If there’s any movie genre that most people can get behind, it’s superhero films. These amazing heroes beat the odds to clean the streets and send the bad guys to jail or worse. Superheroes have been around for as long as we can remember and there are many great heroes to admire.
There’s Batman, who is smart as a whip and has the cool gadgets to prove it. There’s also Superman, who can take on any foe with ease. There are other classics like Iron Man and Spider-Man, and they all have great movies that thrill us from start to finish. However, we are not talking about those. Instead, we’ll be looking at the worst superhero movies of all time in no particular order.
In recent years, there’s been an over-saturation of superhero films, and because there are so many movies, there’s bound to be a bunch of stinkers, and these are them. This list has many movies that performed poorly at the box office, and so few people know about them. Those are movies like “Max Steel” and “Jonah Hex.” While those are bad, there are also well-known franchises that have poor movies on this list, including Batman, Superman, the Fantastic Four, and even the Power Rangers. We’ve compiled all of the worst superhero movies on this list so you know what to avoid the next time you’re pursuing Netflix for something to watch.
To create this list of the worst superhero movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo scoured cinema’s past to find the movies that both critics and audiences despised. To find these movies, we used sources like Rotten Tomatoes, the Internet Movie Database, and Comic Vine, among others. When you’re done checking out these mighty heroes, read up on the most legendary tough guys in movies.
“Max Steel” (2016)
- Director: Stewart Hendler
- Starring: Ben Winchell, Josh Brener, Maria Bello
- IMDB Rating: 4.6/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 0%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 48%
The first movie on our list happens to be the lowest-rated superhero film on Rotten Tomatoes, with a zero percent approval rating by critics. The movie, about a teenager who fights crime with an alien companion, lacked imagination. Audiences thought it was boring and formulaic and brought nothing new to the genre. The movie also flopped at the box office, bringing in just over $2 million its first weekend and going down from there. It was a box office bomb. Roger Ebert.com gave the movie a half-star out of 5, and any sequel plans were scrapped.
“Zoom” (2006)
- Director: Peter Hewitt
- Starring: Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase
- IMDB Rating: 4.4/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 4%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 33%
The movie “Zoom” was meant to be a comedic film about young superheroes. It was similar to the movie “Sky High” that came out before it. However, “Zoom” is nothing like that far superior film. The acting and set design look outdated, the script is lackluster, and the story is hard to follow. Many people had high hopes for this film since it had the comedic stylings of Tim Allen and Chevy Chase, but it all fell flat. Critics and audiences just thought the film was boring, and that’s the last thing you want for a kid’s movie.
“Catwoman” (2004)
- Director: Pitof
- Starring: Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt
- IMDB Rating: 3.4/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 8%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 18%
One of the most famous films that people think of when discussing the worst superhero movies is “Catwoman” starring Halle Berry. This was supposed to be a big movie at the time, and people were excited until it was released. Critics appreciated Halle Berry’s acting, but everything else was poor, including the story and special effects. This was a case of a movie being passed down from person to person, so it became a hodgepodge of ideas, and none of them were good. Even the original writer said it was bad, so you know it can’t be good.
“Fantastic Four” (2015)
- Director: Josh Trank
- Starring: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan
- IMDB Rating: 4.3/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 9%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 18%
There have been several “Fantastic Four” movies over the years, but this one is by far the worst. The director, Josh Trank, was attempting to make something new out of the franchise. He wanted a more realistic superhero movie, and while the idea was noble, the end product was dark and depressing. What’s worse is that the movie studio decided to change the ending at the last minute, and the ending we got was cartoonish and rushed. This was supposed to be the first movie in a series, but it did so poorly that those plans went out the window.
“Batman & Robin” (1997)
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O’Donnell, Uma Thurman
- IMDB Rating: 3.8%
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 12%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 16%
This movie was in trouble from the start. Director Joel Schumacher had already been criticized for directing “Batman Forever.” The problem was that he was getting away from the more adult subject matter and making his Batman movies for kids. However, he went too far with this movie with Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze and Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy and made it too cartoonish. True fans didn’t like the direction he took, and even kids were bored with what they saw. The result was so poor that there wasn’t another live-action Batman film for eight years.
“Madame Web” (2024)
- Director: S.J. Clarkson
- Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor
- IMDB Rating: 3.7/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 12%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 57%
This is the most recent film on this list of the worst superhero movies. This 2024 film is a Spider-Man spin-off that shares the origin story of the superhero Madame Web. In it, she’s trying to save three girls from future disaster. The movie is already considered horrible because of the shooting style that made the film confusing and distracting. The film also features poor CGI effects and writing that make it unbelievable. Most of all, audiences didn’t believe that the main character, Cassandra Webb, was very unlikable, and if the main character isn’t appealing, the movie is doomed.
“Morbius” (2022)
- Director: Daniel Espinosa
- Starring: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris
- IMDB Rating: 5.1/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 15%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 71%
The audiences that actually went out to see the vampire superhero movie “Morbius” thought the film was okay but not the best. However, the critics skewered the film, saying that the story wasn’t original and that it didn’t make sense. Also that the acting was poor, especially for lead Jared Leto. There was also criticism of the editing and that the movie seemed incomplete. Like “Madame Webb,” this movie was an attempt to extend the Spider-Man universe, but also, like that movie, “Morbius” failed to strike the right cord.
“Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie” (1997)
- Director: Shuki Levy, David Winning
- Starring: Jason David Frank, Steve Cardenas, Catherine Sutherland
- IMDB Rating: 3.6/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 16%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 40%
Not all of the worst superhero movies are from the DC or Marvel universes. Many are from other beloved franchises, but in the case of a movie like “Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie,” the result was far from loved. This movie had all of the qualities that would make a Power Rangers movie good, from the zords to the outfits, but with a wavering story that involved sailing on a ship for half the time, it just didn’t hold people’s interest for long. Many fans also thought the film was very juvenile, and so it wasn’t taken seriously.
“Green Lantern” (2011)
- Director: Martin Campbell
- Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong
- IMDB Rating: 5.5/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 25%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 45%
The “Green Lantern” movie had a lot of promise. It had big-time star Ryan Reynolds, a massive budget, and a beloved superhero who hadn’t had a lot of screen time as of yet. However, many people believe that the budget was wasted because the script was thin, the movie was boring, and the special effects were wasted. It’s possible that people didn’t give this movie enough of a chance, but it was a box office bomb. There were chances to make this movie into a series, but the poor performance ended that opportunity.
“Suicide Squad” (2016)
- Director: David Ayer
- Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman
- IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 26%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 58%
The “Suicide Squad” movie had everthing going for it. It was an exciting idea with many bad guys coming together to create a defensive task force. It also had big stars like Will Smith and Margot Robbie. However, though it had it all, the movie didn’t have enough. The story didn’t make a lot of sense, the main villain was weak, and some of the dialogue was cringeworthy, to say the least. People also thought the directing was choppy and could be better. It may have been a case of people getting over-excited and being let down.
“Supergirl” (1984)
- Director: Jeannot Szwarc
- Starring: Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, Peter O’Toole, Peter Cook
- IMDB Rating: 4.4/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 8%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 26%
The success of Superman made it a no-brainer to extend the universe, but the result was a Supergirl movie that ended up as one of the worst superhero movies. The story was too thin, the special effects were laughable even for the time, and the movie was too long for its own good. Plus, the main villain was a wicked witch, which made the whole thing just that much crazier. All together, it was a forgettable affair. They remade “Supergirl” as a TV show in 2015 with slightly better results.
“Steel” (1997)
- Director: Kenneth Johnson
- Starring: Shaquille O’Neal, Annabeth Gish, Judd Nelson, Richard Roundtree
- IMDB Rating: 3.0/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 8%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 19%
Shaq was one of the biggest stars during the 1990s. In addition to being a monster on the basketball court, he was also in several movies and TV shows, and “Steel” was one of them. While the creators likely had good intentions, this seemed more like a cash grab to bank off of the success of Shaq. However, the special effects were abysmal, the story was thin, and, as many likely imagine, most of the acting was poor. This is more of a movie that people watch with the intention of laughing than a respectable superhero film.
“Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” (1987)
- Director: Sidney J. Furie
- Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Mariel Hemingway, Jackie Cooper
- IMDB Rating: 3.7/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 10%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 16%
Even Superman himself lands on this list with the fourth film in the franchise. In this instance, Superman fights rival Nuclear Man, which is a clone of Superman and, thus, just as powerful. All of this happens to take place as the United States and Russia are involved in a nuclear arm’s race. The cast seemed to be bored of Superman at this time in the series. The acting appears lazy, and the special effects are somehow worse than they were in the past, even though years had passed since the original Superman film.
“Elektra” (2005)
- Director: Rob Bowman
- Starring: Jennifer Garner, Terence Stamp, Kirsten Zien, Goran Visnjic
- IMDB Rating: 4.7/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 11%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 29%
This was another attempt to create a movie series for a comic book character we don’t often see, but it ended up being one of the worst superhero movies of the 2000s. What should have been a fun popcorn blockbuster film took itself too seriously. There also seemed to be a lack of action and smart dialogue and so there wasn’t much to talk about. What’s sad is that this movie was co-written by Frank Miller, who wrote “Sin City” and “300”, so there was a lot of wasted potential here.
“Jonah Hex” (2010)
- Director: Jimmy Hayward
- Starring: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender
- IMDB Rating: 4.7/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 12%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 20%
We have yet another attempt to bring another relatively unknown comic book hero to the big screen with middling results. Jonah Hex is a gunslinger who has an uncanny ability to track bad guys, and so he goes after John Malkovich’s Quentin Turnbull. The big problem with the movie is that it’s unfocused and tries to go in too many directions. The film is also quite forgettable, meaning most people reading this may not even know the film existed. The only good thing was the short run time of under 90 minutes.
“The Spirit” (2008)
- Director: Frank Miller
- Starring: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, Eva Mendes
- IMDB Rating: 4.7/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 14%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 25%
On paper, “The Spirit” should have been an incredible success. This is another film produced by acclaimed artist Frank Miller. He directed the movie and the film is shot in the same style as his other classics, like “300.” However, audiences didn’t grasp onto this film. Many found the plot completely confusing, others didn’t like the characters, and most couldn’t stand the dialogue between the cast. This will go down as one of Miller’s most forgettable projects.
“Underdog” (2007)
- Director: Frederik Du Chau
- Starring: Jason Lee, Jim Belushi, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton
- IMDB Rating: 4.8/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 14%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 42%
To many, the idea of a superhero dog doesn’t seem like the best idea, but this one is so bad that it’s on the list of the worst superhero movies. This is the story of a dog who gets powers and the ability to speak. He’s voiced by Jason Lee, and while Lee provides some charm, it wasn’t enough to bring a forgettable adaptation of an existing story to life. The movie seemed to recycle tropes that have been seen before but not to the extent that they would be memorable. You would be forgiven for forgetting this film exists.
“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (2003)
- Director: Stephen Norrington
- Starring: Sean Connery, Shane West, Stuart Townsend, Richard Roxburgh
- IMDB Rating: 5.8/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 17%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 44%
This was supposed to be the ultimate action movie with big stars playing exciting characters, but it ultimately fell flat. Granted, audiences and critics liked the premise, but the story and plot were poorly executed. The film was a box office bomb, and many of the actors in it didn’t have much of a career afterward. The movie simply wasn’t as extraordinary as the name suggested. Possibly the worst part is that this is considered to be the last film in Sean Connery’s illustrious career.
“Spawn” (1997)
- Director: Mark A.Z. Dippe
- Starring: John Leguizamo, Michael Jai White, Martin Sheen, Theresa Randle
- IMDB Rating: 5.2/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 17%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 36%
Another one of the most forgettable and worst superhero movies is “Spawn.” It’s an overly violent film that may have its fan base, but the general audience wasn’t too keen on it. Many critics felt it was more of a horror film than a hero flick, and the story was also thin. One of the worst parts was the computer graphics, which were bad for that time and did not age well. The movie was overly campy, but not in a good way.
“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” (2011)
- Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
- Starring: Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Ciarán Hinds, Violante Placido
- IMDB Rating: 4.3/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 19%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 31%
It’s hard to believe that they made a Ghost Rider sequel when the first one wasn’t that well-received, but they did. The result was over the top but in more of an annoying than crazy way. The story was weak and the CGI was uneven. What made it worse was that the film was in 3D during the 3D craze. To top it all off, Nicholas Cage was going over the top with his performances, and it came off as a little too much. The movie did poorly at the box office and has been forgotten ever since.
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III” (1993)
- Director: Stuart Gillard
- Starring: Elias Koteas, Paige Turco, Stuart Wilson, Vivian Wu
- IMDB Rating: 4.8/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 19%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 33%
The first two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies were great, and they captivated audiences young and old, but they got rid of everything that made them great for the third film. This one involves time travel, and the gimmick gets old quickly. Plus, Shredder, their main nemesis, wasn’t in the film. This movie seemed to take a more serious turn, as there were far fewer jokes. Worst of all, the film was far too long. When most people think fondly about the Ninja Turtles movies of the 90s, this one is often forgotten.
“Thunder Force” (2021)
- Director: Ben Falcone
- Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Melissa Leo
- IMDB Rating: 4.5/10
- Rotten Tomato Critical Score: 22%
- Rotten Tomato Audience Score: 23%
The idea behind “Thunder Force” was likely to throw comedic actress Melissa McCarthy into a superhero suit and expect it to automatically succeed. However, this one falls flat. While they try to be funny, many jokes fall flat. There’s also a noticeable lack of action for a superhero film. Even worse, the movie was too vulgar to be a kid’s movie but a little too immature for adults. All that resulted in a flop. If you want to see even more likable characters, check out 15 of the Most Hated TV Characters of the 1980s.