7 Highly anticipated superhero movies that failed to live up to the hype

Movies and TV shows with superheroes are bound to have anticipation discussions and buzz around due to already available content about them. Seeing their favorite heroes in live-action movies is often met with pre-release hype, whether due to the cast or theories around what to expect from the movies.

While most of them satisfy their fans with impressive narratives and authentic portrayals, some lag behind the expectations that the viewers had formed. Sometimes it might not matter how hyped these movies are, due to various reasons, from weak storytelling, miscasting, or even bad reviews, these films fail to impress the audience. Here’s a list of 7 superhero movies that failed to live up to their hype.

Disclaimer: This entire article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

7 Highly anticipated superhero movies that failed to live up to the hype

7) Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Cast of Shazam! Fury of the Gods | Image via DC Films

With Shazam!'s success, this was one of the movies that was bound to do well. In the first film, Shazam!, which features a teenager named Billy, the compelling story of him stopping the seven deadly sins while learning to harness his powers was an impressive and entertaining introduction.

This created high expectations for the sequel as viewers eagerly anticipated its release and further hyped the film. However, it ultimately performed poorly due to its weak and formulaic storytelling. While the cast and cinematography received praise, the movie didn’t meet the audience's expectations.

6) The Flash

Ezra Miller in The Flash | Image via DC Films

The hype around The Flash was fueled not only by fans but also by the production house, which did not in any way help the movie, when it was supposed to be one of the best DC superhero movies. While it was a decent film, the film’s underwhelming visual effects might be one of the main reasons.

Other than that, the multiple cameos, such as Christopher Reeve and George Clooney, might be another reason, as they heavily relied on the various cameos. While Ezra Miller impressed the audience with his portrayal, The Flash failed to live up to the hype his role in Justice League created.

5) Eternals

While many praised Eternals' cinematography and Chloe Zhao’s direction, this overhyped movie failed to impress the viewers. The main reason for the failure was the storytelling and screen presence.

As these superheroes appeared for the first time in films, fans expected to have proper character arcs for each character, which is impossible to show in a single film. This resulted in having less time to completely flesh out the characters, hampering the story as it did not appear as impactful as it should have been. Hence, it failed to meet the pre-release buzz and impress the audience.

4) Wonder Woman 1984

Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984 | Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

After taking part in World War II in the first Wonder Woman film, this movie takes place in 1984. Diana now works at the Smithsonian Institution and captures small-time villains until a failing Max Lord steals the Dreamstone and creates havoc worldwide.

After a superhit first movie, the sequel was highly anticipated to follow up on the expectations, but failed due to the weak narrative and several plot holes. Furthermore, the underwhelming CGI was another factor resulting in the failure of one of the hyped movies of DC.

3) X-Men: Dark Phoenix

Sophia Turner in X-Men: Dark Phoenix | Image via 20th Century Fox

X-Men movies have been one of the beloved franchises of the last decade, with numerous films that introduced us to many mutants and depicted their backstories. Based on this, Dark Phoenix found itself amid overwhelming expectations and was one of the anticipated movies.

The film, with its cliched plotline and underwhelming characters, couldn’t live up to the anticipation. While it had many popular actors, including Sophie Turner, who was thriving due to the popularity of Game of Thrones, the film was beyond saving. Therefore, even after being one of the hyped films, the X-Men film failed to fulfill expectations.

2) Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Scarlett Johansson in Avengers: Age Of Ultron | Image via Marvel Studios

One of the popular superhero movies, the MCU’s Avengers, has a pretty steady and loyal fandom. With every film and the number of superheroes, the fans kept increasing.

However, with Age of Ultron, something seemed off. The film, although it brought so many Avengers together and also introduced a couple of new heroes, felt forgettable. It had several exciting action sequences, but it felt mechanical and disconnected from the other films, resulting in it not living up to the hype.

1) Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder might have mainly suffered due to premiering after Ragnarok, which was a superhit. With good action sequences, camaraderie between the characters, and, not to forget, the humor, Ragnarok is one of the best Thor movies.

This created an overwhelming anticipation for Love and Thunder as Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster was coming back to the franchise, which raised the buzz around the film. The film suffered due to depicting underdeveloped character storylines, which hampered the overall narrative. However, the film mostly suffered due to not matching up with the previous one.