The superhero genre has never been this dominant in this day and age. While its popularity has assured its resiliency through the years, its filmmaking elevated the standards in the genre for creativity and innovation. Thus, it is worth acknowledging the unsung heroes who not only achieved crafting epic shots in the movies, but also effectively translated the comic-book illustrations to the final film.
For this list, only moments showing the movie’s superheroes will be included. So, do not expect Joker here since supervillains deserve their own list. With that said, here are ten epic cinematography moments from superhero movies.
Thor: Ragnarok
Director of Photography: Javier Aguirresarobe
The Thor franchise had taken a redirection on its third movie with a lighter tone and a strong vision from Taika Waititi. This means taking the visual palette to the next level and translating the Norse mythology to its creative extremes.
From the flare-fused lair of Surtur to the colorful garbage of Sakaar, Ragnarok has its colors bursting to the screens. And DP Javier Aguirresarobe helped Waititi pull off epic moments like Valkyrie’s flashback, Thor and Hulk’s gladiator showdown, and the fireworks Grandmaster’s spaceship. But nothing comes close to the utmost epic than a supercharged Thor plunges to Hela’s men.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2
Director of Photography: Henry Braham
James Gunn is well-suited for Marvel’s cosmic adventures with the once-obscure Guardians of the Galaxy. Likewise, his visual palette is all over the place in the second volume.
Like the first film, this movie had its equal share of epic shots. Those include Rocket, Groot and Yondu’s breakout, the team’s arrival to Ego’s planet and Ayesha’s golden throne. Yet, Gunn and DP Henry Braham saved the best moment for last with a still shot from Yondu’s funeral when the rest of the Ravagers honor him. Not only is it breathtaking, it is also a touching tribute to a great character.
Unbreakable
Director of Photography: Eduardo Serra
M. Night Shyamalan’s vigilante thriller is filled with intrigue from start to finish. That is why he best implemented a grayish blue palette to let a dark truth creep out of the skin.
DP Eduardo Serra maintains this hue whenever David Dunn appears onscreen and assesses his newly developed superhuman resiliency. But it is most helpfully utilized on its twist scene, where he realized that Elijah Price orchestrated the Eastrail 177’s derailment to test Dunn’s strength. The way the crowd is blurred and how the comic-stack background is made clear is a startling revelation that will surely disturb any viewer.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Visual Effects Supervisor: Danny Dimian; CG supervisor: Michael Lasker
Animated movies also have their cinematography moments. While there is no exact equivalent of a cinematographer for animation (since live-action cinematographers also worked on animated films, like Roger Deakins), a group of animators and effects supervisors team up how to create breathtaking scenes in animated environments.
For this case in superhero movies, the most epic cinematography moment in animation belongs to a Spider-Man movie in Into the Spider-Verse. The shot where Miles Morales leaps from a building and dives down with the New York skyline on the background is an awesome testament of filmmaking innovation and the core of Spider-Man.
Black Panther
Director of Photography: Rachel Morrison
Thanks to Creed, Ryan Coogler is given the full creative implementation for Marvel’s groundbreaking superhero epic. And the creative world-building glosses on the screen with its idealistic interpretation of Wakanda and a style that brings out the titular hero’s sleekness.
While DP Rachel Morrison produced an array of memorable shots like the river procession, the ritual combat and T’Challa’s ancestral plane, she produced the movie’s most emblematic moment during T’Challa’s car chase when he jumped from one car to another elegantly. Not only is it a money shot but a hint of the glory from Marvel’s first black superhero lead.
Wonder Woman
Director of Photography: Matthew Jensen
For Wonder Woman’s first solo movie, director Patty Jenkins sets three distinct tones, which indicate the movie’s three acts. One is the brighter, crisper color palette that invokes the hidden beauty of Themyscira; the second is the grayer teal to establish the WWI setting; and the third is the extreme saturations of both hues, fitting for its over-the-top third act.
Yet, it does not detract to set up the movie’s most iconic moment. The time Diana Prince emerges from the trench and repels the bullet in slow motion is a perfectly established shot that solidifies Diana as a patriotic symbol.
Captain America: Civil War
Director of Photography: Trent Opaloch
After The Winter Soldier, Anthony and Joe Russo knew that DP Trent Opaloch would be vital for them to execute Marvel’s crossover moments, starting with Captain America: Civil War. The third Captain America elevated the stakes with Steve and his fresh set of Avengers that soon caused a rift that places them into two factions.
Among the film’s best shots are shown during its second-act airport battle scene with Spider-Man’s introduction, Ant-Man’s enlargement case and Hawkeye giving leverage for Ant-Man. However, its most epic shot came from Cap and Iron Man’s face-off, straight out of the Civil War’s front cover.
The Dark Knight
Director of Photography: Wally Pfister
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is filled with emblematic shots that represents the Caped Crusader’s rise and fate. DP Wally Pfister took full advantage of the IMAX presentation for each film to display the epic scale of each scene. And even in quiet yet absorbing shots, he presented a gravity-bound execution demanded for those scenes.
The best example of this is Batman’s shot when he is at his most vulnerable, standing above the rubble and contemplating about failing to save Rachel Dawes. It is these kind of shots that evokes the most powerful emotions that superhero movies can pull off.
Avengers: Endgame
It is no doubt that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with crowd-pleasing moments that really defy audience’s expectation over the cinema’s ability to stage grandeur superhero scenes. And this year’s crossover event for all generation tops it not in the most artistic cinematography but in the best staged fashion.
To pack nearly every ally and Avenger in the movie’s climactic faceoff against Thanos’ army is a spine-tingling moment. But that is before Captain America utters their battle cry, unleashing the Lord of the Rings battle scene of superhero battle scenes. No words can describe how epic that moment was.
Batman
Director of Photography: Roger Pratt
While Batman is known to be a dark vigilante in the comics, he has yet to make that imagery apparent prior to Tim Burton’s own take of the Dark Knight.
And thanks to Burton, audiences caught a glimpse of the true spirit of Bob Kane’s creation that will transpire future incarnations of Batman. And the emancipation is best represented on its final shot, where Batman overlooks on a rooftop at the projection of the Bat Signal over Gotham. DP Roger Pratt laid out everything exemplary about Batman: a crime-fighting vigilante with the city under his watch. Because he is Batman.
