Be it from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Universe, or the franchises in between, several superhero movies over the decades deserved more at the box office. The highest-grossing superhero movies prove just how successful the genre has been over the decades, yet the same cannot be said for every movie.

Even a series as successful as the one crafted by Marvel Studios has had its failures, with the lowest-grossing MCU movies proving as much. Upcoming Marvel movies will look to avoid these disappointments, as the MCU looks to reestablish its prior box office dominance. However, they will compete with the upcoming DC movies of the DC Universe.

When looking back, not forward, several disappointing box office totals for superhero movies become evident. Some are tied to panned movies that audiences and critics alike did not care for, yet others are attached to some well-crafted, well-received superhero flicks. With that in mind, here are 10 superhero movies that deserved better at the worldwide box office.

10

Thunderbolts* (2025)

The most recent installment on this list is a Marvel movie from 2025: Thunderbolts*. Thunderbolts* was not exactly a Marvel flop, earning a worldwide total of $382 million at the end of its theatrical run. However, this was against a production budget of $180 million, meaning that, when taking distribution, marketing, and other costs into account, it likely failed to turn a profit for Marvel Studios.

The primary reason why this is disappointing is just how good Thunderbolts* was. Many classified the film as a true return to form for the MCU, as evidenced by Thunderbolts*‘ reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds an 88% critical approval rating and a 93% rating from audiences, typifying just how enjoyable it is.

With how important Thunderbolts* will be to the future of the MCU also considered, the film’s box office haul is disappointing. More should have given Marvel Studios another chance and seen the MCU’s best movie in years, which provided strong character work, an effective exploration of mental health, and a new superhero team ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.

9

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Like Thunderbolts*, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings cannot be considered an outright flop. The film earned $432 million against its $200 million budget, placing it in the same ballpark as Thunderbolts* as an MCU film that likely failed to become profitable. This is also a disappointment, because Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is truly great.

The film introduced a lesser-known Marvel Comics character and made him immediately compelling. This was on top of some of the best action choreography in the entire Marvel franchise, as well as a branch of Chinese mythology and lore that sets it apart from the rest of the MCU.

The audiences that saw Shang-Chi agree with these sentiments, with the film currently holding the highest audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘ audience score sits at 98%, above big-hitters like Spider-Man: No Way Home. Sadly, not enough people saw the movie to see this love spread worldwide at the box office.

8

X-Men: First Class (2011)

The X-Men franchise, despite its popularity, has never had a movie gross more than $1 billion, except for Marvel Studios’ ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool & Wolverine. For the earlier movies with smaller budgets, this was less of an issue. From 2011 onwards, though, the X-Men franchise began competing with the MCU regarding production costs, starting with X-Men: First Class.

The movie cost $160 million, which proved to work in terms of the film’s quality. Concerning the ranking of X-Men movies, when looking solely at the team-up movies and discounting the likes of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpool and Logan, First Class is the second-highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie is highly rated and kick-started the younger timeline of X-Men movies. These younger versions of the X-Men have some of the best casting choices in superhero cinema history, with James McAvoy and Michael Fᴀssbender as Professor X and Magneto, respectively. Unfortunately, X-Men: First Class only earned $353 million at the worldwide box office.

The film deserved to be seen by more people based on how well-received it was. Its successor, X-Men: Days of Future Past, earned over $745 million at the box office, a total that X-Men: First Class arguably deserved.

7

The Suicide Squad (2021)

As one of the first major movies released in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Suicide Squad was in a difficult position. It was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, meaning its theatrical haul totaled $168 million. Overall, this was a shame, given the movie’s many successful elements.

The DCEU movie timeline contained a lot of divisive projects, but The Suicide Squad was not one of them. The film is tied as the second-best-reviewed DCEU movie of all time with Shazam!, second only to Wonder Woman. It spawned a sequel in the form of Peacemaker, which is now set to be a vital part of the rebooted DC Universe.

This, combined with the movie’s humor, action, style, and compelling characters, only proves just how good The Suicide Squad was. Had it been released a few years earlier or later, The Suicide Squad may have earned the box office totals it deserved.

6

​​​​​​Birds of Prey (2020)

Bird of Prey is very similar to The Suicide Squad in terms of tone and style. The movie may not be the best in the DCEU, but it was solidly enjoyable in a variety of ways. At 79%, the movie is the third-best-reviewed in the DCEU after Wonder Woman and the joint-second Shazam! and The Suicide Squad.

Margot Robbie was excellent as Harley Quinn, as was the rest of the cast, and the action, helmed by John Wick‘s Chad Stahelski, was excellent. All of this means the movie deserved to earn more than its $205 million. Against a $100 million budget, Birds of Prey was considered a flop, but it certainly did not deserve to be.

5

Blue Beetle (2023)

Blue Beetle was released during a period of uncertainty for the DCEU. The DCU was beginning, so the four DCEU movies of 2023 were considered ᴅᴇᴀᴅ on arrival. Blue Beetle was one such movie, drastically reducing its box office prospects, causing the film to earn $130 million worldwide against a budget of $125 million.

Like The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey, though, Blue Beetle was well-received by fans and critics alike. It is the fourth-best-reviewed DCEU property after the aforementioned projects in the franchise, with praise going towards its central star, Xolo Maridueña, its humor, heart, and action sequences. Sadly, its status as one of the DCEU’s final movies meant too few people saw it in theaters.

4

Watchmen (2009)

Watchmen may not have been overly beloved upon release, but it has received somewhat of a cult following. Many consider it a faithful adaptation of the obscure comic book series, with some of the strongest visuals and performances in the entire genre. Despite this, it only earned $187 million against a $150 million budget.

The popularity of the comic book series, as well as that of the 2019 TV show, proves that Watchmen as a property deserved better from a theatrical standpoint.

3

The Marvels (2023)

The Marvels holds the unwanted record of being the MCU’s biggest flop, earning only $206 million against a whopping $370+ million budget. The Marvels may not be the best movie in the MCU, but it holds enough good aspects to argue that it should not be the franchise’s lowest-grossing movie.

The Marvels’ central trio of leads is fantastic, individually and together. The action sequences are dynamic and well-choreographed, and the story includes some of the MCU’s most unique sequences, from a Cats-inspired Flerken chase to a musical sequence. Evidently, The Marvels has many good aspects that prove it deserved more than it received at the box office.

2

Batman Begins (2005)

As far as the best superhero movies of all time go, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is often counted among them. Batman Begins may not be quite as revered as The Dark Knight, but it proved how seriously superhero movies can be taken. It nailed a grounded Batman origin story in a way many did not think possible.

In many ways, Batman Begins was responsible for ushering in the golden age of superhero movies alongside Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Despite that, Batman Begins only earned $375 million against a budget of $150 million. If anything proves that this movie deserved better, it is the reception of its sequels.

The Dark Knight earned over $1 billion at the box office, with The Dark Knight Rises even going beyond that to earn $1.1 billion. Clearly, in the three years between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, audiences caught the former at home and realized what they had missed, driving them to the theaters for the latter.

Batman Begins is arguably better than The Dark Knight Rises and almost matches The Dark Knight, yet it earned over $700 million less than both. The sheer quality of Batman Begins proves it did not deserve to just barely scrape into profitability. Batman Begins deserved to earn as much as its successors, if not more, based on its genre-wide impact.

1

Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

Perhaps the biggest case of a superhero deserving more at the box office is Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Before the release of Nolan’s trilogy, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was considered the best Batman movie ever made. It perfectly continued the tone of Batman: The Animated Series, provided an excellent villain, an all-timer Batman love-interest, and an excellent Dark Knight.

The late Kevin Conroy is renowned as an excellent Batman, providing all the nuance and gravitas the Caped Crusader needs to. All of this, and the film’s now-cult favorite status, proves how exceptional Batman: Mask of the Phantasm was.

Despite that, it only earned $5.6 million at the worldwide box office against a $6 million budget. Given how strong Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is, the movie definitely deserved more. Beyond any MCU or DCU movie, this goes down as the most upsetting case of a movie not earning what it deserved.