Top 10 Upcoming Superhero Movies That Might Suck
Top 10 Upcoming Superhero Movies That Might Suck
Top 10 Anticipated Superhero Upcoming Movies
Not every comic book inspired movie can be super. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Upcoming Superhero Movies That Might Suck. For this list, we’ll be looking at forthcoming comic book films that have given us cause to fear for the worst. Be it because of the studio’s track record, a troubled development/production or simply because they don’t seem very good on paper, these are the superhero movies that have us worried.
#10: “Shazam” (2019)
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We have to hand it to Warner Bros., they’re nothing if not tenacious. Despite repeatedly failing to find their footing with the DC cinematic universe, they refuse to give up. Of all their efforts though, Shazam definitely feels the oddest. Pushing back hard against the grim and gritty tone set by Zack Snyder, “Shazam” has an overtly kid-friendly vibe to match that candy-colored superhero outfit. The teaser trailer looks promising, with a zany tone reminiscent of live action kids’ movies of the ‘80 and ‘90s like “The Goonies” and “Home Alone”. That being said, some worry that the basic premise will wear thin over a feature-length running time.
#9: “Spawn” (TBD)
We hope this pans out but given the quality of the original Spawn movie, we have our doubts. Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has been cast as the lead in this long-gestating film. Add Jeremy Renner as Twitch Williams and you’ve got one seriously promising cast. So why the concern? Well, it’s being made on a small budget. But that’s no big deal, right? The first Deadpool movie was made on a small budget too. Yeah… maybe by superhero standards. Deadpool had a modest budget of $58 million; Spawn is reportedly working with just $10 million. How do you do Spawn’s world justice on a budget like that? The fact that Spawn’s creator Todd McFarlane is directing also has us concerned, as his only other directing experience is a handful of music videos.
#8: “The Batman” (TBD)
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There’s arguably no upcoming film that better represents the tumult of the DC universe than this one. At first, we were getting a Ben Affleck directed film with him in the leading role. It was set to hit theaters in 2018. Now, Affleck has stepped down as director and there’s doubt and confusion as to who will wear the cowl, with rumors that the film will focus on a younger Caped Crusader. Director Matt Reeves seemingly took the script back to page one and is now promising a side of Batman from the comics that we’ve rarely seen on film - “The World’s Greatest Detective.” Though this director’s vision and track record inspire hope, we can’t help but worry about the rocky development thus far, or WB messing with Reeves’ vision.
#7: “Gambit” (2020)
We know what you’re thinking… this movie is still happening? Talks of a Gambit solo film date back nearly a decade to when Taylor Kitsch played the role in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. Unfortunately for fans of this card-tossing mutant, the development process has gone just about as badly as possible. Channing Tatum has been on board for years, but the studio has been through numerous directors, including Rupert Wyatt, Doug Liman and Gore Verbinski - all of whom left over creative issues. The film has been reworked so much, we have no idea what to expect, but according to producer and writer Simon Kinberg, it has evolved into a romantic comedy. Yikes.
#6: “The Flash” (2021)
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Star Ezra Miller remains confident about this film, but fans? Not so much. As of 2018 (the year the film was originally set to be released), The Flash’s standalone movie is set for a 2021 release date. Names associated with the film have included Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Seth Grahame-Smith, Greg Berlanti, Rick Famuyiwa - even Robert Zemeckis. While the film was originally called “Flashpoint,” that title has been called into question recently, thought The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit clarified that the name change doesn’t necessarily mean the film won’t be an adaptation of the 2011 storyline. With John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein set to direct, The Flash may finally be on track, but we’re worried about how many hands have already been involved in shaping the film.
#5: “Hellboy” (2019)
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To be quite frank, this is a reboot that we weren’t ready for. Sure, Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy films performed rather modestly at the box office, but they were a beautiful and unique take on a truly one of a kind character. Fans wanted a third film with Perlman to make it a proper trilogy. With that being said, we tried to approach this reboot with an open mind. Stranger Things’ David Harbour feels like a great choice for the role, and the involvement of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola inspired hope. Unfortunately, the test screenings reportedly went very poorly. And while Harbour looks great in costume, the poster’s tagline of “Legendary AF” has us worried about the overall tone.
#4: “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” (2020)
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DC films supposedly in development come and go with the seasons, but this Harley Quinn spin-off seems to have stuck. The ever-excellent Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn and we’re hoping that she’ll really shine with some better material to work with. The addition of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress certainly inspires confidence, as does Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. Honestly, we’d like nothing more than to see this female-led film succeed (especially if it introduces Batgirl) but we’re worried about how it’s been fast-tracked. Also, indie filmmakers like Cathy Yan with only one great feature film under their belt have failed with big-budget superhero blockbusters before. Here’s hoping she can avoid Josh Trank’s mistakes.
#3: “The New Mutants” (2019)
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Credit where credit is due: greenlighting this unique film shows that 20th Century Fox is willing to take risks with their Marvel properties, deviating from the conventional superhero action adventure film to experiment with different genres. A Marvel mutant horror film sounds really interesting on paper. The casting of young talents like Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things made us confident that Fox believed in the project. Then the first trailer dropped and things went sideways. The film’s release was delayed over a year, and major reshoots were ordered. We can appreciate that they wanted to up the scares, but this sort of delay does NOT inspire confidence.
#2: “Suicide Squad 2” (TBD)
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The news that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has been tapped by Warner Bros. to write (and possibly direct) the sequel to Suicide Squad was welcomed by many. His dark style of humor makes him a great fit. But we’ve also seen Marvel directors jump ship before to disappointing results. Whereas Joss Whedon took over a mostly complete Justice League, Gunn will hopefully be able to put his own stamp on Suicide Squad 2, but does Warner Bros. have the right producers onboard to ensure that they get Gunn’s best work?
#1: “Dark Phoenix ” (2019)
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While things are working out great for Fox’s R-rated films like “Deadpool” and “Logan”, their core X-Men franchise seems to be suffering. Like “The New Mutants”, “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” got significantly delayed to allow for reshoots. This film marks longtime X-Men screenwriter and producer Simon Kinberg’s directorial debut. A first time director retelling a story that he already mishandled as a writer over a decade earlier with “X-Men: The Last Stand”? That does NOT inspire confidence. The first trailer for the film felt far too reminiscent of the aforementioned movie, while the returning cast from “X-Men: Apocalypse” reminds us of the last film’s shortcomings. This Phoenix risks being dead on arrival.
