“Morbius” (“Morbius”), 2022
What is the movie about? The film is about the extraordinary Nobel Prize laureate in medicine, Dr. About Michael Morbius. In search of a cure that can cure the disease, the hero decides on a risky experiment: he tries to find the necessary component in the bat’s DNA. As a result, Morbius from a man begins to gradually turn into a vampire. Yesterday’s doctor tries to limit his bloodlust to only attack criminals, but Morbius’s experiment quickly spirals out of control and puts him on par with the other villains.
Something went wrong? Audiences and critics were disappointed, above all, by the lack of detail and the uneven structure of the script. The protagonist’s past is revealed in countless flashbacks that leave many additional questions: from what happened to Morbius’ parents to the revelation of his relationship with his fiancée, Martina, who helped him in a dangerous experiment. The audience was also disappointed with the images of the main characters: the already mentioned Martina does not seem like a full-fledged participant in the story, but looks like a cardboard heroine, almost devoid of subjectivity – her role is reduced to dialogues with Morbius. she talks about the nature and objectives of her experiments in a simplified form. As a result, critics described the long-awaited solo film about Spider-Man’s nemesis as a boring and original film adaptation that you will want to forget right after watching it.
Frame from the movie “Morbius” (2020)
Marvel Entertainment
“Eternals” (“Eternals”), 2021
What is the movie about? At the center of the story is a group of superhumans from the planet Olympia. They call themselves the Eternal, each endowed with a unique superpower, and their key mission over the past millennium has been to protect Earth from dangerous perverted monsters. At the beginning of the 21st century, the last enemy has long been destroyed, and the heroes are scattered all over the world. However, after a sudden earthquake, a new dangerous monster emerges that the superheroes have to fight.
Something went wrong? The director of the picture was Chloe Zhao, whose author’s drama “Land of the Nomad” brought her the Oscar, the Golden Globe and the main prize of the Venice Film Festival. It was assumed that Zhao’s vision would help expand the usual boundaries of superheroes and avoid already established stereotypes. But the techniques that worked organically in auteur cinema proved to be ineffective in the movie comic universe: The movie was too long, illogical, and lacked the impulse that had long been a trademark of Marvel. It did not help to save the situation and the motley casting in the face of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden and others. The bottom line: The audience was annoyed by the characters’ motivation, the lack of well-developed narration, and the lack of a wide-ranging backstory of the characters whose background matched the short opening credits.
Frame from the movie “Eternals” (2021)
Marvel Studios Inc.
“Daredevil” (“Daredevil”), 2003
What is the movie about? Blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) lives a double life: defending the innocent in court by day and running his own justice at night using more radical means, punishing the last scoundrels and criminals.
Something went wrong? The picture of Mark Steven Johnson was released in the early 2000s, before the heyday of the heroes of feature films. Starting today, the film can devote a large share of its release date and approach to the film adaptation of Marvel comics from that period. But even this does not save the story, where absolutely everything turns out to be toothless: the stereotypical characters (including the central enemy and the hero), the story of the confrontation between good and evil, the plot. Many were frankly disappointed and the choice of the actor for the role of Daredevil. Perhaps the comic book universe at that time (due to the fun of the format) did not imply any special dramatic intensity, but Ben Affleck’s incomprehensible face became a bothersome factor for many. However, the character managed to “heal himself” with the Daredevil series, which later transferred the lone Avengers story to the screens much more successfully.
Shot from the movie “Daredevil” (2003)
Marvel Companies
“X-Men: Dark Phoenix” (“Dark Phoenix”), 2019
What is the movie about? The final part of the franchise about the X-Men – a group of mutants with superpowers who turn out to be outcasts in the world of ordinary people. “Dark Phoenix” chronicles the formation of Jean Grey, a girl with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Armed with great superpowers, Jean (Sophie Turner) engages in a confrontation with both her inner demons and the rest of the X-Men.
Something went wrong? The end of one of the most successful Marvel Cinematic Universes would be a powerful and exciting endpoint in history. But in fact, only the disappointment of the audience turned out to be strong. The heroine Sophie Turner, one of the brightest of the superheroes and possessing incredible strength, looks faded and secondary in the movie, losing to the rest of the heroes. His motivation and alleged superpowers don’t stand up to scrutiny, making the grand finale the most boring part of the franchise.
Frame from the movie “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” (2018)
Marvel Entertainment
“Poison” (“Venom”), 2018
What is the movie about? The meticulous, yet most successful journalist, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), is inhabited by an extraterrestrial being – a rough symbiote devouring humans. Brock must tame the beast inside him and defeat his main rival – businessman Carlton Drake, obsessed with the idea of a symbiosis of humans and extraterrestrial monsters.
Something went wrong? Tom Hardy’s long-awaited solo album did not justify the hopes placed on it. The picture, which was supposed to launch a new movie series with a charismatic and ambiguous character, often crossing the line between good and evil, turned out to be blurry. The appearance of such a Venom in the traditionally bright and clear superhero world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe felt like a breath of fresh air, but eventually the story sank under the weight of its own unrealized opportunities.
Frame from the movie “Venom” (2018)
Marvel Entertainment
“Fantastic Four” (“Fantastic Four”), 2015
What is the movie about? At the center of the plot is a quadrupedal astronaut traveling to a parallel dimension. At the same time, they are already returning home with superpowers. Now they must figure out how to use this superpower, save their friendship, and defeat the extraterrestrial evil.
Something went wrong? Josh Trank and Stephen E. Rivkin’s film is the fourth attempt to bring the Fantastic Four story to the big screen. And just as bad as before. This long-running project refuses to switch to a cinema format: either the story only works in a comic book format, or the writers sometimes can’t find the key to it. However, in the year it was released, the tape only won the Golden Raspberry award in the Worst Director, Worst Prequel, Sequel, Remake or Plagiarism, and Worst Film categories. Almost everything about him was bad.
Frame from the movie “Fantastic Four” (2015)
Twentieth Century Fox
“Inhumans”, 2017
What is the series about? The plot revolves around a royal family of superhumans known as the Inhumans, who find themselves in terrible danger. A military coup is staged in their hometown of Attilana, on the Moon, and the royal family is forced to flee. Taking refuge in Hawaii, fugitive superheroes infiltrate the earthlings and are ready to protect not only their lives, but also an alien planet to them.
Something went wrong? The creators of the series immediately ran right off the bat. The writers, who don’t care for viewers who are almost unfamiliar with the history of the Inhumans, don’t give any intelligible background on the heroes’ world and their past – hence the plot confusion for an unprepared viewer. The format of the story is also confusing: the superheroes of the project practically do not use their superpowers. The savings in special effects are expressed in the scarcity of the action and the story itself, which is not so well suited to the usual film adaptations of Marvel comics. As a result: the project was closed after the first season.
Withdrawn from the TV series “Superman” (2017)
Marvel Television
Defenders (2017)
What is the series about? A crossover that brings together the four solo stories of Marvel superheroes: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. Together they take the blame for New York.
Something went wrong? Actually, everything in general. Four quirky superheroes could not be part of a single team, reminiscent of the characters from Ivan Krylov’s famous fable about the Swan, Cancer and Pike. The heroes of the series also rushed in all directions, violating both the development of the plot and the internal structure of the character world. All that successfully worked in the solo projects of the heroes did not find its application in The Defenders.
Withdrawn from the TV series “The Defenders” (2017)
Marvel Television
“Helstrom” (“Helstrom”), 2020
What is the series about? The main characters, Damon and Ana Helstrom, are the children of a dangerous and powerful serial killer linked to otherworldly forces. Trying to understand their origins, brothers and sisters travel the world and destroy humanity’s worst representatives.
Something went wrong? The project is among the series with the most unrealized potential. This isn’t the family epic the series claims to be at the very beginning, the comic book movie the plot may be in the process of developing, or even the fantasy it borrows elements from. The seventh water on the jelly appeared – a lot could fit into the story itself, but little was actually noticed.
Withdrawn from the TV series “Helstrom” (2020)
Marvel Television
“Iron Fist” (“Iron Fist”), 2017-2018
What is the series about? As a child, Danny Rend lost his family in a natural disaster while on vacation in the Himalayas. The boy was raised by the inhabitants of the lost city of K’un – L’un. For many years, the boy trained in ancient martial arts and turned into an Iron Fist (due to his ability to concentrate all his spiritual strength into a fiery fist). After completing his education, Danny decides to return to his hometown of New York: both to confront his own past and face the mysterious Hand organization that completely controls New Yorkers’ lives.
Something went wrong? As for the movie adaptation of a comic in which kung fu is not the last role, the fight scenes in the series are shown as boring and unoriginal as possible. It’s also unclear what Rend’s special skill is, which was gained deep within the lost holy city. Because the hero does not have a unique fighting ability, and the story itself does not have interesting scenario techniques. Perhaps the project was disappointed when it was released: The original Iron Fist comics emerged with the wave of kung fu’s popularity in the 70s – presumably the project lost its relevance in the late 2010s.
Frame from the series “Iron Fist” (2017-2018)
Marvel Entertainment
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.