Superhero films have achieved a new level of success with multiple sequels, spin-offs, and reboots filling up cinemas and streaming services. These movies can sometimes focus on the most popular or the most obscure characters. It sometimes feels like comic book adaptions are the only type of content Hollywood wants to make these days.
Of course, it wasn't always this way. Many promising superhero franchises failed for a variety of reasons, from poor box office returns to embarrassing reviews. However, out of all the would-be superhero franchises that ended prematurely, there are a few that definitely could have used another sequel.
Updated on Aug 31, 2022 by Scoot Allan: Fans are excitedly waiting for a few different comic book movie sequels, including Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Captain America: New World Order. It's a good time for comic book movies as studios are always looking for the next long-running franchise. However, comic book adaptations had to work a bit harder back in the day. Quite a few films never received a well-deserved sequel to further explore the character or give the actor another chance in the role.
13 Spawn
Release Date: August 1, 1997
1997's Spawn adaptation starring Michael Jai White and John Leguizamo isn't exactly well-regarded, especially with its dated CGI effects and inconsistent tone. However, White had a great presence as Al Simmons/Spawn that stood out in the otherwise flawed adaptation.
With CG effects making leaps and bounds just a couple of years later with The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings, it's possible a sequel could have overcome the dated effects of the original. Todd McFarlane has been working to bring another adaptation of his popular Image Comics character to the big screen, though Michael Jai White wouldn't get another shot at the role.
12 Superman IV: Quest For Peace
Release Date: July 24, 1987
1978's Superman starring Christopher Reeve is one of the first and best superhero films of all time. Every live-action Superman movie has followed the original film's template in some way. Unfortunately, Reeve's last outing as the Man of Steel was 1987's Quest for Peace, where he fought the disappointing Nuclear Man villain who was created for the movie.
A fifth Superman film could've helped salvage the series' reputation after the poorly received fourth film. Additionally, with Tim Burton's Batman coming out just two years later, a crossover Batman vs. Superman film could have potentially happened in the early '90s.
11 Dick Tracy
Release Date: June 15, 1990
1990's Dick Tracy is a star-studded, four-color blockbuster starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, and a slew of other A-listers. The majority of the cast wore Oscar-winning prosthetics to emulate the ghoulish gangsters from Chester Gould's classic newspaper strip.
The film itself had some pacing issues and plot holes, but it's undeniably unique and fun to watch. Dick Tracy boasted a large cast of characters, but Gould's strip has been running for almost a century. There were a ton of other cartoon criminal masterminds for Dick Tracy to fight in a sequel.
10 The Phantom
Release Date: June 7, 1996
The Phantom starred Billy Zane as the eponymous, purple-clad adventurer. The movie is a fun, high-flying adventure film that would appeal to fans of The Rocketeer or 1999's The Mummy. It perfectly captured the pulp jungle adventures of one of the oldest comic book superheroes. The Phantom added a slick gloss of '90s style to give the adaptation some extra flare.
Zane was extremely charming in the lead role of Kit Walker. This wasn't an easy feat, as the costume was a little too accurate to the source material and looked odd on the big screen. A sequel to The Phantom would have given Zane another chance to slam evil again, as well as open up more of the series' incredibly deep lore.
9 The Shadow
Release Date: July 1, 1994
Alec Baldwin was one of the top choices to play Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's 1989 film. Instead, he was perfectly cast in the titular role in The Shadow's movie adaptation. The Shadow was the original dark, pulpy hero and was one of the inspirations for the Dark Knight.
The flawed 1994 film adaptation still had a lot going for it. Unlike Batman, it was a period piece set in the '30s that used some nifty early-'90s effects to visualize The Shadow's various mental powers. Fans would have liked to see Baldwin get another shot at the character with a better script.
8 Mystery Men
Release Date: July 22, 1999
Mystery Men was an obscure comic book adaptation based on Bob Burden's Flaming Carrot and Mysterymen indie comics that became a cult favorite. The underrated superhero comedy about misfit heroes was way ahead of its time. Mystery Men even has the distinction of being the first-ever superhero team movie, predating X-Men by a year.
Mystery Men featured a fun cast that made the adaptation hilarious. However, seeing the Flaming Carrot in a live-action sequel would have been amazing. A reboot is potentially possible, but it would be hard given how central the comedic cast was to the film's success.
7 Hancock
Release Date: July 1, 2008
2008's Hancock was an original superhero film that never achieved the instant classic status it was aiming for. Will Smith starred as the titular hero, a powerful but troubled mystery man with a penchant for collateral damage. His attempt to clean up his tarnished image and learn more about his mysterious past set up a potential franchise that never developed.
Hancock introduced an interesting premise that deserved a deeper examination of his origins as a powerful immortal. There were a lot of questions left unanswered that fans hoped to see explored in a sequel. Unfortunately, progress on a Hancock sequel stagnated and fans never got to see more from the interesting world of the immortal hero.
6 The Rocketeer
Release Date: June 21, 1991
The original rocket-powered Iron Man actually hit the big screen in 1991 when The Rocketeer soared into theaters. Of course, the titular hero was working with advanced technology from Howard Hughes in 1938 instead of Tony Stark's repulsor tech. The Rocketeer followed a pilot in the dirty thirties as he became a high-flying vigilante after finding an experimental jetpack.
The Rocketeer wasn't a huge hit when it was first released, though it has developed a loyal fanbase in the years that followed. Like The Shadow, The Phantom, and other pulp adaptations, The Rocketeer failed to capture the attention of the audience, though there was no shortage of material to use for a sequel.5 Power Rangers
Release Date: March 24, 2017
2017's gritty reboot of Power Rangers was surprisingly good. It paid tribute to the fans with tons of Easter eggs while also expanding on the Power Rangers mythos in ways that both streamlined and deepened the lore. The cast had amazing chemistry, giving the characters real pathos and stakes.
The filmmakers found a way to ground the Power Rangers without losing things like the Dinozords or Alpha 5. Power Rangers ended by teasing the fan-favorite Green Ranger Tommy Oliver. There's no telling where the franchise could've gone, but the film underperformed. Netflix will be rebooting the franchise, though fans of the 2017 movie might have preferred a sequel.
4 Punisher: War Zone
Release Date: December 5, 2008
Lexi Alexander's Punisher: War Zone starred Ray Stevenson as the titular vigilante. War Zone is a fairly comic-accurate adaptation of the character. It's also colorful, goofy, and much gorier than most comic book movies. Frank Castle shot bloody holes into criminals and used a rocket launcher against thugs doing parkour in the shocking film.
Netflix and Jon Bernthal's take on the franchise was much more somber and character-based, which worked for some fans. However, there's something about Punisher: War Zone that allows fans to have fun with the character as he's taking down entire gangs singlehandedly. Stevenson excelled in the role and fans would have loved to see him get another shot at the Punisher.
3 Spider-Man 3
Release Date: May 4, 2007
Spider-Man 3 is being re-evaluated by fans lately after the return of Tobey Maguire's web-slinger in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Spider-Man 3 failed to live up to the far superior Spider-Man 2, fans still wanted more from the franchise. Sam Raimi planned to return to direct Spider-Man 4, which would've been Vulture's introduction to live-action.
However, the studio ultimately went with the project that eventually became the less successful Amazing Spider-Man franchise starring Andrew Garfield. Fans mourned the passing of the previously announced release date of Spider-Man 4 a few years after its cancelation. The character's recent return in No Way Home only served as a reminder of that loss.
2 Dredd
Release Date: September 21, 2012
The original cinematic take on this character was the somewhat underrated Judge Dredd from 1995, which starred Sylvester Stallone in the titular role. It failed at the box office and fans never really wanted more from that take on the 2000 A.D. character. While 2012's Dredd adaptation isn't old enough to be a classic, it is the superior adaptation and undoubtedly deserved a sequel.
Karl Urban delivered a faithful performance as the unwavering officer of the post-apocalyptic Mega-City One. Dredd impressed existing fans of the character but failed to reach mainstream audiences. Urban has said he'd love to return to the role, and fans are still waiting to see more from the world of Dredd.
1 Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Release Date: July 11, 2008
Horror maestro Guillermo del Toro changed Hellboy for the better when he directed 2004's Hellboy and 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army. They starred Ron Perlman in the titular role, who won over fans with his portrayal of Mike Mignola's hit Dark Horse character. Both films had unique characters, fun and mostly practical monster designs, and exciting scenes of action.
The del Toro films were also setting up a tantalizing character arc for Big Red in the third film. He'd have to fight his destiny as the destroyer of worlds and grapple with the fact he was about to become a father. Unfortunately for fans, Hellboy II: The Golden Army underperformed. The studio then rebooted the series instead of finishing the original trilogy as fans hoped.