Comic book movies have been hitting new heights for a while now. Films like Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, and Captain America: Civil War have all been widely praised by fans and audiences alike. It's reached a point where comic book movies are overly hyped up from the moment they're announced.
Unfortunately, this can lead to huge fan disappointment upon the movie's release. Huge audiences gather to cheer on and watch new DC and Marvel releases, and as the best of the genre, there's an unspoken assumption they'll be respectful, well cast, and expertly written. However, this isn't always the case, leaving fans feeling cold at times.
10 Batman And Robin Wasn't The Sequel Fans Wanted
In hindsight, the Batman franchise of the '90s is quite odd. The first three movies received broadly positive reviews and made a lot of money at the box office, leaving Batfans eager to see what a fourth installment might do.
Sadly, the Batman and Robin film has become such a punchline recently that it's hard to believe anyone was excited to see it. However, with Joel Schumaker returning to direct the film, Clooney taking over the role of Batman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the villain, Mr. Freeze, '90s audiences couldn't wait for Batman and Robin's release. Unfortunately, fans and critics alike were disappointed by the film's tone, and ticket sales dropped after the initial hype. It soon developed an infamous cult status and any hopes for a fifth film were dashed.
9 Superman Returns Couldn't Revive The Man Of Steel
In the early-mid 2000s, Superman was in dire need of a reboot. There were several attempts to revive the franchise and restore the series to the original heights of the Christopher Reeve era. However, none were greenlit until 2004 when Superman Returns was announced.
Superman Returns excited fans with a proven director at the helm, a solid cast, and a great teaser trailer. It finally premiered on the 14th of July 2006. However, despite its initial positive reviews, fans weren't happy and complained about the tone, pacing, and lack of action. As a result, any plans for a sequel were laid to rest.
8 Spider-Man 3 Didn't Stick The Landing
Sam Raimi's Spiderman trilogy was an undeniable success. The first two entries made a lot of money and received widespread praise, especially Spider-Man 2.
Therefore, when Spider-Man 3 was announced with none other than Venom as the villain, fans were ecstatic. All the pieces were in place, so everyone believe it would work. Unfortunately, the final result was a rushed and tonally unbalanced film. It's since garnered an arguably unfair reputation as one of the worst comic book movies of all time, and while that ruling seems a bit harsh, even Sam Raimi admitted it was disappointing.
7 Hellboy (2019) Had The Right Elements But Didn't Put Them Together Properly
As much as fans love Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy films, a reboot had potential. Not only did it boast a skilled horror director in Neil Marshall, but it would star David Harbour in the titular role.
However, worries arose when the trailers were released, despite fans remaining hopeful. The film was eventually released and drew heavy criticism for its disjointed story and confusing plot, and it quickly faded from public memory. As of 2022, there has been no news on a potential sequel.
6 Fant4stic Looked New And Exciting But Landed With A Thud
It's hard to imagine a time when the Fant4stic Four movie wasn't ridiculed, but such a time existed before its release. Fans basked in the FF reboot's potential, happy to see a great cast, a skilled director, and a terrific teaser trailer.
However, even before its release, negative rumors began to circulate. Furthermore, the trailers seemed to confirm these worries when the CGI changed between them as obvious re-shoots took place. As a result, the release was a quiet affair, and the reviews were incredibly harsh. The director even denounced the movie on Twitter prior to its release. Since then, a sequel was quickly canned and The Fantastic Four was returned to Marvel.
5 X-Men: The Last Stand Didn't Impress Fans Of The First Two Movies
The first two X- Men films of the early 2000s did a lot to revitalize superheroes. Viewers and film critics enjoyed the cast, the action, and the exciting plots. So, when a third installment was confirmed, people were excited.
However, all was not as it seemed. Divisive filmmaker Brett Ratner was hired and Cyclops actor James Marsden wasn't heavily featured, despite being a fan favorite. When the film was released, it was met with mixed reviews, but it was especially disappointing considering it was the conclusion to the trilogy. Although the X-Men series continued, it was largely through spin-offs and soft reboots.
4 Batman v Superman Promised To Be A Mythical Epic But Left Fans Disappointed
The Batman v Superman film remains controversial to this day. It was always going to endure a lot of hype the second it was announced. Fans were ecstatic to see these two DC titans finally meet on the big screen.
After some controversial casting announcements and underwhelming trailers, the film premiered and received its first wave of feedback. Critics didn't enjoy the film's morbid and messy plot, and fans who wanted a solid Batman and Superman adventure were left disheartened. After such a poor foundation was laid, fans found it hard to engage with the DCEU. Consequently, DC has struggled to head in a decent direction since 2016.
3 Green Lantern Had A Talented Team But Suffered With Poor Execution
The 2011 movie, Green Lantern, is often the butt of jokes – even by its star, Ryan Reynolds. However, when the movie was announced, numerous Lantern fans were happy to see Hal on the big screen.
The director of Casino Royale, Martin Campbell, was at the helm, the cast was amazing, and CGI was good enough to support a Green Lantern film. As a result, DC fans were eager to see what the intergalactic lawman could do in his own movie. However, almost everyone who watched the film was left disappointed. The overuse of effects and its flimsy plot meant the movie was never given a sequel. It's taken a while, but Green Lantern finally looks set for a reboot on HBO.
2 Wonder Woman 1984 Didn't Live Up To The Original
Wonder Woman 2019 was the dark horse of the DCEU. Audiences were unsure what they thought of it until it premiered and received overwhelming praise. So, when a sequel was announced, fans were understandably optimistic.
Patty Jenkins returned to direct, Gal Gadot was riding high, and new stars like Pedro Pascal made Wonder Woman 1984 a surefire success. However, after a round of lukewarm reviews, word of mouth started to dwindle. Many fans of the first film were disappointed with the sequel's tone and plot, leaving them hopeful that Wonder Woman's third outing hits the same heights as the first movie.
1 The Eternals Was An Underwhelming Drama
Eternals promised to break the MCU's well-trodden formula. It not only boasted Oscar winner Chloe Zhao as the director, but she was supported by an all-star cast. All in all, it looked like a more experimental and artistic approach to some of Marvel's lesser-known heroes.
After some impressive-looking trailers and a great reaction to the cast and characters, the film hit theaters. Sadly, critics and fans weren't all that impressed. Eternals' Rotten Tomatoes score continued to drop and currently remains the lowest scored MCU film at 47%. Fans also complained about the runtime, the plot, and the flat character development. Considering the MCU has enjoyed such a prolific run, and the talent behind Eternals was so promising, fan reception was colder than ice. Hopefully, a sequel will listen to feedback and make some improvements.