6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Fox’s track record with its X-Men movies is notorious hit-and-miss, but one of its biggest misses came in the form of 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. After two relatively successful movies and a third… *ahem* less popular one, 20th Century Fox rightly surmised that Wolverine was by far the most popular part of the movie and audiences wanted more of Hugh Jackman’s adamantium-reinforced mutant. Sadly, that was about all they got right.
Fox reportedly advised director Gavin Hood that the film was too dark, and that audiences wanted lighter action and themes from their superhero movies. A number of changes and cuts were made to accommodate their request, warping the film into something entirely new. The result was underwhelming, to say the least.
Perhaps the most egregious mistake was the film’s depiction of Deadpool. The studio was concerned about the Merc with a Mouth upstaging the titular hero, so they stripped him of essentially all of his most recognizable qualities. As a result, the film faced massive backlash, and is widely regarded as one of the most ill-advised comic book movies ever made, all thanks to studio meddling.