Published Oct 30, 2026, 12:06 PM EDT
Eddie Possehl is a dynamic and driven writer/director with a passion for the written word and all things film, television, comics, and games. His passion for storytelling led him to establish his own production company in hopes of achieving his dreams.
His dedication to his craft has attracted renowned talent like Yuri Lowenthal to collaborate with him on his projects. As he grows and improves, Eddie is a shining example of a self-starter.
Sign in to your Collider account
While every year of the last few decades has had some important superhero movies, there are few that are as important and impactful as the likes of 2008’s lineup. Not only was the Marvel Cinematic Universe—one of the most profitable media franchises of all time—born this year, but audiences got what is known as one of the best superhero movies ever made, as well.
While it also had some flicks that were rough around the edges, 2008 was a foundational year for the superhero cinematic world. There were massive shifts in the industry because of the films released this year. This year is one for the books and it cannot be denied that without the superhero movies that released in 2008, the movie industry would not be nearly where it is currently.
Not every movie is perfect, and that is most certainly the case with Superhero Movie. Being a parody of superhero films in the vein of how Scary Movie is a parody of the horror genre, this flick is surprisingly hilarious, and pokes fun at the superhero film space in some very funny ways. Taking a lot of inspiration from Sam Raim****i’s Spider-Man, the X-Men franchise, and Batman, Superhero Movie cracks jokes that every fan of Marvel or DC Comics would enjoy.
But, as the Scary Movie series has proven, just because a project is funny, doesn’t mean it’s a good movie. Aside from the great comedy, the script is very weak—but, honestly, that’s kind of the point. Parody films typically aren’t meant to be what most would define as “good,” and are simply there to provide the viewer with a good time and be very rewatchable. That is definitely the case with Superhero Movie, and that’s allowed it to be memorable for many.
Before Will Smith was slapping Chris Rock, he was slapping bad guys around as the infamous Hancock in the cleverly titled Hancock. The quality of this movie is truly a tragedy because, for the first half of the film, it’s actually not that bad. It presents a great premise of a man given incredible powers, but having zero responsibility or accountability, given the chance to be better upon meeting someone who genuinely cares.
Hancock starts great and convinces audiences that the movie is going to be better than they’ve heard it is … until the final half of the flick. The project takes one of the biggest downfalls of the year and goes from awesome to terrible so fast that it could give viewers whiplash. What begins as a character study that is actually pretty moving, becomes a convoluted plot with a confusing and ridiculous mythology that ruins everything the plot had going for it. People still genuinely wonder to this day what on Earth happened to make such a steep downfall in quality even possible in the first place. The world may never know.
While it’s somewhat fallen to the wayside—at least in superhero cinema, that is—the Hellboy franchise is beloved by many. While the first film was well-received, it’s arguable that the second, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, is even more so. The movie is praised for how creative it is in its character designs, worldbuilding, and great humor.
There’s a lot of practicality in Hellboy II: The Golden Army as well, with Hellboy (Ron Perlman) himself being a fully practical costume. **It makes sense why this film is so beloved, given the fact that it was brought to life by legendary director Guillermo del Toro. **The performances all across the board are incredible, and make this movie such a fun watch.
Four people, four completely different ideas of what it means to have somebody in your corner. Here is who picked up, what they would ask of you, and what you would get
You want the friend who does not leave. Steve is the one who turns up at the door without being asked, who remembers what you said you were worried about, and who has never once made you audition for his attention.
You want the friend who is genuinely exhausting and completely worth it. Tony will forget your birthday, then build you something at four in the morning that you did not know you needed, and hand it over as though it were nothing.
You want the friend who replies in four seconds and apologises for it. Peter is earnest in a way that is almost unfashionable, and he will take on far more than he can carry rather than admit that he is struggling.
You want the friend who insults your shoes, fixes your phone and then quietly rearranges your entire life for the better. Shuri does not do soft reassurance, and that is the reason you would believe her when she says you are fine.
One of the most underrated MCU film is arguably the only Hulk film audiences have gotten within it: *The Incredible Hulk. *Is it a perfect movie? No, definitely not. However, The Incredible Hulk is a great example of how good movies can fall to the wayside, even if they’re in a cinematic universe like the MCU—granted, this is only the second film in it. It also has one of the best designs for Hulk (Edward Norton) in cinema.
The Incredible Hulk has a great Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde dynamic between Bruce Banner and his green alter ego.** Viewers truly feel a real push and pull between the two personalities, and it creates a great sense of tension.** It subverts traditional superhero movie tropes of heroism, and it is one of the more unique MCU movies from Phase One.
The MCU, however, began with the one and only Iron Man on May 2nd, 2008. Many would claim that one of the main reasons the MCU got to continue and grow was because of the mass success of Iron Man. This was a huge comeback for Robert Downey Jr. as an actor—after a troublesome past—and he proved that he was the same astounding performer as he’d always been prior. He brought a character arc and depth that really hadn’t been seen much before that.
The way that director Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. managed to craft an extremely flawed protagonist—a weapons manufacturer that is actively selling weapons to the enemy (unknowingly, but still profiting off war)—and still made the audience want to cheer for him and succeed. It’s not easy to write a character like that, but these two bring one of the best superhero protagonists to life with grace.
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is almost unanimously known as one of the best superhero movies ever made, and for good reason. The screenplay—written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan himself—is astounding and is studied by screenwriters everywhere. The way that the Nolan brothers question human decency and the breakdown of the corruption in the very institutions that make up society as we know it.
The biggest highlight that’s noted, though, is obviously the portrayal of the Joker by the legendary Heath Ledger. This is a groundbreaking performance that people still call back to as a generational display of acting prowess. He owns every single scene he’s in, and out-acts almost every single scene partner he has. It’s genuinely a phenomenal work of art.
The Dark Knight ](/tag/the-dark-knight/)
](/tag/action/)
](/tag/thriller/)
](/tag/superhero/)
Christopher Nolan, Bob Kane, Jonathan Nolan, David S. Goyer