10 Superhero Movies No One Believed In (But Turned Out Awesome)
It seems like every studio is trying to develop and maintain a shared universe of superheroes. From the MCU to the DCEU or the SSU, the modern cinematic landscape has become a sea of ”Us”. Despite their high success rate, studios weren’t always so confident about their superhero properties, going so far as to sabotage their own studios to keep them from happening.
Conversely, many films were met with confused reactions from fans during their announcements, who had no confidence in their quality. However, despite the skepticism, many of these films were incredibly successful and even redefined the genre at times.
ten ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ broke box office record
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was undeniably an exciting part of Marvel’s Phase Four announcement…in 2019. Two years and several world events later, the success of this film and the industry as a whole has been called into question. To add even more pressure, the film’s release coincided too closely with the infamous legal battle between Scarlet Johansson and Disney over her contract for Black Widow.
That meant Marvel had to settle for a theatrical-only release at a time when no one knew if theaters were safe. Thankfully, the film was a critical success and set a Labor Day weekend box office record, recouping Marvel’s investment decently. As a result, a sequel is currently in development.
9 ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ turned a failing franchise into a success
Thor’s character had a rough run in the early years of the MCU. His first movie (2011 Thor) received mixed to positive reviews from critics, and the character had a seemingly neutral impression on audiences in 2012 The Avengers. When Thor: The Dark World came out, that all changed.
The film was and is considered one of the MCU’s weakest entries, and it’s still less memorable to many audiences than the worst-received entry: Eternals. As a result, audiences weren’t quite sure what to expect. Thor: Ragnarok, and most had abandoned the character for good. However, the film ultimately reimagined the character in several hilariously effective ways and catapulted director Taika Waititi into mainstream stardom.
8 “The Dark Knight” Cast Against Type and Won an Oscar
The black Knight needs no introduction. For many fans, it’s the greatest superhero movie ever made and it received critical acclaim. In 2020, he received the extremely rare honor of being inducted into the Library of Congress, citing cultural and historical significance. It may surprise some to learn that the film’s most iconic casting choice garnered backlash when it was announced.
When fans first learned Heath Ledger would be playing the Joker, reactions ranged from confusion to anger. the Brokeback Mountain The star was ignorantly considered too pretty and effeminate to play the part, and many thought it would completely ruin the film. Ledger won over audiences and critics alike and posthumously received an Oscar for his performance.
7 ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Made Comic Book C-Listers Last Names
When Marvel Studios announced its first serious foray into the cosmic depths of its source material in 2014 guardians of the galaxyfans (especially casual ones) were puzzled.
The team hadn’t been a heavyweight in the comedic scene for the most part, and the general public had a hard time connecting a billionaire who built high-tech armor to a talking raccoon who rides a tree beast. sensitive. James Gunn eventually managed to turn Guardians into a household name and greatly expanded the comedic potential of MCU films as a whole.
6 ‘Black Panther’ Overcame Marvel CEO’s Inner Racism
The movie 2018 Black Panther is easily one of the most beloved superhero movies of all time, with a dedicated cast (including the late Chadwick Boseman), complex themes, and an iconic villain. It was a milestone for representation in superhero movies, proving that those movies no longer need to cater exclusively to white audiences.
Unfortunately, Marvel’s influential creatives have actively campaigned against all movies featuring heroes of color (as well as those featuring female heroes) for many years. Among them was former Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Pearlmutter, who tried to block Black Panther to be done. This allowed Kevin Feige to have more control over the production, which he used to champion both films. Black Panther grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and was a critical success.
The public (and Fox Studios themselves) still don’t know how dead PoolVirus test footage has been leaked: and more importantly, whether Ryan Reynolds is responsible. However, it happened, and the world is certainly a better place for it. Reynold’s superhero passion project struggled in development hell for many years, greatly hampered by the titular character’s mishandling and subsequent poor fan reception in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Just when it looked like Fox was going to pull the plug on the movie, someone leaked test sequences online. As a result, positive response and public pressure allowed the studio to complete the film, which went on to break box office records before receiving numerous nominations during awards season.
4 ‘Wonder Woman’ defied the DCEU’s losing streak
In recent years, attitudes towards the first batch of DCEU films have changed in many unpredictable and retroactively stubborn ways. So much so, it can be hard to remember that (overall) the reactions to the three films that preceded 2017 wonder woman ranged from lukewarm to strongly negative.
Following the one-two punch of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and suicide squad (the 2016 film), the DCEU had burned through an immense amount of goodwill. Add that to the general uphill battle that female-led superhero movies have faced in the wake of catwoman and it’s easy to feel the anxiety that surrounds wonder womanthe exit. However, the film was a critical success which proved that female heroes could crush it at the box office.
3 “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” was the pure expression of the visionary director
The first set of DCEU films were met with negative responses from fans, as many called for the franchise’s defining artist, Zack Snyder, to be ousted. In fact, there was hope among some fans when Snyder tragically had to leave. Justice League and was replaced by Joss Whedon. The film was better received than previous entries, but ultimately proved that the DCEU was wasting its potential.
When HBOMax announced that Snyder would be allowed to remake his version of the film, naysayers criticized the venture, citing cost, the revisionist filmmaking process and the still toxic cult of personality surrounding the director. Either way, Snyder ultimately delivered an impressive end product that not only pleased his fans, but also spurred his critics.
2 ‘Iron Man’ Battled Darkness To Change Movies Forever
After selling most of the movie rights to their main characters to avoid complete financial ruin, Marvel had few toys in the vault to play with when Marvel Studios started up. After reclaiming the rights to the Iron Man character, the studio decided that he would become the focus of their first independent image. Over thirty writers passed the project on to each other, citing the character’s darkness.
Audiences shared their confusion, even more so when Hollywood outcast Robert Downey Jr. was cast in the lead role. And yet, with all of that stacked against them, Marvel pinned their hopes for a shared universe on this film. The film became an outright hit, making nearly everyone involved — from stars to characters to the studio itself — household names and box office titans.
1 ‘X-Men’ redefined what a superhero movie could be
After batman and robin and Blade, superhero movies have faced a tough future. While Blade went on to achieve moderate franchise and cult success, it was not taken seriously by critics, and batman and robin downright “proved” to the studios that superhero movies were schlocky fare aimed at kids.
It took several years to get the right group together to run a x-men film as it should be, with the ultimate creative team going against convention to focus on the series’ inherent themes of civil unrest, alienation and social revolution. A resolutely political film, x-men redefined the superhero genre for the modern era, paving the way for movies like Sam Raimi’s Spider Man and even Nolan’s overt political tones Black Knight trilogy.
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