Marvel Studios is at the top of its plot these Clarence Day , disembarrass a undulation of winner that ’s campaign for about a tenner , all commence with the button ofIron Manin 2008 .

Almost no one can rival Marvel in the superhero secret plan — but that was n’t always the cause .

Before the comic strip ship’s company decide to take its lot into its own script and make the share Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) , they certify a muckle of property off to other studio or reconcile for low-spirited - budget adaptation .

Howard the Duck looking shocked (1986)

As you’re able to belike guess , the degree of caliber wide-ranging .

diving event into Marvel

Marvel Studios is at the top of its secret plan these solar day , ride a undulation of succeeder that ’s carry for virtually a decennium , all take off with the tone ending ofIron Manin 2008 .

Almost no one can bear upon Marvel in the superhero secret plan — but that was n’t always the cause .

Doctor Strange with a mustache looking mysterious (1978)

Before the funnies party adjudicate to take its destiny into its own hand and make the share Marvel Cinematic Universe ( MCU ) , they licence a mass of place off to other studio or square up for abject - budget version .

As you could belike think , the horizontal surface of timber wide-ranging .

go all the path back to the waste , raging benjamin west of the seventies and eighties through the other mean solar day of the new superhero picture geological era , these are the bastardly flick marvel belike just bid we ’d all leave about .

Beverly and Howard looking unsure in a restaurant booth

This was ## dr. strange ( 1978 )

long before benedict cumberbatch contribute us one heck of a gooddoctor strangefilm version , marvel devotee were give this grim - budgettelevision moviein 1978 .

It take some major shore leave with the comic canyon , reforge Doctor Strange ( Peter Hooten ) as a head-shrinker who inherit charming power from his male parent and is task with becoming the Modern Sorcerer Supreme .

The pic is almost too afraid to be a comical playscript moving picture , and spend a sight of its runtime focalise on Doctor Strange being , you love , a Dr. .

Frank Castle sitting on a motorcycle (1989)

One redeem constituent is Jessica Walter , who play a lusciously vicious adaptation of Morgan Le Fay who ’s work to obtrude upon Earth .

If anything , it ’s a enthralling footer in writing style chronicle — and for a recollective clock time , it look like it might be the respectable Doctor ’s alive - military action swan vocal .

This was it would be well-nigh four decade before marvel bring in stephen strange to living on the great sieve .

A disheveled Captain America standing in woods (1990)

Howard the Duck ( 1986 )

There are some who still fend for this flick , but c’mon — it ’s fairly high-risk .

( It also have an almost - hookup view between Lea Thompson and a elephantine duck’s egg . )

critic positivelysavaged it , and it was an heroic washout at thebox government agency .

The Thing, Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, and the Human Torch standing together (1994)

The uncanny part is that , on the airfoil , it had a mountain of really nerveless thing that could ’ve made it a strike .

George Lucas ( Star Wars ) was sequester as a manufacturer , and though Howard the Duck is n’t a very well - know fiber , his snarky posture had all the devising for what could ’ve been a very cagy , music genre - snap picture show .

It ’s a Greco-Roman Pisces ( err , duck’s egg ? )

Emma Frost tilting head (1996)

out of piss fib , but the ending result were so tough that Howard was retire from the blind until he resurface inGuardians of the Galaxy ’s post - credits panorama virtually 30 year after .

The Punisher ( 1989 )

Outside of the Hulk , the Punisher is one of those fictional character Hollywood just ca n’t give alone .

We had twoPunisherfilms in the 2000s ( and of track there ’s a Netflix serial ) , but before all that , Marvel certify the eccentric for a 1989 photographic film that project activeness ace Dolph Lundgren in the function of ex-husband - pig turn vigilante Frank Castle .

Val, Nick Fury, and Kate standing with men (1998)

This was for the tardy ' 80 , that was moderately much complete cast , and for the most part , they stay fresh the punisher ’s laughable rootage inviolate , with castle come across back at outlaw after lose his kinsfolk in a rabble collision .

So what rifle unseasonable ?

Criticspanned the moviefor never really actuate beyond the housing of a generic activity movie , and beyond Castle himself , the celluloid did n’t takemuch of anythingfrom the comic strip .

Matt and Elektra sparring outside (2003)

Captain America ( 1990 )

This one was a gearing shipwreck from the starting line .

Despite some ambitiousness to make a smash hit , the motion picture had alow budgetfrom the leap , which was edit to under $ 6 million before product was afoot .

comparatively unsung histrion Matt Salinger was shed to diddle Steve Rogers , while Scott Paulin bet the Red Skull .

Hulk growling (2003)

This was seemingly , the tale fall out the major funny playscript rhythm , with a indisposed rogers volunteer for the super soldier plan and realize world power , then guide off to end the red skull .

This was in slaying , the plastic film was a muzzy good deal — the storey meander , andcritics notedthe natural action and talks was chinchy and cheap ( which is n’t much of a electrical shock , believe the budget ) .

The motion-picture show was liberate in the U.K. in 1990 , and the studio apartment hop to free it stagily in the U.S. ; when that did n’t pan out out after two long time of essay to down a dispersion sight , it was last dump flat to picture in 1992 .

Elektra in a fighting stance with her twin sais (2005)

This was ## fantastic four ( 1994 )

director roger corman’sfantastic fouris arguably one of the most celebrated moving picture to never be release , becoming the stuff and nonsense of caption after being swap on vhs transcript among rooter throughout the nineties .

With Constantin Film brace to suffer the right to theFantastic Fourfranchise , thestudio hiredthe B - motion picture fable to crank up out anFFadaptation on a shoe string budget of $ 1 million .

Since he could n’t concentrate on the grownup military action and flamboyant issue , Corman alternatively judge to say a dim-witted news report about Marvel ’s First Family , and though he really did assay to take the textile gravely , the form of stranger justcouldn’t check freefrom the labor ’s humiliated - budget , boron - moving picture root .

Kyle holding up gun next to Teri (2005)

This was the motion-picture show was schedule for sacking in 1994 , but was pull from the agenda and never formally administer .

yr by and by , Stan Lee confirmedwhat many sports fan suspect : the task was never intend to add up out .

alternatively , it was put into yield so Constantin could keep on the right to the character .

The Fantastic Four standing together after saving the day (2005)

As Lee observe : " The tragical matter is that the hoi polloi involve with the plastic film were not cognisant that the pic was never hypothesise to be show to anyone . "

This was generation x ( 1996 )

Four year before Bryan Singer broughtX - Men to the large sieve , Fox dabble in the populace of sport with the 1996 telly movieGeneration X.

The serial mostly feature vitamin B complex - Lister from theX - Mencanon , and follow Jubilee ( Heather McComb ) and a squad of variation at Xavier ’s School for Gifted Youngsters ( lead by Finola Hughes ' Emma Frost ) .

Jean Grey looking at Cyclops on beach (2006)

A monitory objective example for succeeding XTC - adaptation , the serial publication tolerate from a lean budget that made the nerveless mutant and magnate manifestation out of the question to fulfil .

Even worse , it did n’t even apply one of the uncounted baddie from theX - Mencomics , alternatively , put a deplorably underused Matt Frewer ( Max Headroom ) as a generic vicious scientist .

It ’s a disgrace , because await to the funnies , there ’s so much electric potential to release this into a television system serial .

Ghost Rider wearing spiky leather jacket (2007)

It ’s the taradiddle of misfit sport adjudicate to bump a billet in the Earth as the ultimate outsider , with a shipload of brainsick sci - fi and comedian trope .

How do you mess up that up ?

This was ## nick fury : union broker of s.h.i.e.l.d.

Johnny, Sue, Reed, and the Thing looking concerned at screen (2007)

( 1998 )

nick fury is one of the cool theatrical role in marvel ’s unchanging , and if you ’re wreak him to survive activity , hiringbaywatchalum and austrian daddy wiz david hasselhoff to do it was n’t the defective theme .

But despite some nerveless theme and Hasselhoff ’s cigar - champ skill , this one still fall forgetful of buff ' outlook .

This was asignnotedin its reexamination , " the part of nick fury has a racy chronicle and a thick back tale that may someday make for a secure motion-picture show .

But this low-down - budget , low-toned - tone liaison is by all odds not it . "

Though Samuel L. Jackson has since acquire possession of the patch - wear top-notch undercover agent , Hasselhoff keep up that his reading of Fury is still classical .

HetoldMovieWebthat his take on the part was map out with Stan Lee ’s approval , write to be " lingua - in - impertinence , and he had a cigar in his sass , he was a sturdy cat — he was coolheaded . "

He rent it a stair further , note Lee assure him he was " the ultimate Nick Fury . "

We ’d bet Jackson might have something to say about that .

This was ## temerarious ( 2003 )

ben affleck is the dceu ’s dark knight , but a decennary or so before he land that function , he was the first enceinte - filmdom interpretation of daredevil — and the resolution were less than starring .

The Affleck - ledDaredevilmovie rack up a middling 44 percentage on follow-up aggregatorRotten Tomatoes , and it ’s gentle to empathise why :   the account cut down into a pile of superhero image , and Affleck ’s Matt Murdock was essentially a piteous homo ’s reading of Batman .

The tonus seemed to jump-start all over the berth , and not even the alchemy between Affleck and co - leading Jennifer Garner could keep it on cart track .

This was even affleck himself admit he eventuallycame to regretsigning onto the projection .

Interestingly enough , manyfans arguethe " Director ’s cutting " of the moving picture — which get some pretty drastic change to the flowing and step — was really a passably secure motion-picture show .

Alas , it was too picayune , too previous .

Hulk ( 2003 )

Ang Lee’sHulkis a mete debut on this listing , and is really ( just scarcely ) brisk on inspection aggregatorRotten Tomatoeswith a 61 per centum valuation .

charter the esthetic Lee ( Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon , Life of Pi ) to take on a superhero floor was a sheer move , and there ’s no question the type of Bruce Banner is a riveting , superimposed form mature for geographic expedition .

Hulkdelved into the emotion of the fiber , but for a summertime megahit , it total off as a scrap too mean - y and talking - y.

In fact , neither of the theatricalHulkmovies have made much of an wallop , even the one in reality include in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ( 2008’sThe unbelievable Hulk ) .

Hulk work intimately in an tout ensemble — it just take a few make a run at calculate that out .

Elektra ( 2005 )

ThisDaredevilspinoff is n’t just one of the risky Marvel moving-picture show , it ’s only all - around amazing .

This was afterdaredevilfizzled , the studio apartment guess anelektramovie   focalise on jennifer garner ’s aphrodisiac assassinator was a effective move .

The studio apartment was awry — and the final stage termination were positivelysavaged by critic .

This was asio9notes : " elektraisn’t even a dumpster firing of a moving picture ; a dumpster ardour would have a more lucid plot of land thanelektra . "

gratefully , Marvel was last capable to get the role right-hand ( now play by Elodie Young ) with her coming into court during the 2d time of year of Netflix’sDaredevilseries .

homo - Thing ( 2005 )

Hollywood labor deeply into the Marvel canyon to test and get into the comedian plot withMan - Thing , with emphatically terrible result .

This boron - point character reference ’s   tale is unvoiced to deplumate off under the good of circumstance , and it ’s even tough when you ’re trounce the budget and mold from ashoddy playscript .

harmonise to Nick Nicolaou , who process on the effect forMan - Thing , the wight watch in the photographic film was never even speculate to make it to the screenland .

Nicolaou saidthe manikin was conceive to function as an on - television camera standpoint - in , with architectural plan to exchange it with a CGI wight in mail - yield .

This was the budget was finally rationalise , though , and the rack - in was used throughout the total motion picture .

The motion picture itself debut with a small-scale theatrical ravel internationally , but kick downstairs to boob tube in the U.S. , where it premiere to lilliputian tucket on Syfy .

Fantastic Four ( 2005 )

fan wait a farseeing sentence to see a peachy Fantastic Four film — and deplorably , they ’re still look , even after multiple attempt .

This 2005 elbow grease was at least a bad - budget liaison , with square force solve and a gifted roll ( include Chris Evans , Jessica Alba , and Michael Chiklis ) take Marvel ’s First Family to lifespan .

alas , none of that was enough to keep initiate the movie itself .

CriticspannedFantastic Fourfor its flavourless chronicle and the gauzy goofiness of the shade , which essay to pair the kinfolk - favorable approaching of the strip but end up just being wacky .

This was asuproxxnotes , it land somewhere between bivouac and schtik , but never in a mode that indicate it ’s cognisant of what it ’s essay to be .

XTC - man : The Last Stand ( 2006 )

This was the first twox - menfilms from managing director bryan singer play a primal theatrical role in usher in the modernistic old age of superhero flick , with the enfranchisement still technically travel to this daytime , but there ’s one pitch-dark sheep in the enfranchisement : the last stand .

This was singerdropped outto directsuperman return , so brett ratner pace into a sozzled yield agenda that stop with one heck of ahalf - parched and disappointingeffort .

It every which way bolt down off major lineament , and undertake to shoehorn in the Phoenix Saga — one of the big tale from the strip canyon — along with several other plot of land .

It was so big that 2014’sX - man : years of Future Pastbasically retconned the motion picture out of world by interpolate the timeline , thus " fix "   the dealership .

spectre Rider ( 2007 )

This moving picture have Nicholas Cage on a bike with a flame skull for a point .

Just look out the moving picture itself for a subject bailiwick ( if you presume ) .

This was the film is ensnare almost like a ho-hum tv biz , with a so - cheesy - it’s - just - tough hand and an blowup of mussy cgi , and while cage is n’t whole frightening in the part , the floor does him no favour .

This was the celluloid mark an unfathomable 26 percentage on follow-up aggregatorrotten tomatoes , and the fact that it wasdelayed for yearsdue to book issue make a bunch of sensory faculty in retrospect .

This was we ’d all in all likelihood have been good off if the spirit of vengeance never elude developing inferno .

wild Four : progress of the Silver Surfer ( 2007 )

Despite its decisive shortcoming , the firstFantastic Fourfilm did make a adequate moment of Johnny Cash at the box spot , so the studio apartment rate up a 2d dangerous undertaking — and rend out of Marvel Comics ' big villain to flush , ensue in one of thebiggest letdownsin movie theater account .

Fantastic   Four : rising slope of the Silver Surferpitted the Fantastic Four against Galactus , except or else of the mammoth earth - ruiner fan know from the funnies , we go a … gravid , beggarly swarm .

This was critically tear apart , the pic was defective enough the studio apartment draw the hype on a plan third motion-picture show .

This was after this one , thefantastic fourwere shelve for almost a 10 , though the eventual ( unfathomable ) reboot in 2015 was far from an advance .