Movie franchises evolved throughout the 2010s as Hollywood studios followed Kevin Feige’s lead. The success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe proved that studios could have a franchise that draws billion-dollar crowds multiple times a year. The decade’s franchises were heavily influenced by the MCU, leading to many failed attempts at shared cinematic universes (Universal’s “Dark Universe” being a prime example).
The 2010s gave rise to instantly iconic franchises like John Wick, Kingsman, and The Purge. Not only have these franchises been bolstered by direct sequels; they’ve inspired prequels and spin-offs outside the mainline canon.
10 The Expendables
Sylvester Stallone assembled a star-studded cast containing such legends as Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Arnold Schwarzenegger for The Expendables franchise (Sly’s third major franchise after the iconic Rocky and Rambo series).
The films of The Expendables franchise have provided a welcome return to the kind of old-school action movies that shot Stallone and Schwarzenegger to the top of the A-list. These movies have brought together all the genre’s most beloved stars in a sprawling musclebound ensemble.
9 Hotel Transylvania
The so-called Dark Universe proved to be a non-starter with the box office bombing of Tom Cruise’s Mummy reboot, but the 2010s did have one successful franchise spun off from the classic Universal Monsters movies.
The Adam Sandler-starring animated Hotel Transylvania movies provided a fun, fresh, delightfully quirky take on the lore in which all the monsters take a vacation to get away from it all. The voice cast is filled with Happy Madison mainstays: Sandler as Dracula, Kevin James as Frankenstein’s monster, Steve Buscemi as the Wolf Man, David Spade as the Invisible Man.
8 Sharknado
While the title makes it sound like a perfect example of one, Sharknado is actually a tongue-in-cheek satire of ridiculous made-for-TV disaster movies. It’s a self-aware take on the so-bad-it’s-good phenomenon. It’s not the smartest movie ever made, but it’s a cut above its peers.
The first Sharknado was followed by a slew of sequels with such zany subtitles as Global Swarming, Heart of Sharkness, and The 4th Awakens.
7 Has Fallen
In the decades since Die Hard hit theaters, “Die Hard in a…” has become a well-worn action subgenre unto itself. Speed is “Die Hard on a bus,” Under Siege is “Die Hard on a boat,” and the awesome Gerard Butler starring vehicle Olympus Has Fallen is “Die Hard in the White House.”
The movie has been followed by sequels with Butler back in badass mode tackling a city-wide terrorist attack (London Has Fallen) and struggling to clear his name (Angel Has Fallen). The sky is the limit with these politically charged actioners.
6 The Purge
Set during the one day a year on which all crime is legal, The Purge movies have a great horror premise as a jumping-off point. The first movie was a generic home invasion thriller, but the sequels have explored the concept in much more depth.
The sequels have looked at the dark in-universe annual tradition on a larger scale. Some of the political satire has been a little on-the-nose, but the movies have dug into the inherent classism of a “Purge” system.
5 The DC Extended Universe
After the success of Marvel Studios’ superhero-infested cinematic universe, it was only a matter of time before Warner Bros. created one with its DC Comics properties. While the DC Extended Universe hasn’t been as consistent as Marvel’s big-screen output, the great ones are really great.
The DCEU may be let down by films like Batman v Superman and the original Suicide Squad, but Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Shazam!, and The Suicide Squad all stand among the most memorable, well-crafted comic book films in recent memory.
4 The Lego Movie
When The Lego Movie was first announced, it was cynically dismissed as a feature-length computer-animated toy commercial. In the hands of Jump Street directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie proved to be much better than anybody expected. Its story and characters were surprisingly resonant.
Not every subsequent Lego Movie installment has been an instant classic like its predecessor, but the Lego Batman spin-off is one of the best Batman movies, despite being an animated spoof.
3 Kingsman
Matthew Vaughn’s movie adaptations of the Kingsman comics have won over audiences across the globe by harking back to the goofy, unabashed fun of Roger Moore-era Bond movies.
While the franchise has yet to top its mind-blowing first installment, the Kingsman films have offered a refreshing antidote to modern spy thrillers that take themselves too seriously with a gritty sensibility and no silly gadgets.
2 How To Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks’ animated adaptations of the How to Train Your Dragon books might not have made the blockbuster box office numbers of the Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda films, but they made up for it with even more critical acclaim.
Culminating in 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, this series is hailed as one of the most perfect movie trilogies ever made.
1 John Wick
Keanu Reeves’ comeback vehicle John Wick launched one of the most unlikely blockbuster franchises of the decade. What could’ve been a run-of-the-mill revenge thriller was elevated by Reeves’ star power (and commitment to the role), slick neo-noir visuals, relentlessly intense action sequences, and the uniqueness of a puppy murder as the central revenge motivation.
In the years since, John Wick has been followed by direct sequels pushing Reeves to new lengths and introducing larger and larger legions of henchmen – and both a spin-off movie and a spin-off TV series are on the way, too.
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About The Author
Ben Sherlock (3202 Articles Published)
Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, and independent filmmaker. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant, covering Mando, Melville, Mad Max, and more. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature, and has been for a while because filmmaking is expensive. In the meantime, he’s sitting on a mountain of unproduced screenplays. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop. You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time.