Ranking 10 Superhero Movies Based on How Unbelievable Their Physics Are

Superhero movies offer us a thrilling escape from reality. However, for those of us with an inclination towards the scientific, they can sometimes be a source of bemused eyebrow raising or full-blown facepalms. So, without further ado, let's indulge our inner nerd and rank 10 superhero movies based on how utterly ridiculous their physics are. Mind you, we love these films, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun at their expense.

10. Superman ( 1978)

I mean, let's start with the big one, shall we? The Man of Steel has been defying physics since 1938. From flying without any form of propulsion to his eye lasers and freeze breath, Superman's powers are as unscientific as they are awesome. And, oh, don't get us started on that time he reversed the rotation of the Earth to turn back time. Because that's how time works, right?

9. Spider-Man (2002)

Oh, Spidey, we totally love you, but your wall-crawling antics make physicists cringe. The Van der Waals forces that supposedly allow spiders to climb walls wouldn't support a human's weight – individually, they are pretty weak actually. And let's not even start on the web-swinging. The physics of pendulums just don't add up here.

8. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Remember when Magneto lifted the Golden Gate Bridge? Yeah, that was cool. Also, completely impossible. Even if we grant Magneto the ability to control metal, the forces involved in moving such a massive object without it collapsing under its own weight are staggering.

7. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Oh, Batman, even your grounded take on superhero physics is a stretch. The scene in which you repaired your spine by hanging from a rope? That's just not how spinal injuries work. And your bat-cape, while cool, could never provide enough lift for gliding across Gotham. Still, Nolan's approach to "realistic" superhero-ing is a thing of beauty in and of itself. At least he tried, right?

6. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Let's talk about Mjolnir, Thor's trusty hammer. It obeys his commands, returns to his hand after being thrown, and only the 'worthy' can lift it. But what about the physics? If it's as heavy as it's suggested (made from a dying star, no less), wouldn't it sink into the Earth? And how does it change direction in mid-air? And let's not even start with the inter-dimensional shenanigans. Our heads hurt already.

5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

This time, it's not the web-slinging we're focusing on, but Electro's powers. Manipulating electricity is cool, but the movie glosses over the fact that to generate electricity, you need a power source. Electro seems to pull electricity out of thin air, which defies the law of conservation of energy. We're not mad, just disappointed.

4. Ant-Man (2015)

Shrinking and growing at will, maintaining your strength when tiny, and somehow not causing seismic events when growing to the size of a building? Come on, Ant-Man, you're killing us here. The Pym Particle might be a fun plot device, but it throws the laws of mass and energy conservation out of the window. Just like the MCU inevitably did with, well. Common sense, I guess?

3. Black Panther (2018)

Wakanda is a technological marvel, and we absolutely love it. But Vibranium, the source of this technological wonder, is a little...questionable. It absorbs kinetic energy, which is then apparently stored and can be released at will. Also, a suit made from Vibranium nanotechnology? Let's just say the physics is more than a bit wobbly here.

2. Avengers: Infinity War ( 2018)

Thanos's Snap. Half of all life in the universe turned to dust in an instant. Aside from the metaphysical and philosophical questions this raises, the physics is utterly bewildering. For one, where does the mass go? Annihilation of such magnitude would likely result in a release of energy that, well, wouldn't be very good for the remaining half of life in the universe.

1. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Ah, Endgame. The culmination of a decade of superhero sagas. And the movie that decided to use time travel as a plot device. Not just any time travel, mind you, but a very...creative interpretation involving the quantum realm and a bunch of technobabble. And then there's the bit about changing the past without affecting the present...or something. Timey-wimey stuff indeed.