Summary
Some brilliant concepts and epic superhero moments have been wasted in the most disappointing movies produced byMarvelandDC. In the last few decades, Marvel and DC have managed to bring superheroes into the mainstream with their respective live-action franchises, with some of their movies being among the highest-grossing and most popular movies of all time. However,not all projects coming from Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures, or DC Studios are so successful, yet even the worst of the bunch have included some strong moments.
Superhero franchises including theMarvel Cinematic Universe, DC Extended Universe (soon to be rebooted into theDC Universe), Fox X-Men Universe, and Sony Spider-Man Universe have all delivered some divisive and controversial movies. All too often,these franchises' worst films actually include moments that are pretty great, but perhaps were handled poorly, or would have been more effective in another project. Movies such asMadame Web, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, X-Men: The Last Stand, andThor: Love and Thunderhave all fallen victim to this pattern.
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While superhero films have recently risen to prominence, there have been a few which were not as well-received by fans.
10Madame Web’s Villain Was A Great Idea, Badly Handled
Madame Web (2024)
The most recent installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe,Madame Web, debuted Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims, a villain hell-bent on tracking down Cassandra Webb’s new allies, who he has witnessed killing him in a premonition.Ezekiel Sims was wildly different inMadame Webcompared to his Marvel Comics counterpart, who is depicted more as a mentor to Peter Parker.While the changes made to Ezekiel Sims actually made sense for the 2024 movie’s narrative,Madame Web’shandling of the character made these alterations meaningless.
Madame Web’squestionable script certainly didn’t help Rahim’s performance as Ezekiel Sims, but to make matters worse, the majority of the villain’s lines were redubbed and presumably added in post-production.Many of Rahim’s lines weren’t synced up properly with his movements, making most of his time on-screen distracting and embarrassing. Sims is a complicated character in Marvel Comics, butMadame Webreduced him to a self-obsessed, egotistical, and awkward mess.
9Wolverine & Sabretooth’s Historical Montage Was Epic
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
X-Men Origins: Wolverinewas originally expected to kick-start a new series of spinoffs from20th Century Fox’s originalX-Mentrilogy, but the movie’s poor performance canceled these plans before they really began. The weakest solo movie featuring Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine,X-Men Originstold a story packed full of annoying contradictions, gratuitous and meaningless action sequences, and controversial twists on fan-favorite characters. There was, however, one shining moment inX-Men Origins: Wolverine.
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The very beginning of the movie explores Wolverine’s mutant abilities manifesting in 1845, culminating in the future X-Men member running off with his half-brother, Sabretooth.The montage showing the pair battling in the American Civil War, both World Wars, and the Vietnam War was a fantastic way to detail their long lives, brotherly bond, and fighting experience. This epic moment was overshadowed by the rest ofX-Men Origins: Wolverine, but perhaps provided more insight intoWolverine’s movie backstorythan any previous project.
8The Justice Society Was Failed In The DCEU
Black Adam (2022)
The DCEU was experiencing problems almost from the very start, but 2022’sBlack Adamreally highlighted how disjointed and confusing the franchise had become. Led by Dwayne Johnson in the titular role,Black Adam’spoor visual effects, awkward script, and complicated narrative helped to make the movie one of DC’s biggest box office bombs. Despite its failure, however,Black Adamdid provide the first appearance of theDCEU’s Justice Society of America, though this would ultimately turn out to also be their final appearance.
The Justice Society of America was introduced to DC Comics in 1941, almost 20 years before the Justice League in 1960, with the latter initially acting as a revival of the former.
Comprising Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone, and Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher, the Justice Society was an exciting inclusion inBlack Adam.The Justice Society’s scenes formed some of the strongest, most emotional, and most intense moments of the 2022 movie, though it’s a shame that they were tied toBlack Adam, and not a stronger DCEU project. It’s also a shame that this iteration of the team likely won’t be revisited inJames Gunn’s new DC Universe.
7Colin Farrell’s Bullseye Was Objectively Great
Daredevil (2003)
Long before his Academy Award nomination forThe Banshees of Inisherinand his debut in Matt Reeves’The Batman, Colin Farrell portrayed iconic Marvel villainBullseye in 2003’sDaredevil, which starred Ben Affleck as the titular Man Without Fear.Daredevilreceived criticism for its lack of grandeur and dull, brooding storyline, but Farrell’s depiction of Bullseye was praised.Opposite Affleck’s wooden interpretation of Matt Murdock, Farrell’s Bullseye was full of personality, making him a stand-out in the disappointing movie.
Of course, even Farrell’s Bullseye had his problems, most notably the fact that the villain was about as far from comic-accurate as he possibly could have been. However,Bullseye’s theatricality and dark humor made certain moments ofDaredevilmuch more entertaining. It’s very possible that this iteration of Bullseye could be seen in theMCU’s upcomingDeadpool & Wolverine, meaning Farrell could once again deliver a strong performance as his threatening Marvel villain.
Jennifer Garner is returning as Elektra inDeadpool & Wolverine, after appearing as the character inDaredeviland 2005’sElektra. Some have theorized that Colin Farrel’s Bullseye may have already been seen inDeadpool & Wolverine’strailers.
6The X-Men Trained In The Danger Room Once
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
After Fox’s original X-Men were featured in strong stories in 2000’sX-Menand its 2003 sequel,X-Men: The Last Standcouldn’t decide on a particular story to focus on.The blending of many different narratives madeThe Last Standa confusing mess, which completely overshadowed the X-Men team’s only live-action training sequence in the Danger Room. The X-Men should have used the Danger Room a lot more, as their training simulations give them valuable lessons to be used in real battles, but Fox completely wasted the important Marvel location.
A new line-up of X-Men did appear in the Danger Room at the very end of 2016’sX-Men: Apocalypse, but the movie ended before they were shown actually fighting the simulated Sentinel robots.There is so much mythos surrounding the Danger Room in Marvel Comics, particularly in stories when it gains sentience, but none of this was seen in Fox’sX-Menfranchise. Perhaps Marvel Studios can finally do the Danger Room justice in theMCU’s officialX-Menreboot.
5The Guardians Of The Galaxy Deserved A Bigger Phase 4 Role
Thor: Love & Thunder (2022)
After the events ofAvengers: Infinity WarandEndgame, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor found himself traveling with the Guardians of the Galaxy. This team-up made sense for the MCU, but was barely explored at all before Thor left the team to embark on his own adventure in2022’s divisiveThor: Love and Thunder.One major criticism ofLove and Thunderwas that the movie undid the majority of Thor’s complex and emotional storyline from Phase 3, and the fast removal of the Guardians of the Galaxy was one symptom of this.
Where The Guardians Of The Galaxy Go In Thor: Love And Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder sees the Guardians of the Galaxy investigating the same incidents that led Thor to respond to Lady Sif’s distress call.
It would have been fantastic to see the Guardians of the Galaxy team’s dynamic change with Thor and Korg along for the ride, but the team was featured too briefly to explore any of this. The Guardians team is one of the cornerstones of the MCU’s cosmic storylines, soit was a shame that its appearance inLove and Thunderwas relegated to a perfunctory and unnecessary montage. Thor could certainly cross paths with thenew Guardians of the Galaxy teamin the MCU’s future, but his bonds with the original line-up deserved more attention.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Cast
In Thor: Love and Thunder, the Norse god teams up with King Valkyrie, Korg, and the Mighty Thor, Jane Foster, to thwart Gorr the God Butcher’s quest to eradicate the gods. This cosmic adventure sees Thor confront new challenges as he navigates his return from retirement.
4Sasha Calle’s Dark Supergirl Will Never Be Seen Again
The Flash (2023)
As one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, 2023’sThe Flashwas a huge failure for the DCEU, despite being billed to reset the franchise ahead of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s reboot. Controversies surrounding lead actor Ezra Miller also impacted the movie’s success, thoughlackluster visual effects, the movie’s messy third act, and a storyline that was not at all faithful to DC Comics’Flashpointevent were also major criticisms. One shining light wasSasha Calle’s Supergirl, however, but, similarly toBlack Adam’sJustice Society, she was wasted inThe Flash.
Sasha Calle portrayed a darker version of Supergirl in Barry Allen’s new timeline, and delivered an incredibly strong performance as the troubled and traumatized superhero. Additionally,Calle’s Supergirl costume was one of the best superhero suits seen in the DCEU, so it’s an even more dire shame that this outfit won’t be seen again in live-action. Milly Alcock will portray a new version ofKara Zor-El’s Supergirl in the DCU, meaning Sasha Calle’s iteration made her first and last appearance inThe Flash.
3Morbius Tried To Set Up Sinister Six
Morbius (2022)
While Sony’sVenomfranchise has been rather popular, the other movies of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe have faltered massively.Madame Webwas a huge disappointment in 2024, but, prior to that, 2022’sMorbiusreceived criticism for its script, visual effects, and overall narrative.Morbius’post-credits sceneswere especially confusing, asMichael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes somehow traveled from the MCU to the SSU, where he was freed to continue his career as the Vulture, and made an attempt at teasing the formation of the Sinister Six.
Spider-Man: No Way Homeintroduced the closest thing audiences have seen to the Sinister Six in live-action, as three Spider-Men fought five iconic villains from their live-action histories.
Sony has toyed with the idea of bringing Marvel Comics' iconicSinister Six team into live-actionfor over a decade, as the team was originally teased in 2014’sThe Amazing Spider-Man 2. For Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, the Vulture and Morbius' meeting was an attempt to tease the team, butgiven the poor performances ofMorbiusandMadame Web, it’s unclear whether Sony will continue with these plans. Upcoming moviesVenom: The Last DanceandKraven the Hunterhave the chance to build on these plans, but the Sinister Six may be doomed to never make their live-action debut.
2Makkari Became The Best On-Screen Speedster
Eternals (2021)
Eternalsis far from the worst project in the MCU, but Chloé Zhao’s Marvel Studios directorial debut became incredibly divisive following its release in 2021.Eternalshas received retrospective praise more recently, but the movie was initially criticized for its writing and pacing, perhaps a symptom of trying to introduce ten powerful superheroes all in one go. Despite its flaws,Eternalsmanaged to deliver the most effective depiction of a speedster superhero in the form ofLauren Ridloff’s Makkari.
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Marvel Studios already did a better job of showcasing Barry Allen, a.k.a. Flash’s, best power, which makes 2023’s The Flash even more disappointing.
Compared to those ofThe Flash’sBarry Allen, and evenAvengers: Age of Ultron’sQuicksilver, Makkari’s speeding scenes were second-to-none. Her sheer speed can almost be felt through the screen, and the added touch of her being depicted as deaf was clever, as traveling so fast would cause her eardrums to rupture. Due toEternals’mixed reception, Marvel Studios hasn’t yet confirmed the future of the franchise or its characters, so it’s unclear whenMakkari will return to the MCU, but hopefully this will happen soon.
1Bruce Wayne Witnessing Superman & Zod’s Battle Was Clever
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
After 2013’sMan of Steeldebuted Henry Cavill as Superman, director Zack Snyder rushed to bring DC’s signature heroes together only three-years-later.Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicewas an over-saturated second installment for the DCEU, butthe movie’s opening moments, which detailed Bruce Wayne’s childhood and his witnessing of Superman and General Zod’s battle in Metropolis, were very strong. In fact, the opening ofDawn of Justicecould have formed the content for aBatman solo movie in the DCEUintroducing Ben Affleck’s Caped Crusader, prior to bringing him and Superman together.
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The idea of Bruce Wayne being in Metropolis during the events ofMan of Steelwas inspired, and formed a believable and relatable motivation for his vendetta against Superman. IfBatman v Supermanhad detailed only this revenge plot, it may have been a much stronger movie, but Superman and Batman’s ridiculous reconciliation and bonding over their mothers' shared name ruined this intention. Perhaps the new live-actionDCfranchise will do a better job at handling their relationship, and the future ofMarvelseems to be looking up, too, though both franchises may still have their ups and downs.
