Comic Book Movies Are in a Bad Place in 2024

Quick Links

• How Does 2024 Compare to Past Years in the Superhero Genre

• Superhero TV Shows Have Been a Saving Grace

• 2025 Hopefully Will See a Rebound for Superhero Films

As a die-hard superhero movie enthusiast who has witnessed the genre’s ebb and flow over the years, I can confidently say that 2025 is shaping up to be a remarkable comeback year for our beloved caped crusaders! Much like how 1989’s Batman reinvigorated my childhood imagination after the disappointing superhero movies of the late ’60s, I sense a similar spark in the upcoming releases.

2024 has seen a series of superhero films, many of which have been met with mixed to poor reviews by critics. While it may seem that the superhero genre is on its last legs based on these releases, the death of the superhero movie might be overstated. This year has seen fewer superhero movies compared to previous ones, with only a few like Deadpool & Wolverine managing to claim box office success and some critical acclaim. The release of Kraven the Hunter this holiday season might not improve the genre’s fortunes significantly.

2023 was a year that some might label as disappointing for superhero movies, considering several titles underperformed at the box office. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Movies like “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, and “Blue Beetle” received praise from critics. Despite films such as “The Marvels” and “The Flash” being box office flops, their Rotten Tomatoes scores of 62% and 63%, respectively, placed them above all but one of the 2024 superhero releases. Even though Deadpool & Wolverine outperformed every 2023 superhero movie at the box office, their dominance in 2024 feels somewhat empty given the stiff competition. Let’s delve into how the 2024 superhero movie landscape compares to previous years and explore what the future may hold.

How Does 2024 Compare to Past Years in the Superhero Genre

Reviews for the 2024 superhero movie offerings have been pretty terrible all around. Except for Deadpool & Wolverine, none of the movies have earned a fresh rating. Even worse, Deadpool & Wolverine is also the only superhero title of 2024 to garner over 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. While Kraven the Hunter is still set to come out, the outlook on the film certainly isn’t good, so a miracle would be needed to break this downward trend. Here is a breakdown of each 2024 superhero movie’s critical score on Rotten Tomatoes organized by release date.

In many cases, a poorly received superhero movie is offset by some excellent ones in the same year. For instance, the unfavorable reception of both Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad in 2016 was countered by films like Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, and Doctor Strange, which received positive reviews. The following year, despite the negative reviews for Justice League, 2017 stood out as a particularly strong year for superhero movies with films such as Wonder Woman, Logan, Thor: Ragnarok, The Lego Batman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 all garnering over 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

To rephrase, it’s safe to say that the quality of movies in 2024, with its six (soon to be seven) superhero titles, is reminiscent of some of the worst years for such films. Years like 2010, 2007, or 1997 might come close, but even those years had only three superhero movies each compared to 2024. In 2010, for instance, we had Jonah Hex with a dismal 12%, Iron Man 2, which managed a decent 72%, and the cult favorite Kick-Ass at 77%. The year 2007 wasn’t much better with Ghost Rider (27%), Spider-Man 3 (63%), and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (38%). So, in essence, 2024 has been quite a challenging year for superhero movies.

1997 marked the poorest year for superhero films in nearly three decades, with titles like “Batman & Robin” (12%), “Steel” (8%), and “Spawn” (17%) being among the lowest-rated. Compared to other years, it was not the absolute worst, but it certainly could have been much better.

In a year where superhero films like “The Crow,” “Madame Web,” and “Joker: Folie à Deux” didn’t perform well at the box office, “Deadpool & Wolverine” stood out as a beacon of success for both fans and the industry. It was far from a dismal year for superhero movies when “Deadpool & Wolverine” raked in an impressive $1.3 billion globally, set the record for the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever, ranked second in the 2024 domestic and worldwide box office, and placed fifth among the top-earning films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

From a passionate moviegoer’s perspective, the response to Deadpool & Wolverine was somewhat divided, with many viewers expressing that the film leaned too much on fan service to inflate its box office success. Critically, Deadpool & Wolverine’s Rotten Tomatoes score of 78% places it in the mid-tier, sandwiched between Thor’s 77% and the 79% ratings of Iron Man 3, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel. Deadpool & Wolverine falls significantly short of all four Avengers films or any installment in the Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, or MCU Spider-Man series.

Superhero TV Shows Have Been a Saving Grace

It’s been disappointing that superhero movies have mostly failed to impress, but fortunately, superhero series on the small screen continue to thrive. They outshine their live-action film counterparts in every aspect. Here’s a breakdown of each 2024 superhero television show’s Rotten Tomatoes score, sorted by premiere date.

Amazon’s Prime Video keeps innovating in the realm of superhero narratives, with highly praised new seasons for shows such as Invincible and The Boys. Although DC characters may have been scarce in movies that year (2024), they delivered admirable portrayals of Superman and Batman in animated programs like My Adventures with Superman on Adult Swim and Batman: Caped Crusader on Prime Video, as well as live-action series such as the final season of Superman & Lois on The CW and The Penguin on HBO.

In 2024, only one Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film – Deadpool & Wolverine – graced the big screen, but on Disney+, the X-Men franchise flourished. Echo started off the year with decent viewership, although it was the lowest-rated series compared to others. Interestingly, it barely missed out on matching the ratings of Deadpool & Wolverine. Agatha All Along, on the other hand, became a favorite among critics and audiences during the Halloween season.

2024 holds another superhero movie, “Kraven the Hunter”, and similarly, it features a new superhero TV series, “Creature Commandos”. This marks the beginning of James Gunn’s DCU. The anticipation surrounding this series is high, suggesting that superheroes will likely maintain their popularity on television, while movies have generally struggled critically in this genre so far.

2025 Hopefully Will See a Rebound for Superhero Films

2024 has been a tough year for enthusiasts of superhero films, but as they say in one of the most beloved movies from this genre, “The Dark Knight“, “the darkest hour is just before the dawn,” and it seems that the dawn is indeed approaching. The year 1997 was particularly bad for superhero films, but it was followed by Blade, marking a new era of superhero movies. After the consecutive letdowns of Ghost Rider, Spider-Man 3, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2007, 2008 brought us both Iron Man and The Dark Knight, which significantly reshaped the superhero genre, an impact that is still felt today. If things are looking bleak now for the superhero genre, 2025 could very well be its comeback year with both audiences and critics on board.

In 2024, the MCU debuted a single superhero film, but by 2025, they’re back with a vengeance, releasing three movies: “Captain America: New Horizons” on Valentine’s Day, “Thunderbolts*” in May, and “The Fantastic Four: Initial Footsteps” in late July. Meanwhile, James Gunn’s DC Universe is set to make its grand entrance onto the silver screen with the eagerly awaited “Superman,” a film that promises not only a reboot of the world’s most iconic superhero but also a fresh start for the DC brand, leading the way for future projects like “Supergirl: Tomorrow’s Hero,” “The Brave and the Bold,” and “Dynamic Duo.

2025 is shaping up to be a year that celebrates classic superheroes, focusing especially on one who embodies hope. The upcoming film Superman is set to bring back the iconic title character and his canine companion Krypto, along with Metamorpho, Hawkgirl, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, and Mister Terrific. In a similar vein as Steve Rogers in the MCU, Sam Wilson’s Captain America aims to serve as the moral compass. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is adopting a 1960s futurism aesthetic to encapsulate that optimistic pop culture vibe of the era. Although Thunderbolts* seems an unusual title among these, Marvel Studios has chosen to release it on the first weekend of May, expecting it to provide an entertaining cinematic experience for audiences as they welcome the summer season.

Following letdowns such as “The Marvels” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” which wrapped up in 2023, and a rather inconsistent 2024 for the superhero genre, there’s optimism that 2025 could be the year the genre regains its footing. The lineup for 2025 seems more promising than what was on offer this time last year in 2024, so fingers crossed! Perhaps these less-than-stellar releases will make fans eagerly anticipate and truly cherish the upcoming content.

Read More

• Ludus promo codes (April 2025)

• Cookie Run Kingdom: Shadow Milk Cookie Toppings and Beascuits guide

• ZEREBRO PREDICTION. ZEREBRO cryptocurrency

• Grimguard Tactics tier list – Ranking the main classes

• DEEP PREDICTION. DEEP cryptocurrency

• Seven Deadly Sins Idle tier list and a reroll guide

• Maiden Academy tier list

• The Entire Hazbin Hotel Season 2 Leaks Explained

• Why ‘The Old Guard 2’ Release Date Keeps Being Postponed

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Converse Introduce the SHAI 001

2024-10-27 01:03