10 Worst Sequel Baiting Moments In Recent Movies

When Iron Man concluded with a post-credits scene of Nick Fury teasing the Avengers, it was regarded as a very risky move. At the time, the biggest comic fans didn't honestly believe they would see Earth's Mightiest Heroes on the big screen within a couple of years.

And, boy, were we wrong.

The reason why we didn't believe the Marvel Cinematic Universe would become a reality is because tantalising viewers with the prospect of a sequel rarely pays off. It's very difficult to incorporate a scene into a movie that teases a sequel without it coming across as desperate and unnatural.

But since the MCU has become the dominant franchise of cinema, it seems like every movie nowadays is on the bandwagon, taunting viewers with the promise of sequels, prequels, and crossovers.

This strategy rarely works since it urges studios to focus on the movie's next 20 follow-ups rather than the movie itself. Filmmakers and producers can be so blinded by the possibility of manifesting their own franchise into being, they'll shove in sequel-baiting scenes that are cringeworthy, unintentionally hilarious, or downright non-sensical.

After the success of Harry Potter, Hollywood scrambled to adapt every book series into a motion picture, hoping to strike gold. But even the greatest story can fall apart when it transitions to cinema. The Chronicles of Narnia flopped. The Divergent series remains unfinished. Percy Jackson tapped out after only two movies.

But few film adaptations have failed as spectacularly as Artemis Fowl. With visionary director, Kenneth Branagh, taking the reins of the production, it felt like he would do justice to this classic story. I mean, this is the guy who adapted obscure superhero, Thor, for the big screen, turning him into an icon. Surely, adapting a story about an sinister kid genius battling fairies would be right up his street, right?

Wrong. Artemis Fowl was ripped apart for its childish jokes, weak dialogue, and pointless changes to the source material. The fact that the titular character was changed to be more likeable (despite the fact he's the villain) proves the filmmakers didn't understand the premise.

But considering the failed franchise concludes with Artemis and the gang flying off in a helicopter for their next mission, it was obvious the studio genuinely believed they had a hit on their hands.