Iron Man (2008)

Before Jon Favreau’s blockbuster film hit theaters, Robert Downey Jr. was considered by many to be a fading star past his prime, and mainstream audiences likely had little to no familiarity with the title character. After its release, everything changed. Downey — who has reprised the role of Tony Stark/Iron Man several times since — is now among the biggest moneymakers and most beloved actors in Hollywood. Moreover, the film’s mid-credits scene — in which Samuel L. Jackson cameos as Nick Fury — led to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. Regardless of its monstrous success, Iron Man fortunately is also a thoroughly entertaining ride full of sharp wit, thrilling action and (of course) a charismatic lead performance. To this day, it still stands as not only one of the best entries in the MCU but also one of the best superhero origin stories to hit the big screen.