9 Incredibly Divisive Superhero Films

Debating superhero films has the potential of causing a nuclear holocaust. Fandoms are so passionate about these characters and movies that they'll fight you to the death - or at least into an instant block on Twitter. No matter what the critics say (and who really cares what those losers think, right?), many flicks develop a cult-like following regardless of bad reviews or poor word of mouth. This is what we're here to discuss today: the divisive comic book movies of recent years. Before you ask, please note that we're excluding Justice League from this list as it's too early to tell where it falls on the spectrum. This is all a matter of opinion, of course and as always, if you agree or disagree with any of our listed picks - or feel like having a massive rant about these movies - please take to the comments section down below. So, do you have your big boy panties on? Good, because starting on the next page, we'll be looking at the most divisive superhero films ever. Man Of Steel This won't be the first time that you'll see a Zack Snyder production on this list. In fact, it's fair to say that every single one of his comic book adaptations has led to some controversy or another. But you have to appreciate that Snyder tries to do something different with these characters, even if it means pissing off the diehards in the process. In Man of Steel, though, Snyder broke a cardinal rule: he had Supes snap General Zod's neck. It was a moment that caused many fans to rage, because how could the Big Blue Boy Scout resort to coldblooded murder? It was sacrilege! Defenders of the film will point to Snyder's incredible visuals and how he managed to create a compelling narrative for Clark Kent that actually made the Man of Steel a bit of a badass rather than the All-American Dull Boy. In many ways, this was The Dark Knight version of Superman. Whether it's a good or bad thing is in the eye of the beholder. Iron Man 3 It's often touted as the worst movie that the MCU has ever released, but Iron Man 3 was laughing all the way to the bank - with over a billion dollars in the sack. If anything, it shows us how Tony Stark has experienced an incredible surge in popularity and clout with audiences, where even the most average Iron Man film can clear the billion dollar club without trying. The film wasn't without its merit, mind you. The action, as always, was impressive and Robert Downey Jr. delivered the goods like he always does. Truth be told, you'd struggle to say it was ever boring. The negatives, though, did irritate, with the absolute worst being the Mandarin red herring. Sure, Marvel must've thought it was a terrific twist and they'd trick us all, but it only annoyed the fans who'd waited for so long to see Stark's greatest nemesis on the big screen. Avengers: Age Of Ultron After the runaway success of The Avengers, anticipation was at an all-time high for the follow-up, Avengers: Age of Ultron. Sadly, where the former succeeded in blending multiple narratives into a seamless spectacle, the successor was marred by awful editing and too many Whedon-isms that made us face-palm. But once again, it cleared over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office and the critics had massive boners for it. In this scenario, it's safe to say that the fan response was lukewarm to okay, while the critical reception hyped it up more than it probably should have. On a side note, do you see a lesson here by any chance? Look, this is what the MCU has in its favor. The goodwill for the franchise is so high that even the most mediocre of movies will be given a pass here and there, because gee, gosh, they're so much fun and families just love the Mouse's house. The Dark Knight Rises Is it divisive? Yeah, if people are drunk. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy isn't only the best comic book trilogy of all time, but also one of the best cinematic ones, period. While The Dark Knight Rises had the enviable task of following The Dark Knight, it was still an incredible and fitting finale to this Batman epic. Sadly, the movie marked the beginning of the whining fanboy culture where suddenly everyone had a degree in filmmaking and understood the composition of shots and importance of low angles. Watching the pic today, you'll realize we're too spoiled and should complain about nothing. If it weren't for Nolan's trilogy, it's unlikely that sites, such as ours, would even be here right now. Almost singlehandedly, he ensured that comic book movies weren't seen as something purely for the geeks, but as a medium in itself. Watchmen Hi, Mr. Snyder! We told you that you'd see his name here again. That said, the divisiveness of his Watchmen adaptation wasn't because it was bad or lacked merit, but due to the nature of the source material. Much like most of Alan Moore's stories, it's almost inadaptable. Yet, Snyder did what he does best and brought the comic panels to life on the big screen. Many might argue that he missed the fundamental message of the graphic novel and went for style over substance, but he did everything else right - especially in the longer director's cut which is becoming a common thing for him in his career. Looking back now, it's possible that Watchmen was too far ahead of its time when it was released in 2009. The tone and style were different to everything that we'd seen before it, so we have to ask the question: was the world prepared for such a story? The Wolverine Pop quiz: does anyone remember anything about James Mangold's The Wolverine? The answer is most likely no. While Logan received all the plaudits, it wasn't the first time that Mangold delivered an excellent Wolverine film. The problem with the movie was, it catered to a small demographic who actually knew about Logan's deep and rich history in Japan. For this reason alone, many felt as if the bulk of the characters were unrecognizable and missed the familiar faces of the X-Men from the previous films. It's tragic, though, since this story was one of the strongest in Fox's X-Men universe and most diverse. The one thing that The Wolverine did prove is that the directors need to stick to source material that the general audience knows, or else it'll go over their heads. This was one movie that was strictly for the fans - and many loved it simply because of that. The Amazing Spider-Man After the abortion known as Spider-Man 3 was released, it appeared as if we wouldn't see Spidey on the silver screen for a long time afterwards. And yeah, it did take five years before we saw the Web-Crawler in a movie again, but it didn't seem like too many people warmed up to Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man. You can't fault the film for trying to bring in different elements of Spider-Man's history, choosing to portray his relationship with Gwen Stacy over Mary Jane and setting up the Lizard as the first villain. However, most people clamored on about the fact that we had to see Uncle Ben die again and experience a rehashed origin story. In fairness, The Amazing Spider-Man wasn't a perfect movie, but what is? It did its best to re-imagine Spidey and give us something new and fresh to look forward to. Unfortunately, as we all know by now, this reboot didn't last all that long and met its maker after the sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Zack Snyder's back again! If you're looking for perhaps the most divisive superhero film in history, look no further than Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Never has a comic book movie caused such uproar that it's even debated about nearly two years after its release. We've seen essays, troll wars, and critics flip-flopping their opinions, as every scene is scrutinized and discussed so passionately. Some proclaim it to be the worst film ever made, while others say it's a work of a genius that only intellectuals could grasp. Whichever side of the fence you're on, you have to admit that it's the one movie that'll get anyone talking, since there's so much to dissect and digest about it. It didn't exactly cross the one billion dollar threshold at the box office, but it did make a bucket load of cash and its home video sales are among the best in history. Maybe we do have more than a few closet Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice fans around? Superman Returns This is an odd one, because there wasn't much wrong with Superman Returns. It was a decent - if not by the numbers - continuation of the cinematic story introduced by Richard Donner and Brandon Routh looked a lot like a young Christopher Reeve. So, why the middling reaction to a fine movie? Possibly its biggest fault was that it was only that: fine. There was nothing spectacular about the film, nor did it change the way we saw the Man of Steel. It's just…there? That said, there are fans who'd much prefer this adaptation of the character than what Zack Snyder introduced with his trilogy in the DCEU. Routh's Superman was safe and extremely similar to the classic good guy we all know and love, but at the same time, audiences asked for something more compelling to merit a sequel or repeat viewings. Sadly, this pic didn't offer it. Tell us, which are the most divisive superhero films? Let us know in the comments section below.