10 Superhero Movie Flops That Should Have Been Hits

Financially disappointing superhero movies from the MCU, DCU, and other franchises sometimes deserve to have seen much more tangible success. The MCU films may have cemented superhero movies as the most financially successful genre in cinema history, but that hasn’t always been the case. Despite the record success of some superhero movies, there are always those that do not meet the expectations placed on them.

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Big budgets mean big returns are required for a superhero movie to be considered a financial success. This isn’t always feasible, and sometimes, as with some of the DCEU films, it can lead to major failure. Still, a failure at the box office does not necessarily mean that a film lacks quality, as there are many examples of films in the genre that were not financially successful and that deserve much more recognition. With that in mind, here are 10 Superhero Movie Flops That Should Have Been Hits.

10 Spider-Man 3 did not achieve the success of its predecessors

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

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Although Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films are widely cited as having confirmed the box office potential of the superhero genre, not all were equally successful. The first two films had not only good financial returns but also impressive critical reception, which generated high expectations for the third film. Unfortunately, spider man 3 It didn’t perform as well as its predecessors, and while it still made respectable profits at the box office, it didn’t live up to expectations.

The success of the first two films led to greater confidence in Raimi’s ability to make big money at the box office. This led to spider man 3 becoming the most expensive film ever made at the time of its release, and is expected to make even higher profits. Taking into account the popularity of its predecessors and the studio’s expectations, it deserved to have performed better at the box office than it finally did. .

9 Blade: Trinity followed two great movies

Sheet: Trinity (2004)

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Another superhero trilogy prior to the MCU movie timeline, Leaf: Trinity It was released after two highly regarded films starring Wesley Snipes’ vampire hunter. The third film in the trilogy did not perform particularly well at the box office, and negative reviews significantly affected its chances of success. However, in a specific way, Leaf: Trinity apparently it deserved to have been a success.

Although the film was largely inferior to its predecessors, it had the built-in audience provided to sequels to popular films. Released in the wake of two much-loved and generally successful films, Leaf: Trinity should have been able to garner significant box office, if only on the merit of its place in the franchise. What’s more, the addition of new characters to Blade’s cinematic mythos was an interesting, if poorly executed, development, meaning he probably should have earned a lot more.

8 Jonah Hex couldn’t turn a great cast into success

Jonah Hex (2010)

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2010 Jonah Hex is widely considered one of the worst superhero movies ever made and has been practically disowned by everyone involved. With a budget of $47 million, the film’s box office gross was a paltry $11 million, making it one of the worst flops in the history of the genre. Still, it should have been much more successful, as from a marketing point of view, it could have attracted a much larger audience.

Jonah Hex It had not only an interesting premise, but also a star-studded cast. Starring Josh Brolin in the lead role alongside the likes of Megan Fox, John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett and Michael Shannon, Jonas HexThe cast was practically packed with talented performers. However, the film’s negative reviews led to a major disappointment at the box office, meaning it never lived up to the implied potential of its incredible cast.

7 Wonder Woman 1984 failed for reasons beyond her control

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

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Wonder Woman 1984 It is often cited among the worst DCEU films, as well as one of the franchise’s biggest box office failures. However, the sequel’s inability to win at the box office was not explicitly related to its perceived lack of quality, as it was real-world events that fueled its lack of success. Released in December 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 was a victim of the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As wonder woman Still one of the most popular films in the DCEU, its sequel deserved to achieve much greater success. What’s more, Wonder Woman 1984 was able to earn a respectable box office considering the restrictions of its theatrical release, indicating that if it had been released at another time, it would have been much more successful. Despite perceived shortcomings that led to mixed reviews, it’s clear that the DCEU movie should have earned much more at the box office.

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6 Black Adam’s Marketing Push Should Have Worked

Black Adam (2022)

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2022 saw the launch of black adamDwayne Johnson’s long-awaited DCEU debut as a title character. The film failed to break even at the box office, grossing $393 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $260 million. Although this was partly due to negative reviews and dwindling public interest in the DCEU’s story, black adam It should have worked much better than it did.

black adam received one of the most considerable marketing pushes of the entire DCEU, led in part by its star’s enormous influence on social media. black adamThe cast was also packed with talent, including Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, and Noah Centineo, giving the film additional appeal. Even so, it failed to achieve the expected box office, something that Johnson himself attributes to the film not being released in China. Considering its place in the DCEU and the context surrounding its release, black adamFailure remains surprising.

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5 The best qualities of the Marvels did not give them success

The Wonders (2023)

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Launched in 2023, the wonders earned the unfortunate accolade of being the lowest-grossing MCU film. The film saw the return of Captain Marvel, as well as Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau, who were introduced in the popular MCU shows. Ms. Marvel and WandaVisionrespectively. The film was a considerable box office failure and turned out to be the MCU’s most disastrous release.

the wonders In reality he deserved to be much more successful. Following three of the most popular MCU releases from previous years, the wonders seemed set to capitalize on their combined success. However, mixed reviews and public superhero fatigue were cited as the main contributors to its failure. Even so, the wonders is far from a bad film, and considering some of the other unpopular MCU films, its quality should have earned it a more substantial box office take.

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4 The return of Michael Keaton’s Batman deserved to boost the success of The Flash

The Flash (2023)

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The flash It turned out to be the penultimate release of the DCEU, even though it was initially marketed as a sort of fresh start for the franchise. The 2023 film grossed a box office of $271 million, earning it megaflop status considering an estimated budget of up to $220 million. Although the factors cited as reasons for its failure were numerous, The flash Still it should have been a success for one key reason.

Even throughout its long and turbulent production, The flash remained a highly anticipated film in the DCEU, as it was thought to be the long-awaited return of Michael Keaton’s Batman. Reports regarding his role in the franchise varied over time, but it was considered that he would take over as the DCEU’s resident Dark Knight, with The flash giving the franchise a soft reboot of sorts. Although this was not ultimately the case, the enthusiasm for Keaton’s return should have earned him The flash more success.

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3 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was judged harshly

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

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Marc Webb’s second film The Amazing Spider-Man The franchise saw Andrew Garfield reprise his role two years after his Marvel debut. The film follows the events of The Amazing Spider-Manteasing the emergence of new Spider-Man villains and a deeper exploration of the hero’s past and future. It turned out to be a failure not in the financial sense, but in terms of overall success, as interest in the franchise quickly declined upon its release.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 He has since been subject to a much more favorable re-evaluation, indicating that he actually deserved to have been better regarded upon his release. If this had been the case, the film’s box office would undoubtedly have been higher and its sequel would likely have materialized. An interesting and innovative chapter in the Spider-Man movie timeline, which ultimately deserved to have been much more successful than it was.

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2 Suicide Squad’s Success Was Affected By Real-World Issues

The Suicide Squad (2021)

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The suicide squad is one of the most fascinating releases of the DCEU, as its popularity was not even remotely reflected in its box office. Making back only $168 million of its $185 million budget, it was considered a considerable box office failure, although this was by no means an indicator of its quality. Complications from the COVID-19 pandemic and the film’s simultaneous streaming release were cited as the main factors in its failure at the box office, indicating why it deserved to be a hit.

The suicide squad is, by far, one of the best DCEU films. Considering its cast, the colorful and striking execution of its unique vision and its well-balanced lightness, The suicide squad It is one of the best made films in the franchise. However, due to real-world issues surrounding its release and its connection to 2016 suicide squadultimately failed to translate that into financial success.

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1 Dredd should have been a huge hit

Dredd (2012)

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2012 saw the release of Dredda film adaptation of the 2000 AD character, Judge Dredd. The second live-action adaptation of the character after the critically panned 1995 film. Judge Dredd, Dredd suffered from a poor marketing campaign. It grossed only $41.5 million at the box office against a budget of between $30 and $45 million. Despite being a box office failure, Dredd It has since achieved cult status.

Critics praised the film, and its enduring popularity with audiences is a good indicator of its overall quality. Considering its relatively low budget, Dredd is a brilliantly realized adaptation of the character, and fans have maintained a campaign for a sequel despite its disappointment at the box office. Looking at the factors surrounding DreddDue to its continued cult status, it’s one of those rare box office flops outside of the MCU and DCU that actually deserved to have been a hit.

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