Annual Guide · Updated May 2026

Best Comic Book Movies of 2012

Every comic book and superhero film released in 2012 — 5 films catalogued, ranked by audience reception, with full plot guides and streaming availability for each.

By Movies on Comics Editorial·Last updated May 2026·~6 min read
⚡ Quick Answer

5 comic book films released in 2012 are catalogued in our database. The highest-rated was The Dark Knight Rises (2012) at 8.4/10. The year included 1 MCU films, 1 DC films, and 3 films from other universes.

What happened in comic book cinema in 2012?

2012 was a watershed year. The Avengers became the third-highest-grossing film in history and proved the shared-universe model worked at the highest commercial scale. The Dark Knight Rises closed Nolan's trilogy, and The Amazing Spider-Man kicked off Sony's first reboot of Peter Parker.

The year produced 1 Marvel Cinematic Universe release (The Avengers), 1 classic DC entry (The Dark Knight Rises), and 1 Sony Spider-Verse entry (The Amazing Spider-Man). Across all universes, 5 films are catalogued in our database for 2012.

The year's highest-rated film in our database is The Dark Knight Rises, directed by Christopher Nolan, with an audience rating of 8.4/10. Released by Warner Bros., it is part of the DC Classic continuity.

International superhero cinema in 2012 included Rurouni Kenshin. Independent comic-book films released the same year include Rurouni Kenshin, Dredd.

All comic book films released in 2012, ranked

1
The Dark Knight Rises
2012 · Directed by Christopher Nolan · DC Classic
★ 8.4
2
The Avengers
2012 · Directed by Joss Whedon · MCU
★ 8.0
3
Rurouni Kenshin
2012 · Directed by Keishi Otomo · Independent
★ 7.7
4
Dredd
2012 · Directed by Pete Travis · Independent
★ 7.1
5
The Amazing Spider-Man
2012 · Directed by Marc Webb · Sony Spider-Verse
★ 6.9

Browse other years

Related guides