Audience anticipation isn’t always the best indicator of success for superhero movies, with many of the most acclaimed films in the genre being met with skepticism on announcement. The best superhero movies are typically carried by their talent, with star actors and directors either proving themselves or living up to their reputations by piloting an expensive film based off a beloved IP. But audiences aren’t always easily convinced that a given project will succeed, even if they wind up being proven wrong.
It’s easy to forget in the wake of a comic book movie success story that expectations may not have been high leading up to the opening weekend. This can be due to controversial casting decisions, a spotty track record from a production studio, or a lack of faith in a more obscure character or franchise being adapted for the silver screen. Whether it’s Marvel, DC, or films based off of other independent superhero stories, films that are widely regarded as some of the greatest in the genre today may not have had the best optics.
10
Justice League’s Poor Reception Raised Fears About Aquaman
Jason Momoa’s grand DCEU entry didn’t come out at the best time
Few films had as disastrous of an initial reception as the original cut of Justice League. From the painfully obvious re-shoots and last-minute edits to the bizarre performances, the film was enough to discourage even the die-hard Snyderverse affictionados that had weathered through the rough spots of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2016’s Suicide Squad. Having the unfortunate pleasure of going next in the series, hopes weren’t high for the first Aquaman film.
Beyond Justice League‘s rock-bottom critical reception, Aquaman had even more negative press to overcome. Aquaman as a character has long been the butt of jokes as a useless hero among the classic Justice League roster, and Jason Momoa’s performance in Justice League seemed to turn the character into a witless undersea himbo too preoccupied with spouting one-liners to develop any depth. Luckily, in the capable hands of director James Wan, Aquaman turned out to be a lovable, if flawed, undersea romp, ending up as one of the better films to come out of the DCEU.
9
Robert Pattinson’s Staring Role In The Batman Divided Audiences Before Its Release
Many couldn’t look past Edward Cullen for Matt Reeves’ The Batman
Leading up to the release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, it was announced that Robert Pattisnon would be taking up the cape and cowl of The Dark Knight. Unfortunately, many DC fans still only recognized Pattisnon from the infamous Twilight series or his small appearance in the Harry Potter franchise when he was only a young, inexperienced kid. Neither of these showings were particularly reassuring for the next live action Batman, leaving some audiences wondering if the film would fail.
What the doubters had failed to consider was Pattinson’s incredible performances in lesser-known films, in which he wasn’t weighted down by the laughably over-dramatic dialogue and direction of the Twilight films. The Lighthouse was a phenomenal psychological nightmare utterly carried by Pattinson’s acting, and even earlier in his career he managed to show off his talent as an actual realized character in Remember Me. Of course, Pattinson was able to turn in a jaw-dropping performance as Bruce Wayne, shutting down the naysayers and proving his supporters right.
8
Suicide Squad Made The Suicide Squad Feel Like A Gamble (Despite James Gunn’s Track Record)
Even the proven success of the Guardians of the Galaxy couldn’t undo the previous film
Suicide Squad was one of the DCEU’s most abysmal attempts at a team-up movie yet. With empty camerawork, clear last-minute re-edits, and some painfully awkward casting choices, it seems the concept was a total bust for the nascent cinematic universe. This meant that even with James Gunn’s stellar track record for piloting ensemble superhero films with ecclectic casts of quirky characters, the success of The Suicide Squad was still not a sure thing in the eyes of returning fans.
Making a remake of the critically lambasted film was a puzzling proposition, and one that few fans were certain could pay off even with Gunn’s reputation. Luckily, The Suicide Squad managed to secure an R-rating to better take advantage of the concept of a vile supervillain team, and combined with an excellent cast, Gunn’s own clever writing, and a wanton disregard for human life, the film became one of the DCEU’s best entries, if not its single greatest film. The revival was popular enough to spawn a spin-off series for John Cena’s character, Peacemaker.
7
Audiences Didn’t Think Heath Ledger Could Pull Off The Joker
Few had faith in one of the greatest superhero performances of all time
It may sound hard to believe now, but there was a time in which the prospect of Heath Ledger playing the Joker was met with tremendous skepticism. Chatrooms circa 2008 didn’t have positive things to say about the idea of the actor taking on the mantle of the infamous villain. Ledger’s most famous role at the time was his character in Brokeback Mountain, a far cry from the tone required for Nolan’s bloodthirsty Clown Prince of Crime. Even Ledger’s appearance was cited as being a poor fit for the role, not having the typical wiry frame associated with the Joker.
It goes without saying that few assumptions about an upcoming performance have ever been as wrong as the idea that Ledger wouldn’t make a good Joker. His phenomenal performance carries The Dark Knight as one of the greatest superhero films ever, giving DC the most Oscar nominations in a single year the franchise had ever received for a single film up to that point. Ledger himself won the coveted Best Actor In A Supporting Role Academy Award posthumously, forever disproving the doubters.
6
Non-Zack Snyder Fans Didn’t Think He Could Salvage Justice League
Few could’ve guessed a re-edit of the film could be as successful as it was
Justice League was a disappointing entry within the DCEU, but few were more disappointed than die-hard fans of Zack Snyder furious that the director’s vision had been so twisted by the studio. After much campaigning, it was announced that HBO Max would see the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League to better inform audiences on what the film was “supposed” to be, even if they many plot elements it introduced would never be followed up on. However, non-Snyder fans were uncertain that the director’s mixed record would have the chops to salvage the project.
Amazingly, many were pleasantly surprised at how much of an improvement the edit of Zack Snyder’s Justice League managed to be over that of the original film. The eye-rolling quips and nonsensical performances were replaced with more thoughtful character work, and the extra unseen footage helped to develop major players like Steppenwolf and Cyborg while expanding upon the lore of the greater DCEU. It’s a shame that it took so much effort to finally coax Warner Bros Discovery into releasing the Snyder cut considering how much better it is than the original Justice League.
5
No One Thought Venom Could Carry A Solo Film Without Spider-Man
Sony’s solo Spider-Man ventures didn’t have high expectations
Considering how Sony’s last attempts at crafting a Spider-Man film series went, few had high hopes for a Venom solo film crafted independently of the MCU. While Venom may be a beloved character with the context of a Spider-Man universe, the symbiotic villain wasn’t exactly a front-runner for a solo film fans were clamoring for. On top of that, Sony’s spotty record with the franchise after the poorly-rated Andrew Garfield duology didn’t exactly inspire confidence in prospective ticket-buyers.
That being said, Tom Hardy’s Venom wound up being a pleasant surprise. The film is far from perfect, but the entertaining buddy-cop dynamic of Eddie and Venom works well for the more dour, brutal universe opposite the squeaky-clean mass appeal of the MCU. Unfortunately, the resulting Sony films using other minor Spider-Man characters since, such as Morbius and Madame Web, have gone about as poorly as expected, making Venom a true outlier as a feasible Sony solo film.
4
Dredd Is Way Better Than Its Original Gimmicky Title
The dystopian nightmare was better realized the second time around
Sylvester Stallone’s Judge Dredd in 1995 was one of the earlier attempts at adapting a lesser-known comic book character for the screen not on Marvel or DC’s retainer. The film ended up getting a lot wrong about its titular character, and doesn’t rank highly among the filmography of the 80s action icon. When a new version of the story was primed to release in 2012, simply titled Dredd, the failures of the previous film didn’t help in building anticipation.
On top of the previous version’s bad reputation, 2012’s Dredd seemed to be relying heavily on 3D effects, using 3D cameras throughout, suggesting a groan-inducing novelty that might’ve made the remake even worse than the 90 adaptation. Suprisingly, Dredd managed to outdo its predecessor, with Karl Urban offering a much more comic-accurate portrayal of the titular lawman. Not only that, but the film was actually bolstered by the 3D usage, being one of the few blockbusters to have gotten meaningful value out of utilizing the gimmick.
3
Guardians Of The Galaxy Made Audiences Love A D-List Marvel Team
It’s easy to forget no one knew who the Guardians were
In the modern age of the MCU, Guardians of the Galaxy and its resulting trilogy are hailed as some of the best movies in the MCU, thanks to James Gunn’s thoughtful character work, clever humor, and eye-popping cosmic worlds. What often goes unappreciated is how well the films were able to do with some of the most obscure characters in Marvel Comics’ history. Far from the popular names like Spider-Man that got audiences in seats, the Guardians of the Galaxy were a D-List superhero team only the most die-hard comic fans even knew of, let alone were excited to see.
What little prospective audiences were able to learn about the Guardians didn’t help to endear the characters, either. It’s hard to have guessed that a film series in which a talking raccoon and a sentient tree are two major characters could get so poignant and emotional with its messages of found family and acceptance. Only James Gunn could’ve pulled off the trick of getting audiences to become ferociously attached to the goofy, unknown characters, skyrocketing the popularity of the team within the scope of the comics, as well.
2
The First Iron Man Was A Box-Office Risk
The MCU’s first film was also its biggest gamble
As the film that spawned the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its hard to imagine Iron Man today as anything less than a surefire success. But there was a time in which director Jon Favreau could’ve been called a madman to pitch the first true cinematic universe to audiences with an actor like Robert Downey Jr. Downey Jr.’s career had been in a slump at the time of his casting as Tony Stark, thanks in no small part to his controversial personal issues that clouded his professional reputation.
Not only was Robert Downey Jr. as the leading man seen as a risk, but Iron Man himself wasn’t considered an especially hot property. Though an original member of the Avengers in the comics, the iron-clad hero was far from a household name before the success of his eponymous film. Amazingly, Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. were able to defy all expectations with Iron Man, forever altering the trajectory of the film industry and the reputations of both Iron Man and the actor portraying him.
1
The Success Of 1989’s Batman Surprised Even The Studio
Batman went from goofy novelty to serious box office figurehead
Considered the godfather of modern superhero media and still one of the greatest Batman films of all time, it’s hard to imagine the anticipation leading up to 1989’s Batman was anything but electric. Yet critics and audiences alike had their reservations going in to the film. At the time, most still knew of Batman as the campy, pun-loving hero of Adam West fame, and casual fans weren’t aware that a more serious version of the hero could work. Not only that, but Michael Keaton’s casting in this endeavor seemed antithetical, better known for his comedic roles in films like Beetlejuice.
In the end, the resounding success of Batman surprised even the studio, who allegedly didn’t have high hopes for seeing a great return on investment for the film. Tim Burton’s moody vision for Gotham and Danny Elfman’s iconic score set the stage for a breathtakingly dark superhero story. Keaton also held up his end, balancing the smooth Bruce Wayne with the grim and gruff Batman. Against all odds, Batman turned out to be one of the most essential superhero films of all time.
