1. Ghost Rider
It hurts me to include this entry on this particular list because I am a huge fan of Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. However, the truth is the truth. Whatever good will and cult credibility generated by 2008's "Ghost Rider" was promptly lost with the release of its baffling 2011 sequel. A culminate rating of 17% of RottenTomatoes.com? Spirit of vengeance, indeed. Time to stop and smell the roses, movie moguls. A very persistent but very real concern by comic book lovers is the tendency of movie executives and the screenwriters they hire to veer from the source material. Creative license sometimes is used to justify radical departures from how a hero's or villain's origin occurs, what the costumes look like on-screen, or even what their powers/abilities/weaknesses are. A clear example of creative license working was having Tony Stark held capture in Afghanistan as opposed to Vietnam in 2008's Iron Man. A clear example of creative license generating controversy was having Peter Parker's webbing be organic instead of being the result of his constructing wrist worn web-shooters in 2002's Spider-Man. Ghost Rider's creative changes apparently required him to fire off groan-inducing one-liners and show romantic feelings towards Roxanne (his childhood sweetheart now grown-up). Ghost Rider doesn't sip wine and go on long walks on the beach with his lady love. He punishes evildoers and those who spill innocent blood. In Marvel's comic universe, Ghost Rider is one of the most terrifying characters around. Even heroes fear him. This dude can go toe-to-toe with Marvel's heaviest hitters: like the Hulk or Wolverine. His two movies haven't even scratched the surface of what he's truly capable of. Little known history fact: Ghost Rider is actually an agent of Heaven - despite his hellish powers and appearance. There is good news on the horizon here, though. This past May, it was confirmed that the cinematic rights to "Ghost Rider" - previously held by Sony Pictures - has reverted back to Marvel Studios. This means that Marvel once again possesses total creative control over all Ghost Rider-related characters; and can deploy them as they see fit in its cinematic universe. I'd be willing to sign-up for a Marvel Studios make-over of Ghost Rider in the near future. Show me what you've got. Greed, oversized egos, poor decision making, and a lack of connectivity to moviegoers worldwide are but a few of the many reasons several movie franchises continue beyond their expiration date. Some great films should be extended the dignity of standing alone. But the eternal battle between artistic merit and big bucks rages on...
These are my thoughts on which bloated movie franchises needing to be put down like Old Yeller. What's your take? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments box below. And please feel free to follow me on Twitter @RevArthurJones3.