10 Biggest Comic Book Movie Sequel Disasters

Throughout the history of comic book films in MCU, DKUand beyond there were many sequels that turned out to be disasters. While many MCU films have been huge successes, this is not the case for all comic book films. While many films based on comic book source material are critical or box office successes, there are cases where such films have been disastrous successes.

Throughout the history of DC films and the chronology of MCU films, there have been many instances where sequels to successful or respectable cinematic efforts have failed to live up to their predecessors. Some comic book movie sequels simply fail to live up to their hype and end up being box office or critical failures. With that in mind, here are 10 comic book movie sequel disasters.

10

Joker: Folie A Deux (2024)

Sequel: Joker (2019)

After a huge success in 2019 Jokerannouncement that the characters Joker: Folie à Deux the continuation of its story was met with universal anticipation. Joaquin Phoenix’s Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck made the sequel announcements even more exciting, with cryptic teases about the film’s musical inspiration and the casting of Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn generating particular interest. Unfortunately, the sequel was a disaster upon release.

With mixed to negative reviews across the board, Joker: Folie à Deux I immediately got into trouble. Disappointing opening weekend box office performance resulted in the film earning significantly less than projected, quickly marking it as a complete disaster. Given the overwhelmingly positive reception of its 2019 predecessor, Foley-a-DoubleThe film’s critical and box office failures seem even more alarming in comparison.

9

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Sequel to: Man of Steel (2013)

2013 Man of Steel marked the start of the DCEU newsreel, and despite a relatively mixed reception, it was ultimately considered an interesting new direction for the titular character. Zack Snyder’s unique vision continued in 2016. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicealbeit with even less encouraging results. The sequel was considered divisive at best, marking it as a low point in a franchise that was barely in its infancy.

Batman v Superman was a disaster for several reasons. An bloated length, poor representation of beloved elements of the source material, and questionable storytelling choices all marred the film’s reputation. both with critics and audiences. Considering the DCEU had just launched, the poor reception of its second outing was far from ideal and overall had disastrous consequences for the franchise as a whole.

8

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Sequel: Thor (2011)

Released in 2011. Thor noted that it is one of the most surprising films of the first phase of the MCU, as it combines fantasy and science fiction, adapting a lesser-known Marvel hero. However, it paid off by captivating audiences and introducing one of the franchise’s most interesting figures. Sequel to the film, 2013 Thor: The Dark Worldwas seen as an opportunity to expand on the success of the original, as well as serve as a sequel to the MCU’s 2012 major hit. Avengers.

Thor: The Dark World disappointed on almost all fronts. At the time, it was considered the most boring film in the MCU and was long considered the worst film in the franchise. The poor handling of the film’s villain and overall narrative ultimately made it an uninteresting entry into the MCU.which earned him a disastrously bad reputation among fans of the franchise.

7

Batman and Robin (1997)

Sequel: Batman Forever (1995)

Cool critical reception of the 1995s Batman Forever It may not have brought him huge success, but he was able to capitalize on the reputation of the Tim Burton Batman films that came before him. However, its own sequel, 1997 Batman and Robinhad no goodwill to rely on for release. The result was that the film stood entirely on its own and was therefore a complete disaster.

Batman and RobinThe gratuitously silly and wacky take on The Dark Knight was not well received and immediately earned ridicule from both audiences and critics. Poor criticism and a mild box office disappointment spelled disaster for Joel Schumacher’s Batman sequel, even compared to its underwhelming predecessor. The film was considered bad enough that Batman was kept out of theaters for the better part of a decade.meaning it also had disastrous consequences for the character’s cinematic legacy.

6

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Sequel to: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Issue The Amazing Spider-Man In 2012, the title character was rebooted after Sam Raimi’s groundbreaking trilogy. The first film was not as successful as its predecessors, but it attracted significant attention, which led to the creation of a sequel. 2014s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 continued its story, exploring some of its loose plot threads and introducing several other aspects of the franchise’s history. Unfortunately, the sequel was also something of a disaster.

General reception received The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was not positive. The film received criticism, especially regarding its narrative and screenplay. Although the film ambitiously teased a sequel and potential spin-offs, the disappointing response to its release led to the franchise being cancelled.with Sony shortly after reaching an agreement with Marvel to introduce Spider-Man to the MCU. Although The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has since been re-evaluated more favorably, once considered catastrophic enough to justify canceling all future plans.

5

Superman Returns (2006)

Sequel: Superman II (1980)

After the first two by Richard Donner Superman films shaped modern superhero cinema, it would seem that a more modern attempt to capture their narrative would be wildly successful. Superman returns where did you get it? Superman II stopped and Brandon Routh took over the title role thanks to his uncanny resemblance to a young Christopher Reeve. Unfortunately, the sequel did not live up to the high expectations placed on it.

One of the main obstacles to success was that Superman II has already received two sequels, both of which were disastrous in their own right. Having gone over some of the hero’s cinematic heritage, we only moved away from him. Superman returns from its predecessors, and the lackluster script only further weakened the 2006 film’s appeal. Although the film itself is quite interesting, Superman returns failed to achieve the success that was expected of himand Routh’s version of the hero did not last long.

4

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Sequel to: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Following the narrative development Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaThe characters went to the quantum world. The MCU sequel revealed major plot points from the MCU, especially the full debut of Kang the Conqueror, which was previously only featured in the Multiversal variants. The character, who was once slated to be the franchise’s next main antagonist, helped boost hype for the sequel’s release. Quantumania considered one of the most important MCU films afterFinal.

However, third Ant-Man the film was a disaster both critically and financiallyand created huge problems for the MCU as a whole. Quantumania failed to break even at the box office, thanks in part to numerous negative reviews that marked it as one of the franchise’s worst films ever. Even though Ant-Man was once considered an MCU fan favorite, Quantumania turned out to be one of the worst sequels in the franchise.

3

Superman III and IV (1983, 1987)

Sequel: Superman II (1980)

Long before superhero films began to consistently dominate the box office, the films of Richard Donner Superman the films ushered the genre into the modern era of cinema, using revolutionary effects to bring comic book stories to life on the big screen. After two widely celebrated and critically acclaimed Superman films, Christopher Reeve’s Man of Tomorrow was brought back for two more films. Sad, each of the two sequels proved more disastrous than the previous one.

Superman III was criticized for its campy tone and failure to live up to the success of its predecessors. However, Superman IV proved disastrous, even when compared to its less-than-impressive predecessor. The fourth film’s production values, writing, and acting continued the significant decline in quality that had begun Superman IIIwhich made Christopher Reeve’s last two Superman sequels completely disastrous from a financial and critical standpoint.

2

Miracles (2023)

Sequel: Captain Marvel (2019)

Given the alarming trend of MCU movies and TV shows receiving increasingly bad reviews around the time of film release. Miracles‘, expectations for the film were relatively low. However, its predecessor, 2019 Captain Marvelwas one of the most successful films in the Infinity Saga, making the character’s solo sequel a major development. The film is also a sequel to the MCU TV show. Ms. Marvel And WandaVisionboth of which achieved relative success.

Miracles turned out to be completely different from what was expected, losing in almost every imaginable indicator. It failed to break even at the box office, grossing just $206 million worldwide against a production budget of $274.8 million. Some elements of the film were praised to mixed reviews by critics, but as the highest-grossing film in the MCU, it’s safe to say that Miracles the sequel was a complete disaster.

1

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Sequel: Aquaman (2018)

Since this is the latest DCEU film, there has been a significant amount of interest in it. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom before its release. Its predecessor, 2018 Aquamanproved to be one of the DCEU’s best films critically and financially, and with the DCU being rebooted, many were eager to see how the franchise would come to its conclusion. Unfortunately, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was a disastrous sequel, especially compared to its predecessor.

DCEU ends with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom did not help improve the quality of the film, but rather hindered the sequel. Since there are no real stakes in the game due to the upcoming reboot, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom didn’t do particularly well at the box office and even worse with critics. As a result, it stands out as another example of the comic book films of the time. MCU, DKUand with the exception of the sequel, which turned out to be a complete disaster.

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