The financially disappointing superhero movies of the MCU, the DCU, and other franchises sometimes deserve to have earned much more tangible success. The movies of the MCU may have cemented superhero movies as the most financially successful genre in the history of cinema, but that hasn’t always been the case. Despite the record-breaking success of some superhero movies, there are always those that don’t quite meet the expectations placed upon them.
Big budgets mean that large returns are required for a superhero movie to be considered a financial success. This isn’t always feasible, and sometimes – such as with some of the movies of the DCEU - this can lead to major failure. Even so, flopping at the box office doesn’t necessarily mean that a film is lacking in quality, as there are many examples of financially unsuccessful movies in the genre that deserve far more recognition. With that in mind, here are 10 superhero movie flops that should have been hits.
10 Spider-Man 3 Didn't Achieve The Success Of Its Predecessors
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Though Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies are widely cited as having confirmed the box office potential of the superhero genre, they weren’t all equally successful. The first two movies boasted not just healthy financial returns but also impressive critical reception, leading to high expectations for the third movie. Sadly, Spider-Man 3 did not perform as well as its predecessors, and though it still earned respectably at the box office, it did not live up to expectations.
The success of the first two movies led to increased confidence in Raimi’s ability to make big money at the box office. This led to Spider-Man 3 becoming the most expensive movie ever made at the time of its release, with even greater returns expected to roll in. Considering the popularity of its predecessors and the expectations of the studio, it deserved to have done better at the box office than it ultimately did.
9 Blade: Trinity Followed Two Great Movies
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Another superhero trilogy to predate the MCU’s movie timeline, Blade: Trinity was released following two well-respected movies featuring Wesley Snipes’ vampire hunter. The third film in the trilogy did not perform particularly well at the box office, with negative reviews significantly impacting its chances for success. However, in one specific way, Blade: Trinity seemingly deserved to have been a hit.
Though the film was largely inferior to its predecessors, it had the built-in audience afforded to sequels of popular movies. Released on the back of two well-liked and generally successful films, Blade: Trinity should have been able to earn a significant box office take, if only by merit of its place in the franchise. What’s more, the movie’s addition of new characters to Blade’s cinematic mythos was an interesting – if ill-executed – development, meaning that it likely should have earned much more.
8 Jonah Hex Couldn't Turn A Great Cast Into Success
Jonah Hex (2010)
2010’s Jonah Hex is widely considered one of the worst superhero movies ever made, and has been all but disowned by everyone involved. Against a budget of $47 million, the film’s gross box office was a measly $11 million, making it one of the worst flops in the history of the genre. Even so, it should have been far more successful, as from a marketing standpoint, it could have drawn a much larger audience.
Jonah Hex boasted not just an interesting premise but a star-studded cast to boot. With Josh Brolin in the title role joined by the likes of Megan Fox, John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender, Will Arnett, and Michael Shannon, Jonah Hex’s cast was practically stacked with talented performers. However, the movie’s negative reviews led to its significant box office disappointment, meaning that it never lived up to the implied potential of its incredible cast.
7 Wonder Woman 1984 Failed For Reasons Outside Of Its Control
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984 is often cited among the worst movies of the DCEU, as well as one of the franchise’s biggest box office flops. The sequel’s inability to earn at the box office was not explicitly connected to its perceived lack of quality, however, as it was real-world events that fed into its lack of success. Released in December 2020, Wonder Woman 1984 fell victim to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Wonder Woman remains one of the most popular movies in the DCEU, its sequel deserved to achieve far greater success. What’s more, Wonder Woman 1984 was able to earn a respectable box office considering the restrictions to its theatrical release, indicating that had it been released at another time, it would have been much more successful. Despite its perceived shortcomings that led to its mixed reviews, it’s clear that the DCEU movie should have taken far more at the box office.
6 Black Adam's Marketing Push Should Have Worked
Black Adam (2022)
2022 saw the release of Black Adam, the long-awaited DCEU debut of Dwayne Johnson as the titular character. The movie failed to break even at the box office, taking $393 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $260 million. Though this was partly due to negative reviews and audiences’ waning interest in the DCEU’s story, Black Adam should have performed much better than it did.
Black Adam received one of the most considerable marketing pushes in the entire DCEU, led in part by the massive social media influence of its star. Black Adam’s cast was also stacked with talent, including Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, and Noah Centineo, which lent an added draw to the movie. Even so, it failed to earn its predicted box office, something which Johnson himself attributes to the film not being released in China. Considering its place in the DCEU and the context surrounding its release, Black Adam’s failure remains somewhat surprising.
5 The Marvels' Best Qualities Didn't Bring It Success
The Marvels (2023)
Released in 2023, The Marvels earned itself the unfortunate accolade of being the lowest-grossing MCU movie. 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 WandaVision, respectively. The movie was a considerable box office bomb, and proved to be the MCU’s most disastrous release.
The Marvels actually deserved to be far more successful. Following on from three of the MCU’s most popular releases of the few years preceding it, The Marvels seemed poised to capitalize on their combined success. However, mixed reviews and audiences’ superhero fatigue were cited as major contributors to its failure. Even so, The Marvels is far from a bad movie, and considering some of the MCU’s other unpopular movies, its quality should have earned it a more substantial box office take.
4 Michael Keaton's Batman Return Deserved To Boost The Flash's Success
The Flash (2023)
The Flash turned out to be the DCEU’s penultimate release, despite initially being marketed as something of a new beginning for the franchise. The 2023 movie brought in a box office of $271 million, earning it the status as a major flop considering an estimated budget of up to $220 million. Though the factors cited as reasons for its failure were numerous, The Flash still should have been a hit for one key reason.
Even throughout its long and turbulent production, The Flash remained a hugely anticipated movie in the DCEU, as it was tipped to be the long-awaited return of Michael Keaton’s Batman. Reports on his role in the franchise varied over time, but he was considered to be taking over as the DCEU’s resident Dark Knight, with The Flash affording the franchise something of a soft reboot. Though this ultimately wasn’t the case, the excitement regarding Keaton’s return should have earned The Flash more success.
3 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Was Harshly Judged
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The second film in Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man franchise saw Andrew Garfield reprise his role two years after his Marvel debut. The film followed on from the events of The Amazing Spider-Man, teasing the appearance of new Spider-Man villains and a deeper exploration of the hero’s past and future. It proved to be a flop not in a financial sense, but rather in terms of general success, as interest in the franchise quickly waned upon its release.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has since undergone a much more favorable reappraisal, indicating that it actually deserved to have been better considered upon release. Had this been the case, the movie’s box office would undoubtedly have been higher, and its teased sequel likely would have materialized. An interesting and innovative chapter in Spider-Man's movie timeline, it ultimately deserved to have been much more of a hit than it was.
2 The Suicide Squad's Success Was Impacted By Real-World Issues
The Suicide Squad (2021)
The Suicide Squad is one of the most fascinating releases in the DCEU, as its popularity was not remotely reflected in its box office. Earning back just $168 million of its $185 million budget, it was considered a considerable box office flop, though this was not at all an indicator of its quality. The complications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the movie’s simultaneous streaming release were cited as the main factors for its box office failure, indicating just why it deserved to be a hit.
The Suicide Squad is by far one of the DCEU’s best movies. Considering its cast, its colorful and eye-catching execution of its unique vision, and its well-balanced levity, The Suicide Squad is one of the best-made films in the franchise. However, due to the real-world issues surrounding its release, and its connection to 2016’s Suicide Squad, it ultimately wasn’t able to translate that into financial success.
1 Dredd Should Have Been A Massive Hit
Dredd (2012)
2012 saw the release of Dredd, a movie adaptation of the 2000 AD character Judge Dredd. The second live-action adaptation of the character following the critically-panned 1995 movie Judge Dredd, Dredd suffered from a poor marketing campaign. It earned just $41.5 million at the box office against a budget of between $30 – 45 million. Despite being a box office flop, Dredd has since achieved cult status.
Critics heaped praise on the movie, and its lasting 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 box office disappointment. Looking at the factors surrounding Dredd’s continued cult status, it’s one of those rare box office flops outside of the MCU and DCU that truly deserved to have been a hit.
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