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Superman II poster

Movies that feel likeSuperman II (1980)

Three Kryptonian criminals led by General Zod team up with Lex Luthor to conquer Earth, forcing a depowered Superman to regain his strength and stop them.

If you loved Superman II, the closest films we have are Spider-Man 2 (2004), Superman Returns (2006) and Koi... Mil Gaya (2003). All three share Superman II's cerebral and kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Thunderbolts* (2025).

πŸ… 88% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Richard Lestercerebralkineticepicromantic
10 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Standard with Ads Β· HBO Max Β· Disney Plus

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If Superman II hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Superman (1978)

Spider-Man 2 poster
Spider-Man 2
2004 Β· dir. Sam Raimi
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.5action Β· adventure Β· science fictionDisney+

The same city underneath both: New York City

The difference: 24 years apart, and the 2000s show

Peter Parker is going through a major identity crisis. Burned out from being Spider-Man, he decides to shelve his superhero alter ego, which leaves the city suffering in the wake of carnage left by the evil Doc Ock. In the meantime, Parker still can't act on his feelings for Mary Jane Watson, a girl he's loved since childhood. A certain anger begins to brew in his best friend Harry Osborn as well...

Superman Returns poster
Superman Returns
2006 Β· dir. Bryan Singer
πŸ… 72%β˜… 6.1science fiction Β· action Β· adventureMax

Both are working the same pair: saving the world, superhero

The difference: Takes it somewhere less romantic than Superman II does

Superman returns to discover his 5-year absence has allowed Lex Luthor to walk free, and that those he was closest to felt abandoned and have moved on. Luthor plots his ultimate revenge that could see millions killed and change the face of the planet forever, as well as ridding himself of the Man of Steel.

Koi... Mil Gaya poster
Koi... Mil Gaya
2003 Β· dir. Rakesh Roshan
πŸ… 80%β˜… 7.2science fiction Β· action Β· adventure

Cerebral and kinetic in the same breath

A developmentally disabled boy's life changes after he encounters an extraterrestrial being.

The Rocketeer poster
The Rocketeer
1991 Β· dir. Joe Johnston
πŸ… 73%β˜… 6.6adventure Β· science fictionDisney+

Common ground: superhero

A stunt pilot comes across a prototype jetpack that gives him the ability to fly. However, evil forces of the world also want this jetpack at any cost.

The Fantastic 4: First Steps poster
The Fantastic 4: First Steps
2025 Β· dir. Matt Shakman
β˜… 6.8science fiction Β· adventure Β· actionDisney+

One thread runs through both: saving the world

Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel's First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.

Thunderbolts* poster
Thunderbolts*
2025 Β· dir. Jake Schreier
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.1action Β· science fiction Β· adventureDisney+

Epic science fiction in both cases

After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap, seven disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.

Dune poster
Dune
1984 Β· dir. David Lynch
πŸ… 36%β˜… 6.2action Β· science fiction Β· adventure

Both lean on ideas more than on action

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

In the year 10,191, the most precious substance in the universe is the spice Melange. The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to space travel. The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe, the vast desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. Its native inhabitants, the Fremen, have long held a prophecy that a man would come, a messiah who would lead them to true freedom.

The Time Machine poster
The Time Machine
2002 Β· dir. Simon Wells
πŸ… 28%β˜… 6science fiction Β· adventure Β· action

Adventure built on momentum, twice over

Hoping to alter the events of the past, a 19th-century inventor instead travels 800,000 years into the future, where he finds mankind divided into two warring races.

X2 poster
X2
2003 Β· dir. Bryan Singer
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.4adventure Β· action Β· science fictionDisney+

Science fiction with a pulse of scale, in both cases

Professor Charles Xavier and his team of genetically gifted superheroes face a rising tide of anti-mutant sentiment led by Col. William Stryker. Storm, Wolverine and Jean Grey must join Magneto and Mystique to unhinge Stryker's scheme to exterminate all mutants.

Ra.One poster
Ra.One
2011 Β· dir. Anubhav Sinha
πŸ… 62%β˜… 5adventure Β· action Β· science fiction

Cerebral action, and it commits to that

When the titular antagonist of an action game takes on physical form, it's up to the game's less powerful protagonist to save the world.

Venom: The Last Dance poster
Venom: The Last Dance
2024 Β· dir. Kelly Marcel
πŸ… 40%β˜… 6science fiction Β· action Β· adventureNetflixDisney+

From the 2020s, and it lands the same way

Eddie and Venom are on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie's last dance.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse poster
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2023 Β· dir. Kemp Powers
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8.5animation Β· action Β· adventureMaxDisney+

The same preoccupation in both: sacrifice

The difference: Leans harder into animation than Superman II does

After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters the Spider Society, a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse's very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must set out on his own to save those he loves most.

In the mood for more cerebral?

all cerebral movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Superman II’s defining feeling.