While superhero movies are rarely hailed for their dialogue, there are iconic quotes that stand the test of time. Superhero movies exist as a twist on the typical fantasy genre, occasionally crossing over into sci-fi. However, they tend to have a larger focus on action.

Now, action is an exciting and thrilling part of making these movies connect with a broad audience, but there are a handful of superhero movies that also place a lot of emphasis on the dialogue, and as a result, they deliver some of the best lines in cinema.

10

“Everyone Keeps Telling Me How My Story’s Supposed To Go. Nah. I’m Gonna Do My Own Thing.” – Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

First up, Miles Morales is a relatively new hero in the comic book hero landscape. Having been created in 2011, Miles is a much fresher version of Spider-Man than Peter Parker, who has been swinging through the streets of New York since 1962.

However, as a Spider-Man, there are some expectations placed on the character, how he should appear, and what his story looks like. This idea is tackled head on in the animated Spider-Verse movies. And that’s where this iconic line comes in.

Miles finds out that all Spider-Men, from every reality, have some experiences in common, which serve as tethers between their characters. However, Miles chooses to reject the so-called ‘fates,’ and instead chooses to write his own story.

9

“I’ve Been At The Mercy Of Men Just Following Orders. Never Again.” – X-Men: First Class

The X-Men have a lengthy history in Marvel Comics, which has always seen these outcast heroes as a stand-in for minorities. They represent the marginalized, and help to reveal that people deserve to be accepted no matter what inherent differences they may possess.

With that, the story of Magneto is a fascinating one, as Erik Lehnsherr was once a young man in Germany during the rise of the Nazi party. During this time, he was sent to a concentration camp, and separated from his loved ones.

This is an important part of his story, and one that informs his decisions to avoid authority, and instead rely on himself and the people closest to him. This complex and vital history ultimately informs this line of dialogue, and gives it so much more weight when it’s delivered in X-Men: First Class.

8

“That’s My Secret Captain, I’m Always Angry” – The Avengers

When Bruce Banner appeared in The Avengers, the character was unrecognizable from the version seen in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. With one notable difference being the level of control he had over his transformation into the Hulk.

Banner’s transformation is triggered by anger, and when this emotion is stirred up, he typically finds himself at the mercy of the Green Goliath who shares his body. However, the MCU’s take on the character was much more level-headed, possessing a secret about how he could avoid unwanted transformations.

This also leads to one of the most iconic moments in The Avengers, when Bruce tells Cap how he keeps calm. It’s playful, and perfect for integrating this version of the character into the MCU, while also hinting at how powerful and dangerous Bruce can be.

7

“Don’t Be What They Made You” – Logan

While Bruce’s transformation came about due to his own experiments, the Fox X-Men universe features a very different character whose powers stem from involuntary experiments. Laura, aka X-23, appears in Logan for the first time, where it’s revealed that she is the biological daughter of Wolverine, created using his DNA.

Laura was made as part of a series of experiments to create mutants that the government could train and use for their own benefit. But, when Logan connected with his daughter, he was able to give her some essential advice.

Having been an experiment used by the government himself, Logan uses his last minutes on Earth to tell Laura to forge her own path. It’s touching, and it perfectly concludes the story of this iconic hero in the Fox X-Men universe.

6

“I’m Not Locked In Here With You, You’re Locked In Here With Me” – Watchmen

Watchmen is a standalone movie from DC, which attempts to depict what a world with superpowers might actually look like with flawed and broken humans having powers. While most superhero stories follow the best of the best, Watchmen shows a darker side to superpowers.

Emphasizing this point is the protagonist of the story, Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach. Rorschach is the narrator of the piece, and his ideology and beliefs inform much of the world of the story. And fascinatingly, the character possesses an intense and menacing nature that puts him more on the lines of an anti-hero.

In Watchmen, Kovacs is imprisoned for his vigilante actions, but even in these dire straits, surrounded by men he helped to put in prison, Rorschach confronts his ᴀssailants head on, challenging them to attack. It’s powerful, and perfect for the character and story as a whole.

5

“Bury Me In The Ocean, With My Ancestors That Jumped From The Ships, Because They Knew Death Was Better Than Bondage.” – Black Panther

Black Panther is perhaps one of the most important movies in the MCU. The film explores a hidden nation that possesses extraordinary technology, Wakanda, which it decides to conceal from the world to avoid unnecessary problems.

However, Wakanda’s decision to abstain from society also means that the advancements and discoveries they make do not benefit billions of people who could benefit from their incredible knowledge and expertise.

And for one lost son of Wakanda, Killmonger, this decision to hide while others suffer is reprehensible. Having lived much of his life outside of Wakanda, Killmonger develops a strong sense of morality, and he decides that it’s time for Wakanda to step out of the shadows.

The above line shows how strongly Killmonger believes in his ideology, and emphasizes the injustice that Wakanda’s abstaining is causing for people that could benefit from their help. Making him one of the most complex and intriguing MCU villains of all time.

4

“It’s Not Who I Am Underneath, But What I Do That Defines Me” – Batman Begins

Continuing with these ideological superhero quotes, Batman Begins, directed by the incredible filmmaker Christopher Nolan, and co-written with David S. Goyer, explores Batman in a way that no previous film was able to achieve.

The debut story in The Dark Knight trilogy helps to establish the hero in Gotham, and emphasizes that the character is more than a man in a mask, but a symbol. With the above line, Batman makes it clear that this isn’t about ego, but creating real change in a corrupt city.

3

“With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” – Spider-Man

One of the most iconic lines in comic book history. It may not have been written specifically for this movie, with the original line going back to Stan Lee’s writings from the character’s debut in 1962. But regardless of the origin, the line stands the test of time, and continues to resonate.

In Spider-Man, Uncle Ben delivers this line to young Peter, and it helps to shape the characters’ philosophy when it comes to being a superhero.

2

“You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain” – The Dark Knight

On a different note, back in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, there is another iconic phrase that has become a part of modern speech even beyond fans of the 2008 film that inspired it. The film continues to follow Gotham’s Dark Knight, Batman, but it also introduces the so-called White Knight, Harvey Dent.

Now, in this film, it’s Harvey who offers up this pearl of wisdom, and in a twisted turn of fate, it is also Harvey who sees these prophetic words come true in his own life. After fighting to turn the tides against crime in Gotham, Harvey ends up with his fiancée murdered by a mad man, and his life preserved.

Seeing the cruelty of chance, Harvey adopts a new moniker, becoming Two-Face, and becoming an agent of chance. Harvey’s words are incredibly insightful, but that doesn’t save him from falling victim to those same words.

1

“I Am Iron Man” – Iron Man

Finally, Iron Man stands out as the foundational figure in the MCU. A hero who starts out as a selfish and bratty billionaire, goes on to see errors in his ways, and becomes one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. But this same concept is echoed in a pivotal line from the hero.

At the end of the 2008 Iron Man movie, Tony Stark attends a press conference, where he reveals to the world that he is the Iron Man. While this line initially appears to play into Tony’s naïveté, and his need for praise, the same words appear at the end of his journey in a very different context.

In Avengers: Endgame, Tony wields the Infinity Stones, allowing their power to consume and spend all of his energy, as he uses their power to rid the world of the Mad тιтan Thanos and his army. And at this moment, he uses the same declaration from his debut film, but there is no pride or vanity in this delivery.

Tony’s journey was spectacular, and having it bookended by this iconic line was the perfect way to tell his story. Further emphasizing how much a good quote in a superhero movie can resonate long after the credits roll.