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Marvel movies have evolved over the past few decades, offering fans an epic saga of superheroes, their origin stories, and the convergence of magical, technological, and otherworldly powers coming together to fight against evil. With a myriad of movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony's Spider-Man Universe, fans have no dearth of movies to enjoy, dissect, and be entertained by.
However, certain Marvel movies failed to meet audience expectations. Whether it was a highly anticipated sequel that fell short like Thor: Love and Thunder, or a movie that seemingly came out of nowhere with poor writing, visual effects, or performance, like Morbius. Many fans were left disappointed with such entries in the franchise.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer.
Thor: Love and Thunder, Morbius, and other Marvel movies that disappointed fans
1) Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
Chris Hemsworth reprised his role as Thor (Image via Disney+)The fourth Thor installment had the potential to be one of the more interesting Marvel movies. It was a box-office success, grossing $760.9 million worldwide, but it wasn't a fan-favorite. The demigod (Chris Hemsworth) and his ragtag team go on a quest to stop Gorr the God Butcher from enacting his vengeful plans.
The film had a solid cast, including Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Christian Bale, and the director Taika Waititi. However, the formula just did not work.
However, the movie felt like a rehash of its predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok, in terms of its tone, plot, and humor. While Ragnarok cleverly toed the line between humor and message, Love and Thunder tips over to a less serious tone, reducing the movie to giggles and whims. Thor is a smart and witty character, so dumbing down his personality made it a disappointing watch, even if it was extremely entertaining.
The movie attempted to explore themes of love, loss, and grief, which had potential, but was held back by uneven editing, fluctuating pacing, and humor that at times felt out of place within the story. Finally, as far as Marvel movies go, this one could have used more character development, especially for Bale's Gorr.
Where to watch: Disney+
2) Morbius (2022)
Jared Leto as the titular character (Image via Disney+)While not a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Morbius is one of those Marvel movies that indirectly ties into the franchise through Sony's Spider-Man Universe. Vampire bats, a rare blood disorder, and an experiment gone wrong put Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) on a collision course with his younger brother, who also wants the titular character's superpowers.
While fans already had modest expectations for this Daniel Espinosa directorial, the movie ended up falling short even of those. Poor CGI, a very run-of-the-mill storyline that did not fit into Marvel's usual mold, and stiff acting performances from the ensemble cast earned it poor critical and commercial reception. It grossed $167.4 million worldwide against a budget of $73-85 million.
Morbius ended up becoming one of the most memed Marvel movies. While fans hoped it would offer some light, entertaining moments like certain commercial films, the movie's overall lack of impact made it underwhelming.
Where to watch: Disney+
3) Madame Web (2024)
Johnson as Cassandra "Madame" Web (Image via Netflix)S.J. Clarkson's foray into Marvel movies created a buzz for various reasons: a stacked cast, featuring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, and Adam Scott. It had an interesting plot with a paramedic realizing she has spidey senses. An action-packed premise in the trailer had fans excited for a brand new adventure. However, none of that panned out on the big screen.
Unconventional camera movements with odd zooms and uneven directing affected the composition of the fight scenes. Additional production woes, such as inconsistent costume design to uneven audio mixing, impacted the overall visual experience. However, the most underwhelming moment in the movie was when fans realized that the climax was actually a part of the trailer.
Overall, the dry plot and lack of depth for Johnson's Cassandra Webb character added to the disappointment. Moreover, as a Sony's Spider-Man Universe movie, her character not crossing paths with the superhero made little sense in the grand scheme of things. The film was a commercial failure, grossing $100.5 million worldwide against a budget of around the same value.
Where to watch: Netflix
4) Fantastic Four (2015)
The main cast of F4ntastic (Image via Hotstar)From hurried script rewrites during filming and reshoots in post-production to director Josh Trank's alleged behavioral issues, Fantastic Four quickly lost its way. Additionally, 20th Century Fox changed the director's cut to an ending they felt was more suited, which caused friction. As a result, this Marvel movie disappointed fans.
There was plenty to look forward to. For instance, the established love for the superheroes, a great cast including Michael B. Jordan, and the failure of its predecessor, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, give hope for a better reboot. While fans thought there was nowhere to go but up, things ultimately fell flat.
The usual excitement of Marvel movies, especially the F4 franchise, expressed through color and vibrant action sequences, was noticeably absent. The plot missed the whole idea of showing regular humans grappling with their newfound powers with a one-year time jump, which led to minimal character development. It grossed $167.9 million worldwide against an estimated $200 million budget.
Where to watch: Disney+
5) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
The titular duo in the movie (Image via Hotstar)When the titular superheroes realize they have more powers than they knew about, they go into the Quantum realm. Strange new creatures, infinite timelines, and an adventure await them. Paul Rudd as Ant-Man is one of the most loved superheroes in Marvel movies, which meant that fans were excited to see him back on the big screen. However, the movie disappointed fans.
The abrupt tonal shift from humorous to serious was a key issue that made it difficult for fans to get a fully immersive experience. Moreover, despite being one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget of $330.1 million, the movie's CGI was unconvincing and diminished its visual appeal.
Jonathan Majors was introduced as the antagonist, Kang the Conqueror, and fans expected an entertaining face-off, only to be disappointed. It grossed $467 million against a budget of $200 million, with good opening weekend numbers. However, that did not translate to a resounding commercial success.
Where to watch: Disney+
Other Marvel movies that fans found disappointing were The Marvels (2023) and Thunderbolts*(2025).
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Edited by Sriparna Barui
English (US)