films based on Oni Press publications
Live-action Live-action feature films Year Film Publisher Director Studio Worldwide gross Notes1937The Shadow StrikesStreet & SmithLynn ShoresGrand National Films Inc.rowspan="9" Film featuring The Shadow character.1938International CrimeCharles LamontFilm featuring The Shadow character.1945Dick TracyDetroit MirrorWilliam BerkeRKO PicturesFilm featuring the character Dick Tracy.1946The Shadow Returns|rowspan="2"|Street & Smith |Phil Rosen, William Beaudine |rowspan="2"|Monogram Pictures |Part of The Shadow franchise. |- |Behind the Mask||Phil Karlson |Film featuring The Shadow character. |- |Dick Tracy vs. Cueball |Detroit Mirror |Gordon Douglas, James Anderson |RKO Pictures |Film featuring the character Dick Tracy |- |The Missing Lady''' |Street & Smith |Phil Karlson |Monogram Pictures |Part of The Shadow franchise. |- |rowspan="2"|1947 |Dick Tracy's Dilemma|rowspan="2"|Detroit Mirror |rowspan="2"|John Rawlins |rowspan="2"|RKO Pictures |Film featuring the character Dick Tracy|- |Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome|Part of the Dick Tracy franchise. |- |1956 |The Lone Ranger|rowspan="2"|WXYT (AM) |Stuart Heisler |Warner Bros. Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($1,550,000) |Film based on The Lone Ranger television series. |- |rowspan="2"|1958 |The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold|Lesley Selander ||United Artists |rowspan="6" |Sequel to The Lone Ranger. |- |Invisible Avenger |Street & Smith |James Wong Howe, Ben Parker, John Sledge |Republic Pictures |Part of The Shadow franchise. |- |rowspan="3"|1966 |Rat Pfink a Boo Boo|rowspan="6" |Original |Ray Dennis Steckler |Craddock Films
|The Wild World of Batwoman|Jerry Warren |ADPProductions |Film unrelated to the Batman franchise. |- |Doctor Satan's Robot|Various |Republic Pictures |Part of the Mysterious Doctor Satan franchise. |- |1967 |Fearless Frank|Philip Kaufman |Trans American Films
|1970 |Hercules in New York|Arthur Allan Seidelman |RAF Industries |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($300,000)
|1974 |Black Belt Jones|Robert Clouse |rowspan="2"|Warner Bros. Pictures |rowspan="2"
|rowspan="2"|1975 |Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze |Street & Smith |Michael Anderson |Film based on the pulp comic Doc Savage. |- |Dolemite| rowspan="6" |Original |D'Urville Martin |rowspan="2"|Dimension Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($12,000,000)
|1976 |The Human Tornado|Cliff Roquemore | |Sequel to Dolemite. |- | rowspan="2" |1977 |Abar, the First Black Superman|Frank Packard |Mirror Releasing |rowspan="3" |A blaxploitation film |- |Exo-Man|Richard Living |NBC
|1978 |Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park|Gordon Hessler |Hanna-Barbera, Universal Pictures (NBC) |Television film Based on the rock band Kiss, and not on pre-existing comic |- | rowspan="3" |1980 |Hero at Large|Martin Davidson |Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($15,934,737)
|Flash Gordon|King Features Syndicate |Mike Hodges |Universal Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($27,107,960) |Based on the comic strip by Alex Raymond |- |Super Fuzz| rowspan="4" |Original |Sergio Corbucci |AVCO Embassy | |An American-Italian-Spanish co-production| |- |rowspan="5"|1981 |Raiders of the Lost Ark|Steven Spielberg |Paramount Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($389.9,000,000) |Film featuring the character Indiana Jones. Part of the Indiana Jones franchise. |- |Condorman|Charles Jarrott |Walt Disney Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($4,500,000)
|The Cannonball Run|Hal Needham |rowspan="2"|20th Century Fox |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($160,000,000) |Actor Dom DeLuise plays superhero Captain Chaos. |- |Zorro, The Gay Blade|Argosy |Peter Medak |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($5.1,000,000) |Film featuring the character Zorro. |- |The Legend of the Lone Ranger|WXYT (AM) |William A. Fraker |Universal Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($12,617,845) |Film based on the Lone Ranger radio show. |- |rowspan="5"|1982 |The Beastmaster|rowspan="2"| Original |Don Coscarelli |Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($14.1,000,000)
|Tron|Steven Lisberger |Walt Disney Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($33,001,374) |- |Conan the Barbarian|Weird Tales |John Milius |Universal Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($79.1,000,000) |Film featuring the character Conan the Barbarian. |- |Swamp Thing|Vertigo/DC |Wes Craven |Embassy Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($2.5,000,000)
|Modesty Blaise|Hall Syndicate |Reza Badigi ABC | |Film based on the comic strip by Peter O'Donnell. |- |1983 |Hercules| rowspan="7" |Original |Luigi Cozzi |The Cannon Group, Inc. |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($11,000,000) |Film starring Lou Ferrigno. |- | rowspan="9" |1984 |The Toxic Avenger|Lloyd Kaufman |Troma Entertainment | style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($800,000)
|Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom|Steven Spielberg |Paramount Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($333.1,000,000) |Prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Part of the Indiana Jones franchise. |- |The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension|W. D. Richter |20th Century Fox, Sherwood Productions |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($6,254,148)
|The Brother from Another Planet|John Sayles |Cinecom |style="text-align:center |Theatrical ($4,000,000)
|Cannonball Run II|Hal Needham |Warner Bros. Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($56.3,000,000) |Dom Deluise reprises his role as superhero Captain Chaos. |- |Ghostbusters|Ivan Reitman |Columbia Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($295.2,00,000)
|Conan the Destroyer|Weird Tales |Richard Fleischer |Universal Pictures |style="text-align:center" |($31,000,000) |Sequel to Conan the Barbarian. |- |Sheena|Fiction House |John Guillermin |Columbia Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($5,778,353) |Film featuring the character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle|- |The Terminator|Original |James Cameron |Orion Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical
|rowspan="4"|1985 |Red Sonja|Oriental Stories |Richard Fleischer |Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($6.9,000,000) |Film featuring the character Red Sonja|- |The Adventures of Hercules|rowspan="2" |Original |Luigi Cozzi |The Cannon Group, Inc. | |Sequel to Hercules|- |The Last Dragon|Michael Schultz |TriStar Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($10,000,000) | Soundtrack executive produced by Berry Gordy. |- |Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins|Warren Murphy, Richard Sapir |Guy Hamilton |Orion Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($14.4,000,000) |Film based on The Destroyer novel series. |- | rowspan="4" |1986 |The Wraith| rowspan="6" |Original |Mike Marvin |New Century Vista Film Company |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($3,500,000)
|Eliminators|Peter Manoogian |Empire International Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($4,601,256)
|Captain EO|Francis Ford Coppola |Walt Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm Ltd. |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($23.7,000,000) |Film based on an attraction at Disneyland. |- |Kung Fu: The Movie|Richard Lang |Warner Bros. Television Studios | |Continuation of the television series Kung Fu|- |rowspan="5" |1987 |RoboCop|Paul Verhoeven |Orion Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($53,424,681)
|Wild Thing|Max Reid |Atlantic Entertainment Group |style="text-align:center |Theatrical ($84,000)
|Masters of the Universe|Mattel |Gary Goddard |The Cannon Group, Inc. |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($17,000,000) |Based on a toy franchise and television series of the same name |- |The Spirit|Register and Tribune Syndicate |Michael Schultz ABC | rowspan="2" |Television film The film served as a pilot for a planned TV series. |- |The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman|rowspan="2" |Original |Ray Austin |NBC |Continuation of the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. |- |1988 |Moonwalker|Various |Warner Bros. Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($67,000,000)
| rowspan="7"|1989 |The Return of Swamp Thing|Vertigo/DC |Jim Wyrnorski |Millimeter Films
|Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman|rowspan="6" |Original |Alan J. Levi |NBC | |Continuation of the television series The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman|- |The Toxic Avenger Part II| rowspan="2" |Lloyd Kaufman | rowspan="2" |Troma Entertainment | style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($792,966) |Sequel to 1984's The Toxic Avenger|- |The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie|style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($363,561) |Sequel to 1989's The Toxic Avenger Part II|- |Ghostbusters II|Ivan Reitman |Columbia Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($215.4,000,000) |Sequel to Ghostbusters. Part of the Ghostbusters franchise. |- |Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade|Steven Spielberg |Paramount Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($474.2,000,000) |Sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Part of the Indiana Jones franchise. |- |Robot Ninja|J.R. Bookwalter | |style+"text-align:center" |Theatrical ($15,000) |Film featuring Batman's Burt Ward. |- |rowspan="6"|1990 |Dick Tracy|Detroit Mirror |Warren Beatty |Touchstone Pictures |style="test-align:center" |Theatrical ($162,000,000.7) |Film based on the comic Dick Tracy|- |Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles|Mirage Studios |Steve Barron |New Line Cinema |style="text-align:center"|Theatrical ($201,965,915)
|RoboCop 2|rowspan="4"|Original |Irvin Kershner |Orion Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($45,681,173) |Sequel to a 1987 film |- |Darkman|Sam Raimi |Universal Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($48,878,502)
|Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.|Michael Herz |Troma Entertainment
|Dark Avenger|Guy Magar |CBS | |Television film; Theserved as a pilot for a planned TV series. |- |rowspan="7"|1991 |Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze|Mirage Studios |Michael Pressman |New Line Cinema |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($78,656,813) |Sequel to a 1990 film |- |Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Original |James Cameron |TriStar Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($520.9,000,000) |Sequel to The Terminator. |- |The Rocketeer|Pacific Comics |Joe Johnston |Walt Disney Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($62,000,000)
|Suburban Commando|rowspan="3"|Original |Burt Kennedy |New Line Cinema |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($8,000,000) |Film starring Hulk Hogan. |- |Knight Rider 2000|Alan J. Levi |NBC | |Film based on the television series Knight Rider|- |Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time|Sylvio Tabet |rowspan="2"|New Line Cinema |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($869,325) |Sequel to The Beastmaster|- |The Guyver|Tokuma Shoten, Kadokawa Shoten |Screaming Mad George, Steve Wang |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($3,000,000) |Film based on the manga Bio Booster Armor Guyver by Yoshiki Takaya. |- |rowspan="5"|1992 |Doctor Mordrid|rowspan="5"|Original |Albert Band, Charles Band |Full Moon Entertainment | |Direct-to-video Based on an old Doctor Strange script |- |3 Ninjas|Jon Turteltaub |Touchstone Pictures |style="text-align:center" |Theatrical ($29,000,000)