Top 10 Non-DC/Marvel Animated Superhero Movies
I made a list of the Top 25 Non-DC/Marvel Superhero Movies, but that was live action exclusive. So now let’s shine light on some animated films that fit that bill. I had to reach pretty far into the depths for some of these, as I wanted them to be movies that were superhero specific, not just featuring a superhero as a character (e.g. ‘The Lego Movie). Also a notable exclusion is Disney’s ‘Big Hero 6,’ but that is because that actually is a Marvel product.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem- As the biggest none DC/Marvel superhero team, the turtles have had their fair share of animated adventures, both on the large & small screen. 2007’s ‘TMNT’ is one I rewatched many times as a kid. Two of the 21st century TV shows have movie tie ins: ‘Turtles Forever’ & ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie.’ They also teamed up with DC for ‘Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’ But I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. ‘Mutant Mayhem’ is the best Ninja Turtles movie, whether live action or animated. It’s brilliant, my favorite movie from 2023, favorite animated movie ever, & one of my top 10 favorites.
The Incredibles- Pixar & Disney have twice brought the Incredibles to screen in 2004’s original film and the 2018 sequel. Featuring the titular family AKA the Parrs, this take on superheroes shows us how it can affect familial life, and also what it looks like when the public tires of heroes and the messes they leave/cause.
Megamind- I guess this is really more of a supervillain movie? Throughout the course of this film we see Megamind take down Metro City’s main hero Metro Man, create a new villain, and become the hero Metro City needs. Will Ferrell brilliantly voices the character with a supporting cast made up of Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, David Cross, JK Simmons, & Ben Stiller.
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie- The 2023 sequel to ‘Paw Patrol: The Movie’ sees the canine team gain superpowers from meteorite crystals that help them take down Mayor Humdinger. I admittedly haven’t seen this movie, but have seen the first and it was surprisingly good.
Astro Boy- A 2009 film (loosely) based on the Manga of the same name this film has quite an impressive ensemble. Freddie Highmore stars as Astro Boy with Nicolas Cage, Kristen Bell, Samuel L. Jackson, Matt Lucas, Eugene Levy, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Charlize Theron, Elle Fanning, Alan Tudyk, David Alan Grier, & Dee Bradley Baker filling out the cast. That quite honestly might be one of the greatest lineups assembled for a film that flopped so hard it shut down the studio making it (Imagi).
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie- Based on the series of children’s novels (that I was an avid reader of) this film has Ed Helms at the helm as Captain Underpants, an elementary school principal who is hypnotized by two of his students to become a superhero. Those two students are voiced by Kevin Hart & Thomas Middleditch, and the film also features Jordan Peele as a rival student, Kristen Schaal as a lunch lady, & Nick Kroll as the villain Professor Pee-Pee Poopypants. Yep. That’s his name.
Garfield’s Pet Force- This 2009 film was the third of a trilogy of animated Garfield movies, and the most recent Garfield film until ‘The Garfield Movie’ this year. The movie plays out more like a TV episode where all the characters are endowed with powers for a single storyline. It also randomly performed extremely well in Brazil.
Ultraman: Rising- For my fellow Americans, you may not be familiar with Ultraman. Me saying like that this blog is getting rid internationally lol. But Ultraman is one of the biggest franchises in the Eastern world and is a multi-billion dollar brand. The series often focuses on alien superheroes who fight kaiju (giant monsters, think Godzilla). The series has had many live action films and a ton of animated ones as well, with this 2024 release on Netflix being the most recent.
The Condor & Mosaic- Note that’s two separate films. ‘The Condor’ & ‘Mosaic.’ Both come directly from the mind of Stan Lee, but are not Marvel projects. The films star Wilmer Valderrama & Anna Paquin in the respective titular roles and both made direct-to-DVD releases before being shown on Cartoon Network. The films don’t have the greatest of reviews, but shoutout to Stan Lee.
Rise of the Guardians- So this movie is categorized as a fantasy action-adventure, not necessarily a superhero film. But it consists of a team of good guys with special powers recruiting a new member to take on a world-ending threat. Come on, that’s a superhero movie. The team just happens to be made up of Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), & the Sandman (no voice actor as the character is mute) with the new recruit being Jack Frost (Chris Pine) and the villain is the Boogeyman (Jude Law). Honestly, it’s an incredible idea for a film. I don’t think every movie needs a live action remake, but this is one I’d get on board with.
