Avengers: Infinity War is right on the horizon and all the signs are currently pointing to it being one of the best Marvel Studios movies to date. We have lots to look forward to over the next couple of years, though, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Captain Marvel, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3.
However, there are also a lot of Marvel and DC movies which aren't looking quite so good and those are the ones we're focusing on here. After taking a closer look at what's on the way over the next few years, we've actually compiled a list of movies which are almost certainly going to disappoint fans and provide an in-depth look as to why we believe they're not going to live up to your expectations.
So, to check out the list and find out if you agree, all you need to do is click on either one of the buttons below. Needless to say, we think you'll find something to talk about after taking a look...
The Joker
On the surface, this standalone Joker movie sounds mighty impressive but when you look at what we actually know about it, you should have "WTF?" flashing in your head like a neon light. It's being directed by the man responsible for the mostly abysmal Hangover trilogy and is going to give an origin story to a character whose entire mystique is that...he doesn't necessarily have one! The most widely accepted version is, of course, him being a failed comedian forced to turn to crime, become the Red Hood, and then fall into a vat of chemicals because of Batman's intervention.
Seeing that on the big screen would be amazing but feels like wishful thinking given the few scant details we've heard. Instead, it looks like we're getting an extremely realistic take on The Joker in a grounded 80s set movie which is sounding an awful lot like an episode of Gotham right now. Even if Warner Bros. lands an A-List actor to play the Clown Prince of Crime, there's no way fans will walk out of this one even remotely content with a great performance if the origin itself is unfaithful to the source material (not referencing Batman) or just completely jumps the shark.
Shazam!
I really liked Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and even the messy Justice League movie had some redeeming qualities, so I'm by no means on the apparent "DC hate" bandwagon. It's unfortunate then that Shazam looks like another Green Lantern in the making.
While I can't fault that comic accurate suit, the fact it's essentially been inflated over Zachary Levi makes it look comical and there are definitely better designs the studio could have gone with. I love Mark Strong but him playing yet another villain isn't really cause for much excitement or celebration and I can't even remember the rest of the somewhat underwhelming cast as I write this!
With the word "fun" being thrown around an awful lot in regards to Shazam!, it's pretty obvious that this is Warner Bros.' attempt at making a Marvel movie and we all know what happened when they tried that with Justice League. As a result, I'm not optimistic about this being more than a forgettable action flick with some cheap laughs and a mediocre story.
Venom
Even if those recent rumours about Venom being in Venom for all of two minutes were accurate, there still aren't a lot of reasons to be excited about this one beyond the impressive cast. The fundamental problem here is that a standalone Venom movie without Spider-Man is basically a movie about a guy who finds an alien suit which gives him powers and that's just not the same thing. Eddie Brock's hatred for Peter Parker is what fuels him and the symbiote, while the whole point of him being a "Lethal Protector" was to do what the wall-crawler does, albeit in what he considers to be a far more effective manner.
When you throw in the fact that Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach - the masterminds behind The Amazing Spider-Man movies - are producing, Venom is pretty much a guaranteed disaster and that teaser trailer didn't give fans a single reason to be excited about the movie. Sony will no doubt give this one a push at Comic-Con but don't be fooled by whatever cool looking posters they deliver; this one has the potential to rival 2015's Fantastic Four reboot for the most rotten comic book adaptation ever.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
With first time director Simon Kinberg at the helm (unless you count those disastrous Fantastic Four reshoots), the odds are already stacked against X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Now, with reports swirling that initial test screenings went so badly Fox has ordered weeks of reshoots, that may tell us all we need to know about what looks like another disappointing take on a beloved comic book storyline. Kinberg also wrote the movie and has delivered more misses than hits over the years, so the odds are definitely aren't in his favour here.
With the Disney/Fox deal on the horizon, the vast majority of fans don't care about this movie and are far more anxious to finally see the X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where they belong. The fact this movie is even happening is just a nuisance to them and that already sours it in a way which makes it hard to imagine anyone embracing this as a fond farewell to Fox's X-Men. It could be watchable but with no sequel coming and the focus almost guaranteed to be on Mystique AGAIN, getting invested in X-Men: Dark Phoenix seems like a waste of time and the movie not happening or heading straight to a streaming service probably wouldn't be the worst thing.
Hellboy
There's Ian McShane who will do anything for a dollar bill (remember Hercules?) and he's joined by the likes of Milla Jovovich, Daniel Dae Kim, and Brian Gleeson, none of whom are exactly worth getting excited over despite being capable actors. Throw in a leading man in the form of David Harbour - he's good and Stranger Things and entertaining on Twitter but not exactly an A-Lister - and this is probably going to fall somewhere between Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and, well, Constantine.
It's also hard to imagine the same level of practical effects being used here which elevated the original Hellboy movie from being totally mediocre and forgettable; instead, it will probably be CGI heavy.
Gambit
What is there left to say about Gambit at this point? It's lost multiple directors, can't seem to string a decent story together, has been plagued by budget cuts, and has a leading man who was probably too old for the part when he was cast what feels like ten years ago. There's no excitement surrounding the project and with that Disney/Fox deal on the horizon, no reason for fans to get invested.
Could the movie end up being a fun adventure revolving around the Cajun X-Man? Perhaps, but it's only being made because X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner heard Channing Tatum say he liked Gambit in an interview and that's not really the best starting point for a big budget blockbuster when you think about it. It's being made for the sake of it and multiple directors walking away from the project probably tells you all you need to know about just how many problems the movie must have!
Aquaman
Bear in mind that Aquaman was developed during a time when a different regime was in charge of the DC Films division and while Wonder Woman managed to avoid being negatively impacted by that, who's to say Aquaman won't be another Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? It is, after all, a very expensive movie and the effects being used to bring Atlantis to life on the big screen could go either way.
Of all the upcoming releases listed here, I'm optimistic that Aquaman can exceed expectations but it feels like it might be sensible to brace ourselves for a movie which isn't quite an underwater epic.
Silver & Black
Female-led superhero movies may be all the rage these days (which is no bad thing) but Silver & Black sounds like a disaster and the cameras aren't even anywhere close to rolling yet! While Silver Sable is a character who can exist separate to Spider-Man, everything about Black Cat is intrinsically linked to Peter Parker and introducing her minus the wall-crawler is going to feel seriously unsatisfying.
Character breakdowns for the movie have pointed to pretty much any and every C-List Spider-Man baddie showing up here, many of whom can no doubt operate without Spider-Man having been part of their lives. However, there's going to be something immensely nauseating about seeing the likes of Scorpion and Silverman used here rather than seeing them go up against the hero they truly despise.
This project feels like a random and somewhat desperate pairing by Sony Pictures rather than a spinoff that's actually been well thought out, so don't be too surprised when this one fails to match Wonder Woman and instead sits somewhere alongside Catwoman as a major misfire.
The New Mutants
I so wanted The New Mutants to be good but that feels like wishful thinking at this point. With Fox reportedly ordering 50% of the movie to be reshot adding new characters and a totally different tone, it's clear that Josh Boone didn't deliver the goods, something which probably shouldn't surprise us given that first teaser trailer which made it look like your standard PG-13 haunted house teen horror. By the time it now comes out in August, the Disney/Fox deal will be complete so it's easy to imagine it never reaching theaters and quietly being put on Netflix or Disney's planned streaming service as a standalone and quickly forgotten about movie.
There's a slim chance it could be saved but the future for this movie doesn't look particularly bright and unless the team is getting powers and costumes of some sort, comic book fans are unlikely to be overly excited about checking out a generic looking horror flick regardless of how strong this ensemble cast is. With any luck, Boone will turn things around and put The New Mutants up there with Deadpool and Logan but don't be surprised if this is one of those messy releases with reshoots which stick out like a sore thumb and a mish-mash story which fails to stuck the landing.
Green Lantern Corps
The premise of this one is definitely intriguing to be fair as seeing Hal Jordan and John Stewart fighting side by side in an outer space buddy cop movie has a fair bit of potential. However, you'd best believe that Warner Bros. will be reluctant to throw too much money at Green Lantern Corps after what happened the last time so it could end up failing to be the space epic many fans are hoping for and expecting. Goyer is by far the biggest problem here and while some will argue that those muddled and CGI heavy Krypton scenes in Man of Steel prove he's the right for the job but I would argue that it's the exact opposite!
Do you guys think these movies are destined to bomb or should we wait and see? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts on this list in the comments section down below.