I know you’ve seen The Dark Knight, but have you ever seen 1982’s Swamp Thing?
I mean, maybe you have (it was directed by horror icon and Scream director, Wes Craven), but that’s just one of a few DC movies that you may not have known existed, due to its obscurity.
But, don't think I'm leaving out Marvel, because there are multiple Marvel movies that you may not have heard of, either. So, here are seven Marvel and DC movies that you might just be learning about today.
Superman And The Mole Men (1951)
I know people are looking forward to all of the upcoming DC movies, like Superman: Legacy, but did you know that the very first movie based on a DC character came out all the way back in 1951? It happened.
Of course that character was their golden boy, Superman. But the actor who portrayed him wasn’t Christopher Reeve, but rather, George Reeves, who was one of the first actors to play Superman.
The movie is a product of its time, so there are no battles with General Zod or other Superman enemies. Instead, we’re left with a story about humankind digging where they shouldn’t be, and the repercussions that come about because of it.
The “mole men” in question are feared by the community due to their looks, and Superman must save them. I know there are some (myself included) who weren’t fond of the portrayal of Superman in the Snyderverse, thinking that he didn’t represent the beacon of hope that many associate with the character.
But, if you’re looking for that version of the character and have already watched the Christopher Reeve movies, as well as Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns, then you might just want to give this one a watch. It’s not bad!
The Return Of Swamp Thing (1989)
For some, their introduction to Swamp Thing was probably the “convincingly creepy” series that came out a few years back, but as I mentioned in the intro, there was actually a Swamp Thing movie that came out way before that.
Now, if you’re a Wes Craven fan, then you probably saw that movie, as it’s a part of his filmography, but did you know that it also has a sequel called The Return of Swamp Thing?
Directed by Jim Wynorski and starring Dick Durock and Louis Jourdan from the first movie, and adding Sarah Douglas, and Heather Locklear (who “won” a Razzie for all her troubles), the sequel is WAY lighter in tone than the first flick.
The story concerns the villain from the first film trying to splice some creatures together to create a legion of enemies, but Swamp Thing comes to the rescue…and falls in love in the process. It’s not great, but the first Swamp Thing movie wasn’t great, either. Give it a watch, though, if you’re curious.
Steel (1997)
Oh, man. Between the video game Shaq Fu, and the movie, Steel, it’s a miracle that Shaquille O’Neal is still able to have a career, but I guess that’s just the power of Shaq. Because if you think Batman & Robin (which I love, by the way) is bad, then you haven’t seen anything yet if you’ve never watched Steel.
Directed by Kenneth Johnson, and starring Shaq, Annabeth Gish, Judd Nelson, and Shaft actor himself, Richard Roundtree, the movie is about a weapons designer-turned superhero who uses some of the weapons that he helped to create against the bad guys who want to get them onto the streets. And, I know what you’re thinking. Oh, so it’s like Iron Man then?
NO! Not at all. Because Steel, which has pretty much nothing to do with its comic book counterpart, is as far removed from Iron Man as you could possibly get. I’m not just talking about the visuals, either, as the overall feel is also completely different.
Steel, in this movie, anyway, is more of a street-level vigilante. He fights crimes with weapons, along with his wheelchair bound friend, “Sparky” (Gish), and the overall film is just completely charmless. The jokes don’t land and the story is clumsy. That said, the action isn’t terrible. But honestly, I wouldn’t recommend this film to most people. Just the DC movie completionists.
Jonah Hex (2010)
Now, you may have seen trailers for Jonah Hex back in 2010 and not even realized that it was a DC movie. Honestly, the only reason I knew that Jonah Hex was a DC character was because of that one Batman: The Animated Series episode, “Showdown,” which I wouldn’t call one of the best episodes of the series, but it’s a darn good one.
Anyway, on paper, the movie sounds like a slam dunk. Starring John Malkovich, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender, Michael Shannon, the late-great Lance Reddick, and Josh Brolin as the titular character, Jonah Hex is about a bounty hunter who can glean information from the dead. In his travels, he has to stop his rival from using a new weapon on the populace.
Doesn’t that sound pretty good? Too bad it’s not. The action is decent, but the story doesn’t feel very cohesive, even as short as it is. It also seems like a lot of these performances could be done in the actors’ sleep, so even though Brolin is okay, everything else around him is pretty terrible. Chalk this up to being another, for DC-completionists-only movie.
Captain America (1990)
Now onto Marvel. Just like with DC, I know a lot of people are looking forward to the upcoming Marvel movies, but for this article, I want to look backward. Way backward. While it’s true that 1986’s Howard the Duck was officially the first Marvel movie, 1990’s Captain America wasn’t too far behind.
Directed by Albert Pyun, and starring Matt Sallinger as Captain America, and Scott Paulin as Red Skull, the first Captain America movie honestly could have been a lot worse. I mean, it’s bad. Don’t get me wrong. But at least it’s goofily bad.
In this one, we get Cap’s origin story, as well as a wacky plot involving Red Skull trying to take over the world, and Cap having to save the president. The story is needlessly all over the place, but it’s not the worst way to spend a weekend.
Nick Fury: Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (1998)
Ask any fan of all of the Marvel movies that have come out to date, who plays Nick Fury, and they’ll of course tell you Samuel L. Jackson. While they’re right, they’re also forgetting somebody crucial, and that would be none other than David Hasselhoff.
That’s right, in the TV movie, Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., we actually had a different interpretation of the character more aligned to the version from the comics before the character eventually looked like Samuel L. Jackson.
The movie, though? Pure dross. The story isn’t convoluted or anything like that – it’s just about a virus from HYDRA coming to New York – but it feels like it was meant to be the start of something bigger, and that’s not too far off, either, as it was intended to become a whole series if it did well, which unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) it didn’t. It’s an interesting time capsule though, to say the very least.
Man-Thing (2005)
Lastly, I want to direct you to 2005’s Sci-Fi Channel movie, Man-Thing. What’s that, you say? You thought Man-Thing’s first live-action appearance was in Werewolf by Night? Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, if you thought Werewolf by Night was violent, then just wait until you watch this R-rated horror movie.
Or rather, don’t watch it, because it’s pretty mediocre. Unlike the other films on this list, Man-Thing isn’t the main character in his own movie. Instead, the movie is about a dude digging for oil in Louisiana, and the mystery of what’s causing the killing’s in the area. (Hint: It’s Man-Thing.)
Overall, it’s a forgettable movie, and that’s why you’ve probably never heard of it before.
So, those are seven DC and Marvel movies you may not have even known about. For more news on DC and Marvel movies that you might want to see, though, be sure to swing by here often!
