10 Comic Book Movies That Gave Fans Exactly What They Wanted

The comic book movies of the MCUThe DCUAnd other franchises often offer fans exactly the developments they’ve been clamoring for. In modern cinema, the superhero genre has become one of the most consistently successful, with the MCU movies in particular earning massive popularity. Adapting beloved characters and stories from the pages of comic books offers many opportunities for fan service, and comic book movies regularly capitalize on those opportunities.

Giving fans what they want is rarely simple, as subjectivity often comes into play. However, franchises sometimes opt to specifically deliver on speculated plot points, and while in some cases—such as with some of the DCEU’s movies—they don’t pay off, they do provide memorable moments of fan service. With that in mind, here are 10 comic book movies that gave fans exactly what they wanted.

10

Joker gave the villain a big-screen origin story

Joker (2019)

Although many actors have played the Joker in live-action, the one thing that has always been missing in the multiple iterations of the villain has been a definitive beginning. A story following the character’s time before he became Batman’s iconic nemesis is something many wanted to see. Considering the importance of the villain in the Batman mythos, giving him a clear and detailed origin story was a long-awaited development among fans.

2019s Joker Delivered just that, and in the most eloquent way imaginable. Joaquin Phoenix starred as Arthur Fleck, and The movie has an interesting narrative on the typical depictions of the character. The original story won critical acclaim and was wildly popular with fans, who appreciated the dark and imaginative perspective it added to the character’s story. In the case of JokerGiving the fans what they wanted proved to be very successful.

9

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 confirmed a Stan Lee theory

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Since the beginning of the franchise, the MCU’s post-credits scenes have been used in a manner that helped to connect separate releases with connecting narrative threads or teases. Many characters have been introduced in these scenes, however Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Also made use of a post-credits stinger to confirm a long-held fan theory. After Stan Lee’s beloved cameos in every Marvel movie, this scene confirmed that fans’ speculation about their meaning was correct.

The theory was that Stan Lee’s cameos were due to him as an informant or agent of the Watchers in the universe, powerful beings who oversee the events of the Marvel Universe. The post-credits scene in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 actually showed Lee reporting to the watchersUsing a comic tone. This scene not only confirmed an excellent fan theory, but it also delivered exactly what fans wanted.

8

Deadpool 2 used the X-Men

Deadpool 2 (2018)

After the success of 2016 DeadpoolThe announcement of a sequel was met with general anticipation. However, the X-Men references from the first movie prompted many to voice their wishes for more X-Men characters to appear, especially considering Deadpool’s connections with the team in the comics. Deadpool 2 Was able to oblige the fans, although in the most hilarious manner possible.

While visiting the X-Mansion, Deadpool launches into a rant about how none of the more famous X-Men movie heroes have appeared. During his monologue, Many of the cast members of Fox’s X-Men Franchise can be seen In the background before quietly closing the door on Deadpool’s fourth wall-breaking tirade and disappearing from view. It’s a moment that heralded X-Men cameos in a Deadpool movie, with a sarcastic nod to the audience that was perfectly in keeping with the general tone of Deadpool’s movies.

7

The Last Dance gives Poison and the Sonyverse a good villain

Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Despite achieving some success, Sony’s Spider-Man universe remains incredibly divisive, mainly because its movies typically seem to be of drastically varying quality. The first two Poison Movies stand out as two of the best franchises, although their approach to their respective villains left much to the imagination. This left fans calling for a better villain in the third Venom movie, as well as in Sony’s movie universe as a whole.

The announcement that Knull would be the villain in Venom: The Last Dance Delivered exactly what the fans asked for. As the founder of Venom’s race and a dark deity in the Marvel Universe, Knull is an incredibly powerful being who should be more than a match for Eddie Brock and the Venom symbiote. The announcement of Knull immediately raised the stakes for Venom: The Last DanceGiving fans exactly what they wanted from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

6

Black Adam ushered in Henry Cavill’s long-awaited Superman return

Black Adam (2022)

Although the DCEU began with the introduction of Henry Cavill’s Superman, the character is used sparingly in the franchise. After the answer to 2017’s Justice LeagueThe character all but disappeared, with only passing references made to his existence. This prompted fans to lobby for Cavill’s return, largely in response to speculation that the role of the DCEU’s Superman could be recast.

It was shocking when Black AdamThe post-credits scene saw the return of Henry Cavill as Superman, teasing a future clash between the two DC heavyweights. The moment was a triumph that delivered exactly what DCEU fans had been asking for, though that triumph was cruelly short-lived. Soon after Black Adams release, the DCEU was announced to be ending, with the role of Superman subsequently recast for the DCU. Although Black Adam gave fans Henry Cavill’s Superman one last time, It’s not exactly how they hoped it might be.

5

The Avengers saw the team finally assembled

The Avengers (2012)

2008s Iron Man did more than just kick off the MCU—it also teased the existence of the shared Marvel universe. As soon as the franchise began connecting its release through post-credits teas and small references to other movies, fans began to hope that the heroes of the MCU would come together in a single crossover movie. Fortunately, they did not have to wait so long for the payment, as four short years later, The Avengers was released.

To see six major Marvel heroes all appear in a single movie was, at the time, completely groundbreaking. 2012s The Avengers cemented the MCU as the most promising movie universe in existenceHow it capitalized on the popularity and crossover potential of the stories told in Marvel Comics. Simply, bringing multiple movie superheroes together in one movie was such a massive development that fulfilled the wishes of countless fans.

4

The Flash heralded the return of Michael Keaton’s older Batman

The Flash (2023)

The success of Tim Burton’s Batman movies was overshadowed by Joel Schumacher’s two follow-ups, the poor reception of which put the caped crusader on a cinematic hiatus for almost a decade. However, many fans looked fondly on Michael Keaton’s time in the cape and tile, and considered him a perfect fit for a shared universe. In fact, the desire dates back to the ’90s, when there were once plans to have Keaton’s Batman appear alongside Nicolas Cage as Superman.

The announcement that Michael Keaton would reprise the role of Batman in the DCEU was met with a lot of excitement. Seeing the actor once again assume the mantle as a much older iteration of the Dark Knight in The bottle Gave many fans something they’d been hoping for since the early ’90sEspecially considering its place in a shared DC movie universe. Although Keaton’s return proved to be a one-off, it still paid off years of anticipation.

3

Endgame saw Captain America lift Mjolnir

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Since Thor’s MCU debut in 2011, Mjolnir has only been referenced by worthy beings many times. A scene in 2015s Avengers: Age of Ultron raised the question of why Avengers might be worthy of wielding Thor’s hammer, with Steve Rogers being the most obvious answer because of this in the comics. This led many fans to openly wish that Rogers would lift Mjolnir in the MCU, and prove himself worthy of Thor’s power on the big screen.

Avengers: Endgame Saw just such a moment come to pass, with Rogers wielding Mjolnir during the Battle of Earth. In fact, the scene pays off two long-standing fan desires, as Captain America, while wielding Mjolnir, finally utters the iconic phrase: “Avengers Assemble.” The moment was a huge moment of payoff for the fans who had patiently waited for himMaking it especially poignant as a result.

2

Any way home delivered on Multiversal promise

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The announcement that Spider-Man: No Way Homes story would begin to explore the multiverse of the MCU was met with enormous excitement, naturally leading to widespread speculation about what it might involve. The subsequent announcement of the return of Sam Raimi’s Famous Villains Spider-Man Trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man Franchise only added fuel to the fire, with fans hoping to see their favorite characters again. Many hoped to see Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield reprise their roles, although their involvement was strongly denied.

actually, No way home Obliged fans by having Maguire and Garfield join Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to fight their enemies together. Seeing the three live-action iterations of Spider-Man fighting alongside one another was a massively emotional experience for many viewers, as fans had hoped to see just such an event. In his handling of the multiverse, No way home Delivered exactly what fans had hoped it could.

1

Doctor Strange 2 capitalized on a popular MCU fancast

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Throughout the Infinity Saga, the Fantastic Four have been among the most prominent absent Marvel heroes in the MCU. That hasn’t stopped fans from speculating about which actors are best suited for the roles, with John Krasinski being the most popular choice to play the MCU’s Reed Richards alongside his real-life spouse Emily Blunt as Sue Storm. 2022 S Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Seen the eponymous sorcerer explore the multiverse, facilitating many variant cameos.

One such cameo saw Krasinski play Reed Richards from Earth-838, albeit only briefly before he was murdered by the Scarlet Witch. The movie finally gave the fans what they wanted in the form of Krasinski playing Reed Richards, albeit in an incredibly underwhelming capacity. Even so, the way it addressed a specific fancasting and made it a reality means that of the comic book movies of the MCUThe DCUAnd further, it is perhaps one of the biggest examples of fans getting exactly what they asked for.

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