5 Terrible Superhero Movies That Once Seemed Cool (& Two Starred Actors Destined For Greatness)

The superhero movie genre has become one of the most consistently profitable and successful in modern cinema, but that hasn’t always been the case for its films. Many of the best superhero movies have come in more recent years, with the genre having evolved considerably since the beginning of the 21st century. However, as many superhero characters long predate the genre’s modern resurgence, there have been many superhero movie adaptations that don’t quite match the high expectations brought about by the genre’s recent success. What’s even worse is that some superhero movies that once seemed incredibly cool now simply seem awful.

The following superhero and comic book movies all once seemed as though they might be among the genre’s coolest titles. Whether it was a matter of their pre-release ideas or trailers suggesting greatness, or a case of the culture shifting in the years that followed, these movies all underwent a negative reappraisal. Where once they seemed like cool superhero movies — or, at least, they had the potential to be — the result was ultimately far worse than we had once thought.

5) The Green Hornet (2011)

Ahead of its release in 2011, The Green Hornet had huge potential. Seth Rogen had, at the time, proven himself to be on something of a comedy hot streak, so his superhero debut was a matter of great anticipation. Basing a modern movie on one of the pulpy vigilantes introduced in the 1930s felt like a novel idea, and the role once made famous by the legendary Bruce Lee was being passed down to Hollywood newcomer Jay Chou. In short, there was a lot to be excited about ahead of The Green Hornet‘s release.

Despite featuring a great superhero movie sidekick, The Green Hornet was little more than a poorly written mess. Its script struggled to balance its superhero action and its comedy, and Seth Rogen’s spoiled, entitled character came off as one of the most unlikable superhero movie protagonists of all time. While The Green Hornet certainly had major potential, the execution was lacking so badly that it swiftly earned a reputation as a truly terrible superhero movie.

4) Green Lantern (2011)

Of all of Ryan Reynolds’ comic book movies, few are as infamous as 2011’s Green Lantern. However, consider the context leading up to the movie’s release: DC movies were still riding the all-time high that followed the release of The Dark Knight, and Ryan Reynolds certainly had plenty of star power. Combined with visual effects that the trailers made look spectacular, it seemed as though Green Lantern just might have been the next superhero movie to take the world by storm.

Upon release, Green Lantern did not deliver on that perceived promise. The movie was, overall, a pretty poor adaptation of the hero and his story, and Reynolds was nowhere near the right actor to bring Hal Jordan to life. In fact, one of the only positives of the movie was that it ultimately led to Reynolds playing Deadpool in a far more comic-accurate way, delivering us one of the all-time great superhero acting performances off the back of a truly terrible comic book movie.

3) Daredevil (2003)

The early 2000s were an odd time for superhero cinema. On the one hand, we received Sam Raimi’s astoundingly excellent Spider-Man movies, but on the other, we also got the likes of Daredevil. In hindsight, the 2003 movie is one of the cringiest superhero movies ever made, but at the time, it seemed pretty cool. Its edgy, leather-clad hero seemed like just the brooding vigilante the world needed, and its heavy rock and emotional ballad-laden soundtrack felt very much emblematic of the era.

Once, Daredevil seemed to be one of the coolest superhero movies out there, but looking back on it today, it really isn’t. Almost every element of the movie has aged poorly, from Daredevil’s live-action costume to the forced edginess of its dialogue. Trying to excuse some of Daredevil‘s worst aspects as products of their time also falls pretty flat, as X-Men and Spider-Man, which were released in the years before, actually hold up far better. Unfortunately, Daredevil is just a comic book movie to whom time has not been kind.

2) Steel (1997)

Steel is another superhero movie that had huge potential when it was first announced. The 1997 movie cast Shaquille O’Neal — then one of the world’s biggest sports stars — as the titular DC hero, and the larger-than-life athlete certainly seemed a good fit to play a superhero on the big screen (presumably, because he wouldn’t fit onto the smaller ones). When the movie was released, it was pretty poorly received, but it still had a handful of fans. Looking back now, you’d find it difficult to find a single person who defends the movie for any reason other than pure nostalgia.

As well as being one of DC’s biggest box office bombs, Steel is remembered as one of the worst superhero movies of all time. Shaq’s performance was poor, but the movie’s script and production values were far worse. Hindsight hasn’t been at all kind to Steel, either, as the modern evolution of the genre has only seen our expectations of superhero cinema rise dramatically. While it once seemed like a cool idea to cast a well-known athlete as a superhero, the terrible movie instead proved why it was an awful decision.

1) Jonah Hex (2010)

If ever there was a DC character who desperately needs a modern reboot, it’s Jonah Hex. 2010 saw an attempt to give the character a blockbuster adaptation starring Josh Brolin in the title role, boasting an impressive supporting cast that made the movie seem like a pretty hot prospect. With Brolin’s then-recent appearance in the Oscar-winning No Country for Old Men, his appearance in the Western-superhero movie seemed to give the comic book genre a whole new level of credibility.

Unfortunately, Jonah Hex was one of the messiest superhero movies ever made. As well as its rushed pacing and disjointed story, it randomly gave the title character some supernatural abilities, making it feel like little more than a jumbled mess. It’s a truly terrible superhero movie, but at least Brolin was able to redeem himself as Thanos in the MCU, forever cementing his superhero movie legacy in a far more positive place than Jonah Hex left it.

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