When I was a kid in the mid-90s, big-budget superhero movies were in short supply, a concept primarily limited to fantasy casting in Wizard magazine. In that time since, I’ve watched the genre explode, and the characters I grew up reading become appreciated by millions as they star in big-screen epics. I’ve now seen some of the most legendary storylines in comics adapted into blockbuster movies, and I’m grateful that I got to, but I’ll always wonder about some of those superhero movies that almost happened.
There are so many superhero movies now that it might seem impossible to think of ideas that didn’t get made, but there were opportunities for brilliant filmmakers to jump into the world of spandex and superpowers. There were ideas for movies that had promise, would have provided closure, or shed new light on established characters. Unfortunately, the timing or circumstances weren’t right. In no particular order — except for number one — these are the ten unrealized superhero movies I wish I could have seen in theaters.
10
James Cameron’s Spider-Man
Directed by James Cameron
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man blew audiences away in 2002 and opened the door for future big-budget superhero movies to follow, but that timeline might have been sped up if James Cameron had been able to make the movie he wanted in the ’90s. Cameron signed on to bring the wall-crawler to the big screen, with strong consideration for Leonardo DiCaprio to play Spider-Man and Arnold Schwarzenegger strapping on four more ultra-strong arms to play Doctor Octopus.
The scriptment (a little bit of script, a little bit of treatment) Cameron wrote for his Spider-Man featured a few items that would be seen in Raimi’s version, such as the organic web shooters and a few items that didn’t make it in, like Peter having a thirst for blood. Overall, Cameron’s version had the potential to infuriate Marvel purists, but it sounds like a fascinating take on the character. Legal battles over the rights to Spider-Man delayed filming until Cameron decided to move on to make a little movie called Titanic.
9
‘Plastic Man’
Directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski
Years before The Matrix became a cultural phenomenon, directing duo Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski were hard at work on writing the next big superhero movie, Plastic Man. The Wachowskis were still relatively unknown in 1995, so when they were offered the chance to write a Plastic Man script, they got to work adapting the character for the big screen. The movie next got further than the script stage, and within a few years, the Wachowskis had moved on to bigger things.
The Wachowskis were always able to create visual marvels, so it would have been interesting to see their take on Plastic Man.
Even with their high-profile misfires like the live-action Speed Racer movie, the Wachowskis were always able to create visual marvels, so it would have been interesting to see their take on Plastic Man. The advantage of lesser-known heroes like Plastic Man is the flexibility (no pun intended) to mold the character (that time it was on purpose) into what best serves the story without worrying about stretching (I can’t stop) too far from the source material. He may not be a household name, but with the Wachowskis behind the camera, maybe Plastic Man could have been a star.
8
‘Superman Lives’
Directed by Tim Burton
A movie about Superman that would be written by Kevin Smith, directed by Tim Burton, and starring Nicolas Cage, never came to pass, but it made for an interesting story. Warner Bros. was ready to capitalize on the success of Burton’s Batman movies by putting Superman Lives into production. The timing was undoubtedly right for such a move, but a series of setbacks prevented the superhero reboot from ever becoming more than costly pre-production meetings. The production has become something of a legend and was the subject of a documentary, The Death of “Superman Lies”: What Happened?
Thanks to Smith’s joyful retelling of his time working on the project, fans have been treated to countless stories about the troubled production that included directives to make a movie where Superman didn’t fly, wouldn’t wear his signature costume, and, most importantly of all, battle a giant spider. When looking at all the pieces of the puzzle that were Superman Lives, it’s clear why the film shouldn’t have been made, but the bizarre combination of ideas and creative minds makes me want to see it even more.
The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?
- Release Date
-
May 1, 2015
- Runtime
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105 minutes
- Director
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Jon Schnepp
7
‘Justice League: Mortal’
Directed by George Miller
The Justice League made their big-screen debut in 2017, featuring DC’s most famous superheroes, but if all had gone to plan, the iconic team would have appeared earlier in director George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. The director’s version would have included cast members such as Armie Hammer as Batman and Adam Brody as The Flash, taking on the villain of Maxwell Lord, played by Jay Baruchel.
Miller’s version would have included cast members such as Armie Hammer as Batman and Adam Brody as The Flash.
As Miller has shown with his movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, he has a unique ability to orchestrate complicated sequences of action that also further a story and incorporate character development. This skill would be welcome when trying to stage fight scenes that balance a large group of fan-favorite characters. Unfortunately, complications in the form of a 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike and a rescinded tax rebate from the planned shooting site in Australia turned out to be the Justice League’s worst enemy, causing the film to be shelved.
6
‘Spider-Man 4’
Directed by Sam Raimi
For many, Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was their introduction to superhero movies, and Tobey Maguire will always hold a special place as the definitive version of Peter Parker. Unfortunately, Spider-Man 3 and its overly stuffed plot left many fans feeling like there was a better way to end the story, and that very well could have been the case with Spider-Man 4. In his fourth outing, Spider-Man was set to fight one of his original villains from the comic books, the Vulture, with John Malkovich cast in the role.
The original cast was set to return, and Raimi’s director’s chair was being dusted off, but creative disagreements with the studio led Raimi to walk away from the franchise, unwilling to have a repeat of his experience on Spider-Man 3. It was a disappointing end to the run of films because, even though this might be silly to say, after three movies, Peter’s journey felt unfinished. Superhero stories don’t need to have happy endings, but the somber ending of Spider-Man 3 seemed better suited for the second part of a trilogy rather than the triumphant last page of a story.
5
’70s Daredevil’
Directed by Joe Carnahan
Director Joe Carnahan was coming off action movies like The A-Team and The Grey when he pitched the then-20th Century Fox an interesting take on Daredevil: take the character back to the ’70s and make a crime film. Before deals could be signed and casting calls announced, the character of Daredevil reverted to Disney. A darker film, more in line with Frank Miller’s iconic run on Daredevil, would remain in the idea phase, but the character returned in the form of Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.
When I heard Carnahan’s pitch for Daredevil, I thought of a grounded superhero movie that had the look and grit of a ’70s Martin Scorsese film, and I couldn’t get over how I’ll never see it. As riskier superhero projects get made by the necessity of separating themselves from the pack, I hope we see a trend of setting heroes in the period they were created to recapture the classic feel of vintage comic books. If The Fantastic Four: First Steps does well, maybe someday we can see a retro Daredevil or a Spider-Man with webbed armpits swinging over a ’60s version of Times Square.
4
‘Man of Steel 2’
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
One of the most disappointing things about Henry Cavill’s run as Superman was that there wasn’t enough of it. We could have seen more of Cavill wearing the cape in a true follow-up to Man of Steel, with director Christopher McQuarrie digging into the hero’s psyche. McQuarrie worked with Cavill on Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and the two spent time exploring what a sequel to Superman would look like.
The end of the DCEU would also signal the end of Cavill’s time as the Kryptonian, and with it, any plans McQuarrie may have had. One of the biggest flaws of the DCEU was giving audiences a compelling Superman they never got to know, because he seemed to be more valuable as set dressing in other DC stories. Man of Steel was the beginning of Superman’s story, but after the characters were introduced and the relationships were established, the creative focus shifted away, and it will always be a missed opportunity for something better.
3
‘Justice League Dark’
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Most of the movies I’m mentioning have missed their chance at being made, but in the case of Guillermo del Toro’s Justice League Dark, there may still be hope. Before the management shift at Warner Bros. led to James Gunn and Peter Safran co-leading efforts to bring DC characters to screens big and small, the Hellboy director was developing a Justice League Dark feature film. The project never came to fruition, but del Toro would be perfect to helm the supernatural hero team with members like Swamp Thing and The Spectre on the roster.
When people say they feel superhero fatigue, I think, in many cases, they’re expressing a diminishing interest in the same ideas; they’re not excited by a third actor as Spider-Man or a new version of Captain America. With Justice League Dark, there’s one foot in familiar territory with characters like Constantine and one foot in the strange and unexplored, which gives movie-goers something to be excited about. I love both of del Toro’s Hellboy movies, but if I had to choose between a third Hellboy or Justice League Dark, I’d take option number two.
2
‘Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man’
Directed by Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright is one of the most exciting directors working today, and if things had gone differently, his talents would have left a mark on the MCU. In the early days of Marvel films, while Tony Stark was still building a suit from scraps in a cave, Wright was developing a movie centered around Ant-Man. However, in the process of creating a standalone film, Wright’s version of Ant-Man no longer fit into the ever-growing MCU, and after Marvel commissioned a rewrite of Wright’s script without his involvement, the director walked.
Wright’s modern cult classic, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, is the perfect example of how the director can film action scenes that are funny, inventive, and important to the story. I want that sensibility harnessed in a superhero movie because it’s a genre that’s occasionally guilty of inserting action scenes for no better reason than it’s been too long since the last one. The first Ant-Man was a charming superhero comedy, but I have a suspicion that Wright’s version would have been game-changing.
1
‘Batman Continues’
Directed by Tim Burton
Tim Burton’s signature gothic aesthetic contributed to the blockbuster success of 1989’s Batman, giving audiences a version of The Dark Knight that was a far cry from the days of Adam West doing The Batusi. However, it was that same dark style, turned up a notch, for the sequel, Batman Returns, that made toy makers and chicken nugget merchants get nervous about Burton returning to the director’s chair for his planned third visit to Gotham City.
Burton’s third Batman film, Batman Continues, could have given us Robin Williams as the Riddler and allowed Billy Dee Williams to have his Harvey Dent become Two-Face. However, Batman Returns had trended too far away from the family-friendly, or profit-friendly, vision Warner Bros was comfortable with. There’s some truth to that, because I saw this movie in the theaters as a child with my grandfather, and when the cats started gnawing on Selina Kyle’s (Michelle Pfeiffer) dead body, I could tell by his face that he was thinking, “What the hell did I take this kid to?” He might have also said that. Either way, Batman Returns is one of my favorite movies, and I still mourn what could have been.