10 Overrated Superhero Movies That Would Flop If They Came Out Today

Superhero movies were incredibly popular for over ten years, but that’s starting to shift. It wasn’t long ago that even a poorly-made superhero film could easily earn close to a billion dollars. Now, even well-made superhero movies are finding it harder to attract audiences. People’s tastes are evolving, and they no longer feel obligated to go to the cinema.

A lot of popular superhero movies from the past wouldn’t be successful if they came out today. We remember them fondly, but that’s mostly because of nostalgia – when you look at them critically, they weren’t actually that good.

Batman Forever Is Too Much Of A Mood Shift For Batman

While Batman Forever is often viewed more favorably than Batman & Robin, it’s important to remember it wasn’t perfect. The film did well in theaters and is notable for featuring multiple villains, but looking back, it has several flaws that would likely be more noticeable by today’s audiences.

The bright, colorful style of this Gotham, which was inspired by the 1960s Batman TV show, wouldn’t work for modern audiences. The Riddler is also a misstep – he’s too silly for a Batman movie. And while Chris O’Donnell did a good job, he was too mature to believably be taken under Bruce Wayne’s wing and become Robin.

Fantastic Four Is Too Quippy For Its Own Good

Today, many people remember the Fantastic Four movie as the film that launched Chris Evans’ career. However, when it was released, it was a big hit, earning over $300 million. While it’s seen as a fun movie now, that’s likely just because of fond memories.

The biggest weakness of this movie is Doctor Doom, the villain, who doesn’t feel like the character fans know and expect. Instead of a powerful ruler, he’s portrayed as a bland businessman who gains electrical abilities on a space mission alongside the Fantastic Four. Beyond that, the movie relies too heavily on attempts at humor that don’t land, and given the current dislike for overly-jokey writing in Marvel movies, that’s a significant issue.

Suicide Squad Doesn’t Resemble The True Suicide Squad At All

The movie Suicide Squad is a bit of an oddity. It wasn’t well-received by critics or most fans when it came out, but it was a huge box office hit, making almost $750 million. Surprisingly, it even won an Academy Award – for makeup and hairstyling, which is still more than many superhero movies can claim.

The fact that this movie did well really shows how much leeway superhero films had during the height of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s popularity. While Will Smith is fun to watch, he’s essentially playing a version of himself. The villains are hardly memorable, and that’s a problem – modern superhero films need stronger villains, as we saw with The Suicide Squad, which was a better movie but didn’t perform as well.

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie’s Reputation Is All Nostalgia

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers is a perfect illustration of how fondly people remember things from their childhood. Many Power Rangers fans consider the movie to be a truly good superhero film. While the actors from the TV show performed well in their movie debut, the film itself isn’t actually that impressive.

It’s funny, considering how much better the costumes were in the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers movie, it might actually be one of the first superhero films to use truly awful computer-generated imagery. The Ninja Megazord looked particularly bad, and the filmmakers would have been better off using practical effects – like miniature sets and costumes, similar to the original Super Sentai series. It’s safe to say this movie wouldn’t be a hit if it came out today, and that’s proven by the 2017 reboot, which didn’t perform well at the box office even when superhero movies were at their peak in popularity.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze Loses The Edge Of The Original

The first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is a timeless classic that would still be popular today. Unfortunately, the sequel, Secret of the Ooze, wasn’t nearly as good. While it wasn’t well-received when it came out, releasing it now might actually make people appreciate it.

The movie doesn’t capture the tough, New York feel of the original, likely to appeal to a younger audience. This change would have alienated longtime fans and hurt its chances of gaining popularity through recommendations. Plus, the villain, Super Shredder, feels like a typical, over-the-top character thrown in at the end of films, which often disappoints viewers. And the random appearance of a musician like Vanilla Ice, just to sing the theme song, adds a level of silliness that doesn’t really work for modern audiences.

Aquaman Would Turn People Off With All Its CGI

Okay, so Aquaman is seriously gorgeous to look at – the visuals are amazing! But honestly, it came out at the perfect time, right when everyone was obsessed with superhero movies thanks to the MCU. That’s what I think really pushed it to over $1 billion at the box office. It’s a huge success, for sure, but I don’t think it would have done nearly as well if it came out now, with superhero fatigue being a real thing.

Jason Momoa’s portrayal of Aquaman might not be as popular now that time has passed since the height of Game of Thrones. The second Aquaman movie, released in 2023, didn’t perform as well, and its overly complicated plot didn’t allow for much character growth. Plus, the special effects, once praised, would likely face criticism today as audiences are becoming less accepting of excessive CGI.

Batman Returns Made Batman A Little Too Weird

Many believe Batman Returns is a significant improvement over the first Batman film, and the strongest entry in the original series. However, it’s also undeniably strange. Warner Bros. really wanted Tim Burton to direct again, and they gave him a lot of freedom, which is very apparent in the movie’s unique style.

The show gets Gotham’s atmosphere right, but almost everything else feels wrong. The decision to make Penguin a mutant is a far bigger departure from his established character than even the current, unnamed mob boss. And the overly complicated, magical explanation for Catwoman’s origins caused a lot of online debate.

Superman II Shows Superman Is Nothing Without His Powers

While Superman II didn’t quite reach the heights of the first movie, it was generally considered the only other enjoyable film in the series. It successfully established Zod as a key Superman enemy and featured a compelling fight between Kryptonians. Although the action sequences weren’t as polished as modern superhero films, the filmmakers did a commendable job with what they had. However, that isn’t the main issue with the movie.

Putting aside the questionable decision of Clark kissing Lois to distract her from his secret identity, Superman giving up his powers and acting cowardly was a particularly jarring choice. It completely contradicted everything audiences understood about the character, although those unfamiliar with the comics didn’t necessarily notice at the time.

X-Men Is Too Ashamed Of Being A Superhero Movie

Okay, so everyone says X-Men kicked off the whole superhero movie craze, but that’s kinda wrong. Blade actually came out first! Still, X-Men definitely deserves credit for really bringing superheroes to the forefront in the early 2000s. But honestly, I think it only worked back then. If it came out now, when everyone’s already used to superhero movies, it probably wouldn’t have hit the same way.

These days, audiences expect to see superheroes in their classic costumes, and a movie without them just wouldn’t work – it would feel like the filmmakers were ashamed of the source material. Similarly, a storyline where Magneto forcibly turns humans into mutants wouldn’t be accepted now, as it undermines the idea of mutants being an oppressed group.

Batman Turns Batman Into A Killer

Older fans often consider the first Batman movie a classic, but modern viewers might find it doesn’t live up to the hype – much of its appeal seems to be based on fond memories. Similar to Batman Returns, it successfully captures the atmosphere of Gotham City, but that’s really its strongest point.

The action sequences aren’t well-executed, and Batman’s victories often feel accidental rather than earned through skill. While Michael Keaton does a great job as Batman, his portrayal of Bruce Wayne is a bit clumsy and awkward. However, the most controversial aspect would likely be Batman’s frequent killings, a topic that would spark huge debate online and probably hurt the movie’s reception today.

2025-11-02 00:42