Superman (1978)

Superman (1978) remains the genre's defining origin story, with Christopher Reeve making audiences believe a man could fly. Its $300 million worldwide gross in 1978 more than doubled the average superhero movie's earnings at the time, and its 94% Rotten Tomatoes score eclipses the typical 71% approval rating. This film outperforms #10 The Incredibles in cultural impact, having won a Special Achievement Academy Award—a feat unmatched by any other superhero entry until 2018. Its 8.3 IMDb rating is 1.2 points higher than the genre average, and the pioneering special effects cost $55 million, equivalent to $260 million today, setting a benchmark for practical VFX that only Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy later rivaled.