10 Beloved Franchises Disney RUINED

10 Franchises That Disney DESTROYED


Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at franchises that had promising beginnings, only for Disney to destroy them… for a period at least.

“Time Quintet” franchise (1962-)

Winning multiple accolades, including the Newbery Medal[a], “A Wrinkle in Time” kicked off Madeleine L’Engle’s “Time Quintet” series in 1962. Disney took their first crack at adapting the novel with a 2003 TV movie. When asked if the film met her expectations, L’Engle said, “Oh, yes. I expected it to be bad, and it is.” L’Engle didn’t live to see Disney’s big-screen version in 2018, but all signs pointed to a franchise starter with an all-star cast, an acclaimed director in Ava DuVernay, and state-of-the-art visuals. While the film looked stunning, readers found it thematically lacking while newcomers didn’t click with the story. Proving to be a financial dud, it’ll likely be some time until Disney or another studio revisits the arguably unfilmable source material.

“Doug” franchise (1991-)

Under Nickelodeon’s ownership, “Doug” only gave us 52 episodes. By contrast, Disney’s “Doug” received 65 episodes, a theatrical feature film, and a bizarre live show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Despite producing more content for Mickey, almost everyone looks back at “Doug’s” Nicktoon days with fonder memories. When “Doug” ditched the orange splat for a pair of mouse ears, the humor got over-the-top and the storylines felt less personal. Plus, no Billy West? Forget that! In the book “Slimed! An Oral History of Nickelodeon’s Golden Age,” creator Jim Jinkins[b] confessed he “took [his] eyes off ‘Doug’ too much during those Disney days once [he] got overwhelmed with all [his] responsibilities.” Jinkins generally agrees that “Doug’s” pre-Disney run was superior, other than “The Dark Quail Saga” episode.

“Super Mario Bros.” franchise (1985-)

In games, “Mario” has been going strong for almost 40 years. When Mario made the jump to feature film in 1993, though, it derailed any cinematic prospects for three decades. Starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo[c] as the Italian plumbers, “Super Mario Bros.” seemed like the surefire hit Disney’s Hollywood Pictures needed. When Disney came on as the film’s U.S. distributor, they insisted the script receive an overhaul. Nobody seemed to be on the same page with Disney wanting the film more family-friendly, the directors trying to work in more adult material, and seemingly nobody caring if this was at all faithful to the games. While gamers eventually got a real “Mario” movie, Disney and Nintendo would like to forget the ‘93 attempt.

“Inspector Gadget” franchise (1983-)

Premiering in 1983 with reruns still attracting new viewers well into the next decade, fans were intrigued when a live-action “Inspector Gadget” film was announced. It quickly became apparent that the film would be nothing like the animated series, doing away with Dr. Claw’s chilling voice and revealing the villain’s face. Meanwhile, Gadget was made slightly more competent, giving Penny and Brain less to do. As if one poor adaptation wasn’t enough, Disney also produced a straight-to-video sequel that was admittedly closer to the source material, yet still got bogged down by awkward humor and embarrassing effects. Weirdly enough, Martin Scorsese [d]was once attached to direct the 1999 film. Unless Disney gets him on board for a reboot, it’s no-go gadget for the foreseeable future.

“Mulan” franchise (1998-)

From direct-to-video sequels to live-action remakes, Disney has repeatedly dishonored their animated classics. “Mulan” may be the most tragic case. The 1998 fan favorite left the door open for more action-packed adventures. Instead, “Mulan II” forced the characters into a sitcom plot involving misunderstandings, lover’s spats, and a third-act wedding that must be stopped. Oh, and don’t even get us started on Mushu’s character assassination. When “Mulan” received the live-action treatment, some were open to a darker interpretation that changed a few elements. One change that fans couldn’t endorse was turning Mulan into a self-serious loner devoid of any flaws or personality traits. So much could’ve been done with this franchise, but Disney seems oblivious to why people liked the original film to begin with.

“Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise (1967-)

One of Disney’s most iconic theme park attractions for decades, “Pirates of the Caribbean” was redefined as a billion-dollar blockbuster film franchise with 2003’s “Curse of the Black Pearl.” Although the “Pirates” trilogy wrapped up on a satisfying note, Disney doesn’t believe in happily ever after anymore. Thus, the franchise had to continue with two more sequels that over-relied on Captain Jack’s antics to guide us through nonsensical plots. While Disney continued to find treasure at the box office, the audience reception was that this franchise had gone off the deep end. A sixth film seems inevitable with or without Johnny Depp, but our interest is gone along with the rum. At least it had a better run than the “Haunted Mansion” movies.

“Indiana Jones” franchise (1981-)

Some might want us to include “Star Wars” on this list, but for every “Acolyte,” Disney has given us an “Andor.” The same can’t be said about “Indiana Jones.” Even before Disney acquired Lucasfilm, “Kingdom of the Crystal” tarnished the franchise’s legacy. “Dial of Destiny” did little to restore faith, proving to be one of Disney’s most expensive flops. While one could argue that this fifth film was always meant to be a last hurrah for Harrison Ford, Disney clearly wanted to lay the groundwork for potential spinoffs. Audiences just didn’t vibe with the new characters, however. With nowhere else to go, it appears this franchise belongs in a museum… as far as movies are concerned. Games are another story.

“The Chronicles of Prydain[e]” franchise (1964-)

1964’s “The Book of Three” was the first entry in Lloyd Alexander’s “The Chronicles of Prydain” series. The second book, “The Black Cauldron,” followed a year later. While five “Prydain” books were written overall, Disney tried condensing the first two into an animated feature. The 1985 film underperformed to the point that some questioned if Disney would abandon feature animation altogether. Of course, the Disney Renaissance was around the corner and even “The Black Cauldron” would find a cult following. Disney re-acquired the book rights in 2016, suggesting that a live-action film series may be in the works. Nearly a decade later, Disney is still sitting on the source material, giving fans of the books little hope they’ll ever see a faithful adaptation.

“The Lone Ranger” franchise (1933-)

Introduced in 1933, this masked icon maintained relevance across radio, film serials, and television for decades. Over time, though, the Lone Ranger’s name inevitably dwindled in popularity with most attempts to revive the franchise falling flat. 80 years after the character’s debut, Disney tried reinvigorating the Lone Ranger for a new generation. Unfortunately, they made a box office bomb of such epic proportions that plans for a sequel were immediately scrapped. Despite having a few “Pirates of the Caribbean” crew members on deck, casting Johnny Depp as Tonto[f] aged about as well as… casting Armie Hammer as the lead. Whether or not the Lone Ranger ever returns, this is one franchise that Disney will likely never touch again.

“Artemis Fowl[g]” franchise (2001-)

When the first “Artemis Fowl” book was published in 2001, Hollywood instantly recognized its cinematic potential. The then-Disney-owned Miramax ultimately won the bidding war. The film rights remained under the Disney umbrella as the project lingered in development limbo for almost two decades. Although a feature film finally arrived on Disney+ in 2020, let’s just say that fans are still waiting for a true adaptation. Until then, they’re stuck with a version that got virtually everything wrong, most notably its titular main character. With over ten books now, “Artemis Fowl” could be a long-lasting franchise for Disney. Next time, though, it might be smarter to adapt it as a streaming series. Let’s just hope there is a next time, with or without Disney.


Which franchise do you think deserves a second chance? Let us know in the comments.

[a]noo-berry https://youtu.be/waJT7zUFeeU?si=NEzZffekidYjtCGO&t=2

MADDA-lin LENG-gle https://youtu.be/Qov371Z1lik?si=Xuzn3-0GmYlV-qZf&t=42
AY-vuh DOOVER-nay https://youtu.be/zRwZLOlYisw
[b]JING-kins https://youtu.be/wau0as6JFhQ?si=5scAlLuRaCYuJy27
[c]HOSS-kins / HAWSS-kins https://youtu.be/rI2FFuWwQh8?si=Ko3J96aiJhQ58GKz
leg-wizz-ZAW-moh https://youtu.be/ftiiixVZVsg
[d]Martin score-SEH-see - not score-SAY-zee https://youtu.be/YXIxJQaPa_k?t=38
[e]pruh-DANE https://youtu.be/jln9VPoP3Tw?si=JZXWwrMK415Y8qaV&t=227
[f]TAWN-toh https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/ace83137-fede-4068-a780-3adc4a30b6bf
[g]ARTA-miss foul https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/8d9c58ba-92b5-4f41-9437-f3e6d6d8e119
MEERA-macks https://youtu.be/i5lI30p3E7U?si=v_nIRepEn0N3QPh-&t=139