I finally got around to watching the new version of The Toxic Avenger, and it pretty much delivered what you’d expect if you’ve seen the original. I’ll admit I’m actually not a big fan of the 1984 original because its commitment to gore outdid its sense of fun. The new one is not much different in this regard, but I found that director Macon Blair made it much more stylish, and the cast is just great.
But this got me thinking about other superhero movies that just full-on embrace the gore and violence that you don’t really see in the (obviously) more family-friendly fare that rakes in billions of dollars for Disney and DC. Some of these violent and over-the-top superhero films match what you get with something like The Toxic Avenger, and some even make it look mild in comparison.
Logan
Watch Logan on Disney+
You’re probably a little perplexed that I included Logan in a list like this, and I get it. Its gore doesn’t even come close to something like The Toxic Avenger, and that’s just a fact. But I feel like the violence in Logan is much more intentional and grounded, and thus it hits much harder. The horrifying, dystopian setting also helps, but Logan takes itself seriously—which can backfire—but it doesn’t here.
Sure, you’re not going to see exploding body parts and gore that will make you wince in a fun way, but the brutality of Logan‘s violence when it does hit left me speechless and haunted. There’s a reason it’s considered one of the best superhero movies, and I think its use of violence is a big part of that.
Super
Watch Super on Pluto TV
More casual audiences might think that James Gunn’s first foray into superhero movies was Guardians of the Galaxy, but that’s actually not the case. This is definitely a film for fans of The Toxic Avenger, as its violence is just as over-the-top. Also, the cast? Absolutely stacked. Rainn Wilson, Elliot Page, Kevin Bacon, and Liv Tyler are just a few of the A-listers who appear here.
Super wasn’t exactly well-received when it came out, but I think time has actually been kind to it. It was subverting the genre before shows like The Boys came along and changed the game for violence in mainstream superhero media. It’s definitely not Gunn’s best work, but you could see even then his love for the genre, and the comedy, at least, is distinctly him. Super is vastly underrated stuff.
Robocop
Watch Robocop on MGM+
Does Robocop really count as a superhero movie? You could really argue either way, but I think it follows the general structure of a superhero movie. A regular man has something life-changing happen to him, becomes more powerful in the process, and then helps the innocent with his newfound “powers.” Sure, that power is being a technologically advanced cop, but is that really all that different from Iron Man?
Either way, Robocop is massively over-the-top with its violence and gore, especially the director’s cut, which adds a subtle amount of the originally shot violence back into the film. Like The Toxic Avenger, a lot of the violence here is very much tongue-in-cheek and deliberately over-the-top, and I think fans of both definitely have some overlap. Plus, it’s still just as relevant as any sci-fi movie coming out in 2025.
Kick-Ass
Watch Kick-Ass on Hulu
I wouldn’t necessarily say that Kick-Ass makes something like The Toxic Avenger look tame in comparison, but it definitely exists on a similar wavelength as that film. It’s crass and a bit immature, and it’s really not afraid to have its characters engage in questionable violence to achieve their goals. But, like The Toxic Avenger, the comedy really keeps it from getting out of hand in a way that annoys or grates.
Kick-Ass remains one of my favorite violent superhero movies because it actually doubles as a fairly competent coming-of-age story. The sequel is a mess and doesn’t work, but the first film remains a classic. I’m sure a big part of that is due to the talents of director Matthew Vaughn, knowing when to taper things down and when to ramp them up. The sequel sorely misses those marks.
Dredd
Watch Dredd on HBO Max
As a big fan of the Dredd comics, I was overjoyed to finally get an accurate comic version in 2012 after the eye-roll-inducing 1995 Judge Dredd starring Sylvester Stallone. And Dredd delivers in a big way, thanks to its direction. Pete Travis is technically the director, though many have argued (including Dredd star Karl Urban) that much of the credit should go to screenwriter Alex Garland, who did most of the editing.
But regardless of who you credit, Dredd is a brilliantly succinct and overly-violent masterpiece that knows exactly what it wants to be. The violence served a purpose, and like Logan, I think it hits a little harder than something like The Toxic Avenger because that violence isn’t just used as a gag. We are supposedly getting a reboot from Taika Waititi, but I will forever be disappointed that we didn’t get more films from this creative team.
Graphic violence in superhero movies has become commonplace
While Marvel sort of normalized the family-friendly PG-13 superhero movie that could appeal to a massive general audience, over-the-top violence in the genre has become much more common than it was even a decade ago. One could probably credit the Deadpool movies for this shift, and they’d be right to do so, considering the box office returns of those films. But I believe that these movies were setting the tone for something like Deadpool years before it came out.
But hey, if you’re just sick of superhero movies or looking for a show to binge, check out these detective series that can easily be finished during a free weekend.
