Every Superhero Movie Which Was Supposed To Be Released In 2018 And Why We Haven't Seen Them
2018 has been an epic year for superhero movies but it once looked a whole lot different! Here, we're taking a look at the releases which were supposed to hit theaters in 2018 and why they didn't happen...
Over the past few years, superhero movies have really gone from strength to strength and it's now rare that they disappoint. 2018 has been a particularly strong year for the genre and while we don't know quite what to expect from Venom and Aquaman, things are looking relatively promising as of right now.
As you're no doubt well aware, studios often give movies like these release dates far in advance and while many of those ultimately reach the big screen, a lot are either cancelled or delayed. It's those we're taking a look at today as we explore what 2018 originally looked like for superhero movies, touching on the ones which failed to make it to the big screen and where exactly things went wrong.
So, to check out this list in its entirety, all you have to do is click on the "View List" button below.
The Amazing Spider-Man 3
The Amazing Spider-Man 3 was originally scheduled to be released in 2016 but Sony pushed it back by two years to make room for Drew Goddard's Sinister Six, a movie which would have followed the Ultimate line of comic books by making the wall-crawler a reluctant member of the villainous faction.
This threequel would have then dealt with the fallout of that in a storyline which was set to revolve around the decapitated head of Norman Osborn somehow returning as the Green Goblin and Gwen Stacy being resurrected, possibly as Carnage. So, yeah, thank God this one never became a reality, eh?
Marvel's Inhumans
Oh, what might have been! Marvel Studios was originally developing an Inhumans movie which had been described by a number of outlets as essentially being the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Game of Thrones. However, we later learned that Kevin Feige wasn't overly keen on developing a movie featuring the characters and it was Marvel CEO Isaac Perlmutter who had been pushing for the project.
That was probably because he envisioned them being Marvel's version of the X-Men, a stunt he also attempted to pull off in the comics (which quickly failed). As a result, we ended up with a terrible TV series that failed to do the characters justice and has left the franchise in a state of indefinite flux.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
While it's fair to say that most fans have been hoping that X-Men: Dark Phoenix would be cancelled now that the X-Men are on their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recent photos confirmed that the reshoots are indeed taking place and the Simon Kinberg (really) helmed release will meet its February 2019 release date. Of course, it was supposed to be released this year before being delayed.
That came as a result of extensive reshoots being ordered, seemingly because the movie is a total mess. That news comes as no great surprise seeing as Kinberg helmed the disastrous Fantastic Four reshoots and is a first-time director, while the massive CGI budget almost guarantees that the movie will be a box office disaster for Fox, especially after X-Men: Apocalypse soured moviegoers in 2016.
The Batman
The Batman has had a number of rumoured release dates and once upon a time, it was supposed to come out this year! That was when Ben Affleck was still attached to direct the script he penned alongside Geoff Johns. In that, the Caped Crusader would have been pitted against Deathstroke.
Unfortunately, the response to both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League soured Affleck on the whole thing and he quickly decided not to take charge of the movie. That led to Matt Reeves coming in to write his own version but the actor has since walked away from the role altogether and we now probably won't see this other version of The Batman in theaters until at least 2020.
Flashpoint
Another DC Comics movie plagued by problems behind the scenes, Seth Grahame-Smith was attached to take charge of Flashpoint before creative differences put a swift end to that. Things took a turn for the better when Robert Zemeckis came on board but he too left after butting heads with the studio.
As a result, it quickly became apparent that the movie would not meet its planned 2018 release date (it was supposed to come out on the same day as Tomb Raider) and while John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are now attached to direct, the "Flashpoint" storyline is no longer being adapted.
The New Mutants
There was initially a lot of excitement surrounding Josh Boone's The New Mutants and then the first trailer was released and it became apparent that it was just a pretty generic horror movie featuring a teenage cast. Whether Fox took that on board or simply realised that there were other issues with the movie, it ended up being delayed a number of times and now won't be seen until well into 2019.
Reports have pointed to new characters being added and the tone being drastically altered, while there are those who believe that it will never end up hitting the big screen due to the fact it's such a mess. Whatever the answer may be, unless X-Force begins production ASAP, this will probably be the last Marvel movie from Fox and it seems appropriate that these movies are going out with a whimper.
The Crow
One of the most troubled movies in history, various studios and directors have been trying to get this reboot of The Crow off the ground for years now, with the latest iteration coming from The Nun director Corin Hardy and Justice League star Jason Momoa. While it was initially pencilled in for a 2018 release, plans changed and it was pushed back quite a few times before both the director and star decided to leave, something which has once again sent the movie straight into developmental hell.
Gambit
What a farce following this movie has been. It's made its way through more directors than any other on this list and was supposed to be released way back in 2016! For whatever reason, Fox has failed time and time again to get the Channing Tatum led release off the ground and it's now impossible to imagine it ever happening. Fans aren't too concerned either as Gambit doesn't need his own movie.
To be fair, the fact it had an outline written by comic book writer Chris Claremont inspired some faith in the project, while an R-Rating pointed to Fox taking some risks with the material. Alas, it seems it just isn't meant to be so literally no one was shocked when Gambit failed to meet its 2018 release.
Gotham City Sirens
This was only ever very tentatively pencilled in for release in 2018 and that date was never confirmed or announced by the studio. However, shortly after Suicide Squad was released and became an unexpected box office hit, it was widely reported that David Ayer would start work on Gotham City Sirens as soon as possible, with another filmmaker stepping in to take charge of Task Force X.
Instead, the filmmaker made some choice remarks about Warner Bros. and the way the studio interfered with Suicide Squad and set his sights on Bright, a Netflix movie that was not at all well-received by critics. Gotham City Sirens, meanwhile, was seemingly scrapped with plans for a Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy/Catwoman team-up replaced by the Birds of Prey movie which is on the way.
Captain Marvel
When Marvel Studios teamed up with Sony Pictures to reboot Spider-Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a number of release dates were changed, including Captain Marvel. Originally set for release this year, it was supposed to be the first movie to follow Avengers: Infinity War but it ultimately got pushed back in favour of Ant-Man and The Wasp and will finally blast into theaters next March instead.
Honestly, it fared a lot better than many of the other movies here as it is still coming out and looks nothing short of amazing. The fact we have to wait just that little bit longer still sucks, though!