7 Most Overrated Superhero Movies

by

Over the past four and a half decades, I’ve noticed that superhero films have graced our movie screens, boasting a broad range of quality. For every outstanding Marvel Cinematic Universe production, there seems to be a less impressive Fant4stic. The Dark Knight is often contrasted with Morbius, while the Joker is compared to another Joker release – Folie á Deux. Interestingly, there’s a set of superhero movies that, despite their positive critical reviews, significant box office success, and devoted fanbase, don’t quite live up to their potential greatness.

It’s possible that you might not see eye-to-eye with certain selections on this list, but that’s the charm of film preferences – they are personal and diverse. Some of the films mentioned might have been given more awards or financial success than they truly deserved.

1) Thor

Kenneth Branagh’s film version of Thor is not generally considered the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. While it functions adequately, that’s really about it. It’s mainly unremarkable and seems to be over-directed by Branagh, with numerous loud performances and a lot of overhead camera shots.

One could ponder why Thor finds itself on this list, given it often falls near the center of fans’ Marvel Cinematic Universe rankings. However, its inclusion is justified since it received positive reviews from critics and turned a profit, albeit failing to break box office records. Over time, though, the fish-out-of-water narrative has grown less captivating. The film lacks significant action, and Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Jane Foster seems underutilized, potentially squandering her talent. Additionally, Loki’s antagonistic role could have been better leveraged in other MCU installments where he appears.

2) Iron Man 3

Was the movie “Iron Man 3” deserving of the controversy it faced in 2013? This is still a matter of opinion, depending on who you ask. Despite the flaws in “Iron Man 2”, at least it maintained the feel of the 2008 MCU launch. Unfortunately, “Iron Man 3” doesn’t quite reach that level. Moreover, when considering a trilogy finale, it falls short and is disappointing.

In the final installment of a trilogy, one might expect the tension to reach unprecedented heights. However, in this case, the antagonist turns out to be a comedic actor disguised as a terrorist, while the true villain breathes fire from his mouth. The portrayal of Tony Stark’s PTSD following the events of “The Avengers” is humorously handled, which may disappoint some viewers. Additionally, Stark’s brash behavior towards a child seems out of character, even for a man with such imperfections. For fans hoping to see more of Iron Man in action, the film by Shane Black offers limited scenes in the suit. Compared to other MCU films released more recently, “Iron Man 3” certainly has its flaws. Yet, unlike the latest installment of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, at least it possesses a unique personality, albeit not one that is particularly enjoyable.

3) X-Men: Days of Future Past

Translating that into simpler and more conversational language: Taking on the “Days of Future Past” narrative was quite a risky move, and to be honest, the movie “X-Men: Days of Future Past” handles it pretty well. However, it’s also a bit too packed with content.

Additionally, it seems to grapple with a slight identity dilemma. The return of several actors from the X-Men trilogy was thrilling, yet it meant that Days of Future Past wasn’t exactly a direct sequel to the brilliant X-Men: First Class. While many enjoy Days of Future Past, it can be confusing when people claim it as the greatest X-Men film altogether, considering its unique position in the series.

4) Guardians of the Galaxy

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy was a significant addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, breaking new ground by setting the story entirely off-world and introducing an array of unconventional characters like a talking tree. Unlike Thor, which used Earth as a backdrop for its fish-out-of-water storyline, Guardians of the Galaxy ventured far beyond our planet. Remarkably, it became the third highest-grossing film of 2014, outperforming both The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and American Sniper, despite the latter being released in wide circulation a year later. It surpassed the domestic earnings of Captain America: The Winter Soldier by more than $73 million and outdid Thor‘s domestic total by an impressive $152 million.

Although it deserved its success, it’s undeniable that the initial Guardians of the Galaxy movie is less compelling compared to its sequels. From a storytelling perspective, both teams fought over the same attractive artifact until the weaker villain was defeated. However, it’s important to acknowledge that Guardians of the Galaxy had a challenging task: introducing lesser-known characters and elevating them to A-list status within the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside heavyweights such as Hulk and Captain America. The film certainly achieved its goal, but it’s crucial to note that the subsequent volumes, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, offer more depth. They are equally entertaining, yet if you were to ask most Marvel fans, they would likely rate the first movie as not only their preferred film from the trilogy, but possibly their favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film altogether.

5) Deadpool

One perspective is that Deadpool symbolized a cinematic fantasy come true, not just for fans but also for Ryan Reynolds. It’s undeniable that he fits the role flawlessly. Yet, in all three films, the humor can be hit-or-miss and the narratives aren’t exceptionally captivating.

It’s clear why each of the three films became blockbusters, as they are entertaining (though the second one leans towards the dark side) and humorous. However, it should be noted that they don’t top 20th Century Studios’ X-Men movies. That honor goes to X2, X-Men: First Class, and Logan. Nevertheless, the first Deadpool film made a significant statement. It demonstrated that there is an audience for R-rated content from Marvel, which, until then, was predominantly PG-13 (except for the Blade trilogy).

6) Venom

In simpler terms, “Venom” is often perceived as a highly overrated superhero film by audiences. However, critics were not impressed with it at all, rating it the lowest of the trilogy. To be fair, its rating on Rotten Tomatoes (31%) is significantly lower than that of “Let There Be Carnage” (58%) and “The Last Dance” (40%), which seems quite accurate.

The film “Venom” has a high audience rating, scoring 80% on the Popcornmeter. This is comparable to “The Last Dance” and surpasses “Let There Be Carnage”, but despite their lighthearted nature, these movies are quite forgettable. Even “Let There Be Carnage”, the best of the trilogy, moves too swiftly for anything substantial to linger in memory. While there are many blockbusters that successfully balance crowd-pleasing elements with good writing and memorability, the Venom films lack this quality. They essentially consist of Tom Hardy having conversations with himself followed by CGI fights between his character and a similarly designed monster using different color schemes.

7) Shazam!

David F. Sandberg primarily gained fame for directing horror films like “Until Dawn“, but he also ventured into big-budget productions with the two Shazam! films. The critical drubbing and commercial flop that was “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” was well-deserved, as it underperformed significantly at the box office.

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that my initial impression of “Shazam!” wasn’t significantly superior to its sequel. Don’t get me wrong; Zachary Levi’s portrayal of the titular character was undeniably impressive and hadn’t yet veered into obnoxious territory. Moreover, Mark Strong as Dr. Sivana outshone the Daughters of Atlas, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, in terms of intrigue and depth. However, I can’t help but feel that it falls short of the 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes that the first film garnered. Instead, I would place it at around 65%. While it’s adorable and amusing, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its initial acclaim.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/best-superhero-movie-sequels-ranked-list-dark-knight/embed/#

Read More

2025-07-05 18:13