These 10 Superhero Movies Weren’t Nearly As Bad As The Reviews Said

There are many superhero movies from the MCU, the DCU, and beyond that are actually much better than their reviews seem to suggest. Even long before the movies of the MCU helped bring superhero movies to the forefront of pop culture consciousness, the genre was a relatively consistent presence in Hollywood. Adapting the fantastical stories of comic book superheroes onto the big screen has often appealed to studios and audiences alike, albeit with somewhat mixed results over the years.

The sad fact is, many superhero movies – both before and after the start of the MCU’s movie timeline – have failed to impress critics, and the genre hasn’t always been as successful as it is today. However, some stand out as far better movies than their reviews seem to suggest, with merits that have either been overlooked or that have only become evident in the time since their release. With that in mind, here are 10 superhero movies that weren’t nearly as bad as the reviews said.

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10

Spawn (1997)

Director: Mark A.Z. Dippé

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In many ways, 1997’s Spawn has become one of the forgotten movies of the superhero genre’s formative years. The film was widely dismissed by critics upon release, leading to its reputation as a superhero movie so bad it’s good due to its poor reviews. However, Spawn actually isn’t anywhere near as bad as the initial critical reviews make it seem, as despite its shortcomings, it’s an entertaining movie.

The reviews lamented Spawn’s brutal violence and supposedly formulaic narrative. However, formulaic storytelling has proven to be one of the most successful aspects of the genre in the years since, and Spawn’s violent scenes have since been more favorably reappraised. The movie may not be a masterpiece, but it’s still far better than the reviews of the day suggested, and Spawn has gone on to earn a status as something of a cult classic.

9

Green Lantern (2011)

Director: Martin Campbell

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2011 saw the release of Green Lantern, marking the live-action debut of one of DC’s most prominent and exciting heroes. The Ryan Reynolds-led movie served as an origin story for the Hal Jordan iteration of the hero, with rumors about its supposed place in a shared DC Universe fueling excitement from fans. Sadly, the reviews for Green Lantern marked it as an abysmal failure, and it has since come to be disowned by its star and remembered as one of the most unwatchable superhero movies ever made.

However, Green Lantern isn’t as bad as its reputation would have you believe. Despite multiple instances of unimpressive CGI and a few narrative issues, it’s an entertaining sci-fi superhero movie with creative visual set pieces. In terms of the character it attempts to adapt, it’s a little disappointing, but as a superhero movie making use of Ryan Reynolds’ characteristic charm, it’s nowhere near as bad as its reviews said it was.

8

The Marvels (2023)

Director: Nia DaCosta

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As one of the MCU’s lowest-grossing movies, The Marvels has earned a reputation as one of the franchise’s worst entries. Financial failings aside, the movie also earned a handful of less-than-ideal reviews, the majority of which came from fans rather than movie critics. This only further hurt The Marvels’ reputation and chances for success, although it’s actually far from being as bad as those reviews suggest.

Admittedly, The Marvels is not one of the best MCU movies by any stretch of the imagination. However, it does bring together three of the franchise’s most interesting female heroes into a team with genuine chemistry, weaving a reasonably compelling narrative in the process. In terms of its place in the MCU’s wider canon and the individual performances of its stars, The Marvels in no way deserved the poor reviews it was given.

7

Ghost Rider (2007)

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

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2007’s Ghost Rider often finds itself dismissed as one of Marvel’s lackluster pre-MCU movies from before the superhero genre found its winning formula. The movie’s Rotten Tomatoes reviews hint at as much: an embarrassingly low average review score and comments labeling it “a sour mix of morose, glum histrionics” do nothing to paint Ghost Rider in a positive light. Even so, it’s nowhere near as bad as the reviews claim.

With Nicolas Cage starring as the eponymous skeletal hero, Ghost Rider might not be a groundbreaking movie, but it’s a fun one. Its visual effects occasionally leave much to be desired, but generally, it’s a visually interesting movie that brings one of Marvel’s coolest characters to life on the big screen. Even considering its weaker points, Ghost Rider is a film that is simply nowhere near as bad as the reviews suggest.

6

Fantastic Four (2005)

Director: Tim Story

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Released in 2005, Fantastic Four served as the long-awaited theatrical debut of the Marvel heroes. With a star-studded cast and the promise of an accessible introduction to the characters for the uninitiated, Fantastic Four seemed destined for success. Poor reviews hurt the movie significantly, however, contributing to its reputation as an uninspired and underwhelming entry to the superhero genre. In fairness, however, the movie is not as bad as the reviews claimed.

Though Fantastic Four may have been somewhat formulaic, it boasted some truly exceptional visual effects that have aged remarkably well in the years since its release. It was a movie that rode on a wave of ‘00s superhero movie hysteria to reasonably impressive results, marking an entertaining, if simplistic, adaptation of the Marvel Comics source material. Poor reviews aside, 2005’s Fantastic Four is not at all a bad movie.

5

Daredevil (2003)

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

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The 2003 movie Daredevil is often named among the worst superhero movies ever made. The film earned critical ire and was widely panned, with many reviews criticizing its lack of innovation and inability to add any new ideas to the genre. Looking back on those reviews from a more current perspective, they are more than a little unfair on Daredevil in many ways.

The 2003 film is certainly not the best adaptation of the Man Without Fear, but it does possess a certain ‘00s charm. The edgy and mildly directionless approach to the adaptation isn’t perfect, but it features multiple memorable scenes and helped establish the cinematic potential of the character. It may not be one of the best superhero movies ever made, but 2003’s Daredevil certainly isn’t anywhere near as bad as its many scathing reviews claim.

4

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

Director: Jonathan Liebesman

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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been adapted to the screen on many occasions, with multiple TV shows and a handful of movies bringing them to life over the years. The 2014 movie adapted their story into live-action, with the titular heroes rendered in CGI. However, poor reviews plagued the movie, leading many to unfairly dismiss it entirely. Despite its negative reception, 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn’t a terrible movie.

It may not have been the best iteration of its heroes, but the creative liberties taken with the characters were at least reasonably imaginative. The hulking, muscular versions of the heroes in the movie were one of the main sources of negativity, with many overlooking how well the movie brought their personalities to life. Though it undeniably leaves something to be desired, 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was nowhere near as bad an adaptation as the reviews seemed to portray.

3

Batman Forever (1995)

Director: Joel Schumacher

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Of all the actors to play Batman in live-action, Val Kilmer is one of the most overlooked. His brief stint in the role came in 1995’s Batman Forever, which served as something of a spiritual sequel to Tim Burton’s two-film Batman franchise. Kilmer starred alongside Chris O’Donnell, Jim Carrey, Tommy Lee Jones, and Nicole Kidman in an A-list affair that ultimately failed to impress critics. Batman Forever was subjected to poor reviews, leading to an equally poor reputation.

Compared to Burton’s Batman movies, Batman Forever is admittedly pretty poor. However, the intention behind the movie and its story is clear, and it possesses more than a few redeeming qualities beneath its inherent wackiness. Though the finished film feels unpolished in a narrative sense, there’s a general entertainment value to Batman Forever that many of its reviews seemed to have overlooked entirely in their appraisal of the movie.

2

The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Director: Stephen Norrington

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Released in 2003, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was adapted from the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill. Its story followed a team comprised of an assortment of popular characters from classic literature, and the movie sought to bring that narrative to life in a one-of-a-kind visual spectacle. The result did not impress critics, whose reviews have since seen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen labeled one of the worst comic book movies of all time.

It’s not actually as terrible as the reviews make out, however. In spite of some narrative confusion, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a thoroughly unique and well-styled adaptation of the source material. It features some excellent action scenes and a generally entertaining narrative that makes it a passably enjoyable blockbuster which is nowhere near as bad as the reviews claim.

1

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)

Director: Zack Snyder

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At the time of its release, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was considered a huge disappointment. Critical reviews of the movie could be considered mixed at best, with many aspects of the DCEU’s second entry harshly criticized. As the more favorable reappraisal of the movie suggests, Batman v Superman is not as bad as those reviews seem to indicate, however. In fact, it’s one of the DCEU’s best sequels.

Batman v Superman follows up perfectly on the themes explored by its predecessor, Man of Steel. Additionally, it introduced Batman into the DCEU in a way that felt both organic and innovative, taking some narrative risks in the process. Though it’s understandably not to everyone’s tastes, Batman v Superman is still another of those superhero movies from the likes of the MCU and the DCU that stands out as being much better than the reviews claim.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Created by

Kevin Feige

First Film

Iron Man

Upcoming Films

Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Blade (2025), The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

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DC Universe

Created by

Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson

First Film

Man of Steel

First TV Show

Peacemaker

Cast

Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena

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Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  May 2, 2025

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025

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  Avengers: Doomsday

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  May 1, 2026

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  July 31, 2026

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027

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  Superman

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  July 11, 2025

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  The Batman Part II

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Category: Entertainment