Summary
- 90s superhero movies often flopped due to mismatched tones, like Disney's lighter take on 'The Rocketeer'.
- 'The Meteor Man' and 'Blankman' were '90s superhero films overpowered by too many comedic elements.
- Many '90s superhero movies, like 'Captain America' and 'The Fantastic Four', were made to retain character rights but were ultimately forgettable.
Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was established and adapting comic books for the big screen became a surefire way to attract audiences to the movie theater, superhero movies struggled to survive. The '90s specifically were a rather difficult and strange time for the genre. Despite big studios wanting to cash in on the appeal of comic books from both children and adults alike, the execution of many superhero movies at the time did not pan out the way they were expected to. Hugely popular characters such as Batman, Spider-Man, and Captain America were sought after by studios who believed bringing fan-favorite characters to life would equal box office success.
The desire to bring comic book characters to the big screen for feature-length adventures became so widespread throughout major studios that almost any superhero character was given the opportunity to have a cinematic adaptation brought to life. Since so many studios and filmmakers desperately wanted to try their hand at making superhero movies, a lot of these movies fell through the cracks.
Sure, some comic book superhero movies in the '90s did well, such as The Mask or Batman Returns, but many of them were received poorly and ultimately forgettable. With the well-crafted and thoroughly planned superhero movies of the last 20 years, it is unfortunately not surprising that many movies of the genre from before are not talked about as often now. So, with that being said, here are ten long-forgotten superhero movies of the '90s.
13 The Rocketeer (1991)
The Rocketeer was creator Dave Stevens' homage to the Saturday afternoon superheroes of the '30s and '40s. When the comic debuted under Pacific Comics in 1982, it quickly attracted a dedicated following. In 1986, Disney showed interest in picking up the comic for a feature film adaptation, but superhero movies had not yet reached the level of box office profitability that they have reached today. Therefore, the comic about a young pilot who stumbles upon a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a masked hero was shelved until the early '90s.
Why Didn't It Soar?
Disney wanted a family-friendly tone set in modern times, while Stevens and the director Joe Johnston wanted a more adult-friendly tone set in the 1930s. The compromise made was that it would take place in the '30s, but with a lighter tone that would still appeal to families. Unsurprisingly, Disney's choice to go with a kid-friendly tone negatively impacted the movie, as it underperformed at the box office that summer.
12 The Meteor Man (1993)
The Meteor Man follows a high school teacher from a rough neighborhood in Washington D.C. who becomes a super-powered hero and decides to take on the gang that has been terrorizing his neighborhood and its citizens. A movie in which Robert Townsend wrote, directed, and starred, this was clearly a passion project of his. The film sees Townsend's Jefferson Reed gain x-ray vision, super strength, super speed, super hearing, telekinesis, healing powers, the ability to communicate with dogs, and the ability to absorb the contents of an entire book just by touching it.
Why Did It Crash Like a Meteor?
It was likely a bit overstuffed in the super-powers department. Superhero projects tend to fare better when the protagonist has well-established powers, especially when they're unique to the hero, e.g. Spider-Man. But, the movie actually has a strong ensemble cast including Don Cheadle, James Earl Jones, Marla Gibbs, Sinbad, and more. However, mixing comedy with social commentary perhaps didn't mesh well enough, as the movie has become relatively obscure in the 30 years since its release.
11 Blankman (1994)
Starring Damon Wayans as the titular Blankman, the movie revolves around a Batman-obsessed inventor who takes it upon himself to become a crime-fighting hero after his grandmother's life is taken. Complete with a bulletproof costume consisting of regular clothes and household items, Darryl Walker becomes Blankman with the intention of being the lowest-budget superhero ever. He accomplishes that mission, among others.
What Makes Blankman a '90s Curiosity?
Wayans, of course, brought his signature brand of humor to the superhero parody and was a likable lead as the absentminded Darryl Walker. In addition to his bulletproof clothing, Darryl had many homemade gadgets that were both bizarre and interesting, as well as a talking robot named J5 that served as his sidekick. The movie tanked critically and commercially, with too many of the jokes not sticking the landing. Surprisingly, the movie was actually the feature film debut of Greg Kinnear.
10 Star Kid (1997)
Joseph Mazzello was a child star turned teen star in the '90s who was at the time best known for being in movies such as Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. He was then given his own starring vehicle in the form of the superhero movie, Star Kid, in 1997. The movie follows shy seventh-grader Spencer Griffith whose life changes when a meteor falls into the local junkyard and he finds a Cybersuit, which happens to be a robot from another galaxy.
Certainly No Jurassic Park
Spencer puts on the suit to become Star Kid so that he can stop bullies and rescue his crush from danger. Of course, things take a turn for the worse when an alien race comes to Earth looking for trouble, leaving Spencer and his suit to defeat them. Even with the family-friendly tone and appeal to young kids, Star Kids bombed at the box office. Since then, it has been largely forgotten.
9 Barb Wire (1996)
Set during the fictional Second American Civil War in 2017, Barb Wire (Pamela Anderson) owns a nightclub called the Hammerhead. Her life becomes more complicated when her ex, Axel Hood, comes back and has since married a fugitive named Corrina Devonshire.
Didn't Pan Out for Anderson's Leading Lady Hopes
Barb Wire essentially borrows the plot of the classic film Casablanca and turns it into a futuristic war movie. In addition to being a nightclub owner, Barb is also a mercenary by night in one of the last free zones in the United States. She is subsequently roped into a top-secret government plot when Axel and Corrina show up at her club. This was supposed to be the first of several films to star Anderson, but the movie performed so badly that she was never the lead in another large-budget movie ever again. This is upsetting considering what was going on in her life at the time and the fact that she just wanted to act.
Obscure Marvel Characters That Deserve Their Own Films
Marvel has proven they can make obscure characters popular, and heroes like Quasar and Beta Ray Bill deserve their own shot at the big screen.8 Captain America (1990)
21 years before he would make his official appearance in the MCU, Captain America had his own movie simply titled Captain America. Starring the son of famous author J.D. Salinger, Matt Salinger, the movie follows a version of Captain America who was frozen from the end of World War II until 1990. When he awakens, he discovers that his old nemesis Red Skull has changed his identity and plans to kidnap the President of the United States.
Gotta Retain the Rights Somehow
Val Kilmer was originally selected to star in this campy screen adaptation, but he turned down the opportunity to star as the titular lead in this low-budget endeavor in favor of The Doors. The movie was shelved for two years and was eventually released straight to video in 1992. It has been remembered as a sloppy and strange movie if remembered at all.
7 The Fantastic Four (1994)
As much as comic book fans enjoy The Fantastic Four as characters, it has been proven time and time again that turning their comic book stories into live-action films is incredibly tricky. The 2005 movie, Fantastic Four, didn't do well, and the 2015 reboot was received even worse than the first one. People love to talk about how bad those iterations are, but many are not even aware that there was another attempt to bring these characters to life in 1994 with The Fantastic Four.
Genuinely Not As Bad As the 2015 One... Though Not By Much
This movie was never released theatrically. It was never aired on TV nor was it released on video. The movie only eventually popped up on YouTube years later. It has been said that the reason the movie was even made in the first place was that executive producer Bernd Eichinger wanted to retain the rights to the characters and the story.
Making the movie with an impossibly low budget would have allowed them to keep the rights and make a better movie down the line. He apparently denied this, so another speculation is that a lower-level Marvel executive named Avid Arad had purchased the rights to the movie because he didn't want Marvel to be associated with such a low-budget project and had it hidden from public viewing.
6 Tank Girl (1995)
A girl named Rebecca (Lori Petty) is among one of the few remaining survivors of a dystopian world that is controlled by the tyrannical corporation Water and Power which also happens to govern the wasteland that is what's left of Earth. After she and her friend Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) escape incarceration at the hands of W & P, they steal a tank and a jet in order to bring Water and Power down for good.
Nothing If Not Ambitious
Tank Girl is the live-action adaptation of the popular British comic series of the same name. Lori Petty was hand-picked for the role after director Rachel Talalay decided to helm the project after reading an issue while shooting her directorial debut, Freddy's Dead: A New Nightmare. Disney took an interest in producing the movie, but Talalay decided to go with MGM because they promised to keep the adult themes that the comics possessed. Talalay's approach made for a hyper and chaotic movie that unfortunately went through a number of cuts. It was a box office flop, but it has gained somewhat of a following in recent years, although it is still regarded as a chaotic movie.
5 Darkman (1990)
After Sam Raimi couldn't secure the rights to the superhero characters he was interested in making movies about, he decided to create one of his own. The movie was based on a short story that Raimi wrote, titled Darkman, which paid homage to the classic Universal horror monsters of the '30s. The story centers around a scientist named Peyton Westlake who has developed synthetic skin that could be beneficial for burn victims, but the only problem is that the skin degrades after 100 minutes of exposure to light. When he is attacked by thugs and burned horrifically, he is presumed dead. Peyton becomes the Darkman and enacts revenge on those who burned him, he is able to assume the identity of anyone, but only for 100 minutes.
Before There Was Spider-Man...
Raimi wanted his long-time buddy Bruce Campbell to play the Darkman, but Universal Studios thought it would be better to have a bigger name attached to the film, so Liam Neeson was brought on instead. It also featured Frances McDormand in a supporting role. Most importantly, it served as a trial run for Raimi to see if he could handle the superhero genre before he directed the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, which he has become known for. Bruce Campbell did end up making a cameo as well.
4 Steel (1990)
A very loose adaptation of the DC Comics character, Steel didn't take long to become a punchline. The film stars NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal as John Henry Irons, who goes on the warpath when his rival, Nathaniel Burke (Judd Nelson, hamming it up), causes an accident that leaves Irons' partner in a wheelchair. Together, Irons and his partner craft a super suit so he can successfully exact vengeance.
Not Quite the Man of Steel
Even with talented performers such as Richard Roundtree, Irma P. Hall, and Annabeth Gish rounding out the cast, Steel falls victim to its leading man's lack of acting prowess. Plus, with a laughable costume and even worse special effects, it doesn't come close to making it as a solid superhero film. And, frankly, it doesn't even enter so-bad-it's-good territory.
3 Spawn (1997)
Spawn was and remains both notable and a mixed bag. On one hand, it was one of the first comic book films to feature an African American performer playing the superhero. It also gave John Leguizamo one of if not his most memorable roles to date. The narrative follows Al Simmons, a slain mercenary who is revived, but as part of that satanic deal, he must now use his time on Earth to lead a devilish army. Simmons has other plans. Namely, revenge and reunification with his family.
Some of the '90s' Least Impressive Visuals
On the other hand, the film's modest budget kept it from having impressive special effects even for 1997. By this point in time, they look dreadful. Yet, before Clown becomes Violator, at least there's Leguizamo's charisma to get viewers through it.
2 Mystery Men (1999)
Captain Amazing is the perpetual savior of Champion City. And, considering that, he's earned a seemingly-appropriate amount of reverence. But, people aren't always as they appear, even if the word 'amazing' is in their name. Sometimes, especially when someone like Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush, stealing all of his scenes) rears his ugly head, an egotistical superstar isn't what's required.
Destined to Be a Cult Film
The core concept of having basically ordinary people playing superheroes is a lot of fun. But, this isn't Kick-Ass, as Mystery Men does occasionally blur the line between the average person and a superpowered person. It's an interesting film and a definite product of the '90s, and fortunately it's become somewhat of a cult item (especially given the presence of stars such as Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, and the late Paul Reubens).
1 Generation X (1996)
The idea behind this movie was to bring the X-Men universe to the small screen without having to use their more popular characters so that Fox could save them for theatrical films. Essentially, it was one of Marvel's first attempts at expanding their vast comic book universe into the world of television before Netflix and Disney+ were even a thought. Generation X was supposed to become a TV series, but it never got past the pilot episode. It was repackaged as a TV movie.
What Was It About?
It featured a few familiar characters, such as Jubilee, Emma Frost, and Banshee, as well as less familiar names such as Mondo. The television movie sees the young teenage mutants training at their school for superheroes as they learn to harness whichever super-powered abilities they have in order to defeat an evil scientist who wants to control the population's dreams. It features some campy characters and effects that do not hold up well, so it is not shocking that this TV show turned TV movie has fallen to the wayside.
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