The superhero movies of theMCU, theDCU, and other franchises have occasionally proven to hurt the careers of the actors who star in them. Long before themovies of the MCUcemented the genre as the most dominant in modern cinema, it wasn’t uncommon for superhero movies to be considered some of Hollywood’s worst offerings. Even though the genre’s reputation has changed, there are still superhero movies that don’t have the desired impact on audiences, with the effects sometimes spilling over into the careers of the actors involved.
When an actor gives a poor performance in a superhero movie, or when other issues come to light during production, it can have a negative impact on their career, particularly when aterrible comic book movieis involved. For some, this is a matter of issues arising after a film’s release, while other times it’s a simple acknowledgment that they aren’t a good fit for the genre. With that in mind, here are 10 actors whose careers were hurt by superhero movies.
10Dakota Johnson
Madame Web (2024)
Leading thecast ofMadame Webwas Dakota Johnson, whose career skyrocketed after her role in the50 Shadesfranchise. Johnson being cast in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe seemed a big deal, particularly asMadame Webwas poised to be the franchise’s closest link to Spider-Man himself. Unfortunately, being a part of the movie backfired, and Johnson’s career took an instant hit as a result.
Madame Webwas heavily criticized on almost all fronts, and earned a reputation as one of the worst comic book movies ever made. The film’s script was particularly poor, and Johnson’s performance suffered hugely under the weight of its terrible dialogue. Justher association with the movie saw her reputation damaged instantly, especially being the star and at the forefront of all promotional material. ThoughMadame Web’s shortcomings were far from the fault of a single person, the movie undoubtedly set Johnson’s career back.
Madame Web
Cast
Madame Web is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Taking place in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, the movie revolves around a clairvoyant woman who can look into different dimensions. Dakota Johnson stars in the lead role, with Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor comprising the rest of the cast.
9Edward Norton
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Even coming as it did so early in theMCU’s movie timeline,The Incredible Hulkremains one of the franchise’s worst movies by many metrics. Its star, Edward Norton, played the eponymous Marvel character just once before being replaced by Mark Ruffalo, though this wasn’t what ultimately hurt his career. In fact, not evenThe Incredible Hulk’s mixed reviews or disappointing box office were the issue, but rather behind-the-scenes problems impacted Norton’s future.
After the film’s release, a contract dispute between Norton and Marvel arose, leading to his replacement. It was reportedly a matter of Norton requesting more creative control, which did nothing to help his reputation.The public fallout of Norton being replaced in the franchise soured perceptions of the actor for some time, with his career taking a hit that took some years to recover from.
The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (1977): In this film, scientist David Banner suffers a gamma radiation overdose, triggering a transformation into a giant, muscular green creature whenever he becomes angry. This condition compels him to undertake a journey to understand and control his monstrous alter ego.
8Jennifer Garner
Elektra (2005)
Though the release of 2003’sDaredevilwas hardly a huge critical success, the popularity of the movie’s characters saw a spin-off announced. Following the Marvel character Elektra, the movie saw Jennifer Garner reprise her role despite having been killed inDaredevil.Elektrawas widely panned by critics and was a massive box office flop, which had a huge effect on Garner’s career in the years that followed.
Garner’s role inDaredevilandElektrasaw her tipped as something of a rising action star. However, the negative reception to both movies saw this reputation immediately stall, with Garner’s career taking a huge hit in the process.Considering the negative critical opinions on two of Garner’s most high-profile movie roles in the early ‘00s, it’s unsurprising that her career suffered.It wasn’t until her return in thecast ofDeadpool & Wolverinethat she was finally redeemed in the role that cost her so much.
Elektra
Elektra is a 2005 film featuring Jennifer Garner as the titular character who survives a near-death experience and becomes an assassin-for-hire. The film follows Elektra as she attempts to protect a single father and his young daughter from a group of supernatural assassins.
7Ioan Gruffudd
Fantastic Four (2005) & Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
The early 2000s saw the release of several superhero blockbusters, with the genre gaining ground as a force to be reckoned with at the box office. However, many of these movies were somewhat lacking in quality, earned mixed and occasionally outright negative reviews. 2005’sFantastic Fourwas the former, while its 2007 sequel, subtitledRise of the Silver Surfer, proved to be the latter. Leading the cast of both was Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards.
Considering the role was Gruffudd’s big break into major Hollywood movies as a leading man, their underwhelming reception damaged his career. At the time, his star seemed to be on the rise, butthe negative reactions to the movies dashed his hopes of continuing as one of Hollywood’s next leading men.Though Gruffudd’s performances in the two films were far from bad, the overall critical reception to the movies still impacted his career.
Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four follows four astronauts who gain extraordinary abilities after a space mission goes awry. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm transform into superheroes tasked with combating Dr. Doom’s malevolent schemes, marking their debut in facing global threats with newly acquired powers.
6Dane DeHaan
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
After breaking out with celebrated roles inChronicle,The Place Beyond the Pines, andKill Your Darlings, Dane DeHaan was tipped for big things. His casting inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2was met with excitement, especially as his previous turn in a superhero movie earned him praise from critics and audiences alike. Cast as Harry Osborn, DeHaan was set to play the villain alongside Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man in the 2014 sequel.
Upon the film’s release,DeHaan’s performance did not earn him much praise.ThoughThe Amazing Spider-Man 2had many issues, its take on the Green Goblin was not particularly well-considered, and DeHaan’s career suffered as a result. His next comic book movie,Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, proved to be a massive critical and commercial failure, cementing DeHaan as an actor better cast in non-superhero movie roles.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, released in 2014, continues Peter Parker’s journey as he balances life as Spider-Man and his relationship with Gwen Stacy. Facing new challenges, Peter encounters the formidable Electro and is reunited with Harry Osborn, while uncovering significant revelations about his past.
5Brandon Routh
Superman Returns (2006)
Of all theactors to play Superman in live-action, Brandon Routh is one of the easiest to overlook. Cast as the iconic hero for the 2006 movieSuperman Returns, it appeared to be the making of Routh’s career. Unfortunately, the film was unable to meet its targets, earning a modest box office and reasonable praise but ultimately failing to impress the studio, who subsequently scrapped all sequel plans. In essence, Routh’s Superman was doomed to just a single appearance.
Being cast in such a high-profile role could have made Routh’s career, but instead it had the opposite effect. ThoughSuperman Returnsgenerally performed well,the perception of the movie as a failure prevailed, and Routh failed to land any other major rolesin the years that followed. Through no fault of his own,Superman Returnshurt Brandon Routh’s career simply due to the level of exposure it afforded him.
Superman Returns
Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns follows the events surrounding the hero’s return to Earth after a five-year absence. When Superman (Brandon Routh) arrives back on Earth, he discovers that Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) has developed a plan to use kryptonite crystals to establish a new landmass that he intends to sell off to the highest bidder. With Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) now married with a child, Superman must come to terms with everything he left behind in order to stop Luthor’s villainous scheme.
4will.i.am
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Having risen to prominence as a member of the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am was never known for his acting ability. His casting inX-Men Origins: Wolverinecame as something of a shock, then, as although his part was minor, he had no real acting experience. Appearing as John Wraith, will.i.am made his debut inFox’s X-Men movie franchise, and stood out as one of the worst parts of a generally poor movie.
His performance as John Wraith was wooden and unimpressive, even considering his lack of screen time.It was immediately clear that will.i.am was not a capable actor, nor should have he been cast to play a superpowered mutant in a major blockbuster. As a natural result of his poor performance, will.i.am’s acting career never recovered, as he went immediately back to making music after a brief and disastrous foray into the realms of Hollywood.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine explores the backstory of the iconic mutant Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackman. Released in 2009, the film delves into Logan’s journey through the Weapon X program as he seeks revenge for his girlfriend’s death while uncovering complex relationships with other mutants.
3Wesley Snipes
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Throughout the 1990s, Wesley Snipes was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Having risen to prominence with a variety of roles in various genres, Snipes was particularly respected for his action prowess. His role as Blade in a trilogy of movies spanning from 1998 to 2004 only furthered his rise to the top. However, the last movie in the trilogy,Blade: Trinity, actually hurt Snipes’ career in a major way.
The movie was not well-received by critics, and stories of on-set issues involving Snipes’ behavior circulated.Snipes gained a reputation as a difficult actor to work with, and his acting career dwindled in the years that followed. Unfortunately, not only wasBlade: Trinitynot well-loved by fans or critics, but it negatively impacted Snipes’ career due to the way in which its production affected his reputation.
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity follows the titular vampire hunter, Blade, who is forced into the open after being targeted by the FBI. Teaming up with the Nightstalkers, a group of human vampire hunters, Blade confronts Dracula, the original vampire, alongside new allies Abigail and Hannibal.
2Terrence Howard
Iron Man (2008)
After appearing in 2008’sIron Manas Tony Stark’s best friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Terrence Howard seemed set for continued mainstream success. Already a successful actor, Howard’s role in the movie cemented him as a Hollywood mainstay, particularly asIron Manwas hugely appreciated by fans and critics alike. It was only after Iron Man’s release that the movie began to negatively impact Howard’s career, however.
Contract negotiations between Howard and Marvel swiftly broke down, and Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle. Howard then publicly aired his issues with Marvel, outlining the situation involving his contract for the sequel on several occasions.The incredibly public nature of the relationship breakdown between Howard and Marvel did the actor no favors at all, and his career took a hit in the process. As the incident created a perception of Howard as being difficult to work with, his acting career slowed considerably in the years that followed.
Iron Man
Iron Man is the first film in the long-running Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, who becomes Iron Man after he is kidnapped and discovers terrorists are using weapons developed by Stark Industries. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Tony’s love interest Pepper Potts alongside Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan and Jeff Bridges as the villainous Obadiah Stane.
1Chris O’Donnell
Batman & Robin (1997)
The 1990s were a turbulent decade for the superhero movie genre, and few actors felt that fact as keenly as Chris O’Donnell. Cast as Dick Grayson inBatman Forever, O’Donnell served as the sidekick to Val Kilmer’s Batman. He reprised the role for the 1997 sequel,Batman & Robin, starring alongside George Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the process. Despite the talent surrounding him, the movie impacted O’Donnell’s career in the worst way.
AfterBatman & Robinwas panned by critics, O’Donnell’s career took a blow that it never truly recovered from. Considering the role was his big break,Batman & Robin’s failure proved all but fatal to O’Donnell’s hopes of Hollywood stardom, and he was unable to land another role of the same stature. As such, Chris O’Donnell is quite possibly the actor who can claim that superhero movies - such as those of theMCU, theDCU, and other franchises – hurt his career the most.
Batman and Robin
Following the events of Batman Forever, Batman & Robin is the fourth entry into Warner Bros.’s original Batman film franchise. Batman (George Clooney) and his sidekick Robin (Chris O’Donnell) team up with Barbara Wilson (Alicia Silverstone) to thwart the evil plans of Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman). With Barbara assuming the mantle of Batgirl, the three heroes fight to save Gotham from two of Batman’s greatest enemies.
