10 Actors In Bad Superhero Movies Who Turned Their Careers Around Playing Different Marvel & DC Characters

Long before Chris Evans was the MCU's Captain America, he played the Human Torch in two terrible Fantastic Four movies! Here, we look at 10 actors who saved their superhero movie careers by being recast...

By JoshWilding - Jul 06, 2022 03:07 PM EST

Filed Under: Marvel Studios

There are a lot of comic book characters who have been brought to the big screen over the years, but only so many actors to fill those roles. That's why a lot of Hollywood stars have ended up playing multiple parts across the Marvel and DC Universes, and many of them have had to use the second characters they've starred as to rescue their careers after those disastrous first turns.

For example, Ryan Reynolds almost killed his career by playing Green Lantern in the 2011 flop, but he more than made up for that by starring in Deadpool, the highest-grossing R-Rated movie of all time. Since then, he's had a career resurgence, and is now one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

With that in mind, we're looking at ten actors who have played comic book characters in poorly received superhero movies, only to then go on to redeem themselves with far more successful performances in releases that didn't ultimately bomb with fans, critics, and at the box office.

So, to see who made the cut, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below!

10. Scarlett Johansson

Before taking on the role of Black Widow in 2010's Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson played femme fatale scientist, Silken Floss, in the critically panned adaptation of Frank Miller's The Spirit.

The movie was terrible, and was most definitely not the right direction for the actress as she looked to break into the world of Hollywood blockbusters. Thankfully, her leap into the Marvel Cinematic Universe paid off in a big way, and while she's struggled with big-budget fare outside of that (Lucy), her time as this member of The Avengers more than made up for any past mistakes.

On the plus side, however, Johansson did look phenomenal in the aforementioned 2008 flop...

9. Idris Elba

Idris Elba had only a very minor role in Thor, so the British actor who shined in BBC's Luther clearly fancied his chances taking on a bigger comic book movie role when he played Moreau in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. That movie bombed, and led to the rights to the franchise returning to Marvel Studios.

Of course, like most cast members, Elba didn't shy away from sharing his dissatisfaction with Heimdall's lack of screen-time in The Dark World, but he was given more to do in Thor: Ragnarok, something which redeemed him in the eyes of many fans (it's just a shame he didn't stick around in Avengers: Infinity War).

That Ghost Rider movie was so bad, it's definitely fortunate Elba could fall back on the MCU!

8. Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin has had mixed success over the years in the comic book movie realm after forgettable roles in the likes of Jonah Hex and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, two critically panned releases.

However, 2018 was most definitely his year, as the actor played an incredible motion-capture baddie with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, and then suited up as fan-favourite mutant Cable in Deadpool 2. He excelled in both, and his work in Avengers: Endgame was every bit as impressive.

Those films were also massively successful, and cemented Brolin as one of Hollywood's top stars.

7. Chris Evans

Chris Evans delivered a memorable turn as Johnny Storm in Fox's terrible Fantastic Four movies, and was equally as watchable in The Losers (we're betting that you've forgotten all about that one).

However, while he delivered a scene-stealing performance in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, it was Captain America who proved to be a game-changing role for the actor. That role has seen him become not only an icon, but an A-List actor who is no longer having to slum it in second-rate blockbusters and romcoms (just look how great he was in Rian Johson's Knives Out).

Had Captain America: The First Avenger not come along, who knows what would have happened.

6. Michael B. Jordan

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Michael B. Jordan's casting as Johnny Storm in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four reboot, but that was quickly forgotten when fans got wrapped up in all those juicy reports about what had been going on behind the scenes at Twentieth Century Fox.

With the blame lifted from them, the cast mostly escaped unscathed, and Jordan, in particular, managed to redeem himself by taking on the role of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.

That was an incredible performance which, after his work in Creed, proved that he's one of the best actors working today. Now, there are rumours he could eventually suit up as the Calvin Ellis version of Superman.

5. Ryan Reynolds

Before finding some well-deserved success with Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds tried again and again to break into the superhero movie genre with little success. He was enjoyable to watch in Blade: Trinity, but that movie was such a disappointment after the first two films, no one really cared.

Then, there was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Logan's first solo movie massively dropped the ball with the Deadpool character, of course, and while Reynolds was a highlight in Green Lantern, that was another critical and commercial disaster. For a time, it even looked like Reynolds' career had been ruined!

As a result, it wasn't until he suited up as the Merc with the Mouth that he returned to the A-List, and his star has been on the rise ever since. Now, fans remain anxious to see him join the MCU in the upcoming Deadpool 3.

4. Brandon Routh

Superman Returns should have made Brandon Routh a household name, but Bryan Singer's insistence that the actor channel Christopher Reeve hurt his career in a significant way.

Thankfully, Edgar Wright gave him the opportunity to show a very different side in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and he's since found success as Ray Palmer in Arrow and with a lead role in spinoff Legends of Tomorrow. Unfortunately, his time in the latter recently came to a premature end, something Routh and fans have expressed their disappointment with.

Before that happened, though, he had one more chance to play Superman in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and got to bid farewell to the Man of Steel in an amazing and satisfying manner.

3. Dominic Purcell

Talking of the Arrowverse, Dominic Purcell has also used that series to turn things around for him.

He initially came to everyone's attention when he starred opposite Wentworth Miller in Prison Break, and attempted to break into Hollywood with a lead role as Dracula in Blade: Trinity. Unfortunately, his cheesy turn didn't do him any favours, and Purcell quickly faded into obscurity.

Things turned around when he landed the role of Heatwave in The Flash, and he's now a lead star in Legends of Tomorrow. Fans of The CW series would riot if he was ever written out.

2. Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson changed the MCU forever when he popped up as Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man, but the actor has made a lot of very strange decisions over the years, and The Spirit was probably his most questionable. Playing the main villain, The Octopus, he was, well, terrible.

In fact, had fans known he had been cast as Nick Fury while watching this mess, something tells us that they might not have been keen to see the legendary actor as part of Marvel's shared world.

Luckily, it took no time at all for Jackson to make a lasting impact by playing Fury, a role he has made his own. All these years later, he's still playing the former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director, and we love him for it.

1. Mark Strong

Mark Strong has actually found a great deal of success in the likes of Kick-Ass and the two Kingsman movies, but his role in Green Lantern haunted the British actor for quite a few years.

While he was a great choice to play Sinestro, he looked every bit as silly as Ryan Reynolds thanks to his bright pink skin and CGI costume, while what was meant to be an exciting post-credits scene proved to be an underwhelming, confusing addition to an already pretty terrible movie.

It took a while, but Strong got the chance to return to the big screen DC Universe where he played Shazam! villain Dr. Sivana, a bad guy vastly more memorable than the Sinestro we got in 2011!

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn Responds To Zack Snyder's Recent Comments About The DCU

Recommended For You:

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

DISCLAIMER: ComicBookMovie.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

ComicBookMovie.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

62 Comments

1 2

SummersEssex - 7/6/2022, 3:04 PM

Boo to this article. iF iTs NoT dEaDpOol itS TRaSh

gtfoh

EZBeast - 7/6/2022, 3:09 PM

I know I’ve seen this article posted on this site before! I can’t remember when but I remember this as like “actors who played different superhero roles” or something like it. Must be another slow day

CaptainDC - 7/6/2022, 3:10 PM

I don't know how Ryan Reynolds isn't #1 with Deadpool...

Reynolds went from Green Lantern, $219M box office bomb and critic disaster, to $1.5B critic hit Deadpool, which at the time was the highest box office for Rated-R film ever.

Reynolds wins.

marvel72 - 7/6/2022, 3:17 PM

@CaptainDC - Reynolds should be, he was in Blade:Trinity,R.I.P.D,Green Lantern then turned it all around with Deadpool.

marvel72 - 7/6/2022, 3:17 PM

@CaptainDC - I forgot X-Men Origins:Wolverine.

19Batman84 - 7/6/2022, 3:10 PM

michael b jordan will be playing val zod not calvin ellis

Origame - 7/6/2022, 3:16 PM

Ghost rider spirit of vengeance was released after Thor.

dracula - 7/6/2022, 3:28 PM

Not sure id put Idris Elba on the list

Ghost rider was crap, his barely did anything in Thor. For as good as suicide squad was it still failed

Not sure Brandon Routh belongs there either, his big break failed. Then he moved to a decent budget tv network and then got kicked off the show against his will. Havent seen him in anything since outside of arrowverse cameos

Id say Prison break did that for Domonic not any of the superhero stuff he has done

grif - 7/6/2022, 3:37 PM

damn what a list. to say the evans f4 film is the best one on this list is nuts

MrDandy - 7/6/2022, 3:42 PM

How long ago was this written? It keeps taking about Legends of Tomorrow like it’s still on air…

TyrantBossMedia - 7/6/2022, 3:42 PM

Well Brie Larson is not on the list and probably won’t be after The Marvels if it’s anywhere near as bad as Captain Marvel.

How about the entire cast of The Eternals? What are their next projects?

Fogs - 7/6/2022, 3:52 PM

Idris Elba was good in Ragnarok and in his brief appearance in IW, nothing memorable in Thor.

RedSheep - 7/6/2022, 4:04 PM

No mention of Idris in The Suicide Squad?

Razorface1 - 7/6/2022, 4:20 PM

Honestly, how it Shazam any better than Green Lantern?

defenderofthefaith - 7/6/2022, 4:25 PM

There have been some actors who have been in both MCU and DC movies that I liked. Rachel Weisz, Christian Bale and Michael Keaton come to mind.

1 2

Related Headlines

Legion

LEGION Star Dan Stevens On The Possibility Of Returning As David Haller In The MCU

MarkCassidy

4 days ago

Marvel Studios

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

JoshWilding

5 days ago

Marvel Studios

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

6 days ago

Related Headlines

Legion

LEGION Star Dan Stevens On The Possibility Of Returning As David Haller In The MCU

MarkCassidy

4 days ago

Marvel Studios

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

JoshWilding

5 days ago

Marvel Studios

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

6 days ago

Marvel Studios

MCU Rumor Roundup: Sydney Sweeney Joins The MCU, Thanos' Return, THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Setting, And More

JoshWilding

Apr 17, 2024 12:04 PM

Marvel Studios

REACHER Star Alan Ritchson Won't Star In "Marvel Movies Regurgitating Stories We've Seen A Thousand Times"

JoshWilding

Apr 16, 2024 09:04 AM

Marvel Studios

Spider-Man

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Mad Max

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

MarkCassidy

5 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Westworld

WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton Joins The Cast Of WEDNESDAY Season 2

MarkCassidy

2 hours ago

Spider-Man

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Mad Max

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

MarkCassidy

5 hours ago

X-Men '97

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Marvel Comics

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

JoshWilding

7 hours ago

Deadpool & Wolverine

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago

Hot Headlines

166 comments

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

JoshWilding

1 day ago EST

100 comments

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

MarkCassidy

1 day ago EST

87 comments

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

MarkCassidy

8 hours ago EST

74 comments

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

MarkCassidy

22 hours ago EST

57 comments

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

More Cartoons & Animated ►

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

More Anime & Manga ►

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

More Action Movies & TV ►

Jinder Mahal Reflects On Social Media Spat With AEW's Tony Khan And His WWE Day 1 Promo Alongside The Rock

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

More Sci-Fi & Fantasy ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

10 Actors In Bad Superhero Movies Who Turned Their Careers Around Playing Different Marvel & DC Characters

Long before Chris Evans was the MCU's Captain America, he played the Human Torch in two terrible Fantastic Four movies! Here, we look at 10 actors who saved their superhero movie careers by being recast...

10. Scarlett Johansson

9. Idris Elba

8. Josh Brolin

7. Chris Evans

6. Michael B. Jordan

5. Ryan Reynolds

4. Brandon Routh

3. Dominic Purcell

2. Samuel L. Jackson

1. Mark Strong

DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn Responds To Zack Snyder's Recent Comments About The DCU

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

LEGION Star Dan Stevens On The Possibility Of Returning As David Haller In The MCU

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

LEGION Star Dan Stevens On The Possibility Of Returning As David Haller In The MCU

MCU Rumor Roundup: Updates On THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Silver Surfer Twist, AVENGERS 5, BLADE, And More

MCU Rumor Roundup: AVENGERS 5 Shoot Date, X-MEN Synopsis, Natalia Tena's Role, & More - Possible SPOILERS

MCU Rumor Roundup: Sydney Sweeney Joins The MCU, Thanos' Return, THE FANTASTIC FOUR's Setting, And More

REACHER Star Alan Ritchson Won't Star In "Marvel Movies Regurgitating Stories We've Seen A Thousand Times"

Layoffs Hit Marvel Studios After Bob Iger Previously Hinted At Reduced Output And Greater Focus On Quality

Popular Headlines

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rumored New Details About [SPOILER], [SPOILER], And [SPOILER]'s Roles Revealed

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Rob Liefeld Responds To Trailer's Shot At His Apparent Inability To Draw Feet

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

X-MEN '97 "Bright Eyes" Recap: An Unexpected New Villain Revealed As [SPOILER] Makes Shock Return

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Rumored To Feature An Appearance From [SPOILER] As [SPOILER]

WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton Joins The Cast Of WEDNESDAY Season 2

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton Joins The Cast Of WEDNESDAY Season 2

Sam Raimi On AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumors And Potential SPIDER-MAN 4 Story

FURIOSA Rated R For Strong Violence And Grisly Images; New "One Month" TV Spot Released

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Addresses Some Of The Biggest Moments And Easter Eggs In Today's Episode

WOLVERINE #50: Marvel Shares First Look At Benjamin Percy's Final Issue As Logan Celebrates 50th Anniversary

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

Hot Headlines

MAN OF STEEL Director Zack Snyder Says Superman Would Be "Fake" If He Hadn't Killed General Zod

Former X-MEN '97 Showrunner Beau DeMayo Says Show Will Address Mr. Sinister's Racism

DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE's Post-Credits Scene Said To Be "Mind-Blowing"

SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Guest-Star Megan Thee Stallion Sued For Workplace Harassment

ATLAS: Jennifer Lopez Learns To "Trust A.I." In Full Trailer For Netflix's Sci-Fi Thriller

Sci-Fi & Fantasy

THE LITTLE MERMAID: Ariel Gets An R-Rated Makeover In First Trailer For New Live-Action Adaptation

STAR WARS: TALES OF THE EMPIRE Clip Sees General Grievous Attack Dathomir's Nightsisters

DUNE: PART TWO Honest Trailer Isn't Afraid To Point Out The Flaws In Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Masterpiece

FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA Has Been Rated R For "Strong Violence And Grisly Images"

APPLE TV+'s NEUROMANCER Casts Callum Turner As Series Lead Case

DUNE: PART TWO Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down The Sequel's Ending And Teases MESSIAH Plans - SPOILERS

Cartoons & Animated Features

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS Director Zack Snyder Shares First Look At His Animated Norse Mythology Series

THE LITTLE MERMAID: New Live-Action Movie Rated R For "Violence & Nudity" - Check Out The Trailer

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Breaks Down Cameos, Easter Eggs And More In "Bright Eyes" - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97 Finally Reveals Its True Villain In "Bright Eyes" As We Get A Few Shocking Returns - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: "Bright Eyes" Unleashes Rogue And Features TWO Huge Marvel Universe Cameos - SPOILERS

X-MEN '97: Rogue Is Out For Revenge In First Clip From Tomorrow's New Episode, "Bright Eyes"

Gaming

New DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE Trailer Takes Us Into The Pale Heart Of The Traveler

GTA 5 Voice Actor Reveals Plans For "Agent Trevor" DLC Before Rockstar Apparently Scrapped It

TALES OF THE SHIRE: A LORD OF THE RINGS GAME Official Announcement Trailer Released

FALLOUT Series Showrunners Strongly Hint Season 2 Will Take Us To An Iconic Location From The Games

Billie Eilish Headlines FORTNITE FESTIVAL Season 3

LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Film Based On EL PASO, ELSEWHERE Vampire Video Game

Anime & Manga

Netflix's ONE PIECE Season 2 Finally Gets A Release Window

UniVersus Reveals New MY HERO ACADEMIA: GIRL POWER Set

New Trailer For GAROUDEN: THE WAY OF THE LONE WOLF Released Ahead Of Netflix Debut

Netflix's ONE PIECE Finds New Showrunner In PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS' Joe Tracz

DRAGON BALL SUPER Interval Special Announced By Jump While Manga Remains On Indefinite Hiatus

New Teaser And Key Art For Live-Action TRILLION GAME Movie

Horror

28 YEARS LATER: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Officially Join Cast

WEDNESDAY Season 2 Adds WESTWORLD Star Thandiwe Newton In Mysterious Role

BLINK TWICE: Channing Tatum Invites You To "Pussy Island" In First Trailer For Zoë Kravitz's Directorial Debut

THE WATCHERS New Trailer Sees Dakota Fanning Terrorised In Ishana Night Shyamalan's Directorial Debut

EVIL DEAD RISE Director Lee Cronin Shares Gruesome New BTS Photos To Mark Movie's One-Year Anniversary

Happy 4/20! Check Out The Red Band Trailer For New Stoner Horror Movie TRIM SEASON

Action Movies & TV