By Julie Catherine
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has generated a lot of buzz for its incorporation of horror imagery and themes in brilliant, Sam Raimi fashion. And, despite being known largely as family-friendly films, Marvel has ventured into quite frightening territory on more than one occasion. Here is a breakdown of some of the scariest Marvel movies.
The Blade Trilogy
The entire Blade Trilogy is the perfect intersection of the horror and superhero genres. The films are equal parts bad ass and frightening, in large part due to the commanding lead performance of Wesley Snipes as the titular character. Starting with the first film’s iconic blood rave scene, the Blade movies have a number of visually striking and horrifying moments that easily makes this trilogy stand among Marvel’s scariest films.
Ghost Rider 1-2
Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider movies are wildly different from one another, but nonetheless scary in their own ways. The entire idea of Ghost Rider as a character, a man whose doomed deal with the Devil leads to a life as a vigilante with a burning skill as a head, sounds like it is straight out of a horror movie. The first Ghost Rider film features a slew of quick edits and scary images with Ghost Rider and the array of villains he faces. The sequel, titled Spirit of Vengeance, feels more raw and doesn’t look as sleek and clean as its predecessor, which adds another layer of terror.
The New Mutants
A widely overlooked movie due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Disney’s acquisition of Fox, The New Mutants is the closest thing to A Nightmare on Elm Street III: Dream Warriors the superhero genre has ever seen. Exclusively confined to the dark walls of a mental heath facility housing mutant children and adolescents, The New Mutants is an unexpectedly effective teen horror film that largely relegates the superhero-esque elements of its characters to the background.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The newest Marvel film is also the scariest in the era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sam Raimi’s horror sensibilities come through in every single scene of the Doctor Strange sequel and particularly shine in the film’s thrilling final act.