Who Are the Most Famous Superheroes in 2023?

The rise of superhero movies, particularly the offerings from Marvel and DC, have pushed certain superheroes into the cultural zeitgeist. Read on for a breakdown of the most famous superheroes based on popularity.

Spider-Man

Currently one of the most famous superheroes around the planet, Spider-Man’s place at the top of this list is a combination of a few factors, but the 5.1 million average monthly Google searches for this character put Spider-Man right at the top of popularity.

The success of the Spider-Man: No Way Home movie has very likely contributed to the recent surge in popularity, but Spider-Man is always a hot commodity in the world of comics and superhero films.

Peter Parker’s tragic rise to be a superhero makes his story seem like one that so many of us could empathize with, and his struggles with the great power and great responsibility give us mere mortals something to ponder.

Holding almost 50% of searches in the study run by the United Kingdom website Game and taking the top spot in 57 countries, Spider-Man is by far and away from the most popular.

Batman

Coming in at number two, Batman has seen sustained popularity over the years, with the outstanding Christopher Nolan films really putting the caped crusader on the map.

These films also raised the profile of the Joker, with many considering Heath Ledger’s performances that won a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor to be one of the best interpretations of the sadistic killer ever.

Speaking of the Joker, often what makes Batman so impressive is the rogues gallery he has to deal with, including other nasties such as Ra’s al Ghul, Bane, The Riddler, Catwoman (for a time at least), Killer Croc, Scarecrow, and so many others.

Batman still racks up an impressive 3.4 million average monthly Google searches, and the franchise continues to spawn many different media including the Batman series of games and serialized shows like Gotham.

Batman’s struggle is often compounded by the fact that he is just a normal guy that has to contend with supernatural or other villains, while Batman himself has to rely on his human strength and gadgets.

Superman 

Hard to go past Superman when compiling a most famous list, the iconic ‘s’, as well as superstrength, have been defining the man of steel for decades.

If that isn’t enough, Superman can also fly, has ice breath, laser eyes, is bulletproof, has super speed, super senses, and several other superpowers, although these have waxed and waned over the various iterations of Superman.

Coming in third with 2 million average monthly Google searches, Superman continues to be one of the most iconic superheroes, with massive popularity in Argentina, Indonesia, and across the globe generally.

Being one of the oldest superheroes in existence, staying power is definitely one of Superman’s strong suits, but his sheer range of superpowers combined with his early human upbringing still puts him at the forefront of many when considering superheroes.

Captain America 

The success of the Avengers series of films has catapulted Captain America up the rankings, being one of the most recognizable superhero characters of all time.

Clocking in at an impressive almost 2 million average monthly Google searches, Captain America’s iconic shield and All-American attitude have endeared him to many fans.

Spider-Man’s popularity in the United States pushes Captain America out of the top spot there, but Captain America dominates top superhero rankings in the other English-speaking countries of Canada and Australia.

Captain America’s morals and decision-making put him firmly in the camp of good, and this consistency is likely part of his popularity.

Hulk

Rounding out the list is the Hulk, not far behind Captain America at 1.9 million average monthly Google searches. These numbers need a bit of context, as the number one driver of these numbers is likely Brazil, where Hulk ranks as the top superhero.

However, this is likely heavily influenced by searches for Brazilian soccer superstar Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, whose nickname is also Hulk.

Hulk’s appearances in the wildly successful Hulk movies as well as part of the box office smash The Avengers have put Hulk in the pantheon of superheroes that not many will ever reach.

His huge green frame and anger issues are a bit off the wall when compared to many other superheroes, but his super strength is legendary in the comic universe. As his rage fuels his strength in a type of positive feedback loop, he has no upper limit on what he can do.

This actually puts him above Superman and other heavyweights such as Superman and Wonder Woman. Hulk has even been able to lift Mjolnir via absorbing Thor’s powers in  Avengers Assemble, but this is a bit of a loophole.

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