We've shared a lot of surprising headlines with you over the years, but never expected to report that Eternals looks set to be Marvel Studios' first "Rotten" movie over on Rotten Tomatoes. While a few of their movies haven't been beloved by critics, none have earned that dreaded green splat.
More reviews will be counted over the next couple of weeks, which could obviously have a positive impact on Eternals' score. However, as things stand, we're not banking on the movie being able to regain "Fresh" status.
On the plus side for Kevin Feige and company, there's no chance Eternals will ever be as hated as the movies featured here. We've combed through Rotten Tomatoes and found what critics consider to be the 10 worst Marvel and DC Comics adaptations of all time. There are some definite surprises, though none that have been unjustly derided by those who have shared their verdicts!
To take a look through this ranking of bad movies, simply click on the "Next" button down below.
10. Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance (18%)
Critics Consensus: With a weak script, uneven CG work, and a Nic Cage performance so predictably loony it's no longer amusing, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance aims to be trashy fun but ends up as plain trash.
On the surface, it looked like this sequel to 2007's forgettable Ghost Rider would be a vast improvement. Idris Elba was part of the cast, while some amped-up action meant it at least had the potential to be a fun ride. Throw in Danny Ketch's introduction and a barmy performance from Nic Cage, and Spirit of Vengeance had all the makings of a must-see new take on this character.
If only, eh? Trashy, dumb, and barely watchable at times, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor proved themselves unworthy of working in Hollywood with an insulting take on this iconic hero. Perhaps its only redeeming quality was some fun visuals...we're not including Ghost Rider taking a flaming p*ss, though.
9. Howard The Duck (14%)
Critics Consensus: While it has its moments, Howard the Duck suffers from an uneven tone and mediocre performances.
While Howard the Duck has somehow managed to achieve cult status in the years since its release, we still wouldn't recommend wasting 111 minutes of your life sitting through this.
There's no denying that the effects were impressive for the time, while George Lucas being involved as a producer...well, maybe that explains where things went wrong with those Star Wars prequels. The humour and tone were all over the place, though we are glad Howard has received a second chance in the MCU because there were signs here of how much potential the character has.
8. Steel (12%)
Critics Consensus: Steel is a badly-acted movie that indulges not only in superhero cliches, but also the sappy TV-movie-of-the-week ones.
Starring Shaquille O'Neal in the title role, we're sure studio bosses thought Steel - based very loosely on the DC Comics character of the same name - had all the makings of a box office hit. Well, it grossed $1.7 million on a $16 million budget, making it one of the biggest flops you'll find here.
The acting and script were by far the biggest issues, but veering so far from the source material meant it was a hard sell even to die-hard comic book fans. This was released at a time when studio execs still didn't really get the genre, and it's a shame because in better hands, it could have been...okay?
7. Batman & Robin (12%)
Critics Consensus: Joel Schumacher's tongue-in-cheek attitude hits an unbearable limit in Batman & Robin resulting in a frantic and mindless movie that's too jokey to care much for.
This was the lowest possible point for the Dark Knight on the big screen, and a franchise killer that kept him out of theaters from 1997 right up to Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins in 2005.
Even if you could somehow put up with the cheesy tone the late Joel Schumacher introduced in Batman Forever, it went way too far here. Everything from a Bat Credit Card to utterly bonkers performances from the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Uma Therman made this a chore to watch, and it's mind-blowing that anyone who showed up here still had a career after this was released.
6. Jonah Hex (12%)
Critics Consensus: Josh Brolin gives it his best shot, but he can't keep the short, unfocused Jonah Hex from collapsing on the screen.
Jonah Hex's cast is unbelievable; Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Michael Fassbender, and Megan Fox all take centre stage in the movie, but not even they could save the 2010 movie that was written by Crank and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance filmmakers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.
Jimmy Hayward dropped the ball as director, and no one was surprised when the movie bombed at the box office with a laughable $10.9 million haul worldwide. Yes, worldwide.
5. Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (11%)
Critics Consensus: The Superman series bottoms out here: the action is boring, the special effects look cheaper, and none of the actors appear interested in where the plot's going.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace remains a source of ridicule even three decades after it was released, but at least it left us with plenty of material for memes. In the late 80s, the Man of Steel's best days were already behind him on the big screen, and this was the final nail in the coffin.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace looked like it had been made for as little money as possible, and efforts by the editing department to make it somewhat coherent just meant this 11% rated flop truly soured Christopher Reeve's legacy as the iconic DC Comics superhero.
4. Elektra (11%)
Critics Consensus: Jennifer Garner inhabits her role with earnest gusto, but Elektra's tone deaf script is too self-serious and bereft of intelligent dialogue to provide engaging thrills.
Daredevil wasn't a good movie, but it had a few redeeming qualities, including Jennifer Garner's work as Elektra. Her story arc and death were rushed, but her demise at Bullseye's hands (a great homage to the source material) set the stage for future stories...that Garner didn't want to tell.
She was contracted for a sequel, though, and while the actress did the best she could with the material she was lumbered with, the likes of Stone and Typhoid Mary were wasted. The premise was also undeniably dismal, so it's no great surprise that this movie boasts a lowly 11% score.
3. Supergirl (9%)
Critics Consensus: The Superman series bottoms out here: the action is boring, the special effects look cheaper, and none of the actors appear interested in where the plot's going.
Despite being promoted as a big budget spinoff to Christopher Reeve's Superman movies, Supergirl was poorly written and veered too far from the tone of those adventures with the Man of Steel. On the plus side, Helen Slater was great as the title character (earning herself a Saturn Award nomination for "Best Actress"), and it was at least somewhat comic book accurate.
The decision to embrace a lighter, sillier tone was reportedly made because studio execs at the time believed female audience members wouldn't respond to anything too "complex." It didn't work.
2. Catwoman (9%)
Critics Consensus: Halle Berry is the lone bright spot, but even she can't save this laughable action thriller.
Before the likes of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel came along, female superhero movies were few and far between. Why? Well, look no further than Catwoman, a flop that left many studio bosses convinced that no one wants to see a comic book adaptation with a woman as the lead character.
This 2004 release put the spotlight on Patience Phillips instead of Selina Kyle, but borrowed (stole?) the idea from Batman Returns that she would be betrayed, killed, and then brought back to life with powers that were basically supernatural in nature. It was every bit as stupid as it sounds, and it's no great shock that Catwoman dominated the Razzies shortly after it was released.
1. Fantastic Four (9%)
Critics Consensus: Dull and downbeat, this Fantastic Four proves a woefully misguided attempt to translate a classic comic series without the humor, joy, or colorful thrills that made it great.
The first two Fantastic Four movies disappointed by doubling down on the cheese, so Josh Trank's promise to take Marvel's First Family down a darker route was welcomed by fans. Something new needed to be done with the characters, but behind the scenes issues killed this reboot.
It appears Trank's vision clashed with the studio's, hence why Simon Kinberg ultimately took charge of disastrous reshoots that changed half of the movie and made it feel like two entirely separate projects that had been mashed together. It was painful to watch this one, and it deserves the #1 spot.