While critics did not always appreciate the world of DC movies, there is no doubting the quality of talent involved in making them. From Oscar winners to legends of the big and small screen, the DCEU has no shortage of A-list stars. However, every A-list star has that one movie, at the least, they look back on and cringe at the thought of.
From the biggest names in the DCEU, including Batman and Superman themselves, to their just-as-important co-stars and leads in other DCEU movies, there are plenty of bombs sitting in their pasts. Here are 10 movies that DCEU stars would like you to forget that they starred in.
BEN AFFLECK - GIGLI (2003)
Ben Affleck has had an interesting career. He was a child star who ended up as an indie darling. He then became a blockbuster movie star, started dating Jennifer Lopez, and then saw his career tank. The low point came when Affleck and J-Lo starred together in Gigli.
Gigli was a critical flop, earning six percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also a commercial flop, making $7.7 million worldwide on a $75.6 million budget. The movie also won seven Razzies, including Worst “Comedy” of Our First 25 Years in 2005.
HENRY CAVILL - HELLRAISER: HELLWORLD (2005)
Hellraiser was one of the top critically acclaimed horror movie adaptations of its era. Based on the Clive Barker story Hellbound Heart, the film was a sadomasochistic horror film about creatures known as Cenobites who tortured those who worship them.
However, after the first two movies, several sequels hit, almost all of them straight to video. By 2005, Hellraiser: Hellworld came out and ended up 20 percent rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. Henry Cavill was Mike, one of a group of teen friends obsessed with a video game called Hellworld. This film was Doug Bradley’s final appearance as Pinhead.
JEREMY IRONS - DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (2000)
Jeremy Irons played Alfred Pennyworth in the DCEU, and before that, he was in several critically acclaimed movies. From Dead Ringers and the original Lion King to The Real Thing and HBO’s Watchmen, Irons has received critical praise throughout his career.
In 2000, he starred in the big-screen adaptation of Dungeons and Dragons. Irons was the evil mage Profion in the film, which ended up a box office failure and sits at 10 percent rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. Irons picked up a Worst Supporting Actor nomination from the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.
MARGOT ROBBIE - THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (2016)
Warner Bros was looking for a new franchise to add to their yearly offerings alongside the upstart DCEU, and in 2016, they brought Tarzan back to the big screen. They brought in David Yates, who directed the last few Harry Potter movies and then signed Alexander Skarsgard to take on the lead role.
What resulted was a disappointment. The Legend of Tarzan enjoyed a decent worldwide box office, with $356 million, but received a shrug from critics, sitting at 55 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Sadly, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists nominated Margot Robbie, who played Jane, for the “Actress Most in Need of a New Agent” award.
JASON MOMOA - BULLET TO THE HEAD (2012)
Jason Momoa seems to be one of the most laid back actors in the world. He seems to take on whatever role he finds interesting, and if it flops, he seems to shrug and move on. With Aquaman, it seems that Momoa discovered his calling.
However, the road to the DCEU saw several stops along the way, including a critically acclaimed role on HBO’s Game of Thrones and a role in the critical flop Bullet to the Head, also based on a comic book series. Star Sylvester Stallone received a Razzie nomination, and Momoa played a rival hitman in the film.
WILL SMITH - WILD WILD WEST (1999)
For a few years, it seemed that Will Smith could do no wrong at the box office. Whether he was in a Michael Bay action film like Bad Boys, an action-comedy like Men in Black, or the world-ending Independence Day, Smith’s movies flew to the top of the box office.
Everything came crashing down in 1999 with the remake Wild Wild West. Smith and co-star Kevin Kline tried to bring the odd couple pairing that worked so well with Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black, but it never worked. The movie was a box office bomb and has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 17 percent.
JARED LETO - URBAN LEGEND (1998)
Jared Leto seems happiest in his off-kilter eclectic roles. Whether it is Joker in the DCEU, Morbius in the upcoming Marvel movie, or his body changing roles in Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club, or Dallas Buyers Club, those are the films Leto seems most proud of.
In 1998, Jared Leto was still finding his footing as a Hollywood actor and took on a role in the 90s slasher movie Urban Legend. The film was a retread of the teen horror movies that started with Scream and became repetitive over the next few years. Urban Legend sits at 19 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
JESSE EISENBERG - CURSED (2005)
Jesse Eisenberg might be the most polarizing member of all the DCEU actors. After Gene Hackman, Michael Rosenbaum, and Kevin Spacey gave fans what they wanted from the character of Lex Luthor, Eisenberg went entirely against the grain and delivered something completely different.
Eisenberg has a fascinating film history, but the one that remains most disappointing was the movie Cursed. Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven teamed up on this, hoping for a new classic, but even Craven said he was disappointed in the results of the werewolf movie, which lost money at the box office.
MICHAEL SHANNON - JONAH HEX (2010)
Michael Shannon seems to be a hard actor to please when it comes to his film roles. He openly spoke out against his role as General Zod in Man of Steel, and it seems that he might be happy his character died because he didn’t seem to enjoy the process or the outcome of the movie.
One would think this isn’t anew feeling since he also appeared in the pre-DCEU movie Jonah Hex. While people point out Catwoman as the worst DC movie of all-time, Jonah Hex is right up there too, making only $10.5 million at the box office and sitting at 12 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
J.K. SIMMONS - POSTAL (2007)
Gary Oldman received critical acclaim for his role as Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy. Similarly, J.K. Simmons won over Spider-Man fans with his portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson in the Sam Raimi films. In the DCEU, it was Simmons who took over the role of Commissioner Gordon, and he did a decent enough job with it.
Simmons has been in some good movies in his career, including an award-winning turn in Whiplash. However, he also appeared in an Uwe Boll movie in 2007 when he took a tole in Postal. The film only grossed $146,741 worldwide on a $15 million budget.
