3 1990s Superhero Movies Every ’80s Kid Loved Before The MCU Changed Everything

If you grew up in the ’80s, you were one of the chosen few who were exposed to superhero movies before the big MCU boom. Sure, the movies might not have been inflated with continuity and grand storylines, but there was still something pure about the simplicity of a classic, straight-up story about a hero wearing a costume—usually in skin-tight spandex.

When Marvel Studios entered the picture, their comic book universe was brought to life on a massive scale. Superheroes and characters crossed over different movies and all belonged to one overarching continuity and canon. This was a great way to evolve superhero movies to the next level, but in the process, the unfortunate side effect was that the previous movies about the same Marvel heroes were abandoned and forgotten. And it’s not like the older movies became any worse. They still retained their own special qualities and could be appreciated on their own merits. The only thing that changed was that they were not considered part of the MCU. Let’s take a look at the 3 films that should still be enjoyed today.

3) Blade Proved That a Marvel Comics Movie Can Be Mainstream

Before Sony made an odd movie about Morbius, the living vampire, Blade had already stormed the big screen. With him, the dark side of Marvel and a society of vampires entered the fray. It was 1998 and there was a lot of unforgettable bass and electronic music to boot. The movie was dark, stylish, and targeted an overall older audience—not the same family-friendly entertainment that the wise-cracking MCU was after.

The Blade movie achieved surprising success, especially considering it had to stand on its own. There was no Spider-Man or Robert Dow—er, Tony Stark to save the day with a quip or two. With only a $45 million budget, the movie grossed an estimated $131 million in the box office. And that’s not where it ended. Blade spawned two sequels, completing a true franchise trilogy. What made things even more impressive was that Blade wasn’t necessarily a well-known hero from Marvel. It’s not like his comic was outselling the likes of the X-Men or Daredevil. Even more surprising, there was no ongoing Blade comic book series at the time. A Blade: Crescent City Blues one-shot came out prior to the movie, followed by another one-shot and then a new series that unfortunately only lasted three issues. Now it makes sense—Blade was out for blood—and he got it.

2) X-Men Gave a Glimpse of What the MCU Could Be

The X-Men movie arrived in theaters at the turn of the century. It was 2000, and the world had just survived the Y2K scare. While 20th Century Fox was unfortunately scared of bringing the colorfully dressed Marvel characters to the big screen, the X-Men were busy getting suited up in black leather to be taken seriously. The cast was stacked and these were superheroes who were well-known and enthusiastically supported by legions of comic book fans.

The X-Men movie was another huge commercial success. It’s reported budget clocked in at $75 million and the theaters were packed on opening day. Reports estimate that the movie ended up grossing around $296.3 million worldwide. Overall, the casting was strong and the characters were recognizable even in their silly black leather jumpsuits. The franchise would continue for years and became another hit franchise. With the new MCU X-Men reboot on the way, the lasting power of 20th Century Fox’s take can still be felt. Wolverine has been played by the same actor, and so for, rumors have circulated that roles would also be reprised for Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, and Cyclops.

1) Spider-Man 2 Became the Definitive Spidey Film For a Time

If there was one movie that reached another level, it was Spider-Man 2. Tobey Maguire returned as Peter Parker. Sam Raimi, who was known for Darkman, was back in the director’s chair. Spidey’s villain this time was Dr. Otto Octavius aka Doctor Octopus. And the story wasn’t just another good guy vs bad guy. This time, Peter was struggling with everything else in his life, too. His relationships were falling apart along with how his powers were becoming a burden. And he had to make a critical decision—what kind of person did Peter actually want to be.

That’s what made Spider-Man 2 stand out. It didn’t just give audiences bigger action scenes. It made the good ‘ol webhead feel human. The budget hit $200 million, but that was not very much compared to the incredibly $797 million estimated worldwide gross. Its opening day set the new opening day record, which was previously held by the first Spider-Man. For years, it was held up as one of the best superhero movies ever made. Then, the MCU arrived and gave audiences a completely different Spider-Man. The rest is history, as they say.

Maybe these movies were left outside the MCU, but they were never outside Marvel’s history. Before the universes connected, these heroes stood alone—and sometimes, standing alone is what makes a hero legendary. The canon may have moved on, but these movies still have one thing the multiverse can’t erase: their own place in our memories.