Top 10 Superhero Movie Storylines That Got KILLED (And Where They Were Headed)
#10: Age of Ultron’s New Avengers
At the end of the second “Avengers” we’re introduced to a new iteration of the team featuring familiar faces. But did you know that an early draft of the script included both Captain Marvel and Spider-Man? Writer/Director Joss Whedon wanted the ending to give them their big MCU debut. However, rights issues with Sony kept Marvel from using the wall-crawler, and the studio decided against signing on an actress to play Carol Danvers. But they did shoot a brief scene with a stand-in, just in case they did get someone in time. Cutting them might have been the best choice in the end, but we are curious to know how it would have affected the end of the Infinity Saga.
#9: Batman’s Knightmare Story
The DCEU set up a future where Batman leads rebels against an evil Superman. Glimpses of this post-apocalypse can be found in “Dawn of Justice” and “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”. These flash-forwards were supposed to be the foundation of a trilogy featuring a “Mad Max” style group of metahumans in a war against Darkseid. Some of its elements like Green Lantern and the Injustice League would have been a treat for fans. Other plot points like Bruce Wayne and Lois Lane’s baby might not have been. Either way, the few scenes in Snyder’s films appear to be all we’ll ever get, as this universe was scrapped to make way for James Gunn’s new DCU.
#8: Mordo’s New Mission
After renouncing the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Mordo set out to hunt down Earth’s sorcerers. It was a clear setup for his villain turn–matching the comics where he’s Doctor Strange’s archenemy. But the sequel, “Multiverse of Madness”, dropped this thread entirely. The role of antagonist went to the Scarlet Witch instead, and Mordo was relegated to a minor role. And it wasn’t even the same version of him we saw before. There are still a few hints of his new rivalry with Strange, however. There’s even concept art of his death at the hands of Wanda Maximoff. But it’s not much for those who wanted this dangling plot thread resolved.
#7: Black Adam vs Superman
With the launch of the new DCU, it’s unlikely we’ll see Dwayne Johnson return as the DC anti-hero Black Adam. His solo film ended with a promising tease: a showdown with Superman. This not only excited Black Adam fans, but also fans of Henry Cavill, whose future in the role was uncertain at the time. And given their clashes in past stories, a matchup with Supes felt like a natural next step for Black Adam. Apart from fighting Shazam, that is. But when the movie underperformed at the box office, those plans quickly unraveled. What could have been a high stakes battle between DC’s heaviest hitters simply never came to pass.
#6: Black Widow & Hulk’s Romance
“Age of Ultron” gave us a pairing no-one expected: Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff. For better or worse, the two began a relationship, and the film ended with Hulk flying off for everyone’s safety. After that the storyline was pretty much abandoned. “Infinity War” touched on it for one quick moment, but it was clear that they were no longer a couple. Scenes where Bruce and Natasha acknowledged moving on were filmed–-but ultimately cut. The writers also thought it would’ve been odd to revisit the romance during “Endgame”’s grim first act. And with Natasha’s seemingly permanent sacrifice, we’re just left wondering what could have been.
#5: Batgirl
The nearly finished “Batgirl” film was suddenly canceled in 2022. Set in Gotham, it was supposed to be an action packed origin story. “In the Heights” star Leslie Grace played the titular role, with J.K. Simmons as Jim Gordon and Michael Keaton returning as Batman. Brendan Fraser was also cast as the evil pyromaniac Firefly. Both he and Grace were excited to bring the “Batgirl Year One” comic to life, and were disappointed when the film was shelved for a tax write-off. The Directors weren't even allowed to salvage the footage. Given their track record in the “Bad Boys” franchise, the film likely would’ve at least delivered some strong superhero action.
#4: Spider-Man 4
Despite the poor reception to “Spider-Man 3”, a fourth movie by Sam Raimi began development. It would have featured John Malkovich as the Vulture and Anne Hathaway as Black Cat. It also included scenes of Spider-Man battling Mysterio, the Shocker, the Prowler, and the Rhino. At one point even Kraven the Hunter was going to appear. But Raimi was unsatisfied with the scripts, and was unsure if he could make the 2011 release date. Thus, the film was cancelled and a reboot followed shortly after. Of course many of these concepts would return in the “Amazing Spider-Man”, the MCU, and Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
#3: Luthor's Legion Of Doom
Joss Whedon’s “Justice League” ended with a tease of a Deathstroke and Lex Luthor team-up. But Zack Snyder had different plans for his sequels. His version of the Injustice League, or Legion of Doom, was made up of some of DC's biggest villains: Captain Cold, Doctor Poison, the Riddler, Black Manta, Oceanmaster, and Lex Luthor. This team would have played a huge part in Darkseid's invasion of Earth. According to Snyder's storyboards, they'd help kill Aquaman and Wonder Woman, and leave Flash and Cyborg broken. It might have been one of the most intense supervillain team-ups on screen, but it'll just have to live in our imaginations.
#2: The Sinister Six
This team of villains is one of the most iconic in comic book history. Naturally, Sony's been trying to adapt them to the big screen, but every attempt has fallen flat. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” briefly set up Black Cat, Doc Ock, and the Vulture. The end credits also teased Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter. But the spinoff plans were scrapped. Sony tried again in “Morbius”, where the titular character meets Michael Keaton’s Vulture, seemingly setting up a new team. Fans assumed they would crossover with Aaron Taylor Johnson's Kraven and Tom Hardy’s Venom. But once again, the whole thing fell apart before it even began. The closest Sony got was in “No Way Home”. But there were only five villains there.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Extremis’ Long-Term Effects
The Consequences of Pepper's Powers Are Never Addressed Again
Founding Avenger Wasp
The Insect Heroine Was Meant to Be In the First Avengers Film
The King in Black
Knull Could Have Been Sony’s Thanos
Wanda and Rocket's Road Trip
This Quest for the Time Stone Was Cut From “Endgame”
Sinestro’s Ring
The Yellow Lantern Corps Would Have to Wait Until the Reboot
#1: Kang the Conqueror
While not every entry of the Infinity Saga was perfect, nearly all of them pushed the story toward a coherent finale. The same can't be said for the Multiverse Saga. Kang the Conqueror was introduced as the next big threat, with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, and “Loki” laying the groundwork. But after Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” was reworked into “Avengers: Doomsday”. The new villain was now Doctor Doom played by RDJ. Little is known about the original plot, but it reportedly had a fresh Avengers lineup from phase four, who were going up against Kangs from across the multiverse. The X-Men and Fantastic Four were not involved at the time. That's all changed now with “Doomsday” putting them front and center.
Which would you rather see get more movies: the DCEU or the “Amazing Spider-Man” universe? Let us know which you’d pick in the comments below.