Marvel & DC Movies Nominated for Worst Picture Razzie: Surprising Flops

To date, only nine Marvel and DC movies have been nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award’s Worst Picture category. Given the large number of these films produced over the past 40 years, it seems surprising that more haven’t received this recognition. For example, the fact that Superman IV: The Quest for Peace wasn’t nominated for Worst Picture is puzzling (although it did receive nominations for Worst Visual Effects and Worst Supporting Actress). Other Marvel and DC adaptations that missed out on the main Worst Picture nomination but still received smaller nods include Jonah Hex, Superman III, Fantastic Four (2005), Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and several others.

For Marvel and DC films that received little recognition at the Razzies, despite being panned by critics, notable examples include X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Elektra. However, it’s interesting to consider which other superhero movies didn’t even receive a Razzie nomination, given their poor reception.

1) Howard the Duck (“Won”)

The Academy Awards has never bestowed the Best Picture award to two films in a year, as doing so would diminish its prestige. In contrast, the Razzies often honor two films with their Worst Picture pseudo-award. For example, the 1990 films The Adventures of Ford Fairlane and Ghosts Can’t Do It, the latter of which features a notable performance by the current U.S. President, were both recipients of this unwanted recognition.

For the first time, it happened with the films “Under the Cherry Moon” and “Howard the Duck”, back in 1986. Over time, these movies have gained a dedicated fanbase. The enduring appeal of “Under the Cherry Moon” stems from the fact that it was directed by and starred Prince. On the other hand, “Howard the Duck” has garnered a cult following due to its absurd (and sometimes inappropriate) nature, despite being rated PG. Interestingly, “Howard the Duck” was the first Marvel Comics property to be made into a theatrical film, not exactly setting the stage for success.

2) Batman & Robin

The duo of Batman and Robin is often seen as a lesson on what not to do in the creation of a superhero movie, but over time it has managed to gather a somewhat reluctant fanbase. Similar to Batman Forever, it’s a relic of the ’90s – an extravagantly cheesy artifact from that era.

At the 18th Golden Raspberry Awards, “Batman & Robin” received a total of 11 nominations, making it the most nominated film. However, it managed to dodge most of those unwanted wins. By the end of the ceremony, Alicia Silverstone was the only one who won in the Worst Supporting Actress category. Despite how terrible “Batman & Robin” may be, it’s at least entertaining compared to its co-nominees for Worst Picture, namely “Speed 2: Cruise Control” and the eventual winner, “The Postman”.

3) Catwoman (“Won”)

It’s quite perplexing to grasp the intended direction for the movie “Catwoman.” Given that it was the first DC film in seven years, following the disappointing double blows of “Batman & Robin” and “Steel” in 1997, one might expect a comeback that wasn’t as underwhelming as “Catwoman.

Similar to how Batman & Robin led the nominations for that year, Catwoman garnered the most nominations as well. Contrastingly, while Batman & Robin was a contender, Catwoman won the award for Worst Picture. That’s quite an impressive feat when you consider its competitors were films like White Chicks, Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2, and the Christmas movie Surviving Christmas, which didn’t even feature Kirk Cameron. Halle Berry also took home the Worst Actress award for her role in Catwoman, an honor she accepted in person. Even as she received this accolade, she was well aware that the movie was a less than appealing cinematic turd, straight from the cat box.

4) Fantastic Four (“Won”)

Josh Trank’s version of Fantastic Four seems more like a grab for rights maintenance than a sincere effort to bring the quartet to life on the big screen effectively. It wasn’t the first time a Fantastic Four film felt this way, though. However, in the case of the 1994 film produced by Roger Corman, retaining rights was the main objective. This wasn’t the case for the 2015 movie, which unfortunately turned out to be a major studio film catastrophe, a production where very little went right (“almost” because Reg E. Cathey delivered a strong performance as Dr. Franklin Storm).

The Fantastic Four team managed to win three out of the five nominations they received, but unfortunately, the director Josh Trank was named the Worst Director for his work on this film. Interestingly, the movie itself shared the dubious honor of being named the Worst Picture along with Fifty Shades of Grey. Additionally, Fantastic Four also won the award for the Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel – a rare feat for any film to achieve both these distinctions.

5) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

Initially, the DC Universe wasn’t as highly esteemed as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Occasionally, this resulted in controversial Razzie nominations that some might view as unfair, such as Kristen Wiig for “Wonder Woman 1984” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” for Worst Picture. Whether these films were truly among the worst of their respective years is up for debate. However, they did have issues that made them less than satisfying to some viewers. For instance, was “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” one of the absolute worst movies of 2016? That’s questionable. On the other hand, it maintained a level of coherence that couldn’t be said for “Suicide Squad”.

Among the contenders for the title of ‘Worst Picture’, there was no shortage of films that were undeniably poor in quality. Some of these were “Dirty Grandpa”, “Gods of Egypt”, “Independence Day: Resurgence”, “Zoolander 2”, and Dinesh D’Souza’s controversial production, “Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party”. Surprisingly, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” didn’t go home completely empty-handed. It managed to win four Razzie Awards – Worst Screen Combo, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor for Jesse Eisenberg, and Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.

6) Morbius

In the end, Morbius didn’t take the title for Worst Picture, but Jared Leto certainly claimed victory in his performance as Morbius. It’s worth noting that this vampire-themed addition to Sony’s briefly thriving Spider-Man spinoff series did receive a nomination.

It encountered movies like “Disney’s Pinocchio” (the one featuring Tom Hanks, not the Guillermo del Toro version), “The King’s Daughter,” “Blonde,” and “Good Mourning” by Machine Gun Kelly. While “Blonde” was declared the winner, Ana de Armas received a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, making the outcome somewhat balanced.

7) Shazam! Fury of the Gods

At the 44th Golden Raspberry Awards, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania managed to dodge the Worst Picture nomination, but it didn’t escape other nominations. Conversely, Shazam! Fury of the Gods was indeed nominated for the Worst Picture category.

Despite delivering an unrefined, boisterous acting performance that typically would have landed him a Worst Actor nomination, Zachary Levi somehow escaped this recognition. On the other hand, Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu received their nominations, as did the film’s screenwriters. Contending for the Worst Picture accolade were “The Exorcist: Believer,” “Expend4bles,” “Meg 2: The Trench,” and the award-magnet, “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.

8) Joker: Folie á Deux

Looking forward to observing how the movie “Joker: Folie á Deux” evolves over time. While the 2019 Oscar-winning film appeared to establish the Clown Prince of Crime’s ascent in Gotham, followed by a sequel that seemingly undid this setup. This deviation from standard superhero (or supervillain) franchise trends can be seen as a bold move, as many viewers were left feeling let down due to expectations set up by the first film. However, it’s clear that the movie has its own vision and sticks to it. The problem is, nobody was anticipating this specific direction.

Regardless of whether they appreciated the initial movie, many found the sequel, titled “Folie á Deux“, to be a significant letdown. Frequently dragging and lacking in musical appeal, even with Lady Gaga sharing the lead role, the film failed to impress. However, it’s possible that like “Babylon“, a movie initially dismissed by critics but later gained a passionate fanbase and critical acclaim, Folie á Deux might find its footing in time. Despite its failures at the box office and among critics, it was still better received than some other nominees for the 45th Raspberry Awards Worst Picture category, such as “Madame Web“, “Borderlands“, “Reagan“, and (depending on personal opinion) “Megalopolis“. In fact, it was the most-nominated film of the ceremony, with a total of seven nominations. It took home two awards: Worst Screen Combo and Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.

9) Madame Web (“Won”)

In my film enthusiast’s perspective, I can’t help but share that at the 45th ceremony, Madame Web was among those vying for the title of Worst Picture. And let me tell you, it truly deserved the honor of taking home that prize.

It’s quite challenging to find a superhero movie inferior to “Madame Web,” though not impossible. This film played a significant role in the downfall of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, outside of Spiderman, alongside the disappointing box office performance of “Morbius” and “Kraven the Hunter.” Interestingly, “Kraven the Hunter” is somewhat better than “Madame Web,” making it a notable contributor to the poor reception of the latter. Luckily, it appears that most of the cast from the uninteresting, poorly edited, and dubbed Spider-Man’s Uncle’s coworker movie will find success in future projects. For example, the incredibly talented Isabela Merced is currently starring in “The Last of Us” and is set to appear in James Gunn’s upcoming “Superman.

2025-05-17 15:10