An open-ended superhero spectacular shamefully rebooted twice over rises from the streaming underworld

On paper, the obvious solution to carry on from the open-ended conclusion to an acclaimed comic book adaptation that recouped its budget twice over at the box office and set itself up for the third and final chapter in a trilogy the key creatives were adamant they’d love to make would be to let it happen. Instead, Hellboy II: The Golden Army marked the end of the line.

Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman poured their heart and soul into Big Red’s two cinematic outings, and while they weren’t smash hits compared to the biggest titles to emerge from the likes of Marvel and DC, both chapters still turned a profit once home video sales were factored in, with each winning strong praise from critics and crowds alike.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t good enough for the powers-that-be, who decided a reboot was the best course of action. When the David Harbour-fronted do-over failed on every conceivable level, the call was made to reboot the property yet again. While we don’t know enough about The Crooked Man – which only recently wrapped shooting – to pass fair judgement, everyone can agree that del Toro and Perlman’s Hellboy III would have been the preferable outcome.

One of the greatest trilogies that never came to completion, it’s always going to be viewed as the one that got away by not just its director and star, but viewers all over the world. Proving themselves gluttons for punishment, FlixPatrol has named The Golden Army as one of the most-watched movies on iTunes this weekend, with frustration sure to set in once again when the cliffhanger ending creates the realization that there’s no more to come.