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Film companies are churning out comic book movies one after another. As of now, it has been announced that 21 superhero films will be released in 2022. The numbers will no doubt keep increasing as time progresses.
While few of these films will make history by breaking box office records, others will simply turn out to be mediocre, breaking the hearts of millions of superhero fans. On this list, we are counting down the top 10 most hyped comic book films that have disappointed fans to a great extent.
Jonah Hex, Daredevil, Catwoman, and more comic book movie blunders
10) Green Lantern
Ryan Reynolds is a great actor and his fans clamored for him to play a superhero character. Their dreams came true after it was announced that Reynolds was cast as DC character Green Lantern, but it soon turned into a nightmare as the film failed miserably.
The screenplay of the film is riddled with plotholes, and Green Lantern went on to become a laughing stock when it comes to animation, with the green animated suit becoming the butt of many jokes. Ryan Reynolds himself made fun of his DC adventure in the much-more-successful Deadpool.
9) Jonah Hex
Before Josh Brolin was known as the menacing mad titan Thanos, he made a failed attempt at Jonah Hex, a cult DC character. A bounty hunter during the Civil War era, Jonah Hex was an amalgamation of the supernatural and western genres.
Despite Brolin’s immense efforts, the film failed miserably. It lacked substance and deserved a better plot, and despite a modest 81-minute runtime, the film seemed to drag on forever and suck the life out of its viewers.
8) Hellboy
On a long list of comic book movies that do not require a reboot, Hellboy comes in at the top. Guillermo Del Toro’s epic telling of Hellboy was a masterpiece. However, the studio decided to try a different take on the character. Fans saw a glimmer of hope when Stranger Things star David Harbour was cast as the Big Red. The film also promised blood and gore and was rated "R."
However, fans' hopes and dreams were crushed when the film turned out to be a rather mediocre adaptation of the Dark Horse comic book’s popular story. The jokes fell flat and the characters lacked the right emotions. Many critics termed the film soulless and a misfire.
7) Superman IV
The poster boy of comic book superheroes, Superman’s big-screen adaptation was quite successful. Watching Christopher Reeves in the red-and-blue spandex delighted audiences. However, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was a disappointing sequel to a successful series. With a poor story, inferior animation effects, and awful action, it lacked everything that a comic book movie should have.
The film made the producers shy away from anything Superman-related for 19 long years, and it also hampered Christopher Reeves’ successful acting career.
6) X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Never in their wildest dreams could comic book enthusiasts have imagined that a franchise like X-Men — a group of mutant superheroes — would fall flat on its face. X-Man: Dark Phoenix was a critical Marvel storyline in comics that turned out to be disastrous on the big screen.
The movie did everything a film could do wrong, and the makers failed to make good use of two great Oscar-winning actors in Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence. The film was a rather boring bit of exposition for the most part. The previous iteration of Dark Phoenix in X-Men 3: The Last Stand was also mediocre but still bearable. Unsurprisingly, fans have demanded a faithful readaptation of this amazing storyline.
5) Daredevil
The internet feels sorry for Ben Affleck. Despite his phenomenal acting skills, the Oscar winner has struggled when it comes to superhero films. The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actor had portrayed the devil from Hell’s Kitchen in the early 2000s, and it wasn’t well-received by the audience or the critics.
Daredevil's poor character design and goofy costume were just some of the reasons why the film fared poorly. The action sequence that was supposed to be awe-inspiring was straight-up hilarious. Charlie Cox's portrayal of Matt Murdock in the popular Netflix series Daredevil was far better-received by fans.
4) Catwoman
The less we speak about Halle Berry’s Catwoman, the better. The feline burglar from Batman’s rogue’s gallery deserved her solo flick, and Oscar winner Berry was the perfect actor for the role. Unfortunately, the film was a trainwreck and won many infamous awards like the Razzies for worst director and the worst film.
Catwoman failed so miserably that it pretty much set the benchmark for the worst film ever made. A weak screenplay coupled with tacky dialog, poor CGI, and cringeworthy characters all went into making the movie stumble at the box office.
3) Fantastic Four
The age-old curse of the Fantastic Four is true; the popular Marvel family of superheroes has failed on the big screen not once or twice but thrice, and their third attempt was the worst. Not even actors like Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan could do the job.
Nothing in the film was executed correctly; the plot was poor, the characters were lifeless, and CGI was barely acceptable. Worse than the family of four was the portrayal of Doctor Doom, whose character design and character arc are akin to a hollow mannequin. Marvel is looking to introduce the Fantastic Four to the MCU, but comic book fans are understandably skeptical.
2) Suicide Squad
By announcing Suicide Squad, DC promised their comic book fans the moon and the stars. They revealed a stellar cast with Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jared Leto as Joker, and Will Smith as Dead Shot. The trailer was an absolute banger, edited to the popular tune of Bohemian Rhapsody. Fans expected a decent film.
David Ayer and Warner Bros. created history by annoying millions of fans all at once. Suicide Squad promised the Joker, but the character appeared for less than eight minutes. The story was poorly written, disastrously executed, and the characters were empty husks. Suicide Squad was a letdown for DC fans, and no one from Warner Bros. has apologized yet.
1) Justice League – Joss Whedon Cut
Fans of DC rejoiced when it was announced that the behemoths of DC would unite in Justice League. Comic book superheroes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman came together for the first time in the history of cinema. With a stellar cast and director Zack Snyder, known for his visual style of filmmaking, fans were sure the film was in safe hands.
Unfortunately, due to a personal tragedy, Snyder could not continue to direct the film and Avengers director Joss Whedon was appointed as captain of the ship. Unbeknownst to anyone, the ship was doomed to sink.
With multiple reshoots and changes in look, feel and treatment, the film was way off course from the original vision. The result was a movie deemed by fans as the most disappointing comic book film ever made. Termed the Josstice League, the film demolished the already weak foundation of the DCEU. Although Zack Snyder returned to release the "Snyder Cut," the damage was already done.
