Top 10 Superhero Movie Storylines That Got KILLED (And Where They Were Headed)

WatchMojo

What could have been... Join us as we explore the most intriguing superhero plot threads that never came to fruition! From abandoned team-ups to canceled showdowns, these dangling storylines left fans wondering what might have happened if studios had followed through on their ambitious plans. Which scrapped superhero storyline would you have most wanted to see completed?

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at DC and Marvel's hanging plot threads and

00:08unrealized stories.

00:09Some of our picks are cliffhangers from previous movies that were never resolved, so there

00:14will be spoilers ahead.

00:29At the end of the second Avengers, we're introduced to a new iteration of the team featuring

00:33familiar faces.

00:34But did you know that an early draft of the script included both Captain Marvel and Spider-Man?

00:39Writer-director Joss Whedon wanted the ending to give them their big MCU debut.

00:51However, Wright's issues with Sony kept Marvel from using the wallcrawler, and the studio decided

00:56against signing on an actress to play Carol Danvers, but they did shoot a brief scene

01:00with a stand-in, just in case they did get someone in time.

01:03Cutting them might have been the best choice in the end, but we are curious to know how

01:07it would have affected the end of the Infinity Saga.

01:19The DCEU set up a future where Batman leads rebels against an evil Superman.

01:23Glimpses of this post-apocalypse can be found in Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder's Justice

01:28League.

01:29The flash-forwards were supposed to be the foundation of a trilogy featuring a Mad Max-style

01:34group of metahumans in a war against Darkseid.

01:43Some of its elements, like Green Lantern and the Injustice League, would have been a treat

01:46for fans.

01:47Other plot points like Bruce Wayne and Lois Lane's baby might not have been.

01:51Either way, the few scenes in Snyder's films appear to be all we'll ever get, as this

01:56universe was scrapped to make way for James Gunn's new DCU.

02:18After renouncing the Masters of the Mystic Arts, Mordo set out to hunt down Earth's

02:22sorcerers.

02:23It was a clear set-up for his villain, turn-matching the comics where he's Doctor Strange's archenemy.

02:28But the sequel, Multiverse of Madness, dropped this thread entirely.

02:31The role of antagonist went to the Scarlet Witch instead, and Mordo was relegated to a minor

02:36role.

02:44And it wasn't even the same version of him we saw before.

02:46There are still a few hints of his new rivalry with Strange however, there's even concept

02:50art of his death at the hands of Wanda Maximoff.

02:52But it's not much for those who wanted this dangling plot thread resolved.

02:58With the launch of the new DCU, it's unlikely we'll see Dwayne Johnson return as the DC anti-hero,

03:17Black Adam.

03:18His solo film ended with a promising tease, a showdown with Superman.

03:22This not only excited Black Adam fans, but also fans of Henry Cavill, whose future in

03:26the role was uncertain at the time.

03:28And given their clashes in past stories, a match-up with Supes felt like a natural next

03:33step for Black Adam.

03:34Apart from fighting Shazam, that is.

03:44But when the movie underperformed at the box office, those plans quickly unravelled.

03:48What could have been a high-stakes battle between DC's heaviest hitters, simply never came to

03:52bars.

04:05Age of Ultron gave us a pairing no one expected, Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff.

04:10For better or worse, the two began a relationship, and the film ended with Hulk flying off for

04:14everyone's safety.

04:16After that, the storyline was pretty much abandoned.

04:18Infinity War touched on it for a quick moment, but it was clear that they were no longer

04:22a couple.

04:33Scenes where Bruce and Natasha acknowledged moving on were filmed, but ultimately cut.

04:37The writers also thought it would have been odd to revisit the romance during Endgame's

04:41grim first act, and with Natasha's seemingly permanent sacrifice, we're just left wondering

04:46what could have been.

05:01The nearly-finished Batgirl film was suddenly cancelled in 2022.

05:05Set in Gotham, it was supposed to be an action-packed origin story.

05:08In The Heights star, Leslie Grace played the titular role, with J.K. Simmons as Jim Gordon,

05:13and Michael Keaton returning as Batman.

05:23Brendan Fraser was also cast as the evil pyromaniac Firefly.

05:27Both he and Grace were excited to bring the Batgirl year one comic to life, and were disappointed

05:32when the film was shelved for a tax write-off.

05:35The directors weren't even allowed to salvage the footage.

05:38Given their track record in the Bad Boys franchise, the film likely would have at least delivered

05:42some strong superhero action.

05:58Despite the poor reception to Spider-Man 3, a fourth movie by Sam Raimi began development.

06:03It would have featured John Malkovich as the Vulture, and Anne Hathaway as Black Cat.

06:08It also included scenes of Spider-Man battling Mysterio, the Shocker, the Prowler and the Rhino.

06:13At one point, even Kraven the Hunter was going to appear.

06:16But Raimi was unsatisfied with the scripts, and was unsure if he could make the 2011 release date.

06:22Thus, the film was cancelled, and a reboot followed shortly after.

06:30Of course, many of these concepts would return in The Amazing Spider-Man, the MCU, and Sony's

06:35Spider-Man universe.

06:40Joss Whedon's Justice League ended with a tease of a Deathstroke and Lex Luthor team-up.

06:53But Zack Snyder had different plans for his sequels.

06:55His version of the Injustice League, or Legion of Doom, was made up of some of DC's biggest

07:00villains.

07:01Captain Cold, Doctor Poison, The Riddler, Black Manta, Ocean Master and Lex Luthor.

07:11This team would have played a huge part in Darkseid's invasion of Earth.

07:15According to Snyder's storyboards, they'd help kill Aquaman and Wonder Woman, and leave

07:19Flash and Cyborg broken.

07:21It might have been one of the most intense supervillain team-ups on-screen, but it'll just have to

07:25live in our imaginations.

07:38This team of villains is one of the most iconic in comic book history.

07:41Naturally, Sony's been trying to adapt them to the big screen, but every attempt has

07:45fallen flat.

07:46The Amazing Spider-Man 2 briefly set up Black Cat, Doc Ock and the Vulture.

07:50The end credits also teased Mysterio in Kraven the Hunter, but the spin-off plans were scrapped.

08:03Sony tried again in Morbius, where the titular character meets Michael Keaton's Vulture, seemingly

08:07setting up a new team.

08:09Fans assumed they would cross over with Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven and Tom Hardy's

08:13Venom.

08:14But once again, the whole thing fell apart before it even began.

08:17The closest Sony got was in No Way Home, but there were only five villains there.

08:28Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.

08:31Extremis' long-term effects.

08:33The consequences of Pepper's powers are never addressed again.

08:40The founding Avenger Wasp.

08:41The insect heroine was meant to be in the first Avengers film.

08:49The King in Black.

08:50Null could have been Sony's Thanos.

08:56Wonder and Rocket's Road Trip.

08:58This quest for the Time Stone was cut from Endgame.

09:03Sinestro's Ring.

09:04The Yellow Lantern Corps would have to wait until the reboot.

09:17Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified

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09:38While not every entry of the Infinity Saga was perfect, nearly all of them pushed the story

09:42toward a coherent finale.

09:44The same can't be said for the multiverse saga.

09:46Kang the Conqueror was introduced as the next big threat, with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Quantumania

09:51and Loki laying the groundwork.

09:59But after Jonathan Mayer's legal troubles, Avengers The Kang Dynasty was reworked into

10:04Avengers Doomsday.

10:06The new villain was now Doctor Doom, played by RDJ.

10:09Little is known about the original plot, but it reportedly had a fresh Avengers line-up

10:13from Phase 4, who were going up against Kangs from across the multiverse.

10:17The X-Men and Fantastic Four were not involved at the time.

10:20That's all changed now, with Doomsday putting them front and centre.

10:26So, which would you rather see get more movies, the DCEU or the amazing Spider-Man universe?

10:36Let us know in the comments below.

10:37Rage and vengeance, anger, loss, regret, they're all tremendous motivators.

10:43They really clear the mind, so I'm good to go.

10:45I'm good to go.

10:46What should I do now?

10:46Now, I'm good to go.

10:47I'm good to go.

10:48In the video, I'm good to go.

10:48I'm good to go.

10:49I'm good to go.

10:50I'm good to go.

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