10 All-Time Great Franchises That Still Had One Bad Movie
5. Thor: The Dark World
Up until Taika Waititi completely reinvented the title character in Ragnarok, it wouldn't be unfair to say that Thor probably wasn't anybody's favorite Avenger. The God of Thunder's solo franchise only seemed to exist as a stepping stone to joining the dots and expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and never was this clearer than in The Dark World.
It has perhaps the weakest villain in a superhero series that's been constantly plagued by subpar antagonists, Natalie Portman doesn't exactly try to hide her lack of interest in the material, the screentime for Kat Dennings' painfully-irritating Darcy is drastically increased for unknown reasons, and despite being responsible for some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor brought absolutely nothing to table despite the fantasy elements being right in the wheelhouse that he built his entire reputation on.
Thor: The Dark World is the MCU at its most paint-by-numbers and uninspired, and if it wasn't for the chemistry between Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston dragging the movie along on sheer charisma and force of will alone then it could have turned out much, much worse.