10 Comic Book Movies That COMPLETELY Wasted Their Potential

Justice League SHOULD have been DC's Avengers...

Justice League
Warner Bros.

Is there a worse feeling than sitting in a movie theater, watching the credits start to roll as you feel utterly deflated due to disappointment? The trailers looked good, the potential for greatness present and accounted for, yet the film ultimately missed the mark.

And it's never just a single story aspect or casting choice that causes this lackluster end result. A lot of elements combine together to lead into a disappointing moviegoing experience. With an ever-increasing plethora of comic book movies coming out each year, there's a steady amount of anticipation and high-expectations coursing through moviegoers' minds constantly.

This leads to blockbuster projects that end up (intentionally or not) in direct competition with one another, resulting in one that seemingly always pales in comparison. Whether they fail to connect with audiences or fall short at the box office, these films struggled to achieve the success that they sought.

Entries on this list earned their place through their failure to match the expectations set for them by the studio and audiences, leading to their critical and/or financial downfall. Each earns a spot in their own way, so let's look back with sorrow on these 10 promising titles that missed the mark in one way or another.

10. Spider-Man 3

Justice League
Sony

The year is 2007. Following the latest release in Sam Raimi's acclaimed Spider-Man series, anticipation for Spider-Man 3 is high. With all of this momentum and Venom making his live-action debut, it's looking like S3 will be the best installment yet.

Unfortunately, thanks to behind-the-scenes meddling, it was not. Thoroughly overstuffed and full of questionable creative choices (including the retconning of Uncle Ben's death), the film just didn't work nearly as well as its predecessors.

The story of Peter Parker's giving in to his dark side had too much camp to be taken entirely seriously enough to work. Three separate villains, each capable of holding their own movie down (yes, even Sandman) are split up between the three acts and aren't able to thrive.

It's at #10 on this list because there are several great scenes spread throughout the runtime (the birth of Sandman scene is among the series' best overall moments). Sadly, with Sony involving themselves more and forcing creative choices like Venom's inclusion, Spider-Man 3 just doesn't work on that same iconic level as the first or second SM films.

Contributor
Contributor

Gamer, movie lover, life-long supporter of Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man and Ben Affleck's Batman, you know the rest.