I Love DC Comics, but These 10 Movies Have Only Harmed the Brand’s On-Screen Legacy

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I love DC Comics; they laid the groundwork for what a superhero was, both on the page and on the big screen. With flagship characters Batman and Superman, DC introduced the world to larger-than-life heroes who would go on to inspire generations of creators to expand a world where anything was possible. Of course, in almost a century of telling stories, there are a few that didn’t connect with audiences.

Unfortunately, missteps on the big screen tend to stick around longer in the public eye than a comic book storyline abandoned in favor of a better angle. The following movies based on DC Comics may have momentarily tarnished the brand of DC, but the legacy of the characters will always endure.

10

‘Superman IV: Quest for Peace’ (1987)

Directed by Sidney J. Furie

Superman IV: Quest for Peace is the fourth and final Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. The film follows Superman as he seeks to end war by throwing every nuclear weapon into the sun. The gesture doesn’t have the impact he’s looking for, because arch nemesis Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) hatched a new plan to kill Superman once and for all.

If the road to hell is indeed paved with good intentions, Superman IV: Quest for Peace is the movie you watch while traveling on the road. Its heart is in the right place, but the silliness of the story and the acting is a regrettable way to end a run of movies that helped establish what a superhero looked like on the big screen. Not helping is the poor special effects hurt by budget cuts that make Superman IV: Quest for Peace look like it was made for television instead of a theatrical release.

9

‘Batman and Robin’ (1997)

Directed by Joel Schumacher

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) have faced many threats, but their bonds will be tested when a new villain, Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman), comes to town in Batman & Robin. Joining Ivy in her quest to make Gotham greener is the ice-cold Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Bane (Jeep Swenson), who’s also there wondering why he’s in the movie. The dynamic duo isn’t outnumbered for long, with Batgirl (Alicia Silverstone) joining forces to rid Gotham of its newest colorful rogues.

I’m not a fan of gritty reimaginings of characters with historically lighter dispositions, and I’m equally unenthusiastic when the creators pull Batman away from his noir roots. Focusing on countless gadgets and vehicles is, at best, a misunderstanding of the character’s appeal, and at worst, an obvious push to sell toys. I appreciate the fact that there was a conscious effort to give Batman widespread appeal, but Batman & Robin’s evolution into a live-action cartoon wasted an opportunity to make a good Mr. Freeze movie.

8

‘Steel’ (1997)

Directed by Kenneth Johnson

Steel follows John Henry Irons (Shaquille O’Neal), a weapons designer under contract with the U.S. government. Not unlike Iron Man’s storyline, John sees how the weapons he helped create are being used in the city streets, hurting his community. Determined to use his skills for good. John makes a suit of armor and fights crime as the alter ego Steel.

There might come the day when Warner Bros. revisits Steel, but the memory of the 1997 feature still casts a long shadow regarding comic book movie misfires. A good script goes a long way, even if the special effects might be lacking, but in the case of Steel, both were under the quality required for a theatrical wide release. The poor reception of Steel gave the impression that audiences weren’t interested in superhero films, which was false. Fans were clearly ready for big-screen comic book adventures, but they needed to be made with some level of care.

7

‘Catwoman’ (2004)

Directed by Pitof

In Catwoman, Halle Berry stars as Patience Phillips, a talented but introverted designer who works for a large cosmetics company. When Patience learns about the harmful side effects of a product, she is killed to keep the damaging secrets from being leaked. Patience’s death is quickly reversed, as she is brought back to life by a mystical cat that gives her the abilities of a feline and the determination to get revenge on the company that harmed her.

I’m not breaking any new ground by saying Catwoman is a hard watch, but I do push back on the rising trend of thinking that this movie was unfairly maligned. It’s fun to watch bad or odd movies; there’s still enjoyment to take from them that doesn’t have to be mean-spirited, but that also doesn’t make them unrecognized classics. The failure of Catwoman hurt the chances of future spinoffs of popular characters, and I think we’re at a point now where Selina Kyle should get a standalone feature worthy of the character’s legacy.

6

‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)

Directed by Zack Snyder

The destruction caused in Man of Steel leads to a battle for the ages in Batman V Superman. In the wake of events that saw a fight between Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon)destroy large chunks of Metropolis, Batman (Ben Affleck) considers the new hero a potential danger to everyone. Thanks to the manipulative tactics of Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), Batman and Superman soon come face to face in a fight that enlightens them on what they have in common.

One of the biggest miscalculations in building a new DC film franchise was trying to adapt the classic Dark Knight Returns storyline while doing so. If Zack Snyder wanted to make a live-action version of the story, he’s a good pick for it when looking at what he did with Watchmen, but an older, end-of-his-career Batman had no place in a world where the Justice League had not yet been formed.

5

‘Joker: Folie à deux’ (2024)

Directed by Todd Phillips

In Joker: Folie à Deux, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is awakened from his deadening routine in Arkham State Hospital when he meets the alluring Harley “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga). While Arthur and Lee become closer, he begins to fantasize about their life through musical vignettes, the man known as Joker is due in court for his crimes. As the trial reveals the true character of the people in Arthur’s life, he finds himself at the center of a movement out of his control.

The first Joker turned out to be a surprise hit for Warner Bros, and they seemed happy to do a sequel even if there wasn’t anything left to say. The overall message of the second movie did seem to be lacking, because Arthur’s story was wrapped up, and Joker: Folie à Deux felt more like a long epilogue than it did a sequel. The inclusion of Harley was an interesting idea, but ultimately, when a movie fails in such a public way, it damages the brand of DC characters, even if it’s an Elseworlds-type story.

Directed by David Ayer

A motley crew of villains must choose between saving the day or having their heads exploded in Suicide Squad. To prepare for future superpowered threats, Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) forms a team of supervillains, known as Task Force X, to deploy when human defenses might not be sufficient. Consisting of criminals like Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Task Force X must do as they’re directed or be executed via explosives planted in their necks.

Suicide Squad had a really solid cast in the right roles, but the tone didn’t match the marketing, which created false expectations for the audience. Adding to the tonal issues was a re-editing process from Warner Bros., who got cold feet after the negative fan reaction to Batman v Superman made them tinker around with a finished film. There was great potential for the concept, which was later realized more clearly with James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

3

‘Wonder Woman 1984’ (2020)

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) discovers the wonders of MTV in the DC misfire Wonder Woman 1984. The sequel centers around a Dreamstone that grants the wishes of anyone it comes in contact with, but at a dangerous cost. When the stone transforms mild-mannered Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) into the animalistic Cheetah and desperate businessman Maxwell Lorenzano (Pedro Pascal) into a figure with world-ending abilities, Wonder Woman must rise above her own desires to save the day.

Wonder Woman 1984 is an interesting movie, if only it were for the right reasons. The actors don’t always look like they’re on the same page, with Pascal playing scenes as if he’s in a ’80s superhero film, and Gadot playing them like she’s in a serious drama. It’s that lack of cohesion that exists within the storyline, the overall tone of the film, and the relationships between the characters. It wasn’t surprising that a third Wonder Woman film didn’t come to pass after the release of Wonder Woman 1984.

2

‘Green Lantern’ (2011)

Directed by Martin Campbell

Before Ryan Reynolds found superhero success with Deadpool, he starred in the heavily maligned Green Lantern. The film follows Hal Jordan (Reynolds), a brash pilot who comes in contact with a dying alien that passes on the ring and abilities of an intergalactic protector known as a Green Lantern. Although Hal isn’t ready, he will need to embrace the powers he’s been granted to protect Earth from an alien threat.

There are some movies where you sit down, put your phone away, give the story 100% of your attention, and then, after it’s over, you have no idea what you watched. If someone gave you a test on the movie, you would only get your name right and otherwise fail miserably. Green Lantern is that movie for me. It was a film that I hoped would work, but Green Lantern soured audiences on a character that I think they’ll really like if they’re ever able to give it another chance.

1

‘Black Adam’ (2022)

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Dwayne Johnson straps on the boots of one of DC’s oldest characters in the superhero action flick Black Adam. Teth-Adam (Johnson) is granted the power of the Gods to liberate his people in the ancient city of Kahndaq, but when the power is abused, Adam is cursed to indefinite imprisonment.After Adam is revived in the modern day, the Justice Society of America attempts to rein in the ancient, powerful figure without understanding who the real enemy is.

I won’t put too much responsibility on the shoulders of Black Adam for Warner Bros. restarting the DC franchise, because there are a lot of moving parts to any big decision, but the flop probably factored in. Black Adam appeared to strive for many things, stretching the story too thin; it wanted to be an edgy movie with widespread appeal, and in the end, it didn’t commit strongly enough to any one concept to have an original voice worth listening to.

NEXT: 10 DC Comics Movies That Are Bangers From Start to Finish

“}]] Even as a lifelong fan of DC Comics, I can’t deny movies like Wonder Woman 1984, Steel, and Batman and Robin haven’t harmed the brand on screen.  Read More