10 Failed Comic Book Movie Characters We're Definitely Going To See Again

Though there have been several characters failed by the likes of the MCU, the DCU, and other comic book franchises, some of them are certain to reappear on the big screen in future releases. The movies of the MCU helped elevate the superhero genre to the pinnacle of cinematic success, but that isn’t to say that it hasn’t also failed some of its characters. Comic book adaptations predate the MCU by a considerable margin, with countless iterations of heroes and villains having been showcased on the big screen.

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Not every character has been done justice by their respective comic book movies, such as in the movies of the DCEU. Many adaptations of popular comic book characters have been considered failures in one way or another, resulting in a disappointing outing for the hero or villain in question. However, many of these characters are simply too big or important to keep out of the limelight, and sooner or later they’re certain to make their cinematic comebacks.

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10 Galactus Will Get A Shot At MCU Redemption

Last Appeared In: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was considered hugely underwhelming for many reasons. The film’s main antagonist, Galactus, is one of Marvel’s most powerful cosmic villains, and his live-action debut should have been cause for excitement. However, the decision to take creative liberties with Galactus’ design was ill-advised, and the film’s depiction of the villain as a large amorphous space cloud was met with widespread ridicule.

Wasting a villain as monumental as Galactus with such an underwhelming design was considered an insult to the character’s role in the source material. It’s hardly surprising that Rise of the Silver Surfer was dismissed by critics and audiences alike, but Galactus is set for big screen redemption in 2025. Ralph Ineson is confirmed as Galactus in the cast of The Fantastic Four in the MCU, lending a commanding voice and a respected acting presence to the villain that ensures a better adaption of the character is forthcoming.

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5.8/10 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

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*Availability in US Director Tim Story Release Date June 15, 2007

9 Jubilee Deserves So Much Better Than Her Apocalypse Cameo

Last Appeared In: X-Men Apocalypse (2016)

The many entries into Fox’s X-Men movie franchise played host to a number of mistakes and poorly-conceived ideas, but few characters in the franchise were wasted as badly as Jubilee. The X-Men character was failed by the franchise in a major way: in spite of an impressively comic-accurate design and the excellent casting of Lana Condor in the role, Jubilee’s appearance was reduced to a fleeting cameo. It was hardly the treatment that a character of Jubilee’s stature deserved.

As Jubilee is a regular part of the X-Men’s lineup, and has already featured prominently in the MCU’s animated show X-Men ‘97, it’s all but inconceivable that she will continue to be failed in live-action. With the X-Men set to make their full MCU debut in live-action in the future, it seems to be only a matter of time until Jubilee appears again. After X-Men: Apocalypse wasted Jubilee so blatantly, she deserves to be redeemed in the MCU.

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3.8/10 X-Men Apocalypse

Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 27, 2016

8 Martian Manhunter Was One Of The DCEU’s Most Disappointing Teases

Last Appeared In: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

The DCEU’s movie timeline is packed with conceptual errors and behind-the-scenes issues, but one of the many characters the ill-fated franchise failed was the Martian Manhunter. Despite being one of DC’s most powerful heroes and a prominent member of the Justice League, the character was reduced to only a minor appearance within the franchise. His most notable amount of screen time came in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, but he was ultimately failed by the DCEU.

The hero’s role in Zack Snyder’s Justice League was not as an active member of the team, but more a tease of his future involvement in the franchise’s story. As the DCEU stalled and was ultimately scrapped shortly after its release, Martian Manhunter’s story went untold. However, the upcoming DCU reboot seems likely to remedy this, with plans to bring numerous DC heroes to life on the big screen already in the works, and a focus on giving some underappreciated heroes the limelight appearing to be reflected by the names currently announced.

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7.4/10 Zack Snyder’s Justice League

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*Availability in US Director Zack Snyder Release Date March 18, 2021

7 The DCU Will Handle Sinestro Much Better Than Green Lantern

Last Appeared In: Green Lantern (2011)

Green Lantern is a hero who has not yet been done justice in live-action, with the 2011 movie of the same name proving hugely underwhelming. The film saw Mark Strong cast in the role of Sinestro, Hal Jordan’s mentor who later becomes an antagonist. The movie did not really explore Sinestro as a character at all, but rather hinted at his greater involvement in a sequel, which ultimately went unmade. As such, it’s clear that Sinestro’s only live-action outing failed the character monumentally.

However, with James Gunn having confirmed a Green Lantern TV series in the DCU, it would seem as though Sinestro is potentially set to be redeemed. Though details about Lanterns are relatively sparse, it seems relatively safe to assume that Sinestro will feature in some capacity, as he’s such an important figure within the Green Lantern mythos. After 2011’s Green Lantern so robustly wasted the character, it’s almost a certainty that the DCU will seek to right that wrong.

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Green Lantern

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*Availability in US Director Martin Campbell Release Date June 16, 2011

6 Spawn Can Now Make Use Of Better Visual Effects

Last Appeared In: Spawn (1997)

Spawn might not be as well-known a figure as the likes of Superman or Spider-Man, but he’s an important character within the pop culture consciousness. The visceral violence of the character’s stories sets him apart from other comic book heroes, but the first live-action appearance of the Image Comics character was unable to bring him to life as he deserved. Amongst other issues, 1997’s Spawn was heavily criticized for its poor visuals, which have not aged well at all.

Considering the technological advancements in CGI technology, it seems likely that Spawn will be given a much better chance at live-action success. The nature of the character’s abilities requires a considerable amount of visual effects, which in 1997 made adapting him difficult. However, Spawn’s relevance to pop culture and huge fanbase make a more aesthetically pleasing adaptation seem incredibly likely in the near future.

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8.1/10 Spawn

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*Availability in US Director Mark A.Z. Dippé Release Date August 1, 1997

5 Silver Surfer’s Depth Wasn’t Explored In His First Live-Action Outing

Last Appeared In: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Another character failed by 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was the titular Surfer. The film gave the character a comic-accurate appearance, albeit one that relied heavily on technologically limited special effects. However, poorly aged visuals weren’t the character’s only issue: the movie did absolutely nothing to explore the narrative and emotional depth or the all-important complexity of the Silver Surfer.

The MCU has already cast its own Silver Surfer, which has been confirmed to be Shalla-Bal, who in the comics is traditionally the character’s love interest. By announcing ahead of time that the franchise’s version of the character will be entirely different, it already hints at a more considered approach to the iconic figure. Employing clever writing and the more impressive CGI technology that has been developed since 2007, it seems as though Rise of the Silver Surfer’s failing of the character will finally be redeemed in 2025.

4 The X-Men Franchise Failed Angel Multiple Times

Last Appeared In: X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Despite two different attempts at adapting the character, Fox failed Angel in a major way. Appearing in two of the worst X-Men movies certainly didn’t help, as both attempts to adapt the winged mutant to the big screen failed miserably to do him any semblance of justice. As one of Marvel Comics’ original X-Men, Angel is a character that should have been given a reasonable amount of time and attention, but this simply wasn’t the case.

X-Men: The Last Stand made Angel seem a whiny and ineffective character, whereas X-Men: Apocalypse simply didn’t spend any time exploring him at all. Angel’s long-standing role as part of the team and his continued presence in the comics should have earned him a little more consideration, but Fox’s franchise failed him completely. His importance makes it likely that he’ll surface again alongside the X-Men, hopefully playing a much greater role than his past outings.

3 The DCEU’s Deathstroke Had So Much Wasted Potential

Last Appeared In: Justice League (2017)

The DCEU was packed with teases that were never paid off, but one that continues to sting fans is Justice League’s post-credits scene, which hints at the forming of a live-action Injustice League. The scene introduced Joe Manganiello’s Deathstroke, complete with a comic-accurate design. The potential of the character was immediately evident, as the actor’s own talents combined with adherence to the comics was enough to cause a great deal of anticipation for his planned solo outing.

Manganiello’s Deathstroke movie was scrapped alongside the rest of the DCEU, and the tease went unfulfilled. Deathstroke’s presence as a villain and his ability to hold his own against members of the Justice League make him an entertaining figure, and one that would slot perfectly into any iteration of the DC Universe. As such, it seems only a matter of time until Deathstroke is finally given the respect he deserves, especially after the DCEU failed him so miserably.

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4/10 Justice League

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*Availability in US Director Zack Snyder Release Date November 17, 2017

2 Darkseid Is Too Big A Villain Not To Appear

Last Appeared In: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Darkseid has long been one of the biggest and most powerful villains in DC Comics, and as such, he’s a hugely important figure within the continuity. The DCEU attempted to seed Darkseid’s introduction, heavily implying his coming involvement in the franchise. Zack Snyder’s Justice League briefly featured the villain, though he was not involved enough to explore his place within the universe or to face off directly against its heroes.

Considering Darkseid’s importance and power level, it’s unlikely that any successful DC continuity will leave him out of proceedings. James Gunn’s plans for the DCU certainly indicate the potential for Darkseid’s introduction, meaning that he may well be done justice in live-action. Regardless, the importance of Darkseid to the wider world of DC makes a future appearance an inevitability, despite the ways the DCEU previously failed the character.

1 Robin Desperately Deserves Another Chance On The Big Screen

Last Appeared In: Batman & Robin (1997)

Perhaps the most egregious failure of any comic book character in the history of film, Robin’s treatment has been practically criminal. Batman’s iconic sidekick has not been actively adapted on the big screen since 1997’s Batman & Robin, and though plans to further explore his story have been made, none of them have yet come to fruition. Chris O’Donnell’s iteration of Robin might have left something to be desired, but it was nowhere near poor enough for the character to have been so thoroughly discarded.

As Titans clearly demonstrated the live-action potential of the character, it seems even more inexcusable that he has yet to reappear in film. However, James Gunn’s plans for Batman: The Brave and the Bold are set to introduce Robin to the DCU, finally giving the hero a chance to shine. Even so, the ways in which Robin has been failed are by far the worst treatment of any character in the MCU, the DCU, or other comic book franchises.