Superhero movies have proven they have very long longevity, and because of the overabundance of great source material, studios can make movie after movie exploring these great characters. However, while many films have hit a high note on the second film, the third film in the franchise tends to be a mixed bag.
Like many franchises, superhero follow-ups tend to wear out by the time the third film is produced, creating sub-par entries. However, there have been several superhero movies that have unexpectedly excelled in their third outing. While the third entry in the superhero movie genre has produced some duds, some potentially rival their original as the best film in the franchise.
Blade: Trinity
Guillermo del Toro-directed sequel that many feel is better than the first. For/tag/marvel-comics/ the third entry, the writer of the previous films, David S. Goyer, took the reins but failed to deliver a satisfying movie.
In Blade: Trinity, Blade teams up with the vampire hunting team "The Nightstalkers" (Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds) to take on Dracula. Clashes between Snipes and the director on set led to a troubled production and the resulting film lacked all the charm and edge of the previous two.
Superman III
A director replacement on Superman II led to a campier final product and, unfortunately, that tone was retained for the following film. In what could have been a very strong entry, Superman finds himself up against a Krypton variant and, in one of Superman III's best scenes, he faces off in an epic battle with himself.
However, despite some darker flourishes, the movie is predominantly silly with Richard Pryor's comedic antics stealing the spotlight from Superman. Other than a handful of scenes, Superman III is largely forgettable and much less thrilling and emotional than the series' first two entries.
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 suffered from studio interference and the need to meet a release date.
Critics and audiences felt Spider-Man 3 featured too many villains, and it was criticized for becoming overly campy, in particular one scene where Peter Parker's darker side takes over and he dances in a jazz club. In the comics, Peter's dark side, while wearing the black suit, was serious, but it was played for laughs in the film. Spider-Man 3 ends on a down note and, partially due to the film's poor reception, a fourth entry was scrapped and replaced with a reboot.
X-Men: The Last Stand
X2: X-Men United was a powerful entry that set up a surely-to-be emotional third chapter. However, the director, Bryan Singer, left the franchise to helm Superman Returns instead and he was replaced with Brett Ratner. Unfortunatley, the resulting film shoehorned several famous X-Men storylines into one movie and, ultimately, didn't deliver a good payoff to the previous sequel.
However, there is a lot of good in X-Men: The Last Stand. Besides some impressive action sequences, the film boasts some great new characters, such as the perfectly cast Kelsey Grammer as Beast. Still, while X-Men: The Last Stand can be fun, many fans were still disappointed in the truncated and poorly written versions of some classic storylines.
The Dark Knight Rises
Many consider The Dark Knight Rises follows the repercussions of Batman's actions and a revolution put forth by the villainous Bane.
However, many fans felt the concluding chapter of the trilogy was a letdown after such a powerful previous installment. The film is more of a Bruce Wayne story and Batman is sidelined for most of the movie's lengthy running time. While the film is a strong entry with many powerful scenes, audiences felt the story should have been wrapped up differently and, also, featured a lot more Batman.
Batman Forever
After Tim Burton's bleak affair Batman Returns, director Joel Schumacher took the reigns and changed things for better and for worse. Many fans and audiences hated the fact that Batman Forever was brighter, more family-friendly, and sillier than Burton's films. Not to mention Schumacher replaced Michael Keaton with Val Kilmer.
However, many fans believe Batman Forever is underrated. Unlike the previous entry, which put emphasis on the villains, leaving Bruce Wayne without a storyline, Batman Forever put the focus back on Batman and attempts to tell his origin story (something Batman '89 technically never did) and explore his psychology. In the end, Bruce solves his issues, recovers from his traumatic past, and truly realizes and accepts why he became Batman and why he needs to remain Batman.
Captain America: Civil War
Avengers movie too. Captain America: Civil War is an excellent film with great dramatic stakes that put The Avengers, especially Rogers and Tony Stark, against each other. However, while it's a great movie, it's not a great Captain America movie.
While the emphasis of the film is on Rogers, the fact that it features so many other Avengers, including new characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man, takes away from what should have been a real solo outing. While entertaining and powerful, the film feels like many elements are shoehorned in to set up other movies, leaving Steve Rogers shortchanged in his own film. However, if audiences accept the film as an Avengers movie and not a Captain America movie, it ranks as one of the best entries Marvel has produced.
Iron Man 3
After a disappointing Iron Man 2, Marvel rebounded with new director Shane Black, who took the series in a different direction. The film finds Tony Stark suffering from PTSD, following his big battle in The Avengers, and having to take on The Mandarin and a new threat called "Extremis."
Iron Man 3 is a vastly superior sequel to Iron Man 2. The film successfully amps up the action creating several spectacular sequences including one where Iron Man must rescue falling plane engers. Overall equipped with a better story, Iron Man 3 rivals the first film as the best in the franchise.
Avengers: Infinity War
Infinity War had a big story to tell and wastes no time as the stakes and action don't let up throughout the entire movie. The previous Avengers movies were good but Infinity War has a propulsive storyline that takes audiences on a thrill ride from the time the film begins to the finale that left viewers' jaws on the floor.
Thor: Ragnarok
The first Thor: The Dark World wasn't as interesting and is largely considered one of Marvel's weaker entries. However, director Taika Watiti took over directing duties on the third film and created something completely different and original.
Thor: Love and Thunder, also directed by Watiti, due out in 2022.
