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With big cinematic universes like Marvel and DC established now, the one big thing we always get is set-ups. Set-ups are a huge part of maintaining cinematic universes because you need to make sure that the audience will tune in next time. Add in a post-credit scene here and there teasing the next film, and you're sure to have folks excited.
But as has been the case with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC films, some of those set-ups in the post-credits scenes have just not gone anywhere. Either the film's sequel gets canceled or the filmmakers opt for a completely different plan. So, with that being said, let’s take a look at five of the biggest comic book film set-ups that just didn't go anywhere.
These entries will also be ranked on the basis of just how disappointing the initial reaction to their not being explored was.
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Note: These are the writer's own personal opinions.
Black Adam, Justice League, and three films from Marvel and DC whose sequel set-ups went nowhere
5) Mr. Mind in Shazam!
The post-credits sequence for Shazam! teased that Mr. Mind will be teaming up with Dr. Sivana to take down Billy Batson. While the plan wasn't exactly revealed there, it surely had fans excited to see what would happen in the sequel. Well, to everyone's surprise, Mr. Mind and Dr. Sivana were switched out in Shazam! Fury of the Gods for original villains Kalypso and Hespera.
To make things worse, Mr. Mind and Dr. Sivana still appeared once more in the post-credits of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, but with the dwindling nature of the DC Universe and the sequel not making a lot at the box office, it looks like Mr. Mind and Dr. Sivana may not return.
4) Essex Corporation in X-Men: Apocalypse
The X-Men franchise was filled with plenty of missed opportunities, however, the biggest one came in X-Men: Apocalypse, when it teased that Mr. Sinister would be the big bad that they were going to set-up next. In the post-credits, we saw a few scientists from Essex Corporation gather Logan's DNA, and it looked like we were going to be seeing Mr. Sinister soon.
Unfortunately, that scene was meaningless, as right in the next X-Men film they explored the Dark Phoenix storyline. Now that 20th Century Fox is being merged into Disney, we will practically never get to see that storyline move forward in any way.
3) Scorpion in Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming was the wallcrawler's first big entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it looked like the post-credits for the film set-up the sequel's Big Bad in a huge way. It saw Adrian Toomes in prison while he had a brief conversation with Mac Gargan, who is the Scorpion in the comic books.
However, the sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, saw Mysterio step up to be the villain of the movie. It's been seven years since the release of Homecoming, and it looks like that scene probably won't go anywhere as the MCU Spider-Man has just become quite huge at this point.
It does seem like a missed opportunity because Michael Mando was attached to playing the character, and he is a prolific actor, with filmography boasting TV shows such as Breaking Bad and Orphan Black, among others.
2) Darkseid in the DCEU
Zack Snyder's DC Universe was constantly building up to Darkseid, and while the 2017 version of the Justice League was heavily altered from his original cut, the director still got to showcase his original vision in 2021 with the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League. While it was a win for many DC fans, it also came as a heartbreak for many.
The film marked the debut of Darkseid, DC's big bad, in live-action movies as it set-up him launching an attack on Earth, which would have been explored in Justice League Part II, but since the DCEU at this point is set to end soon, it just remains a pipe dream that we will never get to see finished. With many shakeups at Warner Bros. over the years and Zack Snyder himself being let go from the franchise, it definitely remains one of the biggest missed opportunities in comic book films.
1) Superman in Black Adam
We recently saw Henry Cavill return as Superman in Black Adam, only for it to now be meaningless. The film's post-credits teased a fight between Black Adam and Kal-El in the future, but it probably looks like it won't be going anywhere now as the film's planned sequel has been scrapped.
Fans were surely disappointed by the news as Cavill's return as Superman was stuck in limbo for a really long time, and when the actor finally returned, he was immediately let go because James Gunn and Peter Safran have plans to reboot the character with a new actor for the DC live-action movie universe. Here’s hoping that with Superman: Legacy, Gunn is able to bring us an iconic rendition of the Man of Steel.
While there have been other disappointments, these are definitely some of the biggest when it comes to comic book movie set-ups going nowhere. What other movies come to mind? Do let us know in the comments.
