While superhero movies have had a hot streak in recent decades, and some classics continue to rank highly, there are plenty of superhero movies that didn’t fare so well, and their failures can be tracked back to specific moments in the films. Both Marvel and DC have been in the business of making movies long before the popularity of the MCU, or it’s struggling competition, the DCEU, arose. Classics like the Christopher Reeve Superman movies of the 1970s and 1980s, and the 2000s Spider-Man and X-Men movies all received widespread praise.
However, simply creating a story around people with powers does not make for a good movie on its own. Plenty of superhero movies fall flat, or fail catastrophically at the box office. This can be due to lack of excitement, the character IPs being somewhat unfamiliar, or, as is often the case, the movie just wasn’t that good. For the films in that last category, it can often be traced back to a specific moment in the film where things go from bad, to simply unbearable.
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10 Madame Web’s Worst Line Ruined The Movie Without Even Being In It
Starting off with one of the most recent entries in the superhero genre, Madame Web came out in 2024 and became one of the lowest rated superhero movies of all time with an 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While the movie certainly created a negative response for most audiences, the disinterest leveled at the film started early with the marketing campaign. In one of the first trailers released for the movie, it became clear what level of dialogue could be expected.
Dakota Johnson, who plays Cassandra Webb, delivers a line that stands out for how simplistic and expository it is in an overt and silly way. When describing the evil Spider-Man figure, she says “he was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders just before she died.” The issue is, with a visual medium like the cinema, it’s important to showcase the characters, rather than deliver rambling dialog. Unfortunately, Madame Web didn’t get the message.
9 The 2015 Fantastic Four Movie’s “It’s Clobberin’ Time” Ruins The Thing’s Story
However, Madame Web certainly isn’t the only superhero movie to use dialog in disappointing and underwhelming ways. In the 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four, the movie had a huge responsibility to stand up to the popularity of the MCU, and exceed what came before in the 2005 version and its sequel. However, it fell flat for numerous reasons, not least of which was the unearned efforts to include iconic comic book catchphrases.
While catchphrases are an integral part of some characters in comics, translating this to live action can be a challenge. There was a reason why it took Captain America over 20 movies before he uttered the iconic lines, “Avengers assemble,” in Avengers: Endgame. On the other hand, some superhero movies try to fast track this development, and Fantastic Four did just that. Within the film, Ben Grimm, a tragic character, has his catchphrase turned into something a childhood bully used to say, which he then uses himself as The Thing. But, it doesn’t make sense, and it certainly doesn’t feel earned.
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8 Green Lantern’s Parallax Reveal
The 2011 Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds has long been the butt of many superhero movie jokes. Reynolds often leads the charge with this analysis, as he feels the project did not come together as intended. From the extensive CGI, to the weak story, and the many other elements that people love to pick apart.
And, since there is so much to disappoint in the movie, it may have been useful to objectively look at where things went wrong. However, as a sort of nail in the coffin for the film, the moment when Parralax appears is laughable rather than terrifying. In the comics, Parralax is one of the most powerful creatures in Marvel stories, but the odd design, paired with the ease with which he was defeated, adds up to the movie version being a huge departure.
7 Suicide Squad’s Name Drop
Returning to out of place dialogue in superhero movies, the 2016 theatrical release of Suicide Squad includes an incredibly on-the-nose line that immediately zaps the movie’s authenticity. Suicide Squad brought some of DC’s most iconic villains together under the guidance and leadership of the truly terrifying and intimidating Amanda Waller. However, when Will Smith’s character drops the name of the movie, it feels unimaginative and forced.
After Waller confirms with the crew of rag-tag villains that their mission is incredibly dangerous, Deadshot (Smith) asks, “What are we, some kind of Suicide Squad?” Not only is the line delivery awkward and unnatural, but the inclusion of the title, especially so early in the movie, feels like a cheap gimmick. Clearly, audiences felt the same, as it became a meme that made its way around social media.
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6 The Flash Puts A Baby Into A Microwave
Now, it moves into things that are just downright ludicrous. The DCEU never had the best track record, as most of the movies ended up struggling at the box office and in reviews. However, when The Flash was released in 2023 after years of delays, fans had high hopes for a reset to the DCEU that would pay tribute to what came before. Unfortunately, the movie was actually a mess of terrible CGI, and even more terrible story choices.
Early in the movie’s run, Barry Allen showcases his powers for spectacular speed by saving many people from a hospital that is collapsing. In order to make this moment as tense as possible, the potential victims of this incident are mostly babies, and Barry must race against the clock to save everyone. So, he gets creative and employs a variety of methods to save the kids. However, in a truly tone deaf moment, Barry places one baby in a microwave, which, despite being unplugged, feels like one of the most unheroic things to ever appear in a superhero movie.
5 Morbius Makes A Bad Joke
Morbius joins the list of Sony superhero movies that really rubbed fans the wrong way. The movie’s pacing, and the motivations of the characters felt completely dysfunctional, and the tone switched between light and jovial, and dark and gritty. However, one joke really failed to land with viewers, and it only served to highlight how much of a joke the universe it belonged to was becoming.
As Morbius fights a group of thugs, they ask who he is. In response, Morbius gets close and personal, as he transforms his face, and declares “I am Venom.” Maybe, on some level, this can be seen as a fun joke and reference, but it feels completely out of sync with the rest of the movie. Not to mention, it raises more questions about the connections in this universe, and how familiar a character like Morbius may be with Eddie Brock and his alter ego, Venom.
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4 Nicolas Cage Channels Nicolas Cage In Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance came out in 2011, as a sequel to the 2007 film starring Nicolas Cage. While the original film had a lot to praise, the sequel wasn’t nearly so well received, potentially in part because it was being compared to MCU movies releasing around the same time. However, an even bigger factor which could have buried this movie upon release was the odd creative choices.
One notable moment comes while Johnny Blaze is interrogating a criminal about the location of Carrigan. However, Cage delivers a performance that only Nicolas Cage could, as he alternates between high and low pitch, shouting, and whispering, shaking his body, and staring into the man’s eyes. The entire scene feels so jarring and weird, and is then followed by Johnny fighting the transformation into the Rider, with even more bizarre movements and camera angles.
3 Thor Doing The Van Damme Splits And Riding Stormbreaker
Thor had a rough start in the MCU, with his tone being one of the most distinctive of the films during Phase One. However, as the MCU evolved, his character began to undergo a transformation from the brooding god of thunder, to a high-energy, high-power rock star. In no small part, this was largely down to Taika Waititi taking the reins of the character for Thor: Ragnarok, and giving the character a seismic shift in their personality.
This greater emphasis on comedy worked well, but when Waititi doubled down in Thor: Love & Thunder, things went a touch too far. While Ragnarok delivered a great balance of emotion and entertainment, Love & Thunder felt like it was made purely for laughs. There was some dark subject matter, but when the movie opens with Thor doing splits in a manner that resembles Jean-Claude Van Damme, and then riding Stormbreaker like a fairytale witch, it was clear that this movie had gone too far.
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2 Batman And Superman Bond Over Their Mother’s Names
Infamous in comic book movie history, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was a hugely polarizing film. But perhaps no scene in the entire DCEU was more polarizing than the moment when Batman and Superman decide to set aside their differences and work together. After an entire movie sees Batman hunting Superman, and employing vile and extreme means, he grows a heart the moment he hears his old ally utter a familiar name, Martha.
Yes, there is a greater context, and there is plenty of foundation in comic books to elevate this moment, but for casual viewers of the DCEU, this moment was hollow and anticlimactic. Just because the pair both have mothers named Martha, Batman decides to quit his grudge. It may highlight their similarities, and help Batman remember where he came from, but the movie fails to get this message across in any meaningful way.
1 The Basketball Scene In Catwoman
However, not many superhero movies can compare to the travesty that was Catwoman, starring Halle Berry. The film came out in 2004, and it felt dated as soon as it was released in theaters. From the strange and overly sexualized outfit Berry wears as Catwoman, to some of the creative choices throughout, the movie was a complete mess. But the basketball scene stands out in a mess of poor choices as possibly the worst scene of the whole movie.
In a scene that is meant to showcase Catwoman’s powers, and spark a romantic thread between Patience and Detective Tom Lone, all meaning fades behind a bizarre scene that is inexplicably stupid. From the fast flickering camera shots, to close-ups, to jumps in the scene, and weird zooming in on body parts, this scene will go down in history as one of the worst of any superhero movie. Despite the hype, the genre does have its fair share of flops.