No Hollywood franchise is ever truly dead. You never know, a sequel can show up three decades later. Take Top Gun: Maverick (2022), for example. Tom Cruise returned after 36 years with a sequel to “Top Gun.”
Movie Insiderz is here with a list of the top six franchise reboots or sequels that actually worked and got better with time. This list features successful sequels with notable rankings.
Franchise reboots or sequels that actually worked
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Directed by George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is a separate timeline, but with the events of the original trilogy still making connections. The film gained a massive 97 percent Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score and several Oscar nominations. It won prizes for costume design, production design, makeup and hairstyling, film editing, sound design, and editing.
Without feeling the need to revisit the originals, the director ensured a soft reboot where new audiences can jump into a new story, but with an overarching story.
It was the director’s genius plan to lure the viewers right from the trailer into Max’s return, but when they left the cinemas, they were raving more about Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. Miller successfully introduced a new female action icon, for which 2023’s prequel movie “Furiosa” also made waves.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
As we mentioned earlier, the wait of 36 years was worth it since Cruise returned as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, assigned to train a new generation of Top Gun pilots. The film is a sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun,” whose director then was Tony Scott.
2022’s film was directed by Joseph Kosinski, which gained a 96 percent RT critics’ score. Cruise’s Maverick had to deal with a late friend’s son, showing the relationship dynamics while training for the glorified US Military recruitment.
Empire Online reviewed it as:
“Kosinski and co deliver all the Top Gun feels and then some: slick visuals, crew camaraderie, thrilling aerial action, a surprising emotional wallop and, in Tom Cruise, a magnetic movie-star performance as comforting as an old leather jacket.” [Source]
Scream (2022)
The directors, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, understood the task, shunned the genre cliches of contemporary horror, and brought something fresh after 11 years of Scream 4.
After 25 years, a new Ghostface emerges in the town who now targets a group of high school students. Tara Carpenter is in trouble, but her estranged sister and her boyfriend come back to help her.
They take the help of the town’s sheriff to unveil the new killer. Considering it to be a ‘requel’ (combination of reboot and sequel), people found it funny and ferocious; however, they were expecting it to be a little scarier. That’s why it only gained a 76 percent RT critics’ score.
Superman (2025)
It was James Gunn’s reboot of Superman after he was appointed, to co-chair with Peter Safran in 2022 the new division of Warner Bros. The franchise changed after years of box office flops, as Superman (2025) was the seventh solo movie about the iconic superhero to reimagine the classic comics.
David Corenswet played the titular role against nemesis, Lex Luthor (played by Nicholas Hault). And everybody fell instantly in love with the superdog, Krypto.
The film gained a 75 percent RT critics’ score and is considered a successful franchise reboot since it gained a positive reception and strong box office numbers. The feature was even a strong respositioning of DC Studios under the new leadership, giving the franchise’s reboot a booster start with several other projects in the pipeline.
Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)
Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) is the second reboot of the franchise and the fourth movie of the series that is positioned in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Filmed in a vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world, RT critics’ score for the film is 86 percent.
Mr. Fantastic (played by Pedro Pascal), Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn), and the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) form the team of Fantastic Four who fight the planet-eating alien Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).
The Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic’s son, Baby Franklin, plays a pivotal role in the story that helps to build on the Avengers: Doomsday (2026) narrative.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
Directed by Adam B. Stein, Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025) is a franchise reboot that took our expectations of the genre to the next level. Rightfully earning a 92 percent RT critics’ score, the film is a ghoulish new entry to the franchise where death comes to have its crazy, precise fun.
The story focuses on a college student, Stefanie Reyes (portrayed by Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who gets nightmares of the 1969 Skyview restaurant collapse. She finds her grandmother, Iris, who evaded death but finally had to face it in front of Stefanie.
Stefanie tries to explain to her family members that death will not spare any one of them and is coming faster than ever. The chilling sixth installment dives deep into the lineage of death itself.
The franchise’s return was highly anticipated since Final Destination 5 (2011), which honored the franchise’s roots but with a bigger promising look.
Which reboot or sequel do you think nailed it — and which one should have stayed buried? Drop your favorites (or frustrations) in the comments!
Passionate Entertainment Writer | Trusted Pop Culture Voice
Madiha Ali is an experienced entertainment writer with over five years of expertise in covering movies, TV shows, celebrity news, and pop culture. Her bylines appear on trusted platforms like High on Films, Ary News, The Express Tribune, Tea and Banter, Show Snob, CelebFeedz, Snapfeedz, Daily Planet Media, The Irish Insider, and Movie Insiderz.
She brings a personal, insightful approach to every story—whether she’s analyzing the emotional layers of a film or giving her take on trending celebrity headlines. Madiha’s writing style is known for being authentic, well-researched, and reader-focused.
When she’s not writing, she’s fully immersed in the world of entertainment—watching new releases, revisiting classics, exploring behind-the-scenes content, or reading books that fuel her creativity. Her passion for storytelling drives her work and helps her stay connected to what matters most in the industry.
Madiha believes great stories start conversations, challenge perspectives, and stay with us long after the credits roll. Through her writing, she continues to share those stories with clarity, depth, and heart.
Expertise in Entertainment Journalism
Published on Trusted Media Platforms
Audience-Focused & Original Voice
Dedicated to Quality Content
Discover more from MovieInsiderz - Latest Movie Reviews, News & Box Office Updates
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
