4 Worst Superhero Movies (and 5 That Just Get A Bad Rap)

Even the smaller comic publications have had solid to outright great films released based on their bibliography. For instance, Oni Press had Scott Pilgrim vs. the World while Image had The Crow, Wanted, and Kick-Ass. But, just as great films come from extensive bibliographical lineups, so too do some true duds – films even worse than the bland 2024 remake of The Crow. While it’s tough to say the recent reimagining of Eric Draven’s revenge is particularly good, it’s not one of the worst superhero movies (super-anti-hero, in this case) to ever hit the big screen. It’s closer to the “Getting a bad rap” side of things.

Are there other films like that? Those that perhaps get a bit too much hate? Absolutely. But some have fully earned the ire they’ve received. Below we’ll see which is which – but in the end, there is one tie that binds many, but not all, of the films of both categories: they’re best left to superhero film completionists.

Genuinely Terrible — Howard the Duck (1986)

Like the Pamela Anderson-led Barb Wire (a Dark Horse Comics adaptation) a decade later, Howard the Duck is an oversexualized tonal mess. It’s also an incredibly unceremonious big-screen feature-length debut for Marvel Comics. If not for George Lucas behind it as producer, there’s little chance Howard the Duck would have ever seen the light of day.

On one hand, Howard the Duck is a cult film – which is not all that surprising considering it does make a fine companion piece to 1987’s The Garbage Pail Kids Movie or 1988’s one-two punch of Hobgoblins and Mac and Me. But when the highest compliment that can be granted a film is that it’s best viewed while being an inebriated 20-something, that’s the kind of praise Marvel would certainly like to strike from their cinematic record books.

Genuinely Terrible — Catwoman (2004)

It’s hard to know what the thinking was behind 2004’s Catwoman. It functions less as a DC adaptation and more as a display of Halle Berry’s figure in latex. The title character isn’t even Selina Kyle, but rather a slightly similar (AKA timid) graphic designer for a cosmetics company. It’s as if those behind the film weren’t even interested in the source material, much less pleasing that material’s fans. And, considering they’re the ones who would be buying the tickets, that begs the question of just who the intended audience was.

In other words, it’s a movie without a core identity, which would almost be fine if it had something to say about how women are treated in the world of big business. But it doesn’t. It doesn’t really have much to say at all. Though, given the fact there’s the requisite montage of its title character quickly jumping from building to building towards the end (as seen in Spider-Man and Daredevil), what is clear is that those in charge of crafting the film had seen a handful of early aughts superhero movies, heard the name Catwoman, and tried to give it a go. The best thing that can be said about it is that Berry has shown a good sense of humor about its failures over the years (she even showed up and accepted her Razzie Award in person).

Gets a Bad Rap — Spider-Man 3 (2007)

There are scenes in Spider-Man 3 that are just as awful now as they were during its opening weekend back in 2007. Specifically, Peter Parker’s dance down the street remains very hard to watch and a few of James Franco’s line readings (“My best friends”) unintentionally inspire giggles. And yet, the passing of time has allowed the trilogy-capper to lose some of its disappointing sting.

What made Spider-Man 3 seem like such a trainwreck at the time was the fact that it was coming not only after Raimi’s impressive first blockbuster but also Spider-Man 2, which remains a high point for superhero cinema. Could Spidey’s third movie have trimmed some symbiotic fat to be a leaner, more serious follow-up? Absolutely, and that’s what Raimi wanted to do – but Sony did not. Even without the studio interference would it have been as good as the second film? Likely not. Regardless, there are a few pieces of what that film could have been in Spider-Man 3, most notably in just about every scene featuring Sandman, who like Doc Ock and Green Goblin before him stands as an example of how Raimi can craft complex and compelling villains just as well as he can craft lovable heroes.

Gets a Bad Rap — Iron Man 2 (2010)

While it’s not towards the top of the MCU heap, time has been kind to Iron Man 2. This is especially true given the fans’ and general audiences’ lukewarm (at best) reception to certain entries from later MCU Phases. It’s a movie that tries to do too much universe-building from time to time, but that was more of a necessary evil, rather than a lack of focus on the part of Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. The central character had already been established, so what better Phase One movie could there have been to bring S.H.I.E.L.D. and Black Widow into the mix?

This does come at a cost, admittedly. For instance, Mickey Rourke’s Whiplash is rendered a cookie-cutter caricature of a vengeful Russian archetype and little more. But when he’s sharing his scenes with a particularly flamboyant Sam Rockwell it’s fairly hard to complain too much. As a whole, Iron Man 2 is fairly rewatchable, and while it’s not as impressive as the first film, it’s more of a crowd-pleaser than Iron Man 3.

Genuinely Terrible — Hellboy (2019)

In hindsight, there were plenty of pieces in place to inspire hope for the Hellboy reboot. Yet, even with Dog Soldiers and The Descent‘s Neil Marshall behind the camera, it feels like it should have gone direct to streaming, not unlike 2024’s even cheaper-looking Hellboy: The Crooked Man did. Another piece of the puzzle that should have panned out was having David Harbour in the title role. And yet, never has such a likable performer been in such a through-and-through unlikable film.

Without Guillermo del Toro behind the wheel, the franchise loses all of its bizarre and adventurous flourishes, and what audiences are left with is a dour tone, dark visuals, and poor attempts at humor to counterbalance those elements. A few of the cast members really try to elevate the proceedings (namely Harbour and Milla Jovovich), but one gets the feeling this reboot was in trouble from moment one.

[RELATED: Where to Watch All Six Hellboy Movies Online, Including The Crooked Man]

Gets a Bad Wrap — Birds of Prey (2020)

Without a doubt, there are installments of the late DCEU that received much more hate than Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey. Some of it was warranted, like with David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman 1984, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods – while some of it was not, such as with Man of Steel. But with Birds of Prey, it was practically a nonentity. Even putting the COVID factor aside (which didn’t affect Birds of Prey until it was practically out of theaters anyway) no one really saw the film.

It’s a shame, because outside of The Suicide Squad it’s the DCEU’s most energetic and entertaining installment. It never once really plays like a traditional superhero/supervillain film, and that’s incredibly advantageous. Toss in great set design, lush visual style, and some phenomenal supporting work from Ewan McGregor and Rosie Perez to go alongside the expectedly perfect leading work from Margot Robbie. Birds of Prey is a true winner.

Genuinely Terrible — Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

For a while there, it really did look like Thor: The Dark World was the worst a Thor film could be. Then, Taika Waititi delivered the most devastating follow-up to an MCU film to date with Thor: Love and Thunder. Every aspect of Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok that worked it cranked up to eleven in Love and Thunder, and spoils what was once a nice meal.

This is primarily true of the humor, a problem which is only amplified by its juxtaposition with a cancer subplot and a grieving father for a villain. The same problem extends to the following year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but at least in that trilogy-capper there weren’t screaming goats every five seconds. Love and Thunder tries to be too many things at once, and in the process even its most tender moments ring as hollow and insincere.

Gets a Bad Wrap — The Marvels (2023)

Given the fact The Marvels was the first MCU adventure audiences outright turned their backs on when it hit theaters, one would expect it to be worse. But, in reality, the film’s biggest crime is being a bit “Been-there-already-paid-to-see-that.” Nothing about it is particularly innovative or pushes the MCU in an interesting direction, but it’s one of the whole saga’s breeziest films to date.

The film’s ace in the hole is Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel. The film functions as a Captain Marvel sequel more than anything else, and Brie Larson is still bringing her A-game, but it’s Vellani’s joy and her character’s awe that’s the film’s infectious element. Here’s hoping the failure of her first big-screen installment doesn’t preclude her participation in further big-screen MCU installments down the line.

Gets a Bad Wrap — Kraven the Hunter (2024)

While it’s pacing behind even Madame Web at the box office, Kraven the Hunter is not the worst installment of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. In fact, compared to Madame Web, Kraven the Hunter almost looks like a good film. It’s definitely riddled with problems, like takes on characters that stray far from the source material, but at least it’s entertaining in spots.

The same cannot be said of Madame Web, where even its well-paid leading lady looks like she’d rather be getting an appendectomy. As a whole, the SSU deserves the poor reputation (and swift demise) it’s received, but if the lion’s share of the blame ends up being heaped on Kraven‘s shoulders, it won’t be fully warranted.

Kraven the Hunter is in theaters. The rest of the films in the list can be streamed on Disney+, Max, and other services.