Top 10 Pre-MCU Marvel Movies You Didn't Know Exist

For any viewers confused about the suited-up duck walking around the MCU, you missed out on one terribly strange movie. Lucasfilm adapted Howard into live-action in the mid-80s. It was Marvel’s first US theatrical release since a Captain America serial in the 40s. Which is really unfortunate considering it turned out to be a financial and critical bomb. The film follows Howard as he tries to leave Earth and make it back home to Duckworld. Along the way, he falls for human Beverly, leading to one of the most disturbing seduction scenes ever committed to film. It won four Razzies after release, including Worst Picture. We can’t say we’re surprised.

Long before Jon Bernthal and even Thomas Jane, Dolph Lundgren played Frank Castle in this 1989 film. But it changed an awful lot about the character, having him be a former detective whose family was killed by a car bomb. He never uses the iconic skull logo either, save for etching it into his knives. More important to its detriment, however, are the bland action sequences that seem to draw on forever. Lundgren does what he can in the role, but there isn’t much in terms of depth to draw the viewer in. It probably didn’t help that Tim Burton released his first “Batman” feature the same year, proving superhero movies as a viable investment.

Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s most bankable heroes and he likely always will be. In 1977, Marvel partnered with CBS to release this TV movie, though it was released theatrically in other parts of the world. It served as a pilot for the 1978 “Amazing Spider-Man” TV series. It follows Peter Parker after he’s already been bitten by the radioactive spider and works for the Daily Bugle. However, he becomes Spider-Man to stop an original villain that plans on mind-controlling 10 random New Yorkers to end their lives unless the city pays him. Though his alter ego isn’t in it much, Nicholas Hammond plays the eager photojournalist well. It also received two TV sequels outside of the show.

The most recent movie on the list, “Man-Thing” released during Sony and Fox’s heyday of Marvel movies, but it barely made a splash. Man-Thing was already far from the most popular Marvel hero, but this adaptation didn’t do him any favors. The horror movie turned him into an actual monster rather than a misunderstood hero, murdering anyone in his path to protect his swamp. While the movie’s effects were strong, nothing else was. And it was reportedly so bad that members of its test audience walked out before it ended. While it did release internationally, it was dumped on the Sci-Fi Channel in the US.

Marvel released several TV movies with intentions to spin them off into TV shows. While “Spider-Man” worked, most others did not. Released on Fox in 1998, this TV movie follows David Hasselhoff as the first iteration of Fury from the comics. When S.H.I.E.L.D. is attacked by Hydra, Fury comes out of retirement to stop their world-ending plot. The story never goes beyond what viewers would expect and is weighed down further by cheesy performances. Hasselhoff signed on for future TV movies, but the negative reception around his first outing ensured that would never happen.

Two years before “Nick Fury,” Marvel and Fox released another TV movie with plans to make it a series. “Generation X” was the first live-action adaptation of the X-Men. It follows Jubilee and Skin as they are brought into Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, strangely led by Emma Frost and Banshee of all mutants. When a mad scientist attacks with plans of using mutants to develop his own powers, the X-Men must defeat him. The plot is pretty standard fare for the team’s introduction, despite using less-famous team members and an original villain. However, it is very much a product of 1996. And this is apparent in everything from its costume design to its effects.

Chris Evans wasn’t the first, or even second, actor to portray the star-spangled Avenger in a live-action setting. In 1990, Matt Salinger led this baffling adaptation of Cap. The movie is overstuffed, covering Stever Rogers’ transformation, freezing, rebirth, and heroic victory over Red Skull in the present day. And its latter half shoe horns in a secondary plot involving the U.S. President’s environmental policies. Other than barreling through any characterization, its low budget didn’t allow for any good effects or action. With productions like this, it’s easy to see how DC got a headstart when it came to bringing their heroes to the big screen.

He may be the Sorcerer Supreme, but even Stephen Strange isn’t immune to poorly-made TV movies. CBS aired this would-be pilot in 1978 and definitely took some creative liberties while doing so. Strange begins as a psychiatrist, helping a young woman who was possessed by Morgan le Fay to kill the first Sorcerer Supreme. It completely omits Strange’s origin for becoming a hero. Although it focuses on supposed masters of the mystic arts, most of the movie is an unimaginative bore that barely has any magic in it. Needless to say, it didn’t get to become a TV show. And it’s really only worth watching for hardcore Marvel fans and those who want to see an earlier performance by the late, great Jessica Walter.

In 1979, Marvel partnered with CBS again to release two TV movies based on Captain America. They’re not as bad as the 1990 outing, but they are definitely weirder. In this universe, Steve is an artist whose father developed the FLAG formula, standing for Full Latent Ability Gain. After a near-fatal injury, Steve is given the FLAG formula and gains his abilities. The follow-up sees Steve go up against a terrorist played by Christopher Lee who attempts to hold Portland hostage with chemicals that rapidly increase the aging process. Both are tremendously campy and it's especially fun seeing Steve ride around on his goofy motorcycle. But no one should expect an accurate portrayal of the hero here.

Unfortunately, we’ve never gotten a great “Fantastic Four” movie. But that legacy goes back a bit further than the 2005 feature. Producer Bernd Eichinger secured the rights to the team in the 80s. But when the rights were about to expire, he produced a low-budget film just so he could keep them. However, the movie was never actually released. Avi Arad, the producer behind many future Marvel projects, bought it as he was worried the low-budget product would harm the “Fantastic Four” brand. Without having seen it, he ordered all copies destroyed. Bootleg copies have made their way onto the internet over the years. But it’s about as good as you would expect.