Since the 1980s, sequels have become a Hollywood infrastructure — and public opinion on their pop-cultural and artistic value has shifted. No longer were sequels just quasi-remakes with few returning faces and significantly cheaper budgets, but events that studios could promote as highlights of their yearly slates. That’s not to say sequels gained favor overnight and outran schlock overnight (see 1983’s Jaws 3D) or that plenty of bad sequels weren’t released (1984’s Conan the Destroyer). But when you look at today’s film culture, it’s clear that franchises rule and sequels tend to make up for the vast majority of the world’s highest-grossing films, for better and worse. Still, it’s no easy task to make a hit follow-up, especially if the first film is beloved. And it’s even harder to make a sequel better than the original when the original is such an accomplishment in itself.
This summer, like all summers, new movie offerings include plenty of highly anticipated sequels: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, MaXXXine, My Spy: The Eternal City, Twisters, Deadpool & Wolverine and Alien: Romulus. To usher in summer, here are the best sequels of the past 20 years that surpassed their predecessor and moved their respective franchises forward.
15. Terrifier 2 (2022)
Damien Leone’s Terrifier 2 is the little movie that could. Almost out of nowhere, the indie slasher became a horror phenomenon and filled our nightmares with visions of Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton). The first film, Terrifier (2016) was a neat experiment in practical effects with a thin story. But Leone took the criticisms of that film as a positive and used them to create an epic slasher movie that pits Art the Clown against the ultimate final girl, Sienna (Lauren LaVera), and from characterization, lore and incredible gore, improves on the original in every way.
14. Deadpool 2 (2018)
Ryan Reynolds’ portrayal of Deadpool quickly turned the cult Marvel antihero into one of the most recognizable comic characters. David Leitch’s sequel pits the Merc With the Mouth against fan-favorite mutant Cable (Josh Brolin), who seeks to kill teenager Russell (Julian Dennison), whose destiny is a threat to the future of humanity. Deadpool teams up with X-Force member Domino (Zazie Beetz) to protect Russell in this sequel that is faster, funnier and more polished than the original, and makes greater use of Deadpool’s place among mutants.
13. Fast Five (2011)
With Fast Five, Justin Lin hit the gas on the Fast & Furious franchise and turned it from a series centered around street racing and small-time heists into a global action adventure that became as much about punching and shootouts as it did vehicles. Fast Five is simply pure fun and brings back returning castmembers from the largely disparate sequels creating one of the big screen’s biggest and most entertaining heist crews. Plus, the addition of Dwayne Johnson as Agent Hobbs put the actor’s career into the next gear, as he faces off against Vin Diesel’s Dom and Paul Walker’s Brian. While subsequent sequels would be mired in the tragedy of Walker’s death and increasingly convoluted plot retcons, Fast Five cruises on the strength of family.
12. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
While Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger was a fun, pulpy throwback, the Russo brothers firmly situated Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in the modern world and brought the beloved Winter Soldier storyline, written by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, to life. Partnered with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Captain America faces off against his old friend turned brainwashed enemy, the Winter Soldier, aka Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). The sequel took the superhero into the realm of espionage and spycraft, and offered a deeper level of character introspection as Cap struggles with both his place in the past and the present. With outstanding action sequences, including a spectacular knife fight, and a deconstruction of one of Marvel’s oldest institutions, SHIELD, The Winter Soldier remains one of the best sequels within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the narrative fallout is still paying off today.
11. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
John Wick has a problem only a few franchises are lucky enough to have, which is that all of the 2014 film’s sequels are better. Take your pick of the three sequels. Each one has outstanding action scenes, set pieces and production design that top the original. But Chapter 4 quantifies everything audiences love about this franchise, from epic samurai sword duels and overhead building shootouts to the instantly iconic stair-climb battle. Recovering from a broken body, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns just as agile and ready to fight as ever. An emotional sendoff and introduction of new characters Caine (Donnie Yen), Akira (Rina Sawayama) and Tracker (Shamier Anderson) further enhance the lore of this world and its evolution from a humble action movie that almost went straight to VOD, to an incredible saga about a search for peace in a world of unending violence.
10. Logan (2017)
As far as making sequels better than the original, there was really no way to go but up following X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). James Mangold came aboard for the sequel, The Wolverine (2013), a significant improvement, only hampered by its lack of an R-rating. Mangold was fully able to cut loose with Logan, a dystopian-set Western that sees the titular former hero, Logan (Hugh Jackman), tasked with protecting his genetically engineered daughter, Laura (Dafne Keen), who is pursued by scientists who want to use her as a weapon. A painfully raw performance from Jackman and Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier makes for a bleak yet well-earned closing chapter. Mangold shines with an R-rating, delivering the kind of brutal Wolverine violence fans of the character dreamt about for decades. But at the end of the day, as welcome as the bloodshed is, Logan gives its lead character purpose, a final mission and, rarest of all, an ending … well, at least for a while.
9. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
The Mission: Impossible franchise has delivered some amazing sequels. And Christopher McQuarrie, who took the reins of the franchise with Part 5, has been instrumental in keeping a series that began in the ’90s relevant and exciting for today’s audiences. It’s quite arguable that the fifth installment, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation (2015), is just as deserving of a spot on this list. But the sixth entry, Fallout surpasses it, just barely, by presenting Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) with an adversary worthy of both his physical and mental prowess in August Walker (Henry Cavill). With the help of his team — Luther (Ving Rhames), Benji (Simon Pegg) and Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson) — Hunt tries to stop three plutonium cores from falling into the wrong hands and launching the world into nuclear war. The plot is built around the stunts and set pieces, an ill-advised decision if this were anyone other than Cruise and McQuarrie. But the narrative holds together, while what we really came to see (the stunt spectacular) delivers shock and awe. The HALO jump and helicopter chase scenes are simply incredible, and the fact that Cruise did them himself after months of preparation is a reminder of both the magic and risk of moviemaking.
8. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Sam Raimi’s sequel to the global phenomenon Spider-Man (2002) sees the filmmaker fully cut loose, and lean into more of his trademark visual and tonal stylistic choices. Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) struggles to maintain his life as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker, while Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) tries to move on from him, and Harry Osborn (James Franco) seeks revenge on Spider-Man for the murder of his father. These personal crises are further complicated by the arrival of a new adversary, Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), suffering from his own loss. Spider-Man 2 is one of Raimi’s most personal films and, as much as it delivers on the promise of incredible action, like the train sequence, the film is very much a psychological examination of these characters. Rather than change the world into a comic book one, it positions comic characters in the real-world and forces them to deal with loss, heartbreak and hope in real terms.
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Matt Reeves took the rebooted Apes franchise and further evolved the conflict, establishing Caesar (Andy Serkis) as a Shakespearean figure, trying to hold onto an impossible peace that will inevitably lead to war. While Caesar attempts to find equal grounds with the remnants of humanity, Koba (Toby Kebbell) exacerbates the conflict, stealing arms from the humans and launching a full-on assault on their sanctuary. A human family — Malcolm (Jason Clarke), Ellie (Keri Russell) and Alexander (Kodi Smit-McPhee) — also work toward securing peace, but are likewise met with their own combatant in their leader Dreyfus (Gary Oldman). Dawn makes impressive strides in mo-cap technology, creating a fully realized world that makes empathy easier than ever, and the cast of apes are some of the most impressive characters of the 21st century.
6. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
It took 13 years, but damn did James Cameron make it worth the wait. While many conversations about the Avatar sequel turn to the incredible leaps in technology — from mo-cap to creating realistic-looking and moving digital water — the real hat-trick Cameron pulls off is the narrative. Cameron has faced his share of criticisms as a writer. But these Avatar films aren’t making the money they make simply because of impressive visuals. It’s because audiences care about and relate to the characters and stories being told. There’s a universality to The Way of Water — a story about families, mothers and fathers living up to their children’s expectations, and their children living up to theirs. It’s a story about faith and the world that surrounds us, fighting for something bigger than ourselves. And sure, it takes place on an alien world, with alien creatures, genetically modified soldiers and giant whales. But Cameron’s belief and commitment to this world and these characters allow us to believe as well.
5. Doctor Sleep (2019)
Mike Flanagan took on what seemed like an impossible task: to adapt Stephen King’s sequel to his novel The Shining and make a sequel to the Stanley Kubrick film The Shining (1980), which not only departs significantly from the book, but also isn’t well-liked by King. Yet somehow, Flanagan managed to create a film that honors both the works of King and Kubrick, and make something personal that fits neatly within his own growing canon. Decades after the events of The Shining, Dan Torrence (Ewan McGregor) is drawn back into the horrors of his past, as he must protect a young girl who also has the shining, Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), from a vampiric cult, The True Knot, led by the master manipulator, Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson). Impressive at every turn (and even more so in the Director’s Cut), Doctor Sleep is a horrifying and moving exploration of redemption, death and the old ghosts that haunt us all.
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Into the Spider-Verse (2018) was a triumph of animation and superhero stories, and made Miles Morales an A-lister beyond the comic books. Somehow, Across the Spider-Verse surpasses it by employing even more visual styles, nods to Spider-Man’s history, cultural touches and impressive character work. Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson pull out all the stops with the work of hundreds of animators to create a work of art unlike any put onscreen before. When Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) comes back into Miles’ (Shameik Moore) life, he’s pulled into the multiverse where he encounters other versions of Spider-People, like Hobie Brown (Daniel Kaluuya), Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni) and returning face Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson). But the threat of the Spot (Jason Schwartzman) on the multiverse, and Miles’ relative inexperience, pits him against the leader of the Spider Society, Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac). The sequel leaves off on a cliffhanger, leaving audiences in suspense for the third chapter.
3. Creed (2015)
Before he took on the Black Panther, Ryan Coogler revitalized the Rocky franchise, shifting perspective and delivering a stylish blend of old school and new school, bringing together longtime fans of Rocky and new fans. Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the son of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), tries to make a name for himself as a boxer and brings Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) out of seclusion to train him. Adonis fights against the pressures of his own legacy, complicating his relationship with musician Bianca (Tessa Thompson), while Rocky fights against his cancer diagnosis, putting both heroes on an emotional journey where they come to rely on each other as found family. Creed is a therapeutic experience about coming to terms with yourself, your name and what it means. It’s a perfect format for the sequel, in that the film fulfills plot points left from the previous franchise and introduces new ones with new leading characters. Creed is one of the very best passing-the-torch sequels.
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
You knew it was coming up on this list at some point. Christopher Nolan’s sequel to Batman Begins (2005) has been so thoroughly discussed and celebrated, that it’s almost easy to take it for granted. But the film truly did change the landscape, making Nolan a brand unto himself and showcasing what decades-old properties could become. More impressively, The Dark Knight showcased that a filmmaker doesn’t necessarily need to be a comic book fan to make a great comic book movie, as long as they have a vision and a great writer. In this case, that came down to Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer. Nolan approaches The Dark Knight like a crime saga of warring ideals, with Batman (Christian Bale) trying to maintain order, the Joker (Heath Ledger) reveling in planned chaos, and Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) leaving it all up to chance. While Ledger’s death will always hang over the film, his brilliant performance as the Joker remains one of the great feats of acting, which says a lot given that every central actor in this film — Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman — is firing on all cylinders. The Dark Knight reimagines these iconic characters for a new age, and the result has fundamentally changed public perception of Batman, his world and his multimedia experiences. As far as influence, The Dark Knight is the most influential sequel of the 21st century. As for the best …
1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
A significant aspect of what makes George Miller’s fourth Mad Max entry so impressive is that no one was quite expecting it to be what it was. Mad Max was a cult sci-fi character, who hadn’t been in a movie since 1985, and it seemed Miller had moved on from the character. There was certainly no expectation for Mel Gibson to reprise the role. At the time, Miller was better known by contemporary audiences for the Happy Feet and Babe movies, and among the geek crowd for his canceled Justice League film. When photos for the new entry of Mad Max were released, they featured a stark, dull landscape, a far cry from the bright, sun-soaked palette of the final film. Even the initial trailers didn’t give a strong sense of what this film was going to be. And yet, Mad Max: Fury Road rushed out of the gates opening weekend, as a grand feat of filmmaking and stunt work, and a narrative driven by and working in conjunction with the action, with generations meeting between Chaplin films and the modern, subversive action film. Furiosa (Charlize Theron) escapes from tyrant Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) along with his wife, and her journey becomes entangled with the fabled drifter Max (Tom Hardy), a survivor of the Wasteland. Fury Road feels like such a departure from the previous Mad Max films that it feels almost entirely separate, which goes to show a director is never too old to have a stylistic evolution. Not only is the franchise’s shift away from Max to center on Furiosa remarkable, but so is Miller’s world-building, which is almost always established in a state of motion. It feels as though Miller, now 79, is just getting started as Fury Road feels like the work of a younger filmmaker. But Miller remains hungry and interested in topping himself, which gives me hope that Miller’s proposed sequel, Mad Max: The Wasteland, will see him travel beyond the thrills of Fury Road.
