The superhero movies of theMCUand theDCUmight dominate the box office, but there are also many superhero movies that have aged poorly. Long before the beginning of theMCU’s movie timeline, the superhero genre was far from the cinematic behemoth it has since become. The genre’s history is one of marked evolution, with a comic book movie boom in the early ‘00s seeing the rapidimprovement of superhero moviesin both a critical and commercial sense.
Outside themovies of the MCU, which have proved massively successful, the comic book genre has seen many titles that are not up to the standards set by more recent efforts. There have been many examples of superhero movies that have been unable to live up to the expectations of the genre, particularly when considered from a more modern standpoint. With that in mind, here are 10 superhero movies that have aged poorly.
10Batman & Robin (1997)
Joel Schumacher’s Second Batman Movie Is Worse In Hindsight
After the reception to 1995’sBatman Foreverwas mixed at best, Joel Schumacher’s follow-up, 1997’sBatman & Robin, failed to improve upon its predecessor. While the film was not well-considered upon its release, it did possess a wacky charm that made it a largely family-friendly big screen adaptation of the Caped Crusader. However, over time, the already underwhelmingBatman & Robinhas come to seem even worse.
With the release of subsequent Batman movies, such asChristopher Nolan’sDark Knighttrilogy, the silliness ofBatman & Robinseems even more unnecessary.After more grounded and introspective takes on the hero have proven massively successful with both critics and audiences, the lighthearted approach employed byBatman & Robinseems nonsensicalin comparison. As such, Schumacher’s second Batman movie has aged poorly, despite not having been particularly well-considered in the first place.
9Hancock (2008)
Humor & The Superhero Genre Have Changed Since 2008
2008’sHancockwas released in a year that proved monumental for the superhero genre. Starring Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and Jason Bateman, its story explored that of an amnesiac man with superhuman abilities who opts to live on the streets and drink heavily rather than embrace his potential as a hero. After a run-in with a well-meaning PR expert, the titular character finds himself unpicking the mystery of his past while also discovering a more heroic side of himself.
Hancockis packed with moments and jokes that no longer seem particularly funny.There are jokes that are far too juvenile to be genuinely humorous for an adult audience, but enough violence in the film to prevent it from appealing to a younger audience. Combined with the film’s unfulfilled sequel tease,Hancocksimply hasn’t aged all that well since its release.
8X-Men (2000)
Fox’s First X-Men Movie Is Pretty Dated
2000’sX-Menremains a landmark title in superhero movie history, helping to pioneer live-action comic book adaptations on the big screen. Bryan Singer’s mutant-focused Marvel movie marked the beginning ofFox’sX-Menmovie franchise, introducing a number of iconic heroes to the big screen. Like many other superhero movies of the 2000s, however,X-Menhas not aged particularly well for a number of reasons.
Throughout the film, wooden dialogue and hyperbolic clichés run rampant, and compared to more contemporary titles, this makesX-Menseem especially dated. The film’s visual effects also look unavoidably dated, with the film’s CGI held back by the limitations of the era.From an aesthetic and a narrative point of view,X-Mensimply hasn’t aged well, as subsequent superhero movies improved upon its once groundbreaking formula repeatedly over the years that followed.
Even among themovies of the DCEU,Suicide Squadstands out as a decidedly poor entry into the superhero genre. Despite a few strong performances, David Ayer’s 2016 film failed to meet the high expectations placed upon it, earning only mixed reviews before its sequel irreverently killed off the majority of its characters. In the years since its release,Suicide Squadhas actually come to seem even worse than it once did, as many aspects of the film have not aged well at all.
The relationship between Harley Quinn and the Joker is problematic, and the movie romanticizes it a little too strongly at times. What’s more,Suicide Squadobjectifies most of its female leads, most notably Margot Robbie and Cara Delevingne. It also features some pretty poor CGI in places, which, considering its 2016 release, is inexcusable. Ultimately,Suicide Squadseems worse when watched today than it did upon release, partly down to an evolving societal understanding of relationships and the objectification of individuals.
6Ghost Rider (2007)
Ghost Rider Is The Quintessential Pre-MCU Marvel Movie In All The Worst Ways
Pre-MCU Marvel movies have never had a particularly stellar reputation, but some are worse than others. 2007’sGhost Rideris not a particularly well-loved Marvel movie, despite an excellent cast and being an adaptation of one of Marvel Comics’ most interesting heroes. Starring Nicolas Cage as the titular character, and with Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley, and Peter Fonda in supporting roles,Ghost Riderhas all the makings of a potentially solid superhero movie.
ThoughGhost Riderwas once considered fairly standard superhero fare, it has actually aged pretty poorly.Not only have its extensive visual effects become increasingly dated, but its lack of any significant depth has become all too apparent, thanks in part to a fairly dull script. After the MCU established a much deeper and more connected approach to Marvel movies,Ghost Ridersimply doesn’t seem as impressive or interesting as it once did.
5Spawn (1997)
Spawn’s Overcooked Edginess Is Just Abrasive
The late ‘90s proved to be something of a transitional phase for the superhero genre, as comic book adaptations attempted to find a way to bring more mature stories to life on the big screen while still staying true to their comic book roots.Spawnserves as one such example; based on the Image Comics character of the same name, the film starred Michael Jai White, John Leguizamo, and Martin Sheen. Sadly,Spawndoes not hold up well at all.
Spawn’s attempts to appeal to a more adult audience seem transparent and ridiculous by today’s standards.It’s full of needless gore and violence, and its CGI has also come to look incredibly poor.With the many ways in which technology and the superhero genre have evolved, it’s impossible to look back onSpawnwithout considering how poorly it has aged.
4The Punisher (2004)
Subsequent Iterations Of The Punisher Put Thomas Jane’s To Shame
2004 saw the Punisher hit the big screen for the second time, with Thomas Jane taking over the role from Dolph Lundgren’s 1989 iteration of Frank Castle. 2004’sThe Punisheralso featured John Travolta as the film’s main antagonist, with Will Patton, Roy Scheider, and Ben Foster in supporting roles. Adapting one of Marvel’s most violent characters is no easy feat, andThe Punisherearned only mixed reviews before the role was recast in 2008.
Looking back on 2004’sThe Punisherafter the MCU reboot starring Jon Bernthal highlights how poorly the film has aged.The much more violent and in-depth look at Bernthal’s iteration of the character makes Thomas Jane’s look shallow and tame in comparison.As a result, the 2004 adaptation of Frank Castle’s story seems much worse now than it did on release, as the character has since been represented much more accurately.
3Daredevil (2003)
Ben Affleck’s Daredevil Has Only Got Worse With Age
Despite being a consistently popular Marvel hero, Daredevil’s first big-screen outing was not particularly well-received. In 2003, it was a relatively standard and predictably underwhelming comic book movie, with all the trappings expected of the genre in the early ‘00s. Exuberant costumes, uninspired dialogue, and a vaguely tragic if predictable origin story involving a hero grappling with the difficulties of leading a double life marked 2003’sDaredevilas an unremarkable but otherwise enjoyable superhero movie.
The years since have seen the genre develop into a different beast entirely, telling carefully considered and balanced narratives that tap into the human elements of their characters without becoming overly clichéd. Considering Daredevil has also since been adapted in a much more accurate and grounded fashion,looking back at the 2003 movie’s faux edginess and underwhelming plot highlights how mediocre it truly is.In spite of its entertainment value,Daredevilsimply doesn’t feel as fun or exciting as it did upon release.
2Steel (1997)
Steel Is Packed With Cheesy Nonsense And Offensive Elements
1997’sSteelis a deceptively important film in the history of superhero movies. Shaquille O’Neal was cast as the titular hero, diversifying a predominantly white space by adapting a Black hero to the big screen. Unfortunately, the movie was a disaster, and was widely panned by critics for its hackneyed clichés and reliance on superhero tropes and predictable plot points. However,Steelhas somehow come to be considered in an even worse light in the years since its underwhelming release.
There are a number of ableist aspects to the film, particularly where it concerns the film’s approach to Steel’s wheelchair-using partner. There’s also the fact that the genre itself has moved on considerably, with more recent superhero movies proving that comic book adaptations don’t simply need to be formulaic action pieces. In this,Steelseems even worse by today’s standards than it did upon release.
1Catwoman (2004)
Halle Berry’s Catwoman Was Poor On Release, And Even Worse On Reflection
In the history of comic book movies, there are few titles as widely reviled as 2004’sCatwoman. The Halle Berry-led movie is widely considered not just one of the worst superhero movies, but one of the worst films ever made, as its disjointed plot, terrible presentation, and nonsensical adaptation of the source material has very few defenders. Though it was not well-received on release, it has still aged especially poorly when reconsidered in hindsight.
Looking back onCatwoman, it’s hard to imagine just how the film ever came to be. It’s not just a bad movie, but it’s a mindless and careless representation of a beloved character that bears only a passing resemblance to the comic book original. As a result,Catwomanstands out as one of the worst-aged superhero movies from all theMCU, theDCU, and all other comic book adaptations combined.
