The 5 Comic Book Movies So Good They Should Have Had Sequels

Comic book movies have been mainstays for much of the 21st Century when it comes to the features you’re likely to see populating the multiplexes.

That does not appear to be changing any time soon with 2016’s onslaught that includes a new X-Men film, Deadpool, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Captain America: Civil War.

Despite enjoying popularity unsurpassed, however, comic book movies have been around a lot longer than the present.

In fact, many of the best comic book movies can trace their roots back by decades. And many of those were never afforded the opportunities to develop their universes, even though they should have.

In that spirit, it’s time to take a look at five comic book movies that should have had at least one sequel, but didn’t. See if you agree.

1. Dick Tracy

While it seems like there weren’t any viable villains left for Tracy to take on by the end of this colorful feature from 1990, author and artist Chester Gould, the creator of Dick Tracy, had done plenty to keep a franchise of the legendary square-jawed lawman going for years.

That never happened, even though there has been past rumblings of a second Dick Tracy feature film that has never developed past Warren Beatty’s take on the character.

This was truly a classic among comic book movies, and deserves a second movie (or at least a second look).

2. The Rocketeer

Disney’s take on The Rocketeer, starring Bill Campbell, was so lovingly packed to the gills with nostalgia that it would have fit in fine in the current environment. Taking its lead from the late writer/artist Dave Stevens’ graphic novel, The Rocketeer was a character rooted in pulp and Saturday matinee serials, but unlike Frank Miller’s take on The Spirit, his film was actually a great one with a great supporting cast that included Terry O’Quinn and Jennifer Connelly.

3. Dredd

There have been unsubstantiated rumors that Dredd could be coming to Netflix as a 13-episode event. While that may be hard to believe until an actual announcement is made, the second go at this character starring Karl Urban (not the first one with Sylvester Stallone) has been called one of the most underrated comic book movies of all time by the likes of Daily News Service.

That’s hard to disagree with. Hyper violent, just like its comic book source, this was a fully realized world with great acting and real stakes.

4. Mystery Men

Maybe it wasn’t as great as the other comic book movies on this list, but this sendup of superheroes had a wonderful sense of humor and far too much potential to let die on the vine. If this doesn’t get a sequel, look for a reboot sometime in the not-too-distant future. It’s just too much of a no-brainer.

5. Surrogates

Call it a stretch if you must, but this graphic novel adaptation starring Radha Mitchell and Bruce Willis from 2009 left an impact with its terrific job of world building and top-notch acting that also included the always-wonderful Rosamund Pike and James Cromwell.

A new film in the series would lend itself well to a new cast without losing the impact of Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele’s original graphic novel.

So there you have it, fanboys and fangirls.

The five comic book movies that deserve sequels or, at the very least, reboots. Which ones would you like to see on the big screen — or perhaps on Netflix/Amazon/Hulu — again? Did we miss any major ones? Sound off in the comments section below, and leave some of your picks if you have any.

[Image of The Rocketeer Poster via C-Ville]