Top 10 Most Disappointing Marvel And DC Superhero Movies Of All-Time

2016 has been hit and miss for CBMs, but it's not the first time fans have been left feeling underwhelmed. These Marvel and DC adaptations aren't the worst ever made, but they definitely disappointed!

By JoshWilding - Aug 20, 2016 08:08 AM EST

Filed Under: Iron Man

Before we go any further, it's worth noting that this isn't a list of the worst Marvel and DC Comics superhero movies ever made. After all, we already know what those would be! Instead, what you'll find here is a breakdown of the most disappointing comic book adaptations. The reasons they proved to be a let down and wound up here are all very different, and the presence of some might just surprise you.

Whether the trailers promised a very different sort of movie, they had all the ingredients of an instant classic at first glace and then dropped the ball in a major way, or just flat out sucked, these releases all let down fans when they were released. With 2016 proving to be a very divisive (disappointing?) year, now feels like the perfect time to take a look at these even though they'll bring back bad memories!

10. Superman Returns

By the time Superman Returns was announced, the Man of Steel's return to the big screen was long overdue. While a couple of TV shows had kept fans going, that's not exactly the same thing as a movie, and so X-Men director Bryan Singer being at the helm of a spiritual successor to the classic Superman franchise obviously generated a hell of a lot of excitement.

Unfortunately, trying to follow those proved to be Superman Returns' biggest mistake as it went to some ridiculous lengths to set this movie in the same world (even going so far as to make Clark Kent a deadbeat dad) and proved that moviegoers needed more than just the promise of being made to believe that a man can fly in 2006. What worked in 1978 didn't here, and the lack of action and dull storyline simply failed to resonate with fans, making this a real let down and not the movie everyone was hoping for.

I liked Suicide Squad, but if we're talking about disappointing movies, there's no way that the big screen debut of Task Force X can be ignored. The first trailer - which premiered at Comic-Con last year - promised something very different to what we ended up getting, though that has since been explained by news of some major behind the scenes changes as Warner Bros. scrambled to make the movie more "fun" after the mixed reception received by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely a lot of things in Suicide Squad which work really well, but it failed to live up to expectations. From the decision to leave most of Jared Leto's performance on the cutting room floor to the underwhelming villain and messy editing, the movie has enough failings to make you really upset to think about the fact it could and should have been so much better.

Back Next

8. Spider-Man 3

Spider-Man was great, but Spider-Man 2 remains one of the greatest superhero movies of all-time. As a result, it was always going to be tough for the third instalment to top what came before, but no one could have predicted what a complete and utter failure it would be. Somehow, Spider-Man 3 managed to not only completely f**k up Peter Parker's origin story by throwing the Sandman into the mix, but also dropped the ball on Harry Osborn's transformation into the Green Goblin and the big screen debut of Eddie Brock/Venom.

The threequel definitely had some cool moments and action sequences, but it also featured lots of really terrible humour (that dance scene and J. Jonah Jameson's buzzer are memorable for all the wrong reasons) and storytelling decisions. On the plus side, this movie would be the beginning of the end of Avi Arad's involvement with the franchise!

Back Next

7. Fantastic Four (2015)

Despite the fact that Josh Trank had made an excellent movie with Chronicle, fans were sceptical of his and Simon Kinberg's vision for the Fantastic Four reboot from day one. However, the filmmaker soon assembled an excellent cast, and while the decision to base the movie off the Ultimate line of comic books didn't sit too well with most, the first teaser trailer pointed to Fantastic Four being a very different sort of superhero movie.

Sure, it clearly wasn't going to be all that faithful to the source material, but that didn't mean it wouldn't still be great, right? To call it an unmitigated disaster would be an understatement. Butchered with reshoots and plagued by shocking behind the scenes problems, Fantastic Four was a mess of a movie and had pretty much no redeeming qualities. Many were glad to see it fail, but as a result, these great characters are now stuck back on the shelf.

Back Next

6. The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk isn't a bad movie, but it is arguably the weakest effort from Marvel Studios. The production was such a clusterf**k that star Edward Norton refused to even help promote it, something which led to him swiftly being recast by the time The Avengers rolled around. Had Iron Man disappointed in the same way as the Jade Giant's return to the big screen, there's every chance the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn't even exist, and that's a scary thought!

Regardless, other than an impressive final battle between The Hulk and Abomination (which very much felt like seeing the comic books come to life), this movie didn't have much going for it. The story was bland, the villain uninteresting, and the creative decisions downright baffling. Who knew that having sex would cause Bruce Banner to Hulk out? It's no wonder he never hooked up with Black Widow...

Back Next

5. Iron Man 2

Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in style, and with the sequel promising everything from War Machine to the big screen debut of Black Widow, the return of Nick Fury, and what looked like an adaptation of Demon in the Bottle, all the signs pointed to it being an instant classic. After all, with Jon Favreau back at the helm, what could go wrong? A lot as it turns out.

There was just too much story in Iron Man 2 for the movie's own good, and with Marvel also attempting to lay the groundwork for The Avengers, the whole thing ended up being something of an unsatisfying mess. Don't get me wrong, there's some good stuff in there, but that doesn't make up for the long list of moments which were a lote down, and it ends up standing out as a real bump in the road for Marvel Studios as a result. Thankfully, they recovered, though Iron Man 3 obviously also proved to be divisive.

Back Next

4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

There have been quite a few movies listed here that I've mentioned had some redeeming qualities, but outside of Liev Schreiber's Sabretooth, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not one of them. Rushing through the titular character's formative years in an admittedly quite cool montage, the movie rapidly started going downhill from there, offering up a convoluted origin story which revealed that Logan actually volunteered to have the Adamantium bonded to his skeleton and lost his memories after being shot in the head.

A number of fan-favourite characters were introduced here and either completely botched (Deadpool) or just not given the screentime they needed to shine (Gambit). As if the terrible story wasn't bad enough, Wolverine's first solo outing also utilised some truly awful special effects which gave Hugh Jackman the most hilariously fake looking claws imaginable.

Back Next

3. Man Of Steel

A lot of fans hate Man of Steel because of all that mass destruction and Superman's decision to kill General Zod. To me, both of those things make perfect sense; beings as powerful as these would obviously cause devastation (plus, what's a few thousand lives when the entire world is at stake?), while Kal-El's decision to destroy his last remaining link to Krypton to save his new home was a big deal. Why then is the movie mentioned here?

Well, it failed to live up to expectations. The trailers pointed to this being a masterpiece on the same level as The Dark Knight, but what we got was a messy David S. Goyer screenplay which may have delivered on action, but made a lot of mistakes when it came to the portrayal of this iconic DC Comics superhero. Man of Steel also didn't give us Zack Snyder at his best, because this comic book adaptation ended up being a far cry from the likes of 300 and Watchmen.

Back Next

2. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing Spider-Man could have just as easily ended up getting a mention here, but while that reboot may have disappointed when it came to delivering "The Untold Story", the sequel definitely dropped the ball in terms of what at one point looked set to be the best Spider-Man movie to date. There were some warning signs early on when the horrible designs for Electro, the Green Goblin, and Rhino were revealed, but looks aren't everything, and surely Sony wouldn't squander that spectacular cast?

They did, and the movie ended up being a bloated mess which looked to be the final nail in the coffin of the franchise until Sony realised that the only way to save the wall-crawler would be to turn to Marvel Studios for help. The fact that it so badly botched the death of Gwen Stacy is arguably The Amazing Spider-Man 2's biggest failing, but an entire feature could be made out of this one's bad points.

Back Next

1. Green Lantern

While the special effects in that first teaser trailer were widely ridiculed, the more we saw from Green Lantern, the better it looked! There was a noticeable improvement in terms of CGI and Warner Bros. cut together footage which made it look like this would be the best DC Comics adaptation to date. Sure, the casting of Ryan Reynolds didn't sit well with some, but with Mark Strong as Sinestro, a cracking team of voice actors, and Casino Royale's Martin Campbell at the helm, Green Lantern had all the makings of a hit.

Alas, it ended up being a horrible take on the property as it tried to cover way too much ground in too short a period (that after-credits scene setting up the Sinestro Corps remains utterly baffling). The ball being dropped on great villains like Hector Hammond and Parallax was obviously among the most shocking surprises, and it's no surprise Warner Bros. has since shelved the franchise.

Which of these superhero movies do you think was most disappointing? Have we missed any worthy of a mention? As always, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Back

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: [Kevin Feige] Will Always Win

Recommended For You:

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

434 Comments

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...

Related Headlines

Video Games

Is EA Motive Still Working On The Single-Player IRON MAN Game Now That They're A BATTLEFIELD Studio?

MarkJulian

Apr 10, 2024 05:04 PM

Iron Man

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

JoshWilding

Apr 08, 2024 12:04 PM

Iron Man

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

MarkJulian

Mar 21, 2024 08:03 PM

Related Headlines

Video Games

Is EA Motive Still Working On The Single-Player IRON MAN Game Now That They're A BATTLEFIELD Studio?

MarkJulian

Apr 10, 2024 05:04 PM

Iron Man

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

JoshWilding

Apr 08, 2024 12:04 PM

Iron Man

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

MarkJulian

Mar 21, 2024 08:03 PM

Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. Thanks Chris Nolan For Rescuing "Dwindling Credibility" After 12 Years Playing IRON MAN

JoshWilding

Feb 19, 2024 05:02 AM

Marvel Studios

Robert Downey Jr. Calls His MCU Performances The Best Work Of His Career But Feels They Were Overlooked

MarkJulian

Jan 13, 2024 01:01 PM

LOKI: Tom Hiddleston Responds To The Possibility Of Time Slipping To Revive Iron Man

Marvel

Madame Web

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

5 hours ago

Batman vs. Superman

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

MarkCassidy

7 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Captain America: New World Order

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Happy Meal Toys Reveal A First Look At MCU’s Take On Red Hulk

JoshWilding

53 mins ago

Madame Web

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

5 hours ago

Batman vs. Superman

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

MarkCassidy

7 hours ago

Superman

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

MarkCassidy

10 hours ago

Sci-Fi

REBEL MOON R-Rated Director's Cut Will Include A Graphic Alien Sex Scene

MarkCassidy

12 hours ago

Sci-Fi

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

MarkCassidy

13 hours ago

Hot Headlines

181 comments

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

139 comments

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

97 comments

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

MarkCassidy

7 hours ago EST

92 comments

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

MarkCassidy

20 hours ago EST

88 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

More Cartoons & Animated ►

Jack Black Seemingly Confirms Who He Will Be Playing In The Upcoming MINECRAFT Movie

More Anime & Manga ►

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

More Horror ►

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not...

More Action Movies & TV ►

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have No Regrets After Airing ALL IN Footage

More Pro Wrestling ►

TRANSFORMERS ONE: First Trailer For Animated Origin Movie Takes Us Back To The Early Days Of Cybertron

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

Top 10 Most Disappointing Marvel And DC Superhero Movies Of All-Time

2016 has been hit and miss for CBMs, but it's not the first time fans have been left feeling underwhelmed. These Marvel and DC adaptations aren't the worst ever made, but they definitely disappointed!

10. Superman Returns

9. Suicide Squad

8. Spider-Man 3

7. Fantastic Four (2015)

6. The Incredible Hulk

5. Iron Man 2

4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

3. Man Of Steel

2. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

1. Green Lantern

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

Is EA Motive Still Working On The Single-Player IRON MAN Game Now That They're A BATTLEFIELD Studio?

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

Is EA Motive Still Working On The Single-Player IRON MAN Game Now That They're A BATTLEFIELD Studio?

AVENGERS Star Robert Downey Jr. Confirms He's Open To Playing Iron Man Again: "[Kevin Feige] Will Always Win"

Marvel Actress Gwyneth Paltrow Says There's A Limit On The Number Of Good Superhero Movies That Can Be Made

Robert Downey Jr. Thanks Chris Nolan For Rescuing "Dwindling Credibility" After 12 Years Playing IRON MAN

Robert Downey Jr. Calls His MCU Performances The Best Work Of His Career But Feels They Were Overlooked

LOKI: Tom Hiddleston Responds To The Possibility Of Time Slipping To Revive Iron Man

Popular Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

JUSTICE LEAGUE Star Henry Cavill Takes A Shot At His Superman Return In BLACK ADAM's Post-Credits Scene

MCU Rumor Roundup: Sydney Sweeney Joins The MCU, Thanos' Return, THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Setting, And More

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Happy Meal Toys Reveal A First Look At MCU’s Take On Red Hulk

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD Happy Meal Toys Reveal A First Look At MCU’s Take On Red Hulk

MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney Responds To Producer Who Said "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

REBEL MOON R-Rated Director's Cut Will Include A Graphic Alien Sex Scene

Steven Spielberg's Next Project Will Reportedly Be A UFO Movie Based On His Own Original Idea

Hot Headlines

SUPERMAN: James Gunn's DCU Reboot Finds Its Martha "Ma" Kent

Hollywood Producer Slams MADAME WEB Star Sydney Sweeney: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Talks To Play Lex Luthor In BVS; Gave Zack Snyder JUSTICE LEAGUE Idea

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Rumored To Introduce Norrin Radd Alongside Julia Garner's Silver Surfer

SUPERMAN Director James Gunn Shares New Behind-The-Scenes Photo With David Corenswet And Rachel Brosnahan

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

TRANSFORMERS ONE: First Trailer For Animated Origin Movie Takes Us Back To The Early Days Of Cybertron

FURIOSA: Witness Anya Taylor-Joy As The Wasteland Warrior On New Total Film Covers

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

Cartoons & Animated Features

SNOW WHITE Rumored Plot Details May Clear Up Seven Dwarfs/Seven Bandits Confusion

TRANSFORMERS ONE Trailer Reveals The Origins Of Optimus Prime And Megatron

X-MEN '97 Creative Express Interest In Bringing An X-MEN Animated Movie To Theaters

Gaming

Jack Black Seemingly Confirms Who He Will Be Playing In The Upcoming MINECRAFT Movie

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SPLINTERED FATE Headed To Nintendo Switch This July

Ubisoft Responds To Backlash Over STAR WARS OUTLAWS Exclusive Season Pass "Jabba's Gambit" Mission

Anime & Manga

MY HERO ACADEMIA Season 7 Countdown Kicks Off With Class 1-A Character Visuals

GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE Returning To Theaters With New 4K Restoration

Crunchyroll Announces Release Date For ONE PIECE Season 14 Voyage 15 English Dub

Horror

TRAP: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan's Latest Spoils The Big Twist

IMMACULATE Star Sydney Sweeney Has Been Slammed By A Hollywood Producer: "She's Not Pretty, She Can't Act"

SCREAM VII: Rumored Details On Sidney And Gale's Roles And Ghostface's Targets - SPOILERS

Action Movies & TV

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M

THE ACCOUNTANT 2 Adds Four More Actors Including JURASSIC WORLD Star Daniella Pineda

Pro Wrestling & MMA News

AEW EVPs Matt And Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks, Have "No Regrets" After Airing ALL IN Footage

Kurt Angle Reflects On What Went Wrong During Final WWE Run: "Fans Could Tell I Was Not The Same Wrestler"

AEW President Tony Khan Believes It "Made A Lot Of Sense" To Air ALL IN Backstage Footage On DYNAMITE

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

TRANSFORMERS ONE: First Trailer For Animated Origin Movie Takes Us Back To The Early Days Of Cybertron

FURIOSA: Witness Anya Taylor-Joy As The Wasteland Warrior On New Total Film Covers

REBEL MOON Director Zack Snyder Suggests He Has A Six-Movie Plan For Netflix's Sci-Fi Franchise

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS Director Steven Spielberg Reportedly Planning To Return To Sci-Fi Genre For His Next Movie

REBEL MOON Star Ed Skrein Has A Graphic Alien Sex Scene In R-Rated Extended Cut

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Star Kevin Durand Reveals New Details About "Narcissistic" Proximus Caesar

Cartoons & Animated Features