The movie industry is an endless cycle of sequels and reboots, and many movie properties get rebooted when the last movie was unsuccessful or the main actor attached to the project parts ways. A perfect example of the former is Spider-Man, which was rebooted twice in the 2010s alone.
But, sometimes, there are beloved properties that lie dormant after just one movie that underperformed, and that's mostly because Hollywood as a whole is afraid to take risks. Between disappointing adaptations of celebrated video game properties and under-developed sci-fi movies, film studios are sitting on so much untapped potential.
The Green Hornet (2011)
The Green Hornet is based on the 1960s TV show of the same name which follows a masked crime fighter and his valet, Kato. The movie was directed by Michel Gondry, a cinematic auteur who is beloved for his inventive practical effects in movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. That made it all the more disappointing to critics, who expected one of the most imaginative superhero movies ever made.
What's more is that many believed that, as Seth Rogen was cast as the crime fighter, the movie was absurdly miscast. It's one of Seth Rogen's worst movies, but the property still has loads of potential. In the right hands, it could be a Shane Black-type buddy-cop movie with the Hornet and Kato playing detectives. There is actually a reboot currently in development, but if it'll ever see the light of day is another question entirely.
Speed Racer (2008)
After the Wachowski sisters closed the doors on the Matrix series with The Matrix Revolutions in 2003, they struggled to find their footing with other projects. Speed Racer was their first movie after the sci-fi series, and it's based on a 60s anime that follows a young racer drive outlandish cars on surrealistic race tracks.
If anybody was able to adapt the visually stunning world of Speed Racer, it was the Wachowskis, but there was too much of a focus on that and not enough focus on a coherent narrative or compelling characters. With so many directors well-versed in CGI now, many could spearhead a reboot that would have both the thrills and a captivating story with fun characters.
Catwoman (2004)
Catwoman was set up for failure from the moment production started; from the ridiculous CGI to the idea of Selina being brought back to life by being licked by cats, the 2004 movie was a strange adaptation, to say the least. As covered by ScreenRant, Halle Berry doesn't regret playing Catwoman, but a lot of viewers probably regret having seen it.
As Selina uses her acrobatic skills to burgle jewelry stores and steal diamonds, a standalone Catwoman movie could be a great heist thriller. That'd be especially exciting considering heist movies so rarely get made these days. It doesn't necessarily have to be an origin movie, especially given that her origin is so bizarre.
Hellboy (2019)
Hellboy has already been rebooted once, and it was significantly worse than the original series. Many would have preferred to have seen Hellboy 3 after 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and there was an unrealized Guillermo del Toro Hellboy threequel. But, even despite David Harbour's commanding presence in the 2019 reboot, it still wasn't enough to keep the bloated-yet-undercooked origins story from bombing.
However, there is so much fascinating lore in the world of Hellboy, and the property just didn't use its R rating to full effect. Movies like Logan and Joker have proved that an R-rating isn't the cinematic death penalty that it used to be, and there's no doubt that a more mature Hellboy would be a success.
I, Robot (2005)
I, Robot was actually successful at the box office, but its worldwide gross of $350 million still didn't achieve what 20th Century Fox had hoped. Critically, the movie was a failure, as professional critics lambasted it for being pseudo-intellectual. There was a brief moment when a sequel to I, Robot was in the cards, but the best approach to the property would be a reboot.
Looking back at the movie, the effects are extremely dated, and the narrative could have been a lot cleaner and more succinct. But, it still had an interesting premise and a lot of potential, so a modern-day retelling of the movie could be exactly what it needs—and it could even set up a franchise.
Ghost Rider (2011)
Johnny Blaze is one of the coolest characters from the Marvel comic books, but that wasn't the case for his big-screen adaptation. Despite Ghost Rider underperforming at the box office, Sony still went ahead with a sequel... and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance ended up being even worse. The character didn't come across as either frightening or rebellious as he is in the comic books, and Blaze deserved better.
Fortunately, the rights for the character are now back in the safe hands of Marvel Studios, so it isn't a question of if fans will get a reboot of Ghost Rider, but when. In a perfect world, Nicolas Cage would be cast as the titular character in the reboot, too, as his typically on-edge delivery of the character is one of the few great things about the two Ghost Rider movies.
The Dark Tower (2017)
The Dark Tower is an interesting phase of Stephen King's career. Being a western, it's completely unlike anything the horror scribe has ever written, but the series is still comprised of eight full novels. Sony developed the movie adaptation and made it clear that they intended to make it a long-running movie series. But, that idea was quickly canned after the commercial and critical result of the film.
The final product felt like a compressed version of all eight novels, and it was borderline incomprehensible. There's still a chance to make a great series of movies out of The Dark Tower, as it could be rebooted with each movie faithfully following each novel.
Æon Flux (2005)
As per ScreenRant, Charlize Theron believes that Aeon Flux would have performed better in 2020, as she says that the character "would be celebrated cinematically way more than it was in 2004." It seems like she's right, as female action stars are getting their own John Wick-like action movies now when they never would have in the 2000s.
However, the movie was also criticized for being dull and lifeless. But, if it was rebooted, it could be given that popular John Wick gun-fu overhaul, and that, combined with the high concept sci-fi premise, could make for a brilliant female-led Matrix-type movie.
Daredevil (2003)
2003's Daredevil isn't as bad as most fans think, as it introduced non-linear storytelling to superhero movies, and it nailed the dark tone of Hell's Kitchen. Yet, it still had loads of flaws and was hated by critics.
It's another superhero property that would benefit from an R-rating, and Netflix's gratifyingly violent Daredevil series proved that. But, as that faithful and fan-loved depiction of the hero was canceled all too early, it's about time for a movie reboot.
Hitman (2007)
Like Hellboy, Hitman has already been rebooted once, but 2015's Hitman: Agent 47 is even worse than the 2007 movie. Both times, the studio completely missed the reasons why fans love the video games; the cinematic adaptations tried to turn the video game franchise into an action movie, when the big appeal of the series was the unique stealth elements that weren't in other games.
The games see Agent 47 disguising himself in unorthodox outfits and perform creative murders that no other assassin-based movie has been able to replicate. The movies skipped over the character's subtle nuances and focused more on Agent 47's deadpan, humorless attitude. There's so much potential for another reboot so long as it's more faithful to the highly entertaining video game series.