Rotten Tomatoes‘ updated list of “300 Best Movies Of All Time” reveals which Marvel and DC movies have been the best reviewed, confirming why Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight continues to be so popular to this day. All live-action Batman movies have played a key role in the superhero movie genre’s success. From Adam West’s in 1966 Batman to Robert Pattinson’s in The Batman and the yet-to-be-cast Caped Crusader in the DCU’s The Brave and the Bold, every live-action Batman movie actor brings with him a new take on the hero, yet all of them only make Batman more popular.

In Rotten Tomatoes‘ “300 Best Movies Of All Time” list, films are ranked depending on each movie’s “Tomatometer rating with assistance from its Audience Score.” Some divisive movies may have a higher Tomatometer score than the ones above them, but the general audience’s reviews may pull them down. In other cases, audiences and critics are in complete agreement, as is the case with Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. While Marvel has taken the lead over DC in recent years, Christopher Nolan’s highest-rated movie isn’t losing its credit as the best film in DC movie history.

The Dark Knight Is DC’s Best Movie Ever According To RT

Christopher Nolan’s DC Crown Jewel Retains Its Best DC Movie Status

Rotten Tomatoes‘ “300 Best Movies Of All Time” list places Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight at #51, below Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller Psycho, the 2017 family comedy Paddington 2, and the 1995 romance Before Sunrise, and above the 1941 noir The Maltese Falcon, the 1934 romantic comedy It Happened One Night, and the 1953 thriller The Wages of War. The Dark Knight holds a Tomatometer of 94% with 347 reviews and an Audience Score of 94% with more than 250,000 ratings. And naturally, Christopher Nolan’s 2018 action thriller is Certified Fresh.

The Dark Knight Is The Second Best Superhero Movie Ever

The Dark Knight Isn’t Losing Any Ground Within The Superhero Movie Genre

According to Rotten Tomatoes‘ “300 Best Movies Of All Time” list, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best superhero movie ever, landing at the 21st spot. This might be surprising considering how Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight has commonly held that title in other lists and rankings since 2008. Still, The Dark Knight beats recent hits such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Avengers: Endgame. In fact, The Dark Knight is the only DC movie in Rotten Tomatoes‘ top 300 movies, and the only superhero film on the list released before 2012.

Had other DC movies managed to land a spot on the list, Richard Donner’s 1976 Superman: The Movie would have followed The Dark Knight with a Tomatometer rating of 94% and an Audience Score of 86%. The first DCEU movie would be next on the list, as Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman holds a 93% Tomatometer and an 83% Audience Score. David F. Sandberg’s Shazam and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad would have closed the top five, with 90% Tomatometer and 82% Audience Score for both. Then, The Lego Batman Movie and Teen Titans Go! To The Movies would have followed.

Why The Dark Knight Is DC’s Best Movie Ever

The Dark Knight Works Perfectly As A Standalone Thriller

Sixteen years after its release, The Dark Knight still ranks among the best superhero movies of all time. Despite not being part of an extensive cinematic universe or paying direct homage to previous iterations of the character, The Dark Knight made an indelible impact on the genre. In fact, it’s The Dark Knight‘s focus on its premise and characters over the genre’s tropes that make it stand out. Christopher Nolan prioritizes Batman’s conflicted detective persona rather than his vigilante antics, and prioritizes Joker’s anarchic philosophy over the villain’s more eccentric aspects.

The Dark Knight wouldn’t be as timeless without Heath Ledger’s performance, Hans Zimmer’s score, and Wally Pfister’s cinematography. Each of these elements was essential to The Dark Knight‘s success on their own, but created a modern classic when combined. Ensuring that everything worked together was Christopher Nolan, whose grounded vision of Batman proved to be revolutionary in Batman Begins, but was taken to the next level in The Dark Knight. With a bold approach and a talented cast and crew, The Dark Knight divided superhero movie history into two and left the bar high for all following comic book adaptations.