movies have become some of the most important assets in Hollywood. For studios that have the rights to comic book stories and characters, translating them to the big screen has been generally lucrative over the past 20 years. These tentpole franchises have been some of the biggest box office earners with some of the most recognizable stars and characters leading the way.

But not all superhero movies are derived from comic books, as some of them feature original stories and characters. Just because a superhero movie comes out doesn't make it successful either, no matter what the source material was. These 6 movies may have slipped past viewers, but they are worth checking out. None of them have Avengers levels of recognition, but they are still fun for audiences.

Some people may think that their parents seem like superheroes sometimes, with the amount that they do for them. But what if you actually thought your parent was a real superhero? That's the premise of , the 2022 film by Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. The movie stars Walker Scobell as Charlie Kincaid, who discovers a set of secret headquarters in his father's basement, leading him to believe his dad might be a superhero. Owen Wilson plays his father, Jack, who gets special powers from an alien ship he encounters. Jack has been using his powers for good for years and is known by the superhero name The Guard.

Charlie and his friends help his father battle the lead villain, played by Michael Peña. The film is a lighthearted and simple family movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, and Wilson seems to be having a good time. It was released on Paramount+.

​​​​​

Another film by Joost and Schulman, came to Netflix in 2020. This is much more serious than Secret Headquarters, as it features Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Dominique Fishback as a trio who work together to stop people from getting a drug that gives them superhero powers for five minutes. A unique look at a superhero movie, Project Power also sees different superpowers for each character who uses the drug, ranging from defensive skin to emitting heatwaves, fire, or being able to grow and change in size.

The movie costars Amy Landecker, Courtney B. Vance, Machine Gun Kelly, Rodrigo Santoro, and Allen Maldonado. Project Power has insane shots and some slick action, making it an easy watch at home. Critics mildly enjoyed it, and most agreed Fishback gave the best performance, but the film didn't quite live up to its potential.

Real-life best friends Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer star in Ben Falcone's in 2021. The two play best friends who gain and use superpowers for good, while criminals, who generally have superpowers, use them for evil. Spencer plays a geneticist who comes up with a serum that provides the powers to regular people, and McCarthy is accidentally her first test subject. McCarthy gains superhuman strength while Spencer can go invisible.

The movie features multiple characters who have starred in movies with McCarthy before. Jason Bateman has a memorable turn as a supervillain known as The Crab, because he was turned into a crab. Bobby Cannavale is the main villain in the film, and Falcone has a small role as he frequently does in his collaborations with his wife. The movie is silly and has some decent laughs. While it isn't the greatest original take on superheroes, there are worse options streaming on Netflix.

Stephen and Robbie Amell have both been entrenched in superhero culture for many years, with both having roles on famous superhero TV series on The CW. Stephen played Oliver Queen in Arrow, and Robbie played Firestorm in The Flash. is a sequel to the original 2019 film, which starred Robbie as Connor Reed and Stephen as Garrett. The film is set in a world where regular people are aware of others with superhuman abilities and many use them for personal gain.

Connor lives with his sick mother, who can't control her cryokinetic powers. He gets hooked up with a criminal gang of superhumans who are known as Powers and tries to earn enough money to pay for treatment for his mother. This independent film did well enough that Netflix distributed a sequel in 2024. Part II builds off the first film and sees the two characters, having escaped their criminal pasts, dragged back into them once more. It's a sci-fi look at the superhero genre and is dark and moody with some solid action. Part II also opens up the possibility for a Part III.

Twin brothers with superpowers are pitted against one another, as one uses his powers for good and the other for evil, in . The brothers, known as Samaritan and Nemesis, have an epic battle, but both die in a fight over a power plant. While some believe Samaritan, the vigilante who used his powers for good, is still alive, no one has seen him in years. A young boy is saved by a trash collector who apparently uses powers to help him, making the boy believe that he is the vigilante.

Sylvester Stallone stars in Samaritan as the grizzled Joe Smith, the trash collector whom Javon "Wanna" Walton's Sam believes is a superhero. The film has a unique premise derived from a graphic novel of the same name. Stallone uses his stature and presence on screen to sell his role as a potentially aged superhuman. There's a decent twist at the end that means a sequel could potentially materialize.

Based on the DC comic, stars Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, aka Blue Beetle. He is a recent college grad who is bestowed an ancient relic that gives him superpowers. Blue Beetle has an exoskeleton that fuses to him and gives him superstrength and the ability to generate weapons and fly. The film costars Adrian Barraza, Susan Sarandon, George Lopez, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trijilo, Damian Alcazar, and Elpidia Carrillo.

Directed by Angel Manuel Soto, the film was released in 2023 and made $130.8 million at the box office. While it underperformed, it was a hit with critics, who enjoyed it and generally gave it positive reviews. It was also a hit with fans who streamed it on MAX, as it was the most-streamed film in the U.S. A Blue Beetle animated series is up next for the franchise.