Although it may currently be the reign ofsuperhero filmsin theHollywoodspace, not every single movie released featuring a superpowered person is a success. Oftentimes,audiences equatesmall box office numbers to poor project quality, but that isn’t always the truth, especially with the box office blow that the industry took with the recent epidemic. Unfortunately, some really great movies simply don’t get seen.
It may be surprising that some of the biggest franchises on the planet get low box office numbers, but not impossible.Whether it be because everyone’s been forced to stay indoors for months on end or a poor marketing budget,some incredible films have been released with little-to-no attention in comparison to the amount they deserve. Which is a shame, in the end, because low box office typically means less chance for a follow-up from the studios.
10’Hellboy II: The Golden Army' (2008)
Worldwide Box Office: $168,319,243
After the success ofHellboyin 2004,Universal Picturesdecidedit was time to go both bigger and badder withthe film’s sequel,Hellboy II: The Golden Army,increasing the first film’s budget by nearly $20 million.While the sequel isn’t the perfect product, it’s far better than the smaller box office numbers let on. With a budget of $85 million,Hellboy II: The Golden Armyonly made just over $168 million, which often is not considered much of a great profit for a studio, even though it technically did. Not to mention that, oftentimes,budgets released by the studio don’t include a marketing budget (as marketing isn’t part of primary production),so every film’s low numbers always feel a bit more painful and could even mean that they actually didn’t profit.
Much like the first film,Hellboy II: The Golden Armyis phenomenally creative and imaginative, even more so than the first, at times. DirectorGuillermo del Torogot another chance to enter this world and have a boat load of fun, and it’s clear that he recognized this and did not take it for granted. It’s no secret that the secondHellboydeserved far better. Maybe the franchise could have been saved if it did.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
9’Mystery Men' (1999)
Worldwide Box Office: $33,461,011
Ben Stilleris a legendary actor who, typically, brings people to the theaters. He’s quite popular among the masses, thanks to smash hits likeZoolanderandTropic Thunder. So, it’s surprising that his own superhero film,Mystery Men, grossed only a little over $33 million. This is a massively hurtful number,given the whopping $68 million budget.
What setsMystery Menapart from the typical superhero flick audiences know and (mostly) love nowadays is the fact thatit’s a total spoof of the genre, which made it far ahead of its time in 1999.Looking back on the film now, it’s a lot funnier, given the tropes of superhero movies defined around the same time as being pretty overused in the modern age.
Mystery Men
A group of inept amateur superheroes must try to save the day when a supervillain threatens to destroy a major superhero and the city.
8’Sky High' (2005)
Worldwide Box Office: $86,369,815
Not many (especially with some of their quality nowadays) expected a lower-budget Disney movie likeSky Highto be as good as it is. Being what is essentially their version of theX-Men,the film found itself beingmassively popular among viewersandwhile it may have beaten its budget, it only did by a mere ~$50 million.Many note this being because the film is widely thought of as aDisney Channel Original Movie, making general audiences underestimate it.
The movie’s heart and soul is earnest, charming and packed with wit.Performances by the likes ofMichael Angarano,Danielle Panabaker,Kurt Russell,Mary Elizabeth Winsteadand many others, act as the highlight of the film among its more standard Disney visuals. The way Disney managed to display superpowers on a smaller budget is quite impressive and not to be taken lightly.
7’The Marvels' (2023)
Worldwide Box Office: $206,136,825
While the exact budget ofThe Marvelsis unknown, it stillfinds itself being one of Marvel Studios' lowest grossing movies.This is due to quite a lot being against it at the time. Whether it be the unfair hate for Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) character in the rougher parts of the fanbase, the very valid general complaints about the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the last few years,the historic SAG-AFTRA strikethat just came to a close, or its weak opening weekend drawing people away from it, the movie bombed.
Despite all that was against it,The Marvelswas actually an incredibly fun and heartfelt film. It didn’t take itself too seriously, while still incorporating some amazing character arcs. Not to mention, the film’s choreography andhow it uses the new gimmick of the three heroes switching places at timesmakes the action spectacular to watch.
The Marvels
The Marvels sees the long-awaited team-up of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) as the trio work together to find out how their powers have become inextricably linked. Acting as a sequel to both Captain Marvel (2019) and the Ms. Marvel television show, The Marvels is the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
6’Eternals' (2021)
Worldwide Box Office: $402,064,899
The rumored budget forEternalsis a massive $236.2 million,which makes the film’s worldwide gross of $402 million a tough number, even for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.The filmdidn’t receive the best reviews upon releaseand still doesn’t have the best reputation among the general fanbase. However, there is a large group that claim the film is underrated.
Eternalsfinds itself beingone of the best directed Marvel Cinematic Universe films of all time.Chloé Zhao, known best for great projects likeNomadland, brought some direction, both in actor performance and cinematography, that puts a lot of Marvel Studios' other films to shame. Due to this, it’s a shame that the team may never get another film of their own again.
5’Blue Beetle' (2023)
Worldwide Box Office: $130,788,072
After the horrendous failure ofThe Flashjust a few months earlier,Blue Beetlewas put in a terrible position. The drastic flop of Barry Allen’s (Ezra Miller) first solo outing ripped faith in the DC Extended Universe out of many peoples' hearts, meaningnot manywere willing to giveBlue Beetlea chance.
However,Blue Beetleended up being one of the best DC films in quite a while and is a classic example of a good solo origin film. Incredible performances from the likes ofXolo MaridueñaandBruna Marquezinebrought a charm and life to the film that left it feeling lighthearted, while still being dramatic when it needed to be.It’s a wonderful example of the type of tone many hopeJames Gunnbrings to the DCU.
Blue Beetle
An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.
4’Super' (2010)
Worldwide Box Office: $422,618
Before he was thecritically acclaimed director he is now, James Gunndirected an original superhero film of his own,Super. Unlike the other films on the list of superhero films no one saw,Superwas actually a monetary success.While it only grossed a total of $422,000, the budget was a mere $46,000, making it a huge profit. But, $327,000 doesn’t imply many viewers.
It’s a genuine shame that not more people saw or have seen this movie, as it is an essential part of Gunn’s career. It’s not a perfect film in the slightest, but it’s underrated and was ahead of its time. It also shows a time in his career in which he was defining his style post-Scooby-Doolive-action films. The film is funny, rauchy and filled to the brim–overflowing–with Gunn’s unique and interesting style.The style and quality are exactly what people would expect from the wonderful directorwho would go on to make some of the most fun and expressive superhero films people know.
After his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, but lacking in heroic skills.
Worldwide Box Office: $168,717,425
Monetary earnings for streaming services are still hidden behind closed doors for the most part,meaning it’s impossible to know if the film did well on Max. ButThe Suicide Squadis another unfortunate case of the back end of the epidemic affecting the Hollywood box office. Which is astoundingly disappointing, given the fact that it’s one of the best DC films in the last few years, thanks, again, to James Gunn. Many attribute the film’s quality to the decision to make Gunn one half of the new heads of DC Studios. Regardless of whether that’s true or not, it would make complete sense, given thatthe film absolutely killed with reviewsand won the hearts of people all over the world, especially when it hit streaming.
The film somehow manages to exude the filmmaker’s style while still also paying homage to the DC Extended Universe’s quite opposite style. Although the audiences realize any of them could die,Gunn’s excellent writing almost forces them to deeply care and fall in love with each character on screen, making the eventual deaths of some even harder.
The Suicide Squad
James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squadacts as a soft reboot for David Ayer’s 2016Suicide Squad.Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is again recruiting a group of superheroes for a dangerous mission, this time pairing Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) with Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Savant (Michael Rooker), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Blackguard (Pete Davidson), and Javelin (Flula Borg).
2’Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie' (2022)
Estimated Worldwide Box Office: $570,000
Given the fact thatRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Moviewas released exclusively on Netflix, it’s far more difficult to tell how much it made, but the estimated amount is around $570,000 based on its release in China.It’s not easy to earn from a movie based on an already underrated animated series,asRise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswas terribly underseen.
This is unfortunate, asthe film was easily one of thebest animated films of that year.Much like the series, the animation was swift, fluid and beautiful, just on a whole new scale. Not to mention that, like everyTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfilm, it was heartfelt, thanks to its brotherly and family-led plot. The action was also spectacular, utilizing this iteration of the boys' abilities in a perfect way.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
1’Batman: Mask of the Phantasm' (1993)
Worldwide Box Office: $5,830,391
Batman: Mask of the Phantasmis widely beloved among the Batman fanbase, known as one of, if not the best,Batman films of all time. But, if one were to ask a general audience member about the film, they most likely wouldn’t even know that it existed.It’s not easy to get a 2D animated film to make any impressive numbers at the box office,even for a franchise as successful and popular asBatman.
Much like the television series it’s part of,the cast features the likes of the phenomenalKevin ConroyandMark Hamill, who steal the show, as always.The animation is also great, still holding up to this day. Not to mention, the plot is a perfect example of what makes the character of Batman so special and important to people.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
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