The 15 Worst Marvel Movies Ever Made, Ranked

Marvel films existed long before the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which officially kicked off with 2008’s “Iron Man.” No, we’re not just talking about the early 20th Century Fox features, either. Dating back to the early 1990s, the comic book titan has produced a substantial collection of motion pictures — with decidedly mixed results. Early on, the studio struggled to connect with general audiences, resulting in ambitious box office misfires like the notorious “Howard the Duck,” which failed to replicate the success of DC Comics’ “Superman: The Movie” or “Batman.”

Beginning in the late 1990s, however, Marvel found its footing with surprise hits like “Men in Black” and “Blade,” paving the way for Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” and Sam Raimi’s hugely successful “Spider-Man” trilogy a few years later. Since then, the studio has produced nearly 40 films and created the famed MCU — a franchise juggernaut that continues, for better and for worse, to this day.

Still, while Marvel has crafted its fair share of hits, it’s also responsible for a handful of cinematic duds. Here are the 15 worst Marvel movies ever made, ranked.

In the pantheon of superhero pictures, few are as disappointing as Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 3.” Released in 2007, this colossal turkey amplifies everything that worked in “Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man 2” but without the charm, grace and sophistication of those previous efforts. The film is overstuffed with characters, tangled in too many subplots, and riddled with plot contrivances. By the time Harry Osborn (James Franco) shows up to help Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) battle Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and a miscast Venom (Topher Grace) to save Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) yet again, you’ll be tempted to smash your TV just to end the misery.

Granted, time heals even the deepest wounds. While “Spider-Man 3” is far from great, stripped of the hype and towering expectations, it plays like a mildly enjoyable continuation of Raimi’s trilogy. It helps that Maguire and a few co-stars got a shot at redemption in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” — and maybe even more in possible future appearances.

Yes, Peter’s infamous jazz-dance montage is still cringe-worthy, but flashes of inspiration and a few genuine thrills keep this trilogy capper from sinking too far down the list.

It’s fair to say the MCU has struggled to find its footing post-“Avengers: Endgame.” For every hit like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” there are clunky misfires like “Black Widow” and TV’s “She-Hulk.” Then there’s “Eternals,” a mind-numbingly bland slog that squanders its impressive ensemble on a gloomy, joyless tale about depressed superheroes grappling with their purpose and uncovering cosmic secrets about their creators, the Celestials.

Directed by Chloé Zhao, this 2021 picture occasionally takes flight thanks to some lofty visuals and impressive action sequences, particularly a third-act showdown that finally lets the heroes show off their powers. But those moments are few and far between, buried in a 150-minute slog that feels more dutiful than inspired.

Where’s the fun, the energy, and the enthusiasm that made the MCU a dependable movie brand over the last decade? “Eternals” plays like a teen-angst version of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” only without the charm. It’s a slow, somber misstep that fails to justify its place in the franchise. 

The craziest thing about “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (other than the fact that it leaked online before release) is that it didn’t tank the careers of everyone involved. After the disappointing but still mildly thrilling “X-Men: The Last Stand,” 20th Century Fox handed Hugh Jackman’s beloved Logan/Wolverine his own spin-off. On paper, this prequel should’ve been a rock-solid chapter in the Wolverine saga, and it would have set up a whole new branch of spinoffs.

Alas, under Gavin Hood’s direction, “Origins” never finds its footing. Worse, it often looks embarrassingly cheap, weighed down by stilted action, horrendous green screen, and laughably poor CGI — all of which undermine yet another commendable effort by Jackman. 

That said, like many early Fox superhero outings, “Origins” has carved a strange niche for itself, largely thanks to the “Deadpool” franchise’s self-aware retconning. Viewed from a distance, this Wolverine vehicle feels like a relic from a bygone era, when comic book movies didn’t take themselves too seriously and weren’t afraid to mix a little camp with their spectacle. In the age of straight-faced stinkers like “Captain America: Brave New World,” there’s something oddly charming about revisiting “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and marveling at its clumsy patchwork of ideas. At least this paved the way for the extraordinary “Logan,” so … bravo?

Credit where credit’s due: Director Lexi Alexander clearly had a mandate to reimagine the “Punisher” franchise as a very R-rated thriller packed with gruesome death scenes, nonstop carnage, and f-bombs galore. To that end, she delivers and arguably captures the spirit of the iconic vigilante better than 2004’s “The Punisher.”

Yet somehow, “Punisher: War Zone” still isn’t a better movie. Aside from a few mildly enticing set pieces — notably the scene where mob boss Billy Russoti (Dominic West) gets tossed into a glass-crushing machine and reemerges as the grotesque “Jigsaw” — and an undeniably stylish visual palette, the film relies too heavily on blood and gore to satisfy genre fans.

In its quest to mimic Paul Verhoeven’s “RoboCop,” another hyper-violent, satirical spectacle, “War Zone” lands closer in tone to the sleazy, exploitative 1980s revenge flick “The Exterminator.” That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you have a committed lead like Ray Stevenson. Still, audiences expect more from the Marvel brand than an ultra-violent B-movie, leaving this “Punisher” stranded in no man’s land: a solid actioner but a terrible Marvel film.

Kids today will never fully understand what we had to endure to get to classic superhero films like “The Dark Knight” and “The Avengers.” For every “Spider-Man,” there existed a handful of low-grade efforts that played more like parodies of their source material than epic big-screen adaptations. Mark Steven Johnson’s 2007 “Ghost Rider” fits this mold, with a perfectly cast Nicolas Cage hamming it up as the Flamehead in a goofy adventure that screamed Wal-Mart bargain bin the moment it hit theaters.

Still, that middling picture looks like an absolute banger compared to the bizarre 2011 follow-up, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.” Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze, for whatever reason, and dials the manic energy up to 11. His unhinged performance is almost bonkers enough to salvage this mess.

Unfortunately, the film around him is an unholy disaster, saddled with a paper-thin plot, corny dialogue, and cartoonish melodrama. What should have been a rip-roaring, horror-tinged action flick instead plays like a chaotic, gonzo B-movie, complete with cheap visuals and confusing, headache-inducing action sequences.

After two successful runs with the Blade character, Wesley Snipes slipped back into the black leather jacket for more vampire a**-kicking with “Blade: Trinity,” bringing Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds along for the ride. But where the first two films benefited from the distinct visual flair of Stephen Norrington and Guillermo del Toro, “Trinity” handed the reins to screenwriter David S. Goyer. Suffice it to say, he lacks the style and substance of his predecessors, reducing our sharp-toothed antihero to a stale, campy shadow of his former self. It’s little wonder Snipes refused to film most of his scenes.

Goyer isn’t entirely to blame for the film’s failure, as behind-the-scenes drama bogged down the production. While “Trinity” has its charms, notably Reynold’s quick-witted (and tonally out of place) Hannibal King, and Biel’s iPod-toting Abigail Whistler, it’s hard to overlook how far this chapter falls from the heights of “Blade II.” With its assortment of slow-mo, MTV-styled action and awkward comedy beats, “Trinity” is a disappointing misfire.   

Before Ben Affleck adorned the cape and cowl to play Batman in Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” he prowled the streets as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen in Mark Steven Johnson’s “Daredevil” — a not-so-bad comic book flick that, despite grossing nearly $180 million worldwide, never received a sequel.

Instead, somebody somewhere thought the best way to capitalize on the modest success of “Daredevil” was to make a spinoff starring Affleck’s co-star, Jennifer Garner, resulting in the 2003 dud “Elektra.” Directed by Rob Bowman, this sluggishly paced “thriller” ranks about two notches above a SyFy channel movie, with cheap-looking sets, horrendous dialogue, shabby effects, poorly choreographed fight sequences, and a bland story that reduces the dangerous assassin to a babysitter fending off a Dollar Tree version of The Hand.

Consider this: Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” landed in theaters less than six months later, a groundbreaking masterclass in superhero filmmaking that made “Elektra” look even more like the half-baked relic it is.  

Josh Boone’s “The New Mutants” endured a troubled production that delayed its release by several years, eventually debuting in theaters with little fanfare in 2020 before falling into oblivion. Despite its impressive cast of young up-and-coming actors, a slick trailer, and an intriguing concept inspired by “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3,” the final result was a forgettable film with a poor script and subpar execution.

“New Mutants” can’t decide what it wants to be, resulting in a muddled, slow-paced mess filled with weak scares and tired character tropes lifted straight from the annals of a John Hughes picture. By the time the action kicks in — demon bears and all — it’s far too late. Still, the biggest issue with “The New Mutants” is how unremarkable it is given the talent on hand. What could have been a bold, genre-defying chapter in the “X-Men” saga ends up as a dull echo of better movies.

No film better exemplifies the current state of the MCU than “Thor: Love & Thunder,” the Marvel equivalent of “Superman III” and “Batman & Robin,” which Kevin Feige sees as a pivotal point in revamping comic book movies down the road. Here is a film directed by a man (Taika Waititi) who didn’t care about comic book source material, and instead of gifting audiences a fun follow-up to the vastly superior and entertaining “Thor: Ragnarok,” squandered all the good faith he earned from fans.

Too bad, because Christian Bale brings the heat as Gorr the God Butcher, a grieving father on a quest to murder all gods for abandoning him. His performance — like Chris Hemsworth’s impressive physique — ultimately goes to waste in favor of corny jokes, cartoonish action sequences, and a snarky tone that feels more appropriate for “Saturday Night Live” sketches than an actual picture. As Hemsworth observed in retrospect, it’s all a bit too silly.

That’s the core problem. Where early Marvel efforts balanced the action and drama with snippets of humor, “Love & Thunder” plays like a straight up comedy with snippets of out-of-place drama. The whole production is a mess, probably one of the worst things Kevin Feige and his creative machine have ever produced. 

If you thought the “X-Men” franchise couldn’t sink any lower after “The New Mutants,” think again. “Dark Phoenix” tosses our mutant heroes into yet another forgettable outing that somehow makes the equally mediocre “X-Men: Apocalypse” look like a thrilling blockbuster by comparison. Here, writer/director Simon Kinberg regurgitates the Dark Phoenix storyline, depicting how young Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) evolves into a powerful yet unstable entity that threatens the very fabric of existence. Basically, it’s “X-Men United” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” all over again, except without the … well, everything.

The massive cast looks bored and dutifully go through uninspired set pieces without much emotion, Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) act wildly out of character, and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), the most important character in the “First Class” franchise, might as well be a background extra for all she contributes. Despite its supposed “world-ending” stakes, “Dark Phoenix” feels shockingly small in scale. Each new threat is met with the emotional energy of someone unwrapping socks on Christmas morning.

At this point, it’s probably best to let the X-Men retire — oh, wait.

“Madame Web” will be remembered not for anything in the film, but for the hilariously awkward press tour in which stars Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney savagely ripped the final product to shreds, saving their careers while shifting blame to the bigwigs in charge of this heaping dung pile. And who can blame them? This colossal mess — clearly stitched together by marketers whose creativity runs about as thick as their Excel spreadsheets — has all the intelligence of a brainless orangutan, is packed with ridiculous moments worthy of mockery, and only comes alive for the 10 seconds the heroes wear the costumes teased in every trailer.

Nothing here makes sense: the story sucks, the action sucks, and the characters suck. Hats off to whoever’s job it was to make Sweeney look average, as they obviously spent more time on that project than anyone did on creative aspects such as plot, pacing, and style. We’re not even sure what “Madame Web” is trying to say or why it exists in the first place, other than to capitalize on an obscure “Spider-Man” villain.

Somehow, this sucker cost nearly $100 million to produce. Money well spent, folks!

It’s weird how superhero films have come full circle. As mentioned above, the early Fox pictures were designed as throwaway shlock, completely lacking artistry or creativity, and meant to lure audiences to midnight shows and opening weekends before word spread of their mediocrity. Incredibly, the genre evolved into something grander, thanks to Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy and early MCU efforts, such as “Iron Man,” which prioritized substance and character over spectacle.

Two decades later, we’re somehow right back where we started — churning out middling, brand-driven content like “Venom,” “Kraven the Hunter,” and “Madame Web,” movies less concerned with storytelling than with maximizing short-term box office by exploiting familiar IP.

Sony’s “Morbius” represents the pinnacle of this regressive trend. A completely unwatchable slog, based on a forgettable “Spider-Man” villain, this 90-minute origin story follows Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto, using his tiresome method acting antics) as he transforms into a “living vampire.” Director Daniel Espinosa adds little to the material, which plays like an extended post-credit teaser designed to stoke the flames for Sony’s long-gestating “Sinister Six” movie that will never happen.

In 1986, George Lucas was at the peak of his powers, having successfully guided three “Star Wars” films and two “Indiana Jones” blockbusters to critical acclaim and massive box office success. So who could blame him for using his vast influence to try something… different? After all, that outside-the-box thinking is what built his empire in the first place.

Unfortunately, this time, the result was… “Howard the Duck.”

Widely considered one of the worst films ever made, this clunker has no idea what it wants to be. A family adventure? A sci-fi comedy? A sleazy adult satire? All of the above? None of the above? It’s a tonal trainwreck. The central protagonist is a dead-eyed, nightmare-inducing pile of outdated animatronics, and yet we’re meant to root for him as he attempts to seduce poor Lea Thompson, tosses out not-so-subtle sexual innuendos, crashes through bathrooms adorned with topless female ducks, and battles some of the worst-designed monsters this side of the Spirit Halloween discount rack.

It’s remarkable that anyone involved had a career after this bloated dud. While Lucas didn’t direct and ultimately regrets the film, the same juvenile impulses and baffling creative choices that would later sink the “Star Wars” prequels are on full display here.

Marvel’s second attempt at “Fantastic Four” (stylized as “FANT4STIC”) is an unholy mess of fractured ideas, unchecked egos, and studio overreach — a Frankenstein’s monster of a film that somehow managed to limp into theaters and sell $167 million worth of tickets. Yes, it was a box office bomb, but it’s still astonishing that anyone spent money on this fiasco.

Who shoulders the blame here? Josh Trank, whose darker vision clashed with Marvel’s more crowd-pleasing tone? The studio, for greenlighting the project in the first place? Or was it simply a case of two creative forces pulling in opposite directions, resulting in a last-minute scramble to salvage anything from the wreckage? While there are flickers of excitement — particularly in the early promise of Toby Kebbell’s Victor Von Doom — “FANT4STIC” is ultimately a joyless train wreck.

Structurally, the first act drags and spends far too much time on scientific gobbledygook before finally giving our awesome foursome — Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell — their powers, only to leave them with absolutely nothing to do. By the time Doom shows up, only 20 minutes remain, and the story wraps up before anything of interest actually occurs. Based on trailers and Trank’s interviews (not to mention his own Letterboxd review), it’s obvious large chunks of the movie are missing, leaving the final product feeling butchered and incomplete.

Finally, no list of Marvel films is complete without including 1990’s “Captain America,” a painfully low-budget affair that could be mistaken for a parody if not for its overt earnestness. Everyone here — including star Matt Salinger (J.D. Salinger’s son, no less) — puts their best foot forward, but they can’t overcome the abysmally low production values, which make the film look like an amateurish student project.

While we can kick and scream over the current state of Marvel, remember that the MCU once consisted of a floppy-eared, plastic-shield-toting Star-Spangled Man battling a Red Skull (Scott Paulin) who looks more like a melted wax sculpture than the terrifying villain we know from the comics. The action scenes are flat and uninspired, the lead has all the charm of a doorknob, and the plot makes zero sense.

Somehow, someone convinced Ned Beatty — along with “A Christmas Story” duo Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon — to appear in this garbage. The hows and whys of that negotiation would probably make a better movie.