10 Long-Delayed Comic Book Movie Sequels We Still Want

Though the MCU (and, perhaps soon, the DCU) can confidently claim that their never-ending cavalcade of comic book movie sequels are among the best and most in-demand, there is a list of long-delayed sequels that we are all still wanting to see. Whether planned or not, it feels like too many sequels have been left hanging in the balance, their development halted by myriad roadblocks, foremost among these being the lackluster performance of their predecessors. In this new age of superhero supremacy in cinema, however, there is ample opportunity for these cult classics to capitalize.

When it comes to reviving franchises, the new norm is the reboot route. This has, of course, led to some of the best Superhero movies of all time. Some notable failures to resuscitate Superhero franchises, however, have helped to prove that this isn’t always the correct tonic – especially when the IP wasn’t dead to start with. Whether a continuation of stories left hanging or a chance to rectify past mistakes, these are the sequels that never came, but ones we still want to see.

10 The Mask 3

The Mask is one of Jim Carrey’s most iconic roles, with its success being largely down to his larger-than-life portrayal of the titular character. Only a handful of actors – Carrey foremost among them – that could pull off the character first depicted in Dark Horse Comics. To create a sequel in Son of The Mask without him, then, was a huge misfire that can only be rectified by a return to form facilitated by Carrey’s involvement once more. After all, if Carrey was happy to reprise his role in Dumb and Dumber To years after the original, then perhaps he would give this iconic comic book character another spin.

Related: The Mask Movie Vs Comic Comparison

There was no love lost between League of Extraordinary Gentlemen lead, Sean Connery, and Director Stephen Norrington in the failed adaptation of Alan Moore’s original graphic novel. This no doubt marred production; but a second shot at the Steampunk Superhero movie now that the main characters have already been established could afford League of Extraordinary Gentlemen the chance to join the ranks of Superhero sequels that improve on their predecessors. A series is currently in production to reboot this particular IP, but the scope of its premise deserves another shot at the big screen, now the dust has settled with the poorly received original.

8 Green Hornet 2

Though 2011’s Green Hornet received mixed reviews and suffered a nightmare production, it seems a shame to waste the star-studded cast it boasted with a straight reboot. Its comedic basis provides ample room for a sequel to make tongue-in-cheek references to the original’s failures as it attempts to do justice to the original character, one of the first superheroes to grace visual media, and the classic TV show starring Bruce Lee. With the feature film franchise rights recently going over to Amasia from Sony, however, the chance to see the redemption of Rogen’s Hornet has significantly diminished.

7 The Amazing Spider-Man 3

Although The Amazing Spider-Man 2 found criticism for overstuffing its final scenes, Andrew Garfield’s tenure as the webslinger is still a firm favorite that ended too soon. The tragedy is compounded by the cliffhanger final shot in which Paul Giamatti’s Rhino was summarily set up as one of the apparently planned sequel’s main villains. Rhino is one of Spider-Man’s most iconic adversaries, yet has been omitted from every live-action outing thus far. It can either be hoped that Giamatti’s fleeting appearance does not push Rhino to the back of the queue for future Spider-Man movies, or that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is still, perhaps, a possibility.

6 Spider-Man 4

Tobey Maguire’s legendary stint as Spider-Man was also cut short by a tragically overcrowded final act, which included a villain in Venom that Director Sam Raimi wanted little to do with. Now that Maguire and Garfield’s Peter Parkers have both been established as Multiversal canon by the MCU in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the chance for Maguire to return as an older Peter Parker in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has just increased. Cut references in Morbius that teased the presence of Maguire’s Spider-Man specifically also help to lend credence to this hope; though the likelihood is that, if he does reappear, it will probably be as part of Sony’s villains movies.

5 Spawn 2

Releasing to decidedly mixed reviews, Spawn could be seen as a movie ahead of its time. From Spawn’s fearsome costume to his devilish enemies, there is plenty with Spawn that modern CGI technology could improve tenfold. Spawn’s popularity as a character, a true blue antihero who reneged on a Faustian bargain in lieu of doling out violent justice, is enough to justify his reemergence in the golden age of the superhero genre in movies. A Spawn reboot is already in the pipeline, but given that his origin story was already told the hope is that whatever modern iteration of Spawn appears is a continuation of his hellish story.

4 Hellboy 3

With Mephisto (still) being woefully absent from the MCU, all mentions of a biblical Hell and the awesome yet terrifying imagery it has the potential to deliver are woefully scarce in modern comic book movies. With the attempted Hellboy reboot being an abject failure, perhaps it is time to return to old faithful with Guillermo Del Toro back in the driver’s seat; especially given that Del Toro’s Hellboy was always supposed to be a trilogy. Not only that, but the second movie was largely considered to be an improvement on the original.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army was released in 2008 to critical acclaim, yet the third movie to round out the trilogy just fizzled out. Ron Perlman has stated that he is still interested in the third movie as recently as September 2023 (via geekhouseshow). With yet another new series of Hellboy movies in development, however, and Perlman’s pleas to finish the franchise seeming to fall on Del Toro’s deaf ears, this is looking less likely than ever.

3 Constantine 2

Constantine is one of those movies that could not stick the landing but enjoyed a full recovery over the course of several years – now standing as a bona fide cult classic in its own right. It’s no secret that Keanu Reeves is still an incredibly popular star, and his part as the titular exorcist was one of the most lauded aspects of the dark DC Comics adaptation. The good news is that, after nearly 19 years, James Gunn is amenable to the idea of a Reeves-led Constantine sequel that will be part of the DCU, according to Reeves himself.

2 Dredd 2

Karl Urban’s stint as Judge Dredd, the deadpan law enforcer who doles out justice with extreme prejudice, was exceptionally well-received and managed to blow Stallone’s rendition out of the water. Stunning visuals to convey the effects of the “Slo-Mo” narcotic were a stellar complement to Dredd’s R-rated ascent of misleadingly named slum tower block Peach Trees, resulting in a movie that fans are desperate to see a sequel for. Unfortunately, the movie’s box office performance was underwhelming enough to make a sequel harder to achieve – though not impossible owing to its post-release popularity.

1 The Incredible Hulk 2

With Hulk being such a mainstay of the MCU in all Avengers movies – and Thor: Ragnarok – it is easy to forget that he has not had a standalone movie since 2008, with no sign of one until Phase 6 at the very earliest. Hulk’s lack of sequels is most likely due to the fact that Universal – as far as we know – still holds the rights to movies that include Hulk in a starring role. This helps explain why Hulk is often playing second-fiddle to other characters. Even the supporting cast of his first solo outing will be reappearing en masse…in Captain America: Brave New World.

The fact of the matter is that Hulk needs another Hulk-focused movie. His powers and character development have been left criminally under-explored as he always plays a supporting role. If all signs are to be believed, then The Incredible Hulk 2 may be in the pipeline. The prevailing theory, however, posits that the MCU‘s future Hulk-centric plot will instead place him as the arch-villain, which would mean that it is not specifically a sequel – and perhaps he will never get one.

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