Most Popular Reluctant Hero Movies and TV Shows
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1. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
PG | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their old glory.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd
Votes: 671,840 | Gross: $474.54M
2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
PG | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness
Votes: 1,150,596 | Gross: $322.74M
3. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Three decades after the Empire's defeat, a new threat arises in the militant First Order. Defected stormtrooper Finn and the scavenger Rey are caught up in the Resistance's search for the missing Luke Skywalker.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson
Votes: 802,223 | Gross: $936.66M
4. Aquaman (2018)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Arthur Curry, the human-born heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, goes on a quest to prevent a war between the worlds of ocean and land.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson
Votes: 314,097 | Gross: $335.06M
5. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader and a bounty hunter named Boba Fett all over the galaxy
Director: Irvin Kershner | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Votes: 1,081,907 | Gross: $290.48M
6. The Matrix (1999)
R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 1,558,713 | Gross: $171.48M
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
PG-13 | 178 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 1,552,543 | Gross: $315.54M
8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
PG-13 | 164 min | Action, Thriller
Eight years after the Joker's reign of anarchy, Batman, with the help of the enigmatic Catwoman, is forced from his exile to save Gotham City from the brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman
Votes: 1,424,769 | Gross: $448.14M
9. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
PG-13 | 134 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
The second installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" series featuring the adventures of Magizoologist Newt Scamander.
Director: David Yates | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Johnny Depp
Votes: 187,012 | Gross: $159.56M
10. Willow (1988)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A reluctant young man must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh
Votes: 94,992 | Gross: $57.27M
11. Justice League (2017)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller
Votes: 347,259 | Gross: $229.02M
12. The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
When her mother disappears, Clary Fray learns that she descends from a line of warriors who protect our world from demons. She joins forces with others like her and heads into a dangerous alternate New York called the Shadow World.
Director: Harald Zwart | Stars: Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Robert Sheehan, Jemima West
Votes: 123,551 | Gross: $31.17M
13. Die Hard (1988)
R | 132 min | Action, Thriller
An NYPD officer tries to save his wife and several others taken hostage by German terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 736,825 | Gross: $83.01M
14. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
R | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz
Votes: 807,777 | Gross: $154.06M
15. Logan (2017)
R | 137 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook
Votes: 588,438 | Gross: $226.28M
16. Gods of Egypt (2016)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Mortal hero Bek teams with the god Horus in an alliance against Set, the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt's throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.
Director: Alex Proyas | Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Chadwick Boseman
Votes: 98,229 | Gross: $31.15M
17. Power Rangers (2017)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A group of high-school students, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.
Director: Dean Israelite | Stars: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin
Votes: 96,145 | Gross: $85.36M
18. The Meg (2018)
PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has ever existed - the Megalodon.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis
Votes: 127,317 | Gross: $143.01M
19. Ant-Man (2015)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, cat burglar Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Director: Peyton Reed | Stars: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly
Votes: 525,339 | Gross: $180.20M
20. Aliens (1986)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Ellen Ripley is rescued by a deep salvage team after being in hypersleep for 57 years. The moon that the Nostromo visited has been colonized, but contact is lost. This time, colonial marines have impressive firepower, but will that be enough?
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Votes: 615,625 | Gross: $85.16M
21. Shrek (2001)
PG | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back.
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson | Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow
Votes: 577,587 | Gross: $267.67M
22. Alien: Covenant (2017)
R | 122 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride
Votes: 235,123 | Gross: $74.26M
23. Man of Steel (2013)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Clark Kent is an alien who as a child was evacuated from his dying world and came to Earth, living as a normal human. But when survivors of his alien home invade Earth, he must reveal himself to the world.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane
Votes: 659,952 | Gross: $291.05M
24. Waterworld (1995)
PG-13 | 135 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land.
Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Kevin Costner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Dennis Hopper, Tina Majorino
Votes: 170,649 | Gross: $88.25M
25. The Nice Guys (2016)
R | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
In 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.
Director: Shane Black | Stars: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer
Votes: 250,499 | Gross: $36.26M
26. The Incredible Hulk (2008)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into, whenever he loses his temper.
Director: Louis Leterrier | Stars: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt
Votes: 412,426 | Gross: $134.52M
27. American Sniper (2014)
R | 133 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Navy S.E.A.L. sniper Chris Kyle's (Bradley Cooper's) pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Kyle Gallner, Cole Konis
Votes: 411,451 | Gross: $350.13M
28. Fantastic Four (2015)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe which alters their physical form in shocking ways. The four must learn to harness their new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
Director: Josh Trank | Stars: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell
Votes: 143,078 | Gross: $56.12M
29. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou
Votes: 175,685 | Gross: $39.18M
30. The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.
Director: David Yates | Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Rory J. Saper, Christian Stevens, Christoph Waltz
Votes: 154,234 | Gross: $126.64M
31. TRON (1982)
PG | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A computer hacker is abducted into the digital world and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.
Director: Steven Lisberger | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan
Votes: 107,962 | Gross: $33.00M
32. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
G | 91 min | Animation, Drama, Family
A deformed bell-ringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a gypsy dancer.
Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise | Stars: Demi Moore, Jason Alexander, Mary Kay Bergman, Corey Burton
Votes: 131,586 | Gross: $100.14M
33. Green Lantern (2011)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Reckless test pilot Hal Jordan is granted an alien ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers that inducts him into an intergalactic police force, the Green Lantern Corps.
Director: Martin Campbell | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong
Votes: 256,766 | Gross: $116.60M
34. Children of Men (2006)
R | 109 min | Drama, Thriller
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have become somehow infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
Votes: 437,905 | Gross: $35.55M
35. Blazing Saddles (1974)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Western
In order to ruin a western town, a corrupt politician appoints a black Sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary.
Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman
Votes: 118,545 | Gross: $119.50M
36. World War Z (2013)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale
Votes: 566,182 | Gross: $202.36M
37. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)
PG | 118 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
A teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan, Brandon T. Jackson
Votes: 168,345 | Gross: $88.76M
38. Warcraft (2016)
PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
As an Orc horde invades the planet Azeroth using a magic portal, a few human heroes and dissenting Orcs must attempt to stop the true evil behind this war.
Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper
Votes: 230,675 | Gross: $47.37M
39. The 5th Wave (2016)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Four waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of Earth in ruin. Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother.
Director: J Blakeson | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Matthew Zuk, Gabriela Lopez, Bailey Anne Borders
Votes: 93,086 | Gross: $34.92M
40. Jupiter Ascending (2015)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A young woman discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic nobility and must fight to protect the inhabitants of Earth from an ancient and destructive industry.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne, Sean Bean
Votes: 170,289 | Gross: $47.39M
41. Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
R | 103 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Following Kick-Ass' heroics, other citizens are inspired to become masked crusaders. But Red Mist leads his own group of evil supervillains to get revenge, kill Kick-Ass and destroy everything he stands for.
Director: Jeff Wadlow | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jim Carrey
Votes: 244,145 | Gross: $28.80M
42. Tomorrowland (2015)
PG | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.
Director: Brad Bird | Stars: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy
Votes: 164,350 | Gross: $93.44M
43. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
PG-13 | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Katniss and a team of rebels from District 13 prepare for the final battle that will decide the fate of Panem.
Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson
Votes: 261,739 | Gross: $281.72M
44. The Wolverine (2013)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Wolverine comes to Japan to meet an old friend whose life he saved years ago, and gets embroiled in a conspiracy involving yakuza and mutants.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Will Yun Lee, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima
Votes: 410,178 | Gross: $132.56M
45. Die Hard 2 (1990)
R | 124 min | Action, Thriller
John McClane attempts to avert disaster as rogue military operatives seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.
Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Bruce Willis, William Atherton, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 318,956 | Gross: $117.54M
46. Stargate (1994)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Viveca Lindfors
Votes: 168,000 | Gross: $71.57M
47. San Andreas (2015)
PG-13 | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter.
Director: Brad Peyton | Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Colton Haynes
Votes: 198,295 | Gross: $155.19M
48. Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost, reunites with Mako Mori to lead a new generation of Jaeger pilots, including rival Lambert and 15-year-old hacker Amara, against a new Kaiju threat.
Director: Steven S. DeKnight | Stars: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny, Burn Gorman
Votes: 94,760 | Gross: $59.87M
49. Road House (1989)
R | 114 min | Action, Thriller
A tough bouncer is hired to tame a dirty bar.
Director: Rowdy Herrington | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara
Votes: 57,329 | Gross: $30.05M
50. Pan (2015)
PG | 111 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Twelve-year-old orphan Peter is spirited away to the magical world of Neverland, where he finds both fun and danger, and ultimately discovers his destiny -- to become the hero who will be for ever known as Peter Pan.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Levi Miller, Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara
Votes: 57,002 | Gross: $35.09M