10 Lowest Grossing Superhero Films
You don't need Kryptonite to kill Superman.
Not every superhero gets to join The Avengers and not every superhero picture is as successful as the Avengers movie, which as of this writing is the most successful superhero film of all time with a $1.5 billion worldwide gross.
It’s also one of the genre’s most popular films, typically occupying a top five spot on ranking sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Flickchart. Come to think of it, most of the highest grossing superhero movies are also mainstays of All Time Best lists.
Conversely, the lowest grossing superhero movies are typically the ones that receive the most scorn. Unloved, unwanted and all often often unwatchable, their presence on All Time Worst lists is as predictable and unsurprising as a Stan Lee cameo. Some of them may go on to enjoy cult status among bad film enthusiasts, but don’t bet your shirt on it.
Here, then, are the ten lowest grossing superhero ranked according to their worldwide grosses. Note that the list excludes limited release films like The Specials (which opened on two screens) and Super (thirty-nine screens) and concentrates on films that opened on more than a thousand US screens.
At least someone thought they’d be successful….
10. Elektra
Worldwide Gross: $56,681,566
Elektra may not be in the Batman & Robin league of awfulness, but it’s still one of the most dispiriting superhero movies ever made, possessing zero charm, fun or personality. When even Terence Stamp can’t enliven the proceedings, you know you’re watching a turkey.
Opportunist, needless and very, very dull, Elektra proves that you can make a movie about a sexy action heroine with a blind martial arts master and turn it into the proverbial dog’s breakfast, something it accomplishes by ladling on the pop psychology. Turns out Elektra had a tough childhood, and that’s why she dresses like a Victoria’s Secret model and carries knives. Who knew?
Released in 2005, the movie was unloved by critics and fans alike. As long as the Daredevil TV series remains in the memory, don’t expect Elektra’s movie to undergo a re-evaluation.