Marvel or X-Men, Spider-Man vs. Batman, Star Wars or Harry Potter: which of Hollywood’s 27 biggest movie franchises did the critics like best, according to Metacritic?

Apr 3 , 2021

Indiana Jones, Spider-Man 2, The Dark Night and Die Hard. Photo: Paramount Pictures, Sony, Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox

Over the past decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has built an expansive roster of films while raising the commercial expectations for ongoing movie series.

But extensive film franchises are nothing new, and several older series – like the film adaptations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth books – have received more positive critical acclaim on average than Marvel’s. And some are only getting better as time goes on, like the Mission: Impossible franchise which reached its critical zenith with 2018’s sixth installment Fallout.

Screenshot from video game Star Wars: Squadrons (2020). Photo: Electronic Arts

Stretching from the first James Bond film, 1962’s Dr. No, to the latest MCU and Star Wars entries, we looked at how each film in Hollywood’s biggest franchises fared on critical rating aggregator Metacritic – and compiled the series average. If you’re still on lockdown and looking for a new cinematic series to binge – this list is made for you.

Many of the franchises that made the cut have more movies on the way. This year alone sees Marvel’s Black Widow, the James Bond movie No Time to Die, and Mission: Impossible 7 arrive after long delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Keanu Reeves stars as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 3: Parabellum. Photo: Summit Entertainment

Metacritic only included franchises that had four or more films with scores on its site (so no John Wick, for instance) and it excluded horror films and animated franchises.

Here are the 27 greatest movie franchises of all time, according to critics:

27. Die Hard – 58.4 per cent

Bruce Willis in a still from Die Hard 2 (1990), directed by Renny Harlin. Photo: Twentieth Century Fox

Die Hard (1988) – 70 per cent

Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990) – 67 per cent

Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995) – 58 per cent

Live Free or Die Hard (2007) – 69 per cent

A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) – 28 per cent

26. Alien – 59.5 per cent

Sigourney Weaver in Aliens. Photo: 20th Century Fox

Alien (1979) – 83 per cent

Aliens (1986) – 84 per cent

Alien 3 (1992) – 59 per cent

Alien Resurrection (1997) – 63 per cent

Alien vs. Predator (2004) – 29 per cent

Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem (2007) – 29 per cent

Prometheus (2012) – 64 per cent

Alien: Covenant (2017) – 65 per cent

25. Jack Ryan – 59.6 per cent

The Hunt for Red October. Photo: Paramount

The Hunt for Red October (1990) – 58 per cent

Patriot Games (1992) – 64 per cent

Clear and Present Danger (1994) – 74 per cent

The Sum of All Fears (2002) – 45 per cent

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014) – 57 per cent

24. View Askewniverse – 60 per cent

Brian O’Halloran (left) and Jeff Anderson in Clerks (1994). Photo: Miramax Films

Clerks (1994) – 70 per cent

Mallrats (1995) – 41 per cent

Chasing Amy (1997) – 71 per cent

Dogma (1999) – 62 per cent

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) – 51 per cent

Clerks II (2006) – 65 per cent

23. Dirty Harry – 60.8 per cent

Actor Clint Eastwood as a detective in a scene from the film Dirty Harry directed by Don Siegel, 1971. Photo: handout

Dirty Harry (1971) – 90 per cent

Magnum Force (1973) – 58 per cent

The Enforcer (1976) – 58 per cent

Sudden Impact (1983) – 52 per cent

The Dead Pool (1988) – 46 per cent

22. Terminator – 61 per cent

This handout image shows a scene from Terminator Genisys from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions. Photo: Paramount Pictures

The Terminator (1984) – 84 per cent

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – 75 per cent

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) – 66 per cent

Terminator Salvation (2009) – 49 per cent

Terminator Genisys (2015) – 38 per cent

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) – 54 per cent

21. X-Men – 61.2 per cent

Sophie Turner (front) and Jessica Chastain in a still from X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Photo: 20th Century Fox

X-Men (2000) – 64 per cent

X2: X-Men United (2003) – 68 per cent

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) – 58 per cent

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) – 40 per cent

X-Men: First Class (2011) – 65 per cent

The Wolverine (2013) – 61 per cent

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) – 75 per cent

Deadpool (2016) – 65 per cent

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) – 52 per cent

Logan (2017) – 77 per cent

Deadpool 2 (2018) – 66 per cent

Dark Phoenix (2019) – 43 per cent

20. Barbershop – 61.3 per cent

Barbershop (2002) – 66 per cent

Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) – 59 per cent

Beauty Shop (2005) – 53 per cent

Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) – 67 per cent

19. Rocky – 61.7 per cent

Rocky (1976) – 70 per cent

Rocky II (1979) – 61 per cent

Rocky III (1982) – 57 per cent

Rocky IV (1985) – 40 per cent

Rocky V (1990) – 55 per cent

Rocky Balboa (2006) – 63 per cent

Creed (2015) – 82 per cent

Creed II (2018) – 66 per cent

18. James Bond – 62.1 per cent

Roger Moore in a still from Octopussy (1983). Photo: MGM

Dr. No (1962) – 78 per cent

From Russia With Love (1963) – 85 per cent

Goldfinger (1964) – 87 per cent

Thunderball (1965) – 64 per cent

Casino Royale (1967) – 48 per cent

You Only Live Twice (1967) – 61 per cent

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – 61 per cent

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – 59 per cent

Live and Let Die (1973) – 55 per cent

Bond girl Jane Seymour and Roger Moore in Live and Let Die. Photo: SCMP

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) – 43 per cent

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – 55 per cent

Moonraker (1979) – 66 per cent

For Your Eyes Only (1981) – 54 per cent

Octopussy (1983) – 63 per cent

Never Say Never Again (1983) – 68 per cent

A View to a Kill (1985) – 40 per cent

The Living Daylights (1987) – 60 per cent

Licence to Kill (1989) – 58 per cent

GoldenEye (1995) – 65 per cent

Pierce Brosnan, as James Bond, and Michelle Yeoh, as Bond-girl, Wai Lin, in a scene from the James Bond 1997 movie Tomorrow Never Dies. Photo: AP/BMW

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – 52 per cent

The World Is Not Enough (1999) – 57 per cent

Die Another Day (2002) – 56 per cent

Casino Royale (2006) – 80 per cent

Quantum of Solace (2008) – 58 per cent

Skyfall (2012) – 81 per cent

Spectre (2015) – 60 per cent

17. Batman – 62.3 per cent

Batman (1966) – 71 per cent

Batman (1989) – 69 per cent

Batman Returns (1992) – 68 per cent

Batman Forever (1995) – 51 per cent

Batman and Robin (1997) – 28 per cent

Batman Begins (2005) – 70 per cent

The Dark Knight (2008) – 82 per cent

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) – 78 per cent

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – 44 per cent

16 (tie). Hannibal Lecter – 62.4 per cent

Actor Edward Norton (right) with actor Anthony Hopkins, who portrays Dr Hannibal Lecter, in a scene from Red Dragon, the prequel to the Hannibal Lecter trilogy. Photo: Reuters

Manhunter (1986) – 75 per cent

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – 85 per cent

Hannibal (2001) – 57 per cent

Red Dragon (2002) – 60 per cent

Hannibal Rising (2007) – 35 per cent

16 (tie). Planet of the Apes – 62.4 per cent

A still from Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), directed by Don Taylor. Photo: National Screen Service

Planet of the Apes (1968) – 79 per cent

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) – 46 per cent

Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) – 69 per cent

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) – 49 per cent

Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) – 40 per cent

Planet of the Apes (2001) – 50 per cent

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) – 68 per cent

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) – 79 per cent

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) – 82 per cent

14. Star Trek – 62.5 per cent

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) – 48 per cent

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – 66 per cent

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) – 56 per cent

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – 71 per cent

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) – 43 per cent

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) – 65 per cent

Star Trek Generations (1994) – 55 per cent

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – 71 per cent

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – 64 per cent

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – 51 per cent

Star Trek (2009) – 82 per cent

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) – 72 per cent

Star Trek Beyond (2016) – 68 per cent

13. Millennium Series – 63.2 per cent

A still of Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). Photo: Columbia Tristar

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009) – 76 per cent

The Girl Who Played with Fire (2010) – 66 per cent

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2010) – 60 per cent

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – 71 per cent

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2019) – 43 per cent

12. Ocean’s Eleven – 63.8 per cent

George Clooney in a scene from Ocean’s Eleven. Photo: SCMPOST

Ocean’s Eleven (2001) – 74 per cent

Ocean’s Twelve (2004) – 58 per cent

Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) – 62 per cent

Ocean’s 8 (2018) – 61 per cent

11. The Muppets – 62.5 per cent

Kermit the Frog at the White House complex, before a screening of Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted movie in 2014. Photo: AP

The Muppet Movie (1979) – 74 per cent

The Great Muppet Caper (1981) – 70 per cent

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) – 64 per cent

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – 64 per cent

Muppet Treasure Island (1996) – 64 per cent

Muppets from Space (1999) – 53 per cent

The Muppets (2011) – 75 per cent

Muppets Most Wanted (2014) – 61 per cent

10 (tie). Spider-Man – 68 per cent

Spider-Man (2002) – 73 per cent

Spider-Man 2 (2004) – 83 per cent

Spider-Man 3 (2007) – 59 per cent

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) – 66 per cent

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) – 53 per cent

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – 73 per cent

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) – 69 per cent

10 (tie). Indiana Jones – 68.0 per cent

Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw in Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom. Paramount Pictures/IMDb

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – 85 per cent

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) – 57 per cent

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – 65 per cent

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) – 65 per cent

8. Star Wars – 68.1 per cent

The game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is set before Luke Skywalker arrives to destroy the Death Star. Shown is Jedi Cal Kestis on a zip line. Photo: Lucasfilm/Respawn/Electronic Arts/TNS

Star Wars (1977) – 90 per cent

The Empire Strikes Back (1980) – 82 per cent

Return of the Jedi (1983) – 58 per cent

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – 51 per cent

Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) – 54 per cent

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – 68 per cent

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – 81 per cent

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) – 65 per cent

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) – 85 per cent

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) – 62 per cent

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) – 53 per cent

7. The Hunger Games – 68.3 per cent

Jennifer Lawrence portrays Katniss Everdeen in a scene from The Hunger Games. Photo: AP

The Hunger Games (2012) – 68 per cent

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) – 76 per cent

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) – 64 per cent

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015) – 65 per cent

6. Marvel Cinematic Universe – 68.6 per cent

Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man (2008). Photo: handout

Iron Man (2008) – 79 per cent

The Incredible Hulk (2008) – 61 per cent

Iron Man 2 (2010) – 57 per cent

Thor (2011) – 57 per cent

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) – 66 per cent

Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) – 69 per cent

Iron Man 3 (2013) – 62 per cent

Thor: The Dark World (2013) – 54 per cent

Captain America as seen in the Crystal Dynamics game Avengers. Photo: Crystal Dynamics Inc/Marvel

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) – 70 per cent

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – 76 per cent

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – 66 per cent

Ant-Man (2015) – 64 per cent

Captain America: Civil War (2016) – 75 per cent

Doctor Strange (2016) – 72 per cent

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) – 67 per cent

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) – 73 per cent

Thor: Ragnarok (2017) – 74 per cent

Black Panther (2018) – 88 per cent

Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman. Photo: Marvel Studios

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) – 68 per cent

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) – 70 per cent

Captain Marvel (2019) – 64 per cent

Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 78 per cent

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) – 69 per cent

5. Bourne – 69.0 per cent

Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in The Bourne Ultimatum. Photo: Jasin Boland

The Bourne Identity (2002) – 68 per cent

The Bourne Supremacy (2004) – 73 per cent

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) – 85 per cent

The Bourne Legacy (2012) – 61 per cent

Jason Bourne (2016) – 58 per cent

4. Mission: Impossible – 69.7 per cent

Mission Impossible. Photo: Paramount Pictures

Mission: Impossible (1996) – 59 per cent

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) – 59 per cent

Mission: Impossible III (2006) – 66 per cent

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) – 73 per cent

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) – 75 per cent

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) – 86 per cent

3. Harry Potter – 70.9 per cent

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in Warner Bros. Pictures’ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Photo: Murray Close

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) – 64 per cent

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – 63 per cent

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) – 82 per cent

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) – 81 per cent

Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Photo: Warner Bros

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) – 71 per cent

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) – 78 per cent

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) – 65 per cent

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011) – 87 per cent

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (2016) – 66 per cent

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) – 52 per cent

2. Middle-earth – 76.0 per cent

Wormtongue, played by Brad Dourif, left, watches as Saruman, played by Christopher Lee, commands his legions of Uruk-hai in New Line Cinema’s, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Photo: AP

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – 92 per cent

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) – 87 per cent

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – 94 per cent

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) – 58 per cent

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) – 66 per cent

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) – 59 per cent

1. Mad Max – 77.8 per cent

Mel Gibson and Tim Burns in Mad Max (1979). Photo: Warner Bros

Mad Max (1979) – 73 per cent

The Road Warrior (1981) – 77 per cent

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) – 71 per cent

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – 90 per cent

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This article originally appeared on Business Insider

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