Many DC movies were released before the birth of the DCEU, but a large percentage of them were critical or commercial bombs. Like Marvel, DC has a virtually unlimited source of ideas for movies and TV shows of all kinds. From Batman and Superman to Ratcatcher 2 and Polka-Dot Man, many DC characters have been the stars of both acclaimed and unpopular live-action adaptations. Yet, even though the most famous icons would seem like infallible box office gold, there have been quite a few failed attempts at translating the comic book pages to the big screen.
Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe has stumbled quite a few times since the release of The Suicide Squad have righted the wrongs of their predecessors to become gems on their own .
The advent of shared universes has helped modern superhero movies capture the magic of comic books like previous films never could. Some DC live-action adaptations that came before the DCEU like Constantine and Superman Returns weren't entirely popular, but they still managed to gather a considerable share of fans. Others like Superman and Tim Burton's Batman were massive hits, but a considerable number of DC movies failed on all fronts. Here are all of the latter.
Superman III (1983)
After the groundbreaking success of Richard Donner's Superman and Superman II, Superman III was expected to round out the first perfect trilogy of superhero movies. Richard Pryor ed the sequel alongside a returning Christopher Reeve as a more veteran Superman. However, what would have seemed like a recipe for success at the time resulted in a disted mess of unintentional comedy and jokes that missed the mark. The main plot, which introduced another Lex Luthor-like villain wanting to wreak havoc on the world, came across as uninspired and silly. On the bright side, Superman III featured an exciting match between Superman and his evil counterpart, but it wasn't enough to save the movie.
Supergirl (1984)
1984's Supergirl can be called the first major franchise builder in the superhero genre, as it tried to continue the story of Superman III within the same universe. Unfortunately, Christopher Reeve didn't reprise the role of Superman in the spinoff, and Supergirl by herself wasn't popular enough with moviegoers at the time to ensure a successful future on the big screen. Supergirl copied Superman's lighthearted tone, but its story was convoluted and unoriginal. Although it failed with audiences, critics, and the box office, Supergirl is praised for being the first superhero movie with a female lead.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace didn't learn any lesson from Superman III and Supergirl. On the contrary, it became the first unanimous failure in the superhero genre. While the previous three films were unapologetically lighthearted, Superman IV was cheesy in all the worst ways. The dialog, the plot, and the visual effects felt more like a cheap spoof of the original Superman, with events happening for no logical reason and the main villain, Nuclear Man, spouting ridiculous lines non-stop throughout the sequel. The failure of Superman IV killed all hopes for a sequel and marked the last appearance of Christopher Reeve as Superman.
The Return of Swamp Thing (1989)
Surprisingly, the more obscure Swamp Thing found it easier to capture the attention of audiences than Supergirl two years earlier. Directed by iconic horror movie director Wes Craven, 1982's Swamp Thing was a charming mix of campy sci-fi and horror. However, its 1989 sequel The Return of Swamp Thing doubled down on the original's cheesiness, to its own detriment. While the first movie's dark tone resembled the weird brand of scares of Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street, The Return of Swamp Thing lost its credibility, as it wasn't serious enough to be horror or funny enough to be a spoof. Dark heroes like Swamp Thing, John Constantine, and Zatanna are still waiting to reach their full potential in a Justice League Dark movie, but The Return of Swamp Thing still remains a movie exclusively for fans of B movies.
Batman Forever (1995)
After the success of his Batman and Batman Returns, Batman Begins.
Batman & Robin (1997)
While not objectively the worst DC movie ever, Batman & Robin is definitely the most infamous. Joel Schumacher doubled down on the cartoonish tone of Batman Forever with even more extravagant set pieces and costumes. Replacing Val Kilmer as Batman, George Clooney clearly phoned in his performance. On the other side of the spectrum, Arnold Schwarzenegger played a ridiculously over-the-top Mr. Freeze, who couldn't stop throwing ice puns at Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. To make the movie even more overblown, Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy created a dumbed-down version of Bane, and Batgirl was linked to Alfred instead of Detective Gordon. Batman & Robin managed to be less serious than the 1960s Batman series but with none of the heart that made Adam West's Batman so popular.
Steel (1997)
In DC comics, Steel is one of the heroes who fill the vacuum left by Superman after his death. Kenneth Johnson's 1997 adaptation took many creative liberties with the character, but none seemed to hit the target. The biggest difference to the comics was that John Henry Irons had no relationship with Superman, who was thus absent from all the marketing for the movie. Like most of DC's failed movies, Steel was hilarious when it wasn't trying to be. The action is also stiff and the effects are clumsy. While Shaquille O'Neal isn't known for his action chops, Steel is one of his strongest attempts.
Catwoman (2004)
Another one of the most infamous DC movies ever made is 2004's Catwoman, which was born out of Batman Returns' canceled spinoff of Michelle Pfeiffer's Selina Kyle. After Joel Schumacher's movies ended Tim Burton's Batman universe, Catwoman released to even worse reviews. The story and the performances are superficial at best, with most of the movie focused on hypersexualizing Halle Berry. There is no real threat for Catwoman to face in this movie besides a cliché antagonist played by Sharon Stone. Catwoman was so aimless and goofy that it earned five Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress.
The Losers (2010)
The Losers' connection to DC comics is forgotten, but the movie itself isn't ed too often anyway. The Losers follows a ragtag group of action heroes who are nothing like the title of the movie makes it seem. Whereas the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy and the DCEU's The Suicide Squad forced two groups of mismatched characters to work together despite their differences, the team of elite black-ops agents in The Losers, which includes Zoe Saldana's Aisha al-Fadhil, Idris Elba's Captain William Roque, and Chris Evans' Captain Jake Jensen, are all incredibly smooth action stars who barely flinch at every bullet thrown their way. The Losers didn't suffer from the myriad problems that doomed other DC movies, but it didn't innovate the genre enough to overcome its obscure source material.
Jonah Hex (2010)
Jonah Hex counts with huge stars such as Josh Brolin and John Malkovich, but it wastes their talents with a messy script and aimless action. Although action-packed to the brim, the comic book western pulls back on the brutality of the source material. The performances were stiff and the story was flimsy, all at a time where superhero movies were picking up speed to dominate the Hollywood landscape with the MCU and the DCEU, burying Jonah Hex in the process.
Green Lantern (2011)
Green Lantern was the last big flop to be released before the DCEU began. In fact, Green Lantern was supposed to be the first movie in a shared universe of DC movies, but it was so badly received that Warner Bros. decided to start from scratch with Man of Steel. Green Lantern has been criticized for overusing CGI and for its uninspired story. Hector Hammond is an over-the-top villain who seems to have come from Batman & Robin, and Hal Jordan lacks the personality that Ryan Reynolds eventually delivered with Deadpool. Even Reynolds himself has been vocal about his distaste for Green Lantern, as he had Deadpool poke fun at it in his subsequent movies.
