10 Comic Book Movies Too Big To Fail (That Did It Anyway)

Summary

• Despite high expectations, some comic book movies like Jonah Hex and Aquaman 2 failed to live up to their potential.
• Ghost Rider and Green Lantern, with big budgets and star-studded casts, still underperformed at the box office and with critics.
• Even with major hype, Black Adam and Justice League proved to be some of the biggest failures in the history of comic book movies.

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Despite many comic book movies in the MCU, the DCU, and beyond appearing too big to fail, some were still unable to live up to expectations. Though the movies of the MCU have helped elevate the superhero genre to unprecedented heights, comic book movies predate the franchise by many years. Over the long cinematic history of comic book adaptations, there have been a number of incredibly successful titles, as well as some that severely underperformed.

Given the pop culture relevance of most major superheroes and the considerable hype surrounding their big screen adaptations, some comic book movies seem destined for success. However, this isn’t always the case, with critical considerations, conceptual issues, or behind-the-scenes problems all occasionally contributing to a box office bomb. In spite of some movies seeming certain to achieve success, this doesn’t always come to pass, with some comic book adaptations bombing at the box office or with critics. Here are 10 comic book movies that seemed to big to fail that ultimately did anyway.

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10 Future Comic Book Movies Too Big To Fail

Comic book movies aren’t always the sure-fire box office smashes they used to be, but some upcoming titles certainly seem much too big to fail.

10 Jonah Hex Wasted Its Unique Selling Points

Jonah Hex (2010)

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Jonah Hex
PG-13

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Director Jimmy Hayward Release Date June 17, 2010 Runtime 81minutes

Before the movies of the DCEU brought a shared DC movie universe to the big screen, there was 2010’s Jonah Hex. At the time, it was by far one of the more exciting DC projects, as its unique Western premise adapted a lesser-known hero, much as the MCU had done with the likes of Iron Man. Considering the success of Marvel’s C-list heroes on the big screen, Jonah Hex seemed a great prospect, particularly with such a star-studded cast.

With Josh Brolin in the title role and a supporting cast of Megan Fox, John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, Michael Shannon, and Wes Bentley, Jonah Hex boasted no shortage of talent. However, upon release, it bombed at the box office and tanked with critics, with almost every element of the movie criticized on some level. Despite the huge and obvious potential of Jonah Hex, it simply didn’t earn any real success.

9 Ghost Rider Was Nowhere Near As Interesting As It Deserved

Ghost Rider (2007)

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Ghost Rider
PG-13

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Director Mark Steven Johnson Release Date January 15, 2007 Runtime 110 minutes

On paper, Ghost Rider should have worked brilliantly and been a huge success. Not only is the titular hero one of Marvel’s most interesting and cinematically enticing figures, but the movie also boasted a cast comprised of Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Peter Fonda, and Wes Bentley. On top of that, the flaming skulled motorcyclist hero having such obvious visual appeal seemed to make 2007’s Ghost Rider much too big to fail.

Unfortunately, Ghost Rider fumbled the majority of its potential. Its CGI was inconsistent, its script was uninspired, and it failed to capitalize on the acting talents of its cast. It failed to impress critics and ultimately underperformed at the box office, meaning that it thoroughly underwhelmed in terms of the success it seemed to be destined for owing to its cast and exciting premise.

8 Aquaman 2 Couldn’t Capitalize On The Original’s Success

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (2023)

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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
PG-13

Director James Wan Release Date December 22, 2023 Runtime 124 Minutes

2023’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was tipped to mark the end of the DCEU’s movie timeline long before its release. Playing such an important role by being the final chapter in a decade-spanning franchise helped boost the movie’s profile ahead of release. The huge and somewhat unexpected success of 2018’s Aquaman meant that expectations were high for the sequel, with the first film’s impressive cast reprising their roles to give the DCEU one final oceanic outing.

Unfortunately, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom struggled to break even at the box office, and received mostly negative reviews from critics. As the last movie in the DCEU, the stakes of the movie’s plot felt decidedly low, and it was clear none of the characters would be returning regardless of what happened. The years of hype surrounding the sequel were ultimately dulled by the death of the DCEU, making Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s ending an underwhelming send-off for the franchise.

7 Even Ryan Reynolds’ Charm Couldn’t Save Green Lantern

Green Lantern (2011)

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Green Lantern
PG-13

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Director Martin Campbell Release Date June 16, 2011

2011 saw DC put their faith in Green Lantern, a movie adaptation of the popular hero with Ryan Reynolds in the title role. The sci-fi epic teased massive set pieces, groundbreaking visual effects, and a huge budget, as well as a number of big-name stars making up its supporting cast. As such, Green Lantern seemed at one point to be much too big to fail, especially with the studio putting so much behind the movie.

However, Green Lantern was a well-documented disaster, failing to impress audiences and critics alike. Many aspects of the movie were heavily criticized, and even Reynolds himself has distanced himself from Green Lantern in the years since its release. The underwhelming performance of the movie combined with its underwhelming reception marked its failure to live up to the high expectations that the studio clearly had.

6 The Marvels Didn’t Keep Pace With Its Predecessor

The Marvels (2023)

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The Marvels
PG-13

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Director Nia DaCosta Release Date November 10, 2023 Runtime 105 Minutes

The cast of The Marvels brought back a number of important MCU characters in their much-anticipated returns to the franchise, with Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Photon all teaming up to combat a comic-level threat. After 2019’s Captain Marvel established itself as one of the MCU’s most successful standalone movies, hopes were incredibly high for the 2023 follow-up. Captain Marvel’s critical and commercial success set a rather high bar for The Marvels, though the sequel seemed sure to achieve the success that has become all too familiar for the MCU.

The Marvels ultimately failed to live up to these expectations, however. Not only was the film the MCU’s biggest box office bomb by a considerable margin, but it also received decidedly mixed reviews. The Marvels’ lack of success seems even worse when judged against the popularity and box office of its predecessor, highlighting that the sequel failed to clear the high bar set for it.

5 The Fantastic Four Reboot Didn’t Use Its Stellar Cast Effectively

Fantastic Four (2015)

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Fantastic Four (2015)
PG-13

Director Josh Trank Release Date August 4, 2015 Runtime 100 Minutes

After two relatively underwhelming adaptations in the ‘00s, the heroes of the Fantastic Four were recast for their appearance in Josh Trank’s 2015 reboot. The movie cast a number of prominent actors as its heroes and villains, including Miles Teller, Jamie Bell, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Tim Blake Nelson, and Toby Kebbell. The big budget reboot was the subject of much anticipation, particularly due to the talented nature of its cast.

2015’s Fantastic Four ultimately proved a huge failure. The film struggled at the box office, and was unable to impress critics or audiences, with multiple aspects of the movie heavily criticized. Ultimately, the movie failed to establish its heroes as relatable or particularly memorable, and its poor handling of the source material also proved a particular sticking point. As such, Fantastic Four thoroughly wasted its talented cast, and failed hugely as a result.

4 Black Adam Couldn’t Live Up To The Rock’s Endless Hype

Black Adam (2022)

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Black Adam
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Director Jaume Collet-Serra Release Date October 21, 2022 Runtime 2h 5m

Black Adam continued the DCEU’s story by introducing a number of prominent characters into the franchise. As well as the titular character, the movie brought the heroes of the Justice Society of America to the big screen, casting a number of prominent stars in supporting roles alongside Dwayne Johnson. The WWE superstar fueled a massive amount of hype about his role in the movie, prompting major expectations regarding the actor’s superhero movie debut.

Black Adam was hardly the success that Johnson had promised it would be. His comments about the movie upsetting the hierarchy of power in the DCEU proved entirely fruitless, and though the movie itself wasn’t without merit, it simply couldn’t live up to the hype. Ultimately, Black Adam was made to seem too big to fail by its star, only to prove underwhelming upon release.

3 X-Men Origins: Wolverine Wasted One Of Marvel’s Best Cinematic Prospects

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

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Director Gavin Hood Release Date April 30, 2009 Runtime 107minutes

After the X-Men franchise’s initial trilogy in the early ‘00s, Fox’s adaptations of Marvel’s mutant heroes continued with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Taking the most popular character from the earlier trilogy seemed a surefire recipe for success, with Hugh Jackman’s casting as Logan celebrated as one of the best in superhero movie history. The exploration of Wolverine’s backstory promised to be an especially exciting and action-packed affair, prompting high expectations for the prequel movie.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was nowhere near the success that many believed it would be. Its poor handling of many other Marvel characters and wooden script saw audiences and critics alike feel decidedly unimpressed by the movie, as it clearly fell short of the high expectations set by its predecessors. Several of its stars have even expressed their disappointment with the movie, further highlighting its failure.

2 Batman V Superman Should Have Been Epic

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

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Director Zack Snyder Release Date March 24, 2016 Runtime 152 minutes

After Man of Steel started the DCEU, Zack Snyder chose to follow it up with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The decision to introduce a new iteration of the Dark Knight into the DCEU caused a huge deal of anticipation, particularly as the movie promised to pit two of DC’s most prominent heroes against one another as well as the debut of Wonder Woman. On top of that, the movie featured an excellent cast of actors, with Jesse Eisenberg cast as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth alongside Ben Affleck’s Batman.

Upon Batman v Superman’s release, the movie failed to live up to the hype. The initial reactions to the movie were incredibly mixed, with many in the audience disliking specific aspects of the film. Though it has since undergone a more favorable reappraisal, Batman v Superman ultimately proved much more of a failure than its potential implied it would be.

1 Justice League Fumbled The DCEU’s Biggest Movie

Justice League (2017)

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Director Zack Snyder Release Date November 17, 2017 Runtime 242 minutes

As one of the biggest cinematic occasions in the history of the superhero genre, anticipation for the DCEU’s Justice League was incredibly high. Reuniting the heroes of the franchise and introducing new members of the team, Justice League promised to be the most substantial entry into the entire DCEU. Considering the huge commercial and critical success of the movie’s MCU counterpart, The Avengers, 2017’s Justice League seemed certain to catapult the DCEU to unprecedented heights.

After a number of behind-the-scenes issues, Justice League’s release saw the movie fail to impress. It received mixed reviews, but proved a box office bomb, thoroughly underwhelming in comparison to its projected success. The many issues with the film contributed to a poor reputation as well, which directly contrasted the considerable hype leading up to its release. Though Justice League seemed too big fail, it proved to be one of the biggest comic book movie failures in the history of the MCU, the DCU, and the wider genre.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

Upcoming Films Deadpool & Wolverine , Captain America: Brave New World , Thunderbolts (2025) , Blade (2025) , The Fantastic Four (2025) , Avengers: The Kang Dynasty , Avengers: Secret Wars Upcoming TV Shows Agatha: Coven of Chaos , Ironheart , Daredevil: Born Again , Wakanda , Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man , Marvel Zombies , Wonder Man , Vision Quest

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Category: Entertainment