Comic book movie adaptations have become immensely popular in the past two decades. With them being major box office successes too, it is no surprise to hear that studios are constantly dreaming up new big screen adventures based on beloved superheroes and villains. The characters from Marvel Comics, in particular, have entertained legions of fans because of the grand treatment they receive from production studios.
However, sometimes fans’ expectations are unfulfilled when certain movies are shelved. The reasons could be anything from financial reconsiderations or scripting issues to failure of a prequel or internal struggles over creative direction. When a trajectory of a series of movies is left hanging, one is only left with imagination as to what the movie would look like had it seen the light of day. In this list, we present Marvel movies that never made it as far despite all the buzz surrounding them.
12 Silver and Black
Few of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s movies are focused majorly on female characters. Silver and Black could have been an interesting addition as it would unite two formidable anti-heroines, Silver Sable and Black Cat. Their complementary skills and rival culture would offer escalated stakes and the chaos and destruction the superhero movies are famous for.
In 2017, Sony Pictures began developing the movie and had writer Christopher Yost and director Gina Prince-Bythewood on board. The movie was slated to be a part of a shared reality with the MCU but fans shouldn’t be expecting any crossovers. In 2018, however, the production was delayed due to issues in the script and the studio eventually canceled the project by saying it would be best if both the characters have their standalone movies.
11 Gambit
Following the lukewarm response audiences and critics gave to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, another movie that was supposed to be an installment of the X-Men film series was under production. The movie would have found Remy LeBeau using his roguish charm and playing cards to wreak havoc and become the target of unseen forces. In 2014, it was announced that Channing Tatum will lead the movie as the titular character, the producers describing him as a “dream leading man.”
Problems started soon after. When Rupert Wyatt departed as director in 2015 citing creative differences, no replacement was found, which really affected the momentum. A bunch of directors showed up to volunteer, like Doug Liman, Frank Darabont, and Gore Verbinski, but the project was only further detailed. While fans had long been looking forward to watching Remy materialize on screen, his solo movie turned out to be a complex endeavor.
10 The Hands of Shang-Chi
Way before Marvel Studios delighted fans with the news about (and eventually the theatrical release of) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, there were plans of bringing the hero to the big screen. Stephen Norrington had intentions of adapting the classic kung-fu comic and making sure it wasn’t just a movie about Shang-Chi’s journey but also a martial arts movie through and through.
In Norrington’s words, the movie was going to be “a real honest-to-goodness martial arts film, rather than a film that simply has martial arts in it.” Despite having Ang Lee and Stan Lee sign in as producer and executive producer respectively, the movie was canceled several times throughout the years due to funding issues.
9 Inhumans
Marvel’s team efforts have a polarizing history; while some turn out to be blockbusters, others are total disappointments. Inhumans, however, had all the potential to turn into a success story. The studio even had plans to bring it to the silver screen because in 2014, actor Vin Diesel teased that he may be a part of the project as Black Bolt. Four years later, the movie was pulled out of the release calendar.
Not only did the initial concept outpace the audience’s familiarity with the team, but Marvel also thought it would be risky to do a feature movie and turned to work on a television series instead. Salvaging the narrative into Disney+ was supposed to revitalize the characters but even the show was canceled after just one season due to an underwhelming reception.
8 Namor
Plans for a film adaptation centered around Marvel's preeminent underwater anti-hero were underway long before Tenoch Huerta finally brought the character to life in 2022's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Numerous directors have been attached to the project before ultimately abandoning it, including the likes of Harry Potter's Chris Columbus and Jonathan Mostow, most famous for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
Much like another one of Marvel’s characters, Universal has long held Namor’s film rights, which has ultimately stalled development. Even though previous deals have seen characters being transferred, certain legalities hinder Marvel Studios’ attempt to negotiate, thus banning them from making a movie about Namor. In a conversation with The Wrap, Huerta revealed that he “can return” to the MCU but it won’t be for a standalone movie.
7 Silver Surfer
The Fantastic Four is one of Marvel’s biggest and most appreciated properties. However, when dramatized for the screen, the franchise has hardly been a success. With Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer being a box office bomb and a major disappointment among critics, Fox’s plans to create a spin-off based solely on Silver Surfer stood on shaky ground.
Sure, the production company had visionary inventors and a skilled creative team at their disposal to bring the design and story fans had in mind for the character. But considering how much of a burden the first two movies were, it is probably for the best that Fox canceled their plans.
Also worth noting is the fact that directors like Quentin Tarantino and Andrew Kevin Walker had their own versions of the script for Silver Surfer, but they were both turned away by Constantin Productions and 20th Century Fox respectively.
6 Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire has established itself as a classic outing for the hero because of its sweet nostalgia, overlooked brilliance, and pioneering spirit. A fourth movie would only be the cherry on top since Raimi had plans of creating the best installment in the franchise. The movie would see Maguire dealing with an ignorant world, battling super-villains, and struggling under the weight of great responsibility.
And while Spider-Man 3 arguably left some loose threads, perhaps it was the right movie story-wise for Raimi to never go through with Spider-Man 4. After all, the third movie did underperform at the box office and was seen as a drag. Sony later breathed fresh life into the billion-dollar franchise and proved the original to be just as meaningful by not overshadowing its legacy and instead giving the web-slinger a brand new destiny.
5 Sinister Six
The failure of yet another Spider-Man movie led to the cancellation of a highly anticipated Marvel movie. After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 clearly paved the way for the Sinister Six, a team-up of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies, to enter the franchise, fans were thrilled. It teased the involvement of characters like Rhino, Vulture, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter being led either by Green Goblin or Doc Ock, depending on director Drew Goddard’s ultimate choice.
The movie was destined to be a redemption story, and while the test footage impressed fans, the dull critical response to Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 forced Sony to reconsider and reorganize their universe. Having a movie introduce scores of villains would only lead to complicated storytelling, which is why the project was postponed and then eventually canceled.
4 X-Men Origins: Magneto
The start of the 21st century paved the way for both heroic and non-heroic comic book characters being adapted into feature films. Fox was prepared to make a series of X-Men Origins movies, kicking things off with Wolverine and choosing David S. Goyer to direct the spin-off. Magneto’s story would take place from 1939 to 1955 and he would discover his power amid suffering, loss and war.
Fox pitched the movie as “The Pianist meets X-Men,” and chose to star Ian McKellen as the iconic villain. But because X-Men Origins: Wolverine was greatly unsuccessful, the X-Men Origins: Magneto was scrapped altogether. Perhaps it was for the best that the character avoided a solo film, as he later emerged in the X-Men prequel/sequel X-Men: First Class and was played by Michael Fassbender.
3 Fant4stic 2
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer featured Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis as the title characters and the plot saw them banding up with Silver Surfer to stop Galactus, the devourer of worlds, from destroying Earth. Expectations for the movie were quite low, and yet it managed to underwhelm fans and critics, who called the movie “so lackluster it makes Spider-Man 3 feel like a masterpiece by comparison.”
This box office performance doomed the franchise’s prospects of redemption. Fixing flaws and honoring core themes could lead to further missteps, so when Fox revealed that they were no longer making a sequel, it was unsurprising.
2 Captain America: Serpent Society
Set within Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America: Serpent Society would find Steve Rogers still attempting to adjust to a new world without his prior resources or acquaintances. But Cap's ideals would naturally be threatened, this time by a shadowy group of prejudiced snake-themed villains. These villains would have powers based on various reptiles and Rogers would have to clash with them carefully.
While Kevin Feige did make an announcement about the same at a 2014 press event, suggesting the plot would be sprawling and exciting. But as it turned out, he was making a joke and he always had plans to have a third Captain America movie titled Civil War. It’s not like fans lost sleep over the fact, but there was commotion, which led Feige to admit, “A part of me thought, ‘Are people going to love Serpent Society and think that'd be really cool?’ Now it's on the radar.”
1 The Amazing Spider-Man 3
Sony Pictures was clearly in competition with the scope and expanse of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and had plans to launch an entire universe revolving Spider-Man. They found an outstanding duo in Andrew Garfield and Marc Webb, who were more than willing to be part of a third and fourth film in the franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man 3 would pick up after Gwen’s death and see Peter battling his anguish while seeking vengeance.
There were a couple of reasons as to why the movie was canceled. Firstly, the second installment failed to be a commercial success. Secondly, Sony's then-CEO Kaz Hirai was set to make announcements for a sequel in 2014 at a gala in Rio de Janeiro, but after Garfield failed to show up to the event last minute due to his poor health, the executives were so upset that they had to fire him. Garfield’s departure from the franchise was a tragic story, but starting fresh with Marvel was ultimately the happiest ending the character could get.
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