10 Movies Released At The Wrong Time
5. Watchmen
There’s definitely an argument to be made that Watchmen would have been poorly received whenever it was released; it was, after all, a subpar adaption of one of the most popular graphic novels of all time. However, had it held off for a few more years it might have gotten a bit more traction.
Watchmen’s gut punch of a finale comes when Ozymandias reveals his plans, with a quintessential villain monologue. The heroes are poised to leap into action, but Ozymandias tells them it’s too late; the plan’s already been done. Why would he tell them if there was any chance they could stop it, he mocks them.
Its a brilliant subversion of the classic trope, and while Watchmen overall probably doesn’t do Alan Moore’s graphic novel justice, it gets that moment just right.
It was supposed to be going against the grain of traditional superhero stories, but back when it released in 2009, the MCU was just getting started and Nolan’s Batman Trilogy was already reinventing the wheel.
Coming out once Marvel’s tightly packed superhero schedule was in full flow might have seen it fare better and pull off the twist more effectively.