The word "reboot" is dreaded among fans. How many times have we seen a planned reimagining of a property turn out topsy-turvy and for the worse? Still, over time, it's inevitable. After all, no version of a character is ever definitive, so it's highly likely that the restart button will be hit eventually. Marvel has done this several times already.
As we approach the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it's probable that many characters will be waving goodbye to the audience. That said, they'll return somewhere down the line, portrayed by different actors with different nuances. It won't be the first or last time, though.
It seems like a long time ago, but there were Marvel productions before the MCU. For decades, these popular heroes and villains have existed in various formats and mediums. In some instances, they were fantastic, while other times, we begged for a reboot. Heck, there have even been cases where we thought something couldn't be topped but it was. This is why we're here today, to take a look back at the times when the House of Ideas failed or succeeded.
So, us as we glance over the 10 Marvel Reboots That Completely Flopped (And 10 That Became Massive Hits).
Flop: The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk is the forgotten entry of the MCU. Not many people that it's actually the second film of the shared universe. Most likely, the confusion arises because it was supposed to be a sequel to 2003's Hulk, then it wasn't. Additionally, it didn't help that we ran through three actors who played Bruce Banner/Hulk in three movies.
Louis Leterrier's movie was decently received by critics; however, the fans didn't care much for it, as it only made $263.4 million from a $150 million budget. The rumors were rife that star Edward Norton kept rewriting the script and was difficult to work with, which led to Marvel not inviting him back for Joss Whedon's The Avengers.
Massive Hit: X-Men: First Class
Before X-Men: First Class's release, there wasn't much hype about the "reboot." After all, bar X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the other movies were good. However, a new X-Men film without Cyclops, Wolverine (except for a cameo), Jean Grey, and Storm? That sounds like a failure waiting to happen.
Director Matthew Vaughn had the last laugh, though, as X-Men: First Class debuted to critical acclaim and $353.6 million at the box office from a reported $160 million budget. It also served as the perfect soft reboot for the franchise, and its sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past, went on to pick up $747.9 million worldwide. It's sad to think this iteration will now end with Dark Phoenix.
Flop: Punisher: War Zone
On paper, Punisher: War Zone had all of the ingredients for success. It was targeted at a mature audience, it featured Jigsaw, it looked like Garth Ennis and Laurence Campbell's initial The Punisher MAX run, and it had a smaller budget than other comic book movies.
Director Lexi Alexander revealed to CBR that the budget changed numerous times and the lack of advertising hurt the movie, as it only grossed $10.1 million at the global box office. "They were telling me one budget; people sometimes said it was 30 million. There was no $30 million. I didn't even have $20 million," she said. "It was all a bit mysterious. I think they didn't really want to put that much into P&A and marketing and all of that stuff."
Massive Hit: The Amazing Spider-Man
It's amazing (pardon the pun) how perception changes over time. For many fans, Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man movie series was a failure. However, this is actually untrue. The first feature grossed $757.9 million from a reported budget of $230 million. Additionally, the reviews mentioned how it was a good time, even if the repetition of the origin story was unnecessary.
That's the thing with Spidey -- no movie has ever flopped at the box office, nor been savaged as a critical disappointment. Naturally, there are movies ed more fondly than others, but they've always done the business, entertaining the fans and making money for the studio. As we all know, this series was canceled to make way for Tom Holland's wall-crawler in the MCU.
Flop: Wolverine And The X-Men
While everyone raves about the X-Men coming home to Marvel, most people have forgotten that the House of Ideas hasn't been too kind to its mutants in the Fox years. The characters have been sidelined in favor of others in the comic books and even animated series – all because Marvel didn't own all the rights, which it sold in the first place.
In the case of Wolverine and the X-Men, it was a neat show and arguably the best since X-Men: The Animated Series. Unfortunately, it only lasted a season before the plug was pulled. It all boiled down to financial issues due to Disney's purchase of Marvel. that the next time you brag about the prodigal son returning "home."
Massive Hit: Fantastic Four (2005)
It took many years, but the Fantastic Four finally made its way onto the big screen. Of course, there's the 1994 film, but how many people had watched it in the pre-internet era? So, when Tim Story's feature debuted in 2005, a lot of fans were happy to see Marvel's first family in the live-action world.
Fantastic Four received mostly negative reviews, but the critics obviously didn't know what awaited them 10 years later. The movie turned out to be a decent hit for Fox, though, as it raked in $330.6 million from a $100 million budget. It also ended up being the 11th highest-grossing movie of the year, only making $42.1 million less than Batman Begins.
Flop: Blade: The Series
In all fairness, the Blade franchise went off the rails with Blade: Trinity. After two outstanding movies, the third entry was marred with numerous issues and bust-ups between star Wesley Snipes and director David S. Goyer. The story continued in the short-lived Blade: The Series, which featured rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones as the Daywalker.
While the show debuted with 2.5 million viewers and was the most-watched original series premiere in Spike TV history, the ratings sharply declined in the weeks that followed. Expectedly, it was canceled after only 13 episodes. Series writer and producer Geoff Johns itted that it was likely the cost of production that resulted in the untimely demise of the show.
Massive Hit: Captain America: The First Avenger
Oh, you didn't realize that Captain America: The First Avenger was a reboot? Well, let's sit down and discuss the Cap's history in film. First off, there was a serial movie in 1944, featuring Dick Purcell as the titular hero. Then, in 1990, there was a movie starring Matt Salinger as Steve Rogers (weirdly enough, the Red Skull was from Italy in this version and known as Tadzio de Santis).
Decades later, Chris Evans is now considered the only Captain America and tears will be shed if something happens to him in Avengers: Endgame. That said, it was Joe Johnston's 2011 movie that kicked everything off, as Captain America: The First Avenger made $370.6 million from a $140 million budget.
Flop: Fantastic Four (2015)
Did you ever have any doubt that 2015's Fantastic Four was going to appear on this list? If you thought the previous movies were terrible, Fox had a big surprise for you. Naturally, we don't think anyone intended to release a movie as bad as this one, but the battle between director Josh Trank and studio was evident in the final product.
From the choppy editing, bad wigs, to a storyline that no one understands, Fantastic Four bombed at the box office, making only $168 million from an investment of $120 million. Maybe next time someone will realize that this team isn't suited for the dark and gritty, but shines in the bright and colorful world of the comic books.
Massive Hit: Spider-Man: The Animated Series
When Spider-Man: The Animated Series debuted in 1994, it wasn't like it saved the Spidey franchise or anything. The previous cartoons that featured the Web-Head had all been respectable, but this one was released at a time when it might've been lost in the pack. On the home front, it had to compete with the sensational X-Men: The Animated Series, while Batman: The Animated Series was breaking records for Warner Bros. and DC.
Still, this show managed to take decades' worth of canon and make it easily digestible for both longtime and new fans. It did the business on the ratings side and also spawned a hugely successful toyline, which made the executives extremely happy (and rich).
