While most comic book movies these days strive for comics accuracy following years of successful adaptations that have taken both comic characters and storylines from the source material and faithfully brought them to the big screen, even if they were reimagined for a new medium.
However, before shared universes like the MCU and CEU began making billions of dollars, comic book adaptations of the past were either afraid or unwilling to stay true to the source material. Thes altered and different takes made it seem like these comic book movies hated the comics they were based on, which we’ll explore a bit further today.
8 The Mask Avoided The Ultraviolent Serial Killer Aspect From The Comics
Jim Carrey starred in 1994’s live-action adaptation of The Mask as Stanley Ipkiss, a good-hearted but down on his luck bank employee who finds the strength within himself after finding the titular mask that transforms him into an uninhibited mischievous anti-hero. The original Dark Horse comic series from John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke was quite a bit different.
Ipkiss was transformed into an unrestrained serial killer who violently murdered anyone who wronged him, though he was one of the shortest-lived characters to call themselves Big Head. The Mask also omitted key comic characters and drastically altered other characters that further distanced the adaptation from the source material.
7 Howard The Duck Didn’t Understand The Satirical Source Material
While Marvel superhero movies are leading the way in the genre, the very first adaptation was 1986’s Howard the Duck from George Lucas which proved to be a huge flop for a number of reasons, which included weak special effects and cast performances as well as a failure to properly adapt the source material.
Filmmakers either didn’t understand or choose to ignore the satirical nature of Steve Gerber’s Howard the Duck comic series which hilariously explored comic tropes with social commentary, while the movie was a failed sci-fi comedy with little to say.
6 Catwoman Created A Whole New Character Never Seen In The Comics
2004’s Catwoman starring Halle Berry was an adaptation of the popular DC character in name only and created a completely new character named Patience Phillips who gained feline-based abilities after a near-death experience.
While this origin mimicked a previous live-action take on Catwoman that appeared in Batman Returns, it completely abandoned the popular Selina Kyle character and any connection to DC history or characters like Batman to become one of the worst comic book adaptations ever made.
5 Wanted Used The Assassin Premise But Abandoned The Supervillains
Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’ Wanted was adapted by Timur Bekmambetov in 2008, who changed a number of details about the original comic storyline that drastically altered the storyline and abandoned a number of the comics’ key plot points.
The cinematic Wanted introduced an ancient society of assassins guided by fate as they trained a new member, though the comic series explored a world that was secretly run by supervillains and featured a new costumed assassin as he learned the truth and embraced his inner villain.
4 Men In Black Ignored Dark Paranormal Elements And A Secretive Plot
Fans of the cinematic Men in Black franchise know the series for its humor and sci-fi elements that showcased the secretive organization as it protects Earth from alien threats while erasing all knowledge of their activities from the public using advanced technology.
The original comic series from Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers featured a similar premise but was a much darker paranormal tale that also featured monsters and demons as well as aliens who kept their activities secret by eliminating witnesses. The comics also revealed that the Men In Black were actively attempting to manipulate and control the world.
3 Constantine Featured A Wildly Different Version Of DC’s Mystic Con Man
2005’s Constantine starred Keanu Reeves as a supernatural exorcist who finds himself investigating a suicide and the return of an ancient artifact that could bring about the birth of the Anti-Christ and the rise of Hell on Earth.
While Constantine has a number of fans and is a successful movie, it serves as a failed comic adaptation that abandons nearly every character detail from the comic beyond his magical knowledge and smoking habits. More recent live-action versions of John Constantine that retain the original British characterization further showcase the movie’s departure from the source material.
2 Steel Completely Abandoned Any Connection To Superman’s Mythology
Shaquille O’Neal starred in 1997’s Steel which adapted the DC character of John Henry Irons and his titular superhero alter ego, though removed any connection to the character’s comic beginnings and inspiration from the original Man of Steel.
Steel kept Irons’ origins as a weapons designer and managed to capture his street-level heroics, but the complete loss of his relationship with Superman cost the character both in the design of his costume and the movie’s connection to the source material.
1 X-Men Comics Weren’t Even Allowed On The Set Of The Original Trilogy
Director Bryan Singer brought the X-Men to the big screen in 2000 with a specially-selected roster of characters that explored the relationship between Professor Xavier and Magneto while also introducing Wolverine to the team for the first time.
While the adaptation was successful and brought the themes of the comic to the big screen, the comics themselves were banned from the set of the original movie and the established team rosters from the comics never made an appearance in the original trilogy, which made it appear like the movies had no respect for the source material.
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