Best Superhero Films on KLM Flights (August 2026): Critic-Ranked
Best Superhero Films on KLM Flights — August 2026
Wakanda is fully on KLM. Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) have both landed on the August catalog at the same time — a genuine franchise-completion moment, and the single biggest superhero-catalog story of the month. Black Panther isn't just the headline arrival, either: at 92% combined critic score, it's the highest-rated superhero film on the aircraft right now, ahead of longtime leaders Logan and Wonder Woman. Alongside the duology, August carries one of the deepest simultaneous superhero lineups KLM has offered — James Gunn's Superman, the complete Deadpool trilogy, both Guardians trilogies (well, one full trilogy and its two sequels), Wonder Woman, and Matt Reeves's The Batman. All scores below combine Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
→ Browse the full KLM superhero catalog with critic scores — inflight.guide
Why Superhero Films Work at 35,000 Feet
The genre's best entries — Black Panther, Logan, Wonder Woman — are simply well-made films that happen to feature capes and costumes, and they hold attention through a full meal service without effort. The genre's weaker entries have a different, more practical use: they're loud and visually busy enough to occupy a tired passenger who doesn't want to think. August's catalog has an unusually strong top tier this month, thanks largely to the Black Panther duology's arrival, so there's less need to reach for the second category than usual.
The Best Superhero Films on KLM in August 2026
1. Black Panther (2018) — 92%
Runtime: 2 hr 15 min | RT Score: 96% | Metacritic: 88/100
Ryan Coogler's Black Panther is the highest-rated superhero film in KLM's entire August catalog, and it isn't close. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa returns to Wakanda to claim the throne, only to face a challenger in Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger — one of the MCU's few genuinely compelling antagonists, with a motivation that holds up under scrutiny. Production design, score, and supporting cast (Lupita Nyong'o, Danny Glover-adjacent gravitas from the Wakandan council) all still feel distinct from the rest of the Marvel catalog. A 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. If you watch one film on this list, this is it.
2. Logan (2017) — 85%
Runtime: 2 hr 17 min | RT Score: 93% | Metacritic: 77/100
James Mangold's farewell to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine remains the genre's most emotionally serious entry on KLM's catalog. Structured like a western, paced like a character study, and devastating by its final act — Patrick Stewart's Professor X is heartbreaking. A 93% Rotten Tomatoes score. This is the film for anyone who insists superhero movies are all the same.
3. Wonder Woman (2017) — 85%
Runtime: 2 hr 21 min | RT Score: 93% | Metacritic: 76/100
Patty Jenkins's origin story — Gal Gadot's Diana leaving Themyscira to fight in World War I, opposite Chris Pine — is still one of the most consistently entertaining superhero films of the past decade. The No Man's Land sequence remains one of the genre's great set-pieces. A 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, tied with Logan on the raw critic average.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) — 84%
Runtime: 2 hr 01 min | RT Score: 91% | Metacritic: 76/100
James Gunn's original — made before his move to DC, where he'd eventually direct this month's other headline arrival, Superman — proved the MCU formula could carry genuine character comedy. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, and a soundtrack that did as much work as the script. A 91% Rotten Tomatoes score.
5. The Batman (2022) — 79%
Runtime: 2 hr 56 min | RT Score: 85% | Metacritic: 72/100
Matt Reeves's detective-noir Batman — Robert Pattinson opposite Zoë Kravitz's Catwoman — plays closer to Zodiac than to any prior Batman film. Methodical, dark, and nearly three hours long, which makes it better suited to a long-haul sector than a short European hop. At 79% combined it's the fifth-highest-rated superhero film in this month's catalog.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) — 76%
Runtime: 2 hr 16 min | RT Score: 85% | Metacritic: 67/100
The sequel trades some of the original's energy for Peter Quill's father plotline, but Michael Rooker's Yondu still delivers the trilogy's emotional high point. Chris Pratt and Bradley Cooper carry the middle chapter.
7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) — 76% — NEW
Runtime: 2 hr 41 min | RT Score: 84% | Metacritic: 67/100
The Wakanda saga's second half, now flying alongside the original for the first time on KLM. Ryan Coogler returns to direct, with Letitia Wright and Lupita Nyong'o carrying the story forward in the aftermath of Chadwick Boseman's death — a genuinely difficult creative problem the film addresses with more grace than most productions could manage. At 2 hours 41 minutes it's the longest film on this list; pair it with the original for a full Wakanda double feature on a long-haul sector.
8. Superman (2025) — 76%
Runtime: 2 hr 09 min | RT Score: 83% | Metacritic: 68/100
James Gunn's DCU reboot is this month's other big new-arrival story, even if the Black Panther duology takes top billing. David Corenswet's Clark Kent is warmer and more hopeful than the Snyder-era interpretation, and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane is one of the better versions of the character put to screen. Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor. Not a masterpiece, but a real improvement on several recent DC entries.
9. Deadpool (2016) — 75%
Runtime: 1 hr 48 min | RT Score: 85% | Metacritic: 65/100
Ryan Reynolds's fourth-wall-breaking mercenary is still the MCU's most successfully cynical entry, and its meta-commentary on superhero-genre tropes hasn't aged as badly as some of its imitators. At 108 minutes it's also the shortest film on this list by a wide margin.
The Black Panther Duology on KLM — Now Complete
For the first time, both Black Panther films are on KLM simultaneously:
| Film | Year | Runtime | Combined Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Panther | 2018 | 2h 15m | 92% |
| Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | 2022 | 2h 41m | 76% |
Total runtime: 4 hr 56 min — long enough to cover most of a transatlantic sector with a meal service either side. It's rare for a franchise to complete itself on an airline's IFE system mid-catalog cycle rather than at launch; this is the first month both films have flown together on KLM, and it's worth prioritising if you've only seen one.
Superhero Rankings — August 2026
| Rank | Title | Year | Runtime | RT | Metacritic | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Panther | 2018 | 2h 15m | 96% | 88 | 92% |
| 2 | Logan | 2017 | 2h 17m | 93% | 77 | 85% |
| 3 | Wonder Woman | 2017 | 2h 21m | 93% | 76 | 85% |
| 4 | Guardians of the Galaxy | 2014 | 2h 01m | 91% | 76 | 84% |
| 5 | The Batman | 2022 | 2h 56m | 85% | 72 | 79% |
| 6 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | 2017 | 2h 16m | 85% | 67 | 76% |
| 7 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (new) | 2022 | 2h 41m | 84% | 67 | 76% |
| 8 | Superman | 2025 | 2h 09m | 83% | 68 | 76% |
| 9 | Deadpool | 2016 | 1h 48m | 85% | 65 | 75% |
| 10 | Deadpool 2 | 2018 | 2h 00m | 83% | 66 | 75% |
| 11 | Black Widow | 2021 | 2h 14m | 79% | 68 | 74% |
| 12 | Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 | 2023 | 2h 30m | 82% | 64 | 73% |
| 13 | Captain Marvel | 2019 | 2h 04m | 79% | 64 | 72% |
| 14 | Thor | 2011 | 1h 55m | 77% | 57 | 67% |
| 15 | Deadpool & Wolverine | 2024 | 2h 08m | 77% | 56 | 67% |
| 16 | The Wolverine | 2013 | 2h 06m | 71% | 61 | 66% |
| 17 | Joker | 2019 | 2h 02m | 68% | 59 | 64% |
| 18 | The Flash | 2023 | 2h 24m | 63% | 55 | 59% |
| 19 | Wonder Woman 1984 | 2020 | 2h 31m | 57% | 60 | 59% |
| 20 | The Marvels | 2023 | 1h 45m | 63% | 50 | 57% |
| 21 | Blade | 1998 | 2h 00m | 59% | 47 | 53% |
| 22 | Eternals | 2021 | 2h 36m | 48% | 52 | 50% |
| 23 | Captain America: Brave New World | 2025 | 1h 59m | 46% | 42 | 44% |
| 24 | Joker: Folie à Deux | 2024 | 2h 18m | 31% | 45 | 38% |
| 25 | Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom | 2023 | 2h 04m | 33% | 42 | 38% |
Scores reflect critical consensus only (Rotten Tomatoes + Metacritic, averaged). Three further titles — The Fantastic Four: First Steps (Metacritic 65, RT score not yet published), The Suicide Squad (Metacritic 72, RT score not yet published), and Birds of Prey (no critic score yet recorded) — are currently on KLM's IFE but excluded from this ranking table because they don't yet have a complete combined score in our database. Availability verified against inflight.guide as of 21 July 2026.
→ Filter all KLM superhero films by score on inflight.guide
Three More New Arrivals Without a Full Score Yet
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025): Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby lead Marvel's retro-futurist reboot of the franchise. Metacritic has it at 65/100; Rotten Tomatoes hasn't populated a score in our database yet, so it isn't included in the ranked table above.
The Suicide Squad (2021): James Gunn's R-rated do-over of the franchise, with Margot Robbie and Idris Elba. Metacritic: 72/100. Same caveat applies — no Rotten Tomatoes figure recorded yet.
Birds of Prey (2020): Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn spin-off, directed by Cathy Yan. Neither critic score is currently populated in our database. It's on the aircraft; it just isn't scored yet.
Superhero Viewing Tip
Watch the Black Panther duology in order if you're doing both — Wakanda Forever assumes you know T'Challa's arc and the political landscape the first film sets up. The Deadpool trilogy works the same way: don't start with Deadpool & Wolverine. Logan and The Batman, by contrast, need no prior viewing at all, which makes either a safer choice if you're boarding without having done any homework.
If You Liked Black Panther, Also Try...
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (76%) — the direct continuation, now flying alongside it for the first time.
- Logan (85%) — a different register entirely, but the same commitment to treating a superhero story as a real character study.
- Wonder Woman (85%) — if you want the genre's other great origin story, with a similarly strong central performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Black Panther on KLM in August 2026? Yes — both Black Panther (2018, 92% combined critic score) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022, 76%) are available simultaneously on KLM's August 2026 inflight entertainment, the first month both films have flown together.
What is the highest-rated superhero film on KLM in August 2026? Black Panther (2018), directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman, leads at 92% combined critic score (RT: 96%, Metacritic: 88) — the highest-rated superhero title in this month's catalog.
Is the new Superman movie on KLM? Yes — Superman (2025), directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Clark Kent, is available on KLM's August 2026 inflight entertainment with a combined critic score of 76% (RT: 83%, Metacritic: 68).
Does KLM have all three Deadpool films in August 2026? Yes — Deadpool (75%), Deadpool 2 (75%), and Deadpool & Wolverine (67%) are all available on KLM's August 2026 IFE catalog.
How often does KLM's superhero selection change? Monthly. This article reflects the August 2026 catalog. For current availability, visit inflight.guide.
Internal Links
- KLM Inflight Entertainment Guide
- KLM Movies August 2026 — Full Rankings
- Best New Movies on KLM August 2026