2018's Marvel And DC Movies: The Good, The Bad, And Everything We Wish We Could Forget

It's been one heck of a year for superhero movies and with Aquaman now in most theaters across the globe, we're taking a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Marvel and DC's 2018 releases...

By JoshWilding - Dec 14, 2018 06:12 AM EST

Filed Under: Aquaman

It's been one heck of a year for superhero movies and while Marvel has mostly dominated proceedings (DC has only released one film in 2018), we've still been left with an awful lot to talk about.

Now, with the year nearly at an end, we're looking back on every major Marvel and DC release to bring you a roundup of the good, the bad, and, well, the things we'd rather forget (in other words, the ugly). I think you'll have something to say about what's featured in each of those categories and while Aquaman is included, there aren't actually any spoilers for that here!

Bear in mind that these are just my opinions and I'm sure you'll have plenty of your own, so feel free to weigh in with them in the comments section.

To take a look at this breakdown, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button below.

THE GOOD

Marvel Introduces A New King

There was a lot of excitement ahead of the release of Black Panther but none of us could have imagined just how great it would be. While Captain America: Civil War definitely did a good job of introducing the hero, Ryan Coogler made Wakanda a living, breathing place full of incredible characters.

The diverse cast struck a chord with moviegoers and was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon and it's easy to see why it's already generating such a huge amount of awards buzz.

With Black Panther, Marvel Studios made it clear that even if characters like Captain America and Iron Man bid us adieu after Avengers: Endgame, we'll be in safe hands with T'Challa leading the next iteration of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Thanos Finally Gets His Due

Marvel Studios spent years teasing the arrival of Thanos and as exciting as those after-credits scenes may have been, it wasn't until Avengers: Infinity War that the iconic villain finally got his due.

The Russo Brothers made the surprising decision to make Earth's Mightiest Heroes the Mad Titan's supporting cast but it's a decision which paid off in a big way, especially as there were so many surprises (we'll get to that shocking ending a little later in this post).

Thanos is definitely up there as one of the best superhero movie villains of all-time and it was Josh Brolin who brought him to life in this superhero movie masterpiece. Speaking of which...

Josh Brolin Kicks Ass As Cable

I wasn't the biggest fan of Deadpool 2 but there's no denying that Brolin's Cable was a highlight.

The actor was clearly having fun here and made for the perfect foil to Ryan Reynolds' goofy Merc with the Mouth. Throw in the fact that he bulked up massively and looked like a total badass and there's no denying that he was born for this role every bit as much as the Mad Titan, Thanos.

If this iteration of the Deadpool franchise is at an end, then it will be a great shame if we have to say goodbye to Cable because there's so much potential for this character on the big screen.

The Wasp Steals The Show

I mentioned earlier how great it was to see Marvel Studios introduce Black Panther but another great new hero who made an impact in the MCU this year was, of course, The Wasp.

Evangeline Lilly did a fantastic job as Hope Van Dyne after being saddled with some pretty underwhelming material in Ant-Man and every time she was on screen in Ant-Man and The Wasp was a blast. She kicked ass, looked fantastic in that suit, and made it clear that The Wasp is deserving of lining up with the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes somewhere down the line.

We'll just have to hope that happens when Avengers: Endgame is released next year...

Carnage Is Coming

I wasn't a big fan of Venom but there's no denying that this mid-credits scene tease was exciting, especially as it's guaranteed to have ramifications for a sequel which is most definitely happening after the movie managed to massively exceed box office expectations.

Woody Harrelson is a great choice to play Cletus Kasady and say what you will about the rest of Venom but the Symbiotes look great in action and watching Carnage unleash should be amazing.

My only fear about the follow-up is that we saw Riot pull off so many of Carnage's tricks, he just won't come across as being all that scary (especially when his actions are confined to a PG-13 setting). It's too soon to say right now, though, and Carnage really can't get here soon enough.

Miles Morales IS Spider-Man

When we learned that Marvel Studios was planning to reboot the Spider-Man franchise, I was dead against the idea of Miles Morales being in the costume. To me, the only Spider-Man is Peter Parker but if there's one thing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse does, it proves that there is room for an entirely different wall-crawler beneath the mask.

The movie is spectacular from start to finish and everything from the animation to humour is 100% excellent. However, by far the best thing about it is the fact that it establishes Miles as a hero in his own right and I would love to see him in a live-action setting.

Sony did a great job of developing this character and he feels like a real person despite the animated setting. By the time he finally suits up, it feels like this is the one true Spider-Man and Peter Parker needs to move over because there's a new web-spinner in town!

Aquaman Saves The DCEU

That may seem like a bold statement but it's one I feel is most definitely justified.

After Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. took a big step backwards with Justice League and with Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad all proving to be so divisive, the studio needed a hit with Aquaman because Wonder Woman alone wasn't enough to rescue the DCEU.

While it's goofy at times and not necessarily perfect, it's still massively enjoyable and an absolute blast. Everyone involved is having fun and the action scenes are some of the best you'll see in a superhero movie.

Honestly, Aquaman may very well have saved the DCEU and set it on the right path.

THE BAD

Why Kill Off Such A Great Villain?

Marvel Studios has an infuriating habit of killing off great bad guys and Black Panther was sadly no exception. While Erik Killmonger's demise was definitely emotional, it was also wholly unnecessary.

Killmonger could have easily been left alive, especially as it feels like there are still places his story could go. Marvel really hasn't done itself any favours over the years by killing these bad guys; just imagine the Masters of Evil assembling with Killmonger as its leader and members like the Abomination and Iron Monger!

So. Many. Deaths.

Don't get me wrong, I think it was a ballsy move by Marvel Studios to kill off so many beloved characters. While we all know that they'll eventually return (well, maybe not Gamora and Loki), it was still shocking to sit there and watch the likes of Spider-Man and Nick Fury turn into dust.

So, why has this been categorised under "The Bad" when it was arguably a great moment?

Well, it was freaking traumatic, man! Watching these characters die wasn't nice and it will be interesting seeing if regular moviegoers shy away from watching Avengers: Endgame after before forced to watch so many of their favourites perish.

Recycling The Same Old Jokes

I know I'm in the minority here because most of you loved Deadpool 2 but, for me, it was a chore to sit through. All the sequel did was recycle jokes from the first instalment and none of them were particularly funny. It was just more of the same and whereas most sequels try to move forward, it feels like this one just took a step back.

If the humour in Deadpool is something you find riotously funny or you're just a massive fan of the character, I doubt you'll be able to relate to what I'm saying here and that's fine. However, if Marvel Studios allows this franchise to live on, here's hoping they find some better writers.

A Mediocre Trip Into The Quantum Realm

I really liked Ant-Man and The Wasp and that just makes it all the more frustrating to see the idea of the Quantum Realm wasted for the most part. While the Quantum Realm certainly looked pretty, we weren't given any sort of explanation for how Janet Van Dyne survived of any sort of insight into the new powers this sequel teased for all of thirty seconds.

If fan theories about it playing a pivotal role in Avengers: Endgame are correct, then Marvel Studios really hasn't done the best job of setting the stage for that here and everything about this sequel screamed that a new director is needed for the possible third instalment to inject some life into the franchise before it risks going stale before its time.

A Superhero Movie From 2005

I hated Venom but that doesn't mean I can't see why people had so much fun with it. It feels like a movie that's bound to receive cult status (albeit one which was also a box office hit) with audiences reciting some of the movie's more bizarre lines along with Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock at screenings a decade from now.

What I don't get is how anyone can say this was a legitimately good movie!

Between the half-assed story, appalling acting, and terrible Eminem theme tune ("Venom...Venom...Venom..."), everything about this movie felt like it belonged in the era when the only superhero movies in theaters were ones like Daredevil, Catwoman, and Fantastic Four.

THE UGLY

Killing X-Force

Look, I know that this was done to surprise fans and there's no denying it was funny but what a waste. This isn't the iteration of X-Force I wanted to see on screen to be totally honest so I'm not even coming at this from the point of view of a disgruntled fan.

I just think it was a shame for Fox to have cast such talented actors as these characters before immediately getting rid of them!

Now, with an X-Force movie looking unlikely thanks to the studio's upcoming merger with Disney, it's even more frustrating to think that the chance to put the spotlight on this group was wasted because they could have been a highlight rather than a punchline.

Eddie Brock Makes Out With Venom

This was so weird.

Despite us seeing a number of symbiotes immediately kill the humans they try to bond with, Ann Weying somehow manages to survive to transport Venom to Eddie Brock and in one of the movie's coolest moments, we get to see She-Venom in live-action.

What happens next, though, is all kinds of wrong. She-Venom starts making out with Eddie in a cringe-worthy sequence that may have got some laughs but is so unbelievably goofy, that's it's hard to imagine who working on Venom thought it was a good idea.

Woody Harrelson's Wig

Talking of cringing, what the hell was this supposed to be? I appreciate that Woody Harrelson is bald and that this after-credits scene was probably shot during a fairly late stage in production but who in the hell thought that putting the actor in a Carrot Top style headpiece was the way to go?

Harrelson looked laughable and any hint of menace that was supposed to come across here was quickly lost as a result. Okay, so a lot of Venom was meant to be comical (well, I think it was intentional), but I really hope that the villain is given a totally new look in 2020...

Some Questionable Redesigns

I loved Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse but what I didn't love was seeing some of the redesigns used by Sony here. I've never been a fan of a monstrous Green Goblin but to see him as massive as this is just silly and the Scorpion, in particular, looks really lame.

Ultimately, this is a minor complaint but a lot of these redesigned characters do indeed look ugly. On the plus side, some redesigns work (The Prowler and The Kingpin look awesome) and the aforementioned characters are only on screen for a relatively brief time.

Emerging From The Depths

This is such a weird moment and one I'm sure that a lot of fans are going to delight in making fun of. As Aquaman and Mera emerge from the depths, Pitbull's cover of Toto's "Africa" plays and it's so ludicrously cheesy, you won't be able to help but roll your eyes!

Despite that, it works in the tone of the movie and isn't necessarily a bad moment by any means.

It is silly, though, and I don't think it was necessarily the best way to sell fans on a badass Aquaman. It's a good job the rest of the movie makes up for it then and your girlfriend will almost certainly enjoy seeing a shirtless Jason Momoa walking out of the ocean.

Impressive Mera Cosplay Goes Viral Following Amber Heard's Reduced Role In AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

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99 Comments

1 2 3

Saga - 12/14/2018, 12:01 AM

Nice content

thewanderer - 12/14/2018, 6:42 AM

@Saga - year end recaps. It really is Josh’s Christmas.

manofillintent1 - 12/14/2018, 5:54 AM

I think 2019 will be a very mixed response for the MCU hopefully Brie Larson kills it as captain marvel, weird feeling endgame will suffer from fan expectations and I feel like people are already itching to hate on far from home

EZBeast - 12/14/2018, 5:54 AM

Isn’t this just a fancier rewriting of your ranking of the best/worst of 2018 Josh?

DeadClunge - 12/14/2018, 5:58 AM

I liked Aquaman a lot...song choices were weird tho... I really wish Zimmer composed the score.

aflynn - 12/14/2018, 5:59 AM

The good

Bp
Iw
Into the spiderverse

The bad

Venom

The mixed

Aquaman

GhostDog - 12/14/2018, 6:06 AM

This a diet BEST/WORST 2018 list

bkmeijer2 - 12/14/2018, 6:10 AM

I thought Venom was so enjoyable because it felt like an early 2000s superhero flick. That said, it did indeed have questionable moments

Jeight8 - 12/14/2018, 6:16 AM

From the cb content i have seen this year.

Great:
IW (by far)
BP
DD S3

Good:
LOT S4
Luke Cage S2

Mediocre (Not Bad, forgettable)
Iron Fist S2
Ant-man and the Wasp
Aquaman

Bad
Venom

1 2 3

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2018's Marvel And DC Movies: The Good, The Bad, And Everything We Wish We Could Forget

It's been one heck of a year for superhero movies and with Aquaman now in most theaters across the globe, we're taking a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Marvel and DC's 2018 releases...

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Josh Brolin Kicks Ass As Cable

The Wasp Steals The Show

Carnage Is Coming

Miles Morales IS Spider-Man

Aquaman Saves The DCEU

THE BAD Why Kill Off Such A Great Villain?

So. Many. Deaths.

Recycling The Same Old Jokes

A Mediocre Trip Into The Quantum Realm

A Superhero Movie From 2005

THE UGLY Killing X-Force

Eddie Brock Makes Out With Venom

Woody Harrelson's Wig

Some Questionable Redesigns

Emerging From The Depths

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AQUAMAN: Newly Surfaced Concept Art Reveals Scrapped JUSTICE LEAGUE Cameo In 2018 Blockbuster

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Killing X-Force