Superheroes That Are In Dire Need Of A Reboot
Although there's a strong belief that "superhero fatigue" is starting to set in, the movie genre is still pushing forward with tons of releases. From the MCU continuing its post-"Endgame" run with films like "The Marvels," "Captain America: New World Order," and "Thunderbolts" to the DC Universe starting a new era under James Gunn and Peter Safran with Gunn's highly-anticipated "Superman: Legacy," superhero movies aren't going away any time soon. Still, there are some heroes who would be better off just starting over and crafting a new legacy.
Frankly, we've seen reboots work wonders for superhero franchises like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Batman," "The Suicide Squad," "Daredevil," and many more. So, it might not be a bad idea for some other heroes to just reboot themselves as well — especially if they have a negative history due to previous releases. Maybe they had a terrible film adaptation that most want to forget or simply need a fresh start to remain relevant. Here are some superheroes who desperately need a reboot so that they can find some newfound success.
Ghost Rider
Nicolas Cage's two-film stint as the beloved Marvel hero Ghost Rider will always be remembered by fans, but it's time that flame-headed hero rides back onto the big screen. With the MCU delving deeper into Marvel's horror side lately through heroes like Moon Knight and Werewolf by Night and a reboot of Blade on the way, it's the perfect time for the Spirit of Vengeance to ride again. Not to mention, Ghost Rider's origin is tied directly to beloved Marvel villain Mephisto whom fans have been requesting to see for quite some time — so his arrival could have interesting implications for the MCU's future.
Ghost Rider also desperately needs a reboot simply because he's never gotten the chance to have a widely acclaimed film adaptation. Cage's portrayal of the Johnny Blaze version of Ghost Rider will always be a soft spot for Marvel fans. But his films had a lot of problems — both visually and narratively — and came before the modern emergence of superhero movies. Gabriel Luna's portrayal of the Robbie Reyes version of the hero was also well-liked but was stuck in the relative obscurity of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." being on the small screen. Now that superhero movies have achieved notoriety and respect like never before, it's time for Ghost Rider to have his vengeance with a reboot that gets the character and his dark lore right.
Fantastic Four
If there's any superhero team out there that desperately needs a fresh start on the big screen, it's got to be the Fantastic Four. Not only were the 2005 film and its sequel, "Rise of the Silver Surfer," seen as less than stellar by both critics and audiences, but the follow-up reboot in 2015 is generally seen as one of the worst comic book movies in recent memory — and let's not even talk about the live-action 1994 film. So, it's time that the MCU brings the Fantastic Four into the mix and delivers a film fans of the iconic Marvel team can feel proud of. Plus, the MCU is in dire need of a big, overarching villain — especially given all the problems they've been having with Kang lately — and adding Doctor Doom could solve their issues.
Thankfully, we already know that a Fantastic Four reboot is coming for the MCU and is currently set to hit theaters in 2025. The film will be directed by "WandaVision" director Matt Shankman and could be a game changer for the MCU. The only problem is that it's faced severe production delays; at the moment, we still have no idea who will be playing the Fantastic Four or Doctor Doom, nor do we know when cameras will start rolling. The ongoing WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes are also playing a major role in delays, so it's unclear when we'll actually see this film. Hopefully, news will come soon, and the Fantastic Four can rise again.
Kick-Ass
When Matthew Vaughn adapted Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s iconic comic series "Kick-Ass" back in 2010, he delivered an incredibly funny, provocative, and action-packed superhero story that captured the attention of audiences far and wide. The first film was a major success – garnering great praise from critics and audiences and raking in nearly $100 million at the box office. The success of "Kick-Ass" was also noteworthy for it not only being a pretty violent R-rated superhero movie — predating films like "Deadpool" and "Logan" — but also for not being a Marvel or DC superhero movie. Unfortunately, the legacy of "Kick-Ass" was tarnished by its vastly inferior sequel, which was generally panned and didn't perform as well at the box office.
Once "Kick-Ass 2" fell flat, the franchise became lost in the shadows of growing cinematic universes. However, there's no better time than now to bring "Kick-Ass" back and reclaim the acclaim and notoriety it had in the superhero genre. There are so many intriguing, comical, and thrilling heroes in the world of "Kick-Ass," and it would be a shame to see them all forgotten. All this franchise needs is a fresh vision, or maybe have Matthew Vaughn return to chart a new direction, and it could end up being a big crowd favorite again.
Swamp Thing
Ever since the early '80s, DC has been trying everything to make the obscure and horror-inspired hero Swamp Thing a major star. From Wes Craven's 1982 film based on the character to the TV series adaptation done for the DC Universe streaming service, DC has tried multiple times to make a live-action version of Swamp Thing. Unfortunately, these attempts have ended in failure. Craven's Swamp Thing film was simply chucked onto VHS upon release and became a forgotten part of his career. Then the Swamp Thing TV series had a lot of notable problems in its development, including being cancelled before the production of the series was concluded. At this point, Swamp Thing seems cursed at DC and Warner Bros., which is a shame because it's chock-full of great potential.
The use of body horror in Swamp Thing's story and characterization is what makes it instantly stand apart from other comic book heroes. There's also a lot of awesome lore that's tied to DC's supernatural side and one of its popular teams, Justice League Dark. The incredible visual and narrative potential of Swamp Thing is what makes the franchise desperately needing and deserving of a reboot so that this obscure DC hero can get his time in the spotlight. Hopefully, the upcoming movie reboot in Gunn's revamped DCU can live up to its potential and break this franchise's terrible curse.
Spawn
Another horror-centric hero who really hasn't gotten the fair shake they deserve is Spawn. The hero — from the Image Comics series created by Todd McFarlane — has a lot of incredible potential to lead a great R-rated superhero movie. Spawn's power set is filled with supernatural magic and visceral destruction that could be both incredibly chilling and visually stunning to see in action, especially with more modern effects. The lore behind Spawn's world is filled with hellish characters and settings that would be amazing to see on the big screen. If there was an adaptation that really flexed the R-rated nature of Spawn and came with some notable special effects, it could lift the character out of cult notoriety and into wider recognition.
Unfortunately, the only film adaptation we've gotten was back in 1997, where the effects were an absolute eye-sore and the conception of the film was rough. Even worse is that the current reboot, reportedly helmed by McFarlane and produced by Blumhouse, has been at a standstill for quite some time. While there was some promise of having McFarlane so heavily involved and Jamie Foxx supposedly cast as Spawn, there has been almost no movement on the reboot's progress for a while. For the sake of the fans, hopefully McFarlane's reboot starts to make some strong progress or another reboot comes in the near future that captures Spawn's potential for a great superhero movie.
Green Lantern
Of all of DC's most notable Justice League members, the only one who has been kept out of the cinematic spotlight lately is Green Lantern — but it's not surprising why. The 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan's iteration of the hero was seen as a humiliating effort. It was not only widely lambasted and a massive disappointment at the box office, but Reynolds also poked fun at how terrible the film is in the post-credits scene of "Deadpool 2." Outside of that, DC never did much with Green Lantern in its recent string of movies. The Green Lanterns were just background characters in certain Snyderverse films, and not even Zack Snyder's plans to introduce his own version of John Stewart made the final cut of his Justice League.
However, DC and Warner Bros.'s past failures shouldn't make them lean away from Green Lantern. Rather, they should be totally committed to a proper reboot. There's so much visual and action potential in seeing the Green Lantern Corps fight on the big screen, and a ton of fascinating lore that's pivotal to creating a great DC cinematic universe with cosmic depth. The good news is that Gunn plans to include an upcoming series called "Lanterns," which would feature both Hal Jordan and John Stewart working together on a mysterious case. Hopefully this time Green Lantern can be done right so that his previous cinematic history of being mistreated and misused can be forgotten.
Jonah Hex
Although DC has touched on most of its notable heroes, they've left some fan favorites with a lot of potential to be crowd-pleasers on the back burner — especially Jonah Hex. Unlike most of DC's more iconic heroes — except maybe Batman — Jonah Hex has no superpowers or magical abilities. Rather, he's simply a talented gunslinger who makes nearly anyone he comes across quake in their boots due to his marksman skills and disfigured face. There was a film adaptation of the character by DC and Warner Bros. back in 2010, but it ended in disaster. The film was universally panned and a box-office failure. Since then, Jonah Hex has only been seen in the Arrowverse's "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," and that's a real shame.
Admittedly, it is hard to see how Jonah Hex can be a part of a cinematic universe since he's stuck in his Wild West setting (his brief foray into DC's apocalyptic future aside) and could really only be fully brought into the fold through the multiverse or time travel. However, that doesn't mean he should get left behind as the DCU goes through a reboot. Jonah Hex's traditional setting would be incredibly unique compared to most comic book movies, and it could easily fit into the Western genre that's just dying to make a comeback. Jonah Hex's cinematic legacy shouldn't be defined by that 2010 disaster, as there's too much potential in his skillset, world, and potential genre impact that could make a reboot game-changing.
The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer has shown a lot of potential for a cool film adaptation since its conception back in 1982, but, like most of the characters mentioned here, it was thwarted by a crummy theatrical showing. While the 1991 film "The Rocketeer" wasn't panned by critics like most of the film adaptations mentioned, its poor box-office take showed that not many people saw it. As a result, the titular comic hero was simply left in obscurity and has struggled to find relevancy in the modern era of superhero movies. With The Rocketeer not being a Marvel or DC comic, there's been no place for it in either of their cinematic universe plans. The only attempt to bring The Rocketeer back in front of audiences has been a Disney Junior show that's led by a new version of the character and only lasted one season.
Frankly, The Rocketeer has many great qualities that could lead to a memorable superhero film. It features a central character design that embodies the classic feel of its world. The series features retro, tech-driven powers that scream "big screen action" and historical connections that make its world more intriguing and relatable. Honestly, despite the superhero genre being a little overstuffed currently, there's a path for The Rocketeer to build its own distinct cinematic world. Unfortunately, The Rocketeer is on the verge of being left behind in comic book history and could be a classic hero that falls completely out of relevancy without a good reboot.
Constantine
Although DC has tried multiple times to make a live-action version of magician John Constantine, they've rarely achieved the level of success that they desire. It all started back in 2005 with the film adaptation starring Keanu Reeves as Constantine, which saw success at the box office but also received a mixed reception from critics and fans. DC released a Constantine TV series in 2014, but while it featured a fan-favorite portrayal of the character by Matt Ryan, it only lasted one season. While Ryan was able to reprise his role in the Arrowverse, and a sequel to the 2004 film is apparently in development with Reeves wanting to reprise his role, there really needs to be a full reboot in order to chart a proper legacy for the character.
The upcoming reboot of the DCU seems like the perfect opportunity to bring new life to Constantine — especially considering the "Gods and Monsters" title given to the DCU's first chapter. Constantine's demon-centric background and his heavy presence in the supernatural aspects of DC's lore could make him a pivotal character in this new cinematic universe. Maybe he could even appear in the upcoming "Swamp Thing" film, since they do have a lot of connected history. Whether it's through this supposed reboot with Reeves or in the new DCU, Constantine needs a fresh start to not only distance himself from previous adaptations' shortcomings but also to live up to the character's potential for DC's horror side.
Elektra
Of all of Marvel's most famous heroines, no one has struggled more to find their place in the spotlight than Elektra. Although she's made plenty of appearances across Marvel's live-action movies and shows, they haven't led to much. Jennifer Garner's version of the deadly assassin for hire had the double bad luck of being a part of the maligned 2003 "Daredevil" movie and then having her own disastrous solo film just a couple years later. Then, Elodie Yung's version of the character was brought into Netflix's Marvel Universe to stand alongside Charlie Cox's more well-received Daredevil, but it's unclear if she'll return for the upcoming reboot, "Daredevil: Born Again." In short, Elektra has simply been constantly overshadowed by Daredevil and is now in desperate need of her own reboot.
With Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow now gone and her sister Yelena set to join the Thunderbolts, the MCU has an open spot for a female assassin with tons of story potential. Elektra could easily fill that slot and finally find a place for her own story to thrive without Daredevil or some other hero standing beside her. Despite her live-action legacy constantly being tied to Daredevil, there is enough to her personal story for her to stand on her own. It's time for Elektra to get a reboot that allows her to step out from Daredevil's shadow.
X-Men
While there was a time when the X-Men ruled the world of comic book movies, it was very long ago. Outside of Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine, none of Fox's attempts to expand the X-Men franchise's dominance really worked out. The disappointment of "X-Men: The Last Stand" dashed any hopes of the mainline story continuing, and after "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" received significant audience backlash, a lot of concepts surrounding solo X-Men films were scrapped. Then, the massive failures of films like "The New Mutants," "X-Men: Apocalypse," and "Dark Phoenix" pretty much ended the rebooted X-Men storyline on a low note. Now, though, with the X-Men film rights fully transferred to Disney, it's time for the MCU to reboot the X-Men and start a new era for Marvel's most famous mutant heroes.
With the current Multiverse Saga hitting some rough patches and struggling to recapture the magic of the pre-"Endgame" MCU, Marvel Studios will likely want to jump-start things with a fresh approach. The X-Men are the perfect team to bring new energy to the MCU, as its vast array of heroes and storylines could reinvigorate the audience's interest, especially since the X-Men are a known success story. After so many notable failures, the X-Men need to establish their place and dominance in the comic book movie space, and a reboot placed firmly within the MCU could easily do that.
Wonder Woman
When the DCEU was struggling to find its formula or a movie that audiences universally liked, Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins swooped in with "Wonder Woman" to literally save the day. Unfortunately, as the DCEU went on, Wonder Woman's shrinking role highlighted that maybe it was time for a reboot for the character. While Gadot never stopped shining as the character, her reduced roles in films like "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" and "The Flash" treated her solely as a one-woman clean-up crew for the titular heroes. By this point, Warner Bros.'s lack of interest in effectively using Wonder Woman was clear. Plus, the reported cancellation of "Wonder Woman 3" has basically sealed the deal that Gadot's time as Wonder Woman is over. However, DC shouldn't let the impact and influence that Gadot's Wonder Woman has had stop them from continuing the character's legacy through a reboot.
Gunn's DCU already seems to be planting the seeds of a new Wonder Woman being brought into the mix with the upcoming series "Paradise Lost." Although it's a prequel, the events will supposedly set the stage for Diana of Themyscira's inevitable arrival in, hopefully, a modern-day-based Wonder Woman movie. It's a shame that Gadot's time as Wonder Woman was cut so short since she truly redefined the character's legacy, but if her recent involvement in DC films proves anything, it's that it's time for the character to start fresh.