The superhero movie boom created a pipeline of projects that never reached theaters.
Others were casualties of reboots or creative disagreements behind the scenes.
Michael Keatons return as Batman and Brendan Fraser as the villain Fireflyhad many buzzing with excitement.
Fans and cast members alike were blindsided.
Still, a solo Magneto film wouldve offered a more intimate portrait of Marvels greatest antihero.
10Superman Lives
No canceled comic book film is as infamous or as bizarre asSuperman Lives.
The film would have introduced Brainiac, Doomsday, and a Superman resurrected after death.
Nic Cage’s Superman would later cameo inThe Flash.
The project was ultimately abandoned in favor of rebooting the timeline.
Franco hinted at a darker, more grounded approach compared to typical superhero films.
Unfortunately, the Disney-Fox merger halted development.
Drew Goddard was attached to write and direct, promising a grittier spin on mutant team-ups.
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
Its still hard not to wonder what an R-rated, Goddard-directedX-Forcemight’ve looked like.
Leonardo DiCaprio was loosely attached to play Peter Parker, and Arnold Schwarzenegger was rumored for Dr. Octopus.
He had a completed script, andthe film was scheduled for a 2011 release.
Raimi aimed to redeem the franchise with a return to strong storytelling and emotional depth.
Instead, Hathaway would have become a new character: the Vulturess.
Raimis meticulous attention to character arcs and visual storytelling wouldve offered closure to Tobey Maguires Peter Parker.
The tone would have remained gothic and expressionist,following in the footsteps of Burtons twisted Gotham City.
Studio executives, however, felt pressured to lighten the tone after the gothicBatman Returns.
Gareth Evans (The Raid) was attached to direct, whichsuggested a high-octane, martial arts-heavy thriller.
The potential for a grounded, R-rated character study in the vein ofJohn WickorThe Raidwas immense.
Sadly, with James Gunns DCU reboot, plans for this were abandoned.
