Top 5 Upcoming Superhero Movies That Might Suck

We’re Not So Sure They’re Cape-able

Not every comic book inspired movie can be super. For this list, we’ll be looking at 5 forthcoming comic book films that have given us cause to fear for the worst. Be it because of the studio’s track record, a troubled development/production or simply because they don’t seem very good on paper, these are the superhero movies that have us worried in the next year ahead.

#5: “Hellboy” (2019)

To be quite frank, this is a reboot that we weren’t ready for. Sure, Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy films performed rather modestly at the box office, but they were a beautiful and unique take on a truly one of a kind character. Fans wanted a third film with Perlman to make it a proper trilogy. With that being said, we tried to approach this reboot with an open mind. Stranger Things’ David Harbour feels like a great choice for the role, and the involvement of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola inspired hope. Unfortunately, the test screenings reportedly went very poorly. And while Harbour looks great in costume, the poster’s tagline of “Legendary AF” has us worried about the overall tone.

#4: “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” (2020)

DC films supposedly in development come and go with the seasons, but this Harley Quinn spin-off seems to have stuck. The ever-excellent Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn and we’re hoping that she’ll really shine with some better material to work with. The addition of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress certainly inspires confidence, as does Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. Honestly, we’d like nothing more than to see this female-led film succeed (especially if it introduces Batgirl) but we’re worried about how it’s been fast-tracked. Also, indie filmmakers like Cathy Yan with only one great feature film under their belt have failed with big-budget superhero blockbusters before. Here’s hoping she can avoid Josh Trank’s mistakes. Check out our pick of the Top 10 Worst Things That Happened to Harley Quinn below (hopefully this upcoming film won’t be one of them).

#3: “The New Mutants” (2019)

Credit where credit is due: greenlighting this unique film shows that 20th Century Fox is willing to take risks with their Marvel properties, deviating from the conventional superhero action adventure film to experiment with different genres. A Marvel mutant horror film sounds really interesting on paper. The casting of young talents like Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things made us confident that Fox believed in the project. Then the first trailer dropped and things went sideways. The film’s release was delayed over a year, and major reshoots were ordered. We can appreciate that they wanted to up the scares, but this sort of delay does NOT inspire confidence.

#2: “Suicide Squad 2” (TBD)

The news that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has been tapped by Warner Bros. to write (and possibly direct) the sequel to Suicide Squad was welcomed by many. His dark style of humor makes him a great fit. But we’ve also seen Marvel directors jump ship before to disappointing results. Whereas Joss Whedon took over a mostly complete Justice League, Gunn will hopefully be able to put his own stamp on Suicide Squad 2, but does Warner Bros. have the right producers onboard to ensure that they get Gunn’s best work?

#1: “Dark Phoenix ” (2019)

While things are working out great for Fox’s R-rated films like “Deadpool” and “Logan”, their core X-Men franchise seems to be suffering. Like “The New Mutants”, “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” got significantly delayed to allow for reshoots. This film marks longtime X-Men screenwriter and producer Simon Kinberg’s directorial debut. A first time director retelling a story that he already mishandled as a writer over a decade earlier with “X-Men: The Last Stand”? That does NOT inspire confidence. The first trailer for the film felt far too reminiscent of the aforementioned movie, while the returning cast from “X-Men: Apocalypse” reminds us of the last film’s shortcomings. This Phoenix risks being dead on arrival. If you’re interested in finding out more about the Dark Phoenix Saga story arc, check out this video:

Do you think these superhero movies will make a lasting impression or will they fall short? Check out the video below to find out the full list of the Top 10 Upcoming Superhero Movies That Might Suck and let us know in the comments!

And speaking of superhero films, we sized up Marvel and DC to see who reigned supreme in 2018, take a look!