Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ Crowned the Best Superhero Movie of the 21st Century

Superhero movies have taken over Hollywood in the last 20 years, but one of them just got named the best of the bunch. According to a new ranking by The New York Times, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the greatest superhero movie of the 21st century.

Over 500 people in the film industry took part in this poll, including actors, directors, and critics. They were asked to pick the best movies released since the start of the year 2000. Each person had their own idea of what makes a movie “the best,” but in the end, The Dark Knight made the biggest impression.

It landed at number 28 on the list of 100, making it the highest-ranked superhero film. The only other superhero movie that made it onto the list was Black Panther, which showed up much lower at number 96.

For Nolan, this wasn’t his only win. He had five movies on the top 100 list, but The Dark Knight was his top entry. The New York Times had high praise for the film, saying: “Indifference to superheroes isn’t a prerequisite for making a great film about them. But Christopher Nolan’s allergy to comic-book logic and his infatuation with the grown-up crime movie canon (especially ‘Heat’ and ‘The Godfather’) revitalized a character still laboring to emerge from the miasma of ‘Batman & Robin.’ The second entry and high-water mark of Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ trilogy poses fruitful questions about the naïveté of its protagonist’s moral code. But the film’s greatest asset is Heath Ledger, whose staggering performance as the Joker set the bar for subsequent supervillains forever.”

When the movie came out in 2008, it changed how people looked at superhero films. Before that, a lot of comic book movies were fun, but not taken seriously. The Dark Knight brought something darker, more grounded, and more serious. It felt like a real crime thriller, not just a comic book adaptation.

Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker became legendary. His performance earned him an Oscar after he passed away, and people still talk about how intense and unforgettable it was.

Even though it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture at the 2008 Oscars, a lot of people say that snub is the reason the Academy expanded the Best Picture category the following year. Ironically, the movie that won that year, Slumdog Millionaire, didn’t even make The New York Times’ top 100 list.

The impact of The Dark Knight didn’t fade. In 2020, it was added to the U.S. National Film Registry for being, as they put it, “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” And many say it’s the film that shifted how superhero movies are made.

Before it, studios weren’t sure if comic book stories could be deep or respected. But The Dark Knight proved that these movies could be taken seriously, and still make huge money. It became a turning point.

Even though Marvel’s Iron Man, released the same year, kicked off the MCU, it was The Dark Knight that showed superhero films could be more than just action—they could be smart, emotional, and even tragic. It influenced tons of movies that came after. Some studios tried to copy its darker tone, but not all of them got it right.

A lot of filmmakers have pointed to The Dark Knight as an influence. Sam Mendes said it helped shape Skyfall. Ryan Coogler brought its lessons to Black Panther. David Ayer said it inspired parts of Suicide Squad. Even Steven Spielberg called it one of his favorite movies. Actor Timothée Chalamet has said it was the film that made him want to act.

The movie also became part of pop culture. It’s been joked about and referenced in shows like South Park, The Simpsons, and Robot Chicken. Even President Barack Obama once compared the Joker to ISIS, saying, “The gang leaders of Gotham are meeting… they were thugs, but there was a kind of order… the Joker comes in and lights the whole city on fire. [ISIS] is the Joker.”

So, more than 15 years after it came out, The Dark Knight is still making waves. Whether it’s the story, the performances, or the way it made superhero movies grow up a little, it left a huge mark. And now, thanks to The New York Times’ list, it officially has a new title: the best superhero movie of the 21st century.