It’s 2019 and there are two things people love now more than ever: weed and superheroes.

Avengers: Endgame” — the epic concluding (kind of) chapter to the mega-successful, 10-year run of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — premieres April 26. And in states where weed is legal and supply is ample, there’s never been a better time to go to the movies high.

For those of us who like to take our movies with a dab of … well, with a dab, it’s not the worst thing in the world that comic book movies have taken over Hollywood. The color, spectacle, melodrama, special effects, and humor (both intentional and unintentional) of the superhero genre tend to provide a viscerally, if not overwhelmingly, entertaining experience for the blazed viewer.  

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 10 superhero movies most fit for watching under the hyper-sensory impact of the cannabis high, ranked by their ultimate high-watchibility. Suit up, smoke up, and enjoy!

10. ‘Punisher: War Zone’

The lowest-grossing Marvel film to date, “Punisher: War Zone” is a wacky, delightful, underrated mess of a comic book movie. Dank, neon-lit streets and alleyways, dark comic book atmosphere, R-rated shoot-’em-up action, cheesy dialogue, and delightfully bizarre performances from virtually everyone in the cast make “Punisher: War Zone” a hidden gem to pair with your favorite smoky indica on a chill Friday night at home.  

9. ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

Prior to the Technicolor space-opera phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — ushered in by effects-heavy-psych vibes of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Doctor Strange,” and “Thor: Ragnarok” — the Marvel movies weren’t necessarily the first thing you’d choose to watch while lit. “Avengers: Infinity War,” on the other hand, is a megasonic superhero team-up with plenty of pop-sci-fi action and metal-AF visuals to feast your stoned eyes and ears on.

8. ‘Watchmen

Say what you will of Zack Snyder, director of such controversial superhero flicks as “Man of Steel” and “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice;” the guy knows how to beguile one’s senses with ultra-dank comic book visuals. “Watchmen” — Snyder’s first foray into the superhero genre, based on the iconic graphic novel by stoner legend Alan Moore — is a pop-psychological adaptation that effectively brings to life some of the source material’s most beautiful comic frames. The end result is best experienced in a hazy, dreamy state.

7. ‘Aquaman

The latest, and currently most popular movie of DC’s shared universe, “Aquaman” does the best thing a modern Hollywood blockbuster can do for its audience: It uses big-budget Hollywood magic to create something we haven’t seen on the big screen before. From start to finish, “Aquaman” is almost nothing but tremendously dank CGI visuals, many of which look like the closest thing we’ll ever get to a cg-animated Grateful Dead album cover.

6. ‘Batman & Robin

OK, hear us out. We know “Batman & Robin” is supposed to be like the worst superhero movie ever. It’s most commonly known as the movie that put nipples on the batsuit. Superhero movies can get really silly really fast, and “Batman & Robin” is about as silly as they come.

But it also happens to be very lit when watched in the right state of mind. The ’90s answer to the campy Adam West Batman of the 1960s, “Batman & Robin” is an absolute clusterfuck of everything a stoner could want in a superhero movie — wicked camera angles, extravagant costumes, sweeping shots through beautifully rendered, neon-saturated models of Gotham city, and a neon-blue Arnold Schwarzenegger making bad ice puns to no end. Oh, and Uma Thurman slays as Poison Ivy, the DC Comics version of our lord and savior Mary Jane.

5. ‘Flash Gordon

This one isn’t a superhero movie in the strictest sense of the word, but it is a lavish, effects-heavy comic book campfest that no stoner should live without watching high. From the copious amounts of psychedelic space-opera imagery soaked in ’80s cheese to the fire Queen soundtrack, there’s really nothing bad you can say about “Flash Gordon” once you’ve paired it with some Skywalker OG.

4. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

If “Flash Gordon” is the sci-fi/comic book cult-classic for stoners, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is its heir apparent. The balls-to-the-wall sequel takes everything fun and entertainingly whack about the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” film, grinds it into a fine hash, and blows it out on-screen through a metaphorical pipe of kaleidoscopic cyberpunk action and candy-coated CGI dreamscapes. And like the first “Guardians,” the emotional beats and well-played character arcs are sure to make you tear up, even at your absolute stoniest.

3. ‘Thor: Ragnarok

Let’s face it — if you smoke weed, “Thor: Ragnarok” should be your favorite Marvel movie. It’s basically a live-action “He-Man” cartoon with the wit and humor of “Flight of the Conchords.” It’s the movie that finally let Chris Hemsworth fully embrace Thor’s humorous side and set Jeff Goldblum loose as, well, himself but dressed as a Power Rangers villain. It’s also got wildly trippy special effects for days and a killer synth-heavy soundtrack from Devo‘s Mark Mothersbaugh (not to mention, two heavy-metal fight scenes set to Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.”) Pair this movie with the right body-and-mind-engaging hybrid and it’ll change your life.

2. ‘Dredd’

Well on its way to becoming a cult classic, “Dredd” was overshadowed by just about every other comic book movie that came out in 2012 (“The Avengers,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” you get the picture.) But stoners across Reddit threads and message boards have already caught wise to the hazy pleasures of this mid-budget, R-rated heavy-psych action flick. The film’s plot — in which the brooding, always-helmeted Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) infiltrates a giant cyberpunk building where people are taking drugs that make reality feel like slow motion — offers ample opportunity for gorgeous stoner movie magic. It’s a winner.

1. ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse’

For our 2019 Weedmaps News Stoned Oscars, we awarded “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” the title for Trippiest Animated Film. For this list, we’re awarding it the title of Dankest Superhero Movie of All Time. One of two 2018 films (the other being Pixar’s delightful “Incredibles 2”) that proved animation is the optimal format for dank, kinetic superhero action, “Spiderverse” is a mind-melting trip through multiple dimensions of an unmistakably “comic book-y” Marvel universe. The film’s animation style — a stimulating pastiche of computer-generated (CG) imagery, comic book graphics, psychedelic street art, and more — borders on indescribable. There are plenty of great movies out there to get stoned to, but you won’t find a better high-watch than “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.”

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