What Went Wrong: 13 Disastrous Comic Book Movies (And Why They Sucked)

1. Too Many Cooks - Spider-Man 3

Given the disappointment of the Amazing Spider-Man movies, it's tempting to look at Spider-Man 3 as unappreciated, but there's no ignoring how much of a misstep it was on the back of Spider-Man 2 - which is still the best Spidey film of all.

The Cause

Once more, it came down to a clash between director and studio. Sam Raimi wanted a story that would focus on the humanity of Spider-Man's villains - chiefly Sandman - as a counterpoint to Peter Parker learning he's not a "sinless vigilante."

He also wanted to add Vulture as a second villain, but was pressurised by the studio to include Venom - a far more marketable character but one who simply didn't fit Raimi's humanist message - and Gwen Stacy, as nods to fans. The film simply became over-stuffed (to the point where writer Alvin Sargent suggested splitting it in two), and nothing got either the enthusiasm or the necessary focus to make it work.

The result was the archetypal "too many cooks" movie.

How Disastrous Was It?

So bad were the reviews that Sony cancelled Raimi's planned Spider-Man 4 and instead rebooted the franchise with Andrew Garfield. The biggest indication of that not being the best move came when the franchise needed rebooting again just a couple of years later.

Without Spider-Man 3, Sony wouldn't have had to waste so much money on two failed movies in the rebooted series, but we also wouldn't have had Spider-Man in the MCU. But then, handing over the rights to a rival film studio and having to unconsciously admit that they're better qualified is not a good look for any studio.

Which other disastrous comic book movies have obvious causes? Share your picks below in the comments thread.