Summary
The worst parts of the most disappointing movie sequels of all time are the moments that ruin charactersthe audience had come to love. This is especially common withmovie franchises that get worse with every sequel. It is hard evidence that the director or writer of the given sequel was chosen poorly, as it showcases how they don’t understand the characters or the story. In some ways, ruining a character is worse, because the audience has formed a personal attachment to someone they possibly relate to.
Some “bad” movie sequels are still worth watching if the characterizations are at least consistent.However, iconic movie characters have been ruined when they do something completely inconsistent with their character in a sequel, acting changes do not serve them well, or the writers just didn’t put in as much effort into their arc as before. As a result, fans were crushed when their favorite character’s story came to a lackluster conclusion.
10 Divisive Movie Sequels That Completely Split Their Fandoms
A few movie sequels caused their fandom’s reactions to split, with some praising the movie and others claiming it ruined everything.
10Finn (John Boyega)
Star Wars
Finn, along with Rey and Poe, were set up as the newStar Warstrio to parallel the original heroes. However, byStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the writers were clearly only interested in writing aboutRey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.Finn and Poe’s arcs are rushed in the last movie,trying and failing to give the impression of a meaningful conclusion. The first two movies of the sequel trilogy set up several subplots for Finn that are left unfinished, including his potential romances with both Rey and Rose.
Notes about character
Star Wars: The Force Awakens(2015)
Strong introduction for Finn as a defected Stormtrooper who thinks the war cannot be won.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi(2017)
Expands more on Finn’s feelings about the main conflict/the overall setting.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker(2019)
Does not finish Finn’s storylines with Rey, Rose, and his potential to become a Jedi; only a few comments on the legacy of the Stormtroopers.
Finn’s character connoted many never-before-seen story possibilities forStar Wars. After his first movie,Star Wars: The Last Jedicontinues to form an interesting discourse around Finn,showing him realizing more truths about his world and the conflict he cannot escape. The final movie tries to resolve his story by showing him meeting other First Order deserters, but it is clear that the director didn’t want to spend time tying up everything to do with Finn’s character.
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
9Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe
The introduction of Wanda and her brother Pietro Maximoff was an exciting moment for the MCU that showed the official Avengers roster expanding to include other superheroes from the comics. While Quicksilver was done wrong by the MCU with his early death,Wanda’s power and character continued to grow.Wanda finds herself in the middle of several complicated ethical dilemmas concerning how she feels about Tony Stark’s actions and how the rest of the world views her and her power.
Avengers: Age of Ultron(2015)
Wanda and Pietro have a good introduction; they have good reasons to fight the Avengers but plausibly join their side; Wanda joins Avengers.
Captain America: Civil War(2016)
Wanda is at the center of a new conflict, faced with interesting dilemmas about her power.
Avengers: Infinity War(2018)
Wanda’s relationship with Vision and the sacrifices they make are tragically compelling, adding depth to her character.
Avengers: Endgame(2019)
Wanda makes only a brief appearance; she has an epic moment during the final battle and seems to be at peace at the funeral, finding comfort in friends.
WandaVision(TV show - 2021)
Wanda is overwhelmed by grief and turns into a villain, imprisoning a town, but somewhat redeems herself by the end.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(2022)
Repeats the plot ofWandaVision, undermining its effect: Wanda is the villain, before realizing the error of her ways and saving everyone at the end.
The MCU features a compelling depiction of Wanda’s relationship with Vision, adding more emotional and tragic elements to her story. However,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis where her character falls apart.At this point, Wanda is the objective villain in the story, undermining years of character development— her alleged death comes across as the only way for her to make up for what she has done.
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
The monolithic franchise that kicked off with Iron Man, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is one of the industry’s longest-running and largest cinematic franchises. Based on the heroes from Marvel Comics, the MCU is a new way for fans and newcomers alike to enjoy the ever-expanding universes of some of the world’s most famous superheroes. Releasing as “Phases,” Marvel Studio’s first three Phases came to be known as “The Infinity Saga,” which surrounded the formation of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their showdown with the Mad Titan known as Thanos as he sought to collect the Infinity Stones. With his ultimate goal of indiscriminately wiping out half of all life in the universe, this plot ultimately reveals itself over ten years of films, ending in a two-part finale that changed the world’s fate - and the core cast forever. Currently, the MCU is preparing to enter the fifth phase, focusing on Kang the Conquerer as the new core series villain.
8Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving/Jonathan Groff)
The Matrix
Hugo Weaving’s performance as Agent Smith is one of the highlights of the originalMatrixtrilogy, and the character is doubtlessly one of the most iconic movie villains of all time. Smith serves as a foil to Neo, constantly prompting the hero to question his free will.Smith is the embodiment of all the doubts the main characters have about their world and the war they are fighting,regularly monologuing about destiny and choice in some of themost philosophical scenes ofThe Matrix.
The Matrix(1999)
Smith is a fantastic, charismatic villain who thematically contrasts with Neo.
The Matrix Reloaded(2003)
Smith is still a good character and any problems are symptomatic of the movie’s overall weaknesses.
Same asReloaded.
The Matrix Resurrections(2021)
Weaving is replaced by Groff, who doesn’t live up to his predecessor’s performance.
While the first twoMatrixsequels have been criticized for their needless philosophizing, this is characteristic of Smith’s persona and mostly works for him. However, he is a considerably weaker character in the legacy sequel, in which he is played by Jonathan Groff.Trying to convince the audience that it is the same Smith taking on a new form was a mistakebecause this particular persona is not Groff’s strength. Groff is a talented actor, and if they had given him an original character to make his own,The Matrix Resurrection’sSmith character might have been better.
The Matrix is a sci-fi action franchise that launched with the Wachowskis' 1999 film. It depicts a dystopian future where humanity is unknowingly trapped in a simulated reality by sentient machines. The protagonist, Neo, discovers this truth and that he is “The One,” a being that will lead a rebellion against the machines and restore freedom to humanity.
7Dewey Riley (David Arquette)
Scream
Dewey was set up as a comedic figure in theScreamfranchise— the bumbling but well-meaning cop who somewhat surprisingly became a fan-favorite character, when the concept is based in cheap slapstick and is usually relegated to side characters. However, the repetitive jokes about him being the “dumb” team member are worn out by his last movie, given that he is competent enough to have survived up until then. In some scenes, Dewey is actually one of thesmartest characters in theScreammovies.
Scream(1996)
Dewey is a lovable, clumsy cop who serves the story well.
Scream 2(1997)
The same asScream, with some growth for Dewey’s character through an implied romance with Gale.
Dewey’s incompetence and lack of character growth becomes noticeable.
Same asScream 3.
Scream(2022)
Dewey is killed off despite surviving many stab wounds over the years.
While the franchise could have found a better source of humor,Dewey’s divisive death is also to the detriment of his character.After being repeatedly stabbed and injured but somehow surviving throughout the series, he finally succumbs to a stab wound in 2022’sScreamreboot. The event is fitting given the movie’s darker tone, but it is also arguable that the movie needed to do more work to properly kill such a beloved character.
Created by Kevin Williamson and originally helmed by Wes Craven, the Scream franchise takes a meta approach to the slasher horror franchise, centering on teenagers well-versed in the genre who find themselves hunted and killed by figures donning the Ghostface mask. The first four movies revolved around Neve Campbell’s Sydney Prescott as she frequently found herself the target of different Ghostface killers, while the fifth and sixth installments introduced new protagonists, sisters Tara and Sam, with their own dark past connected to the original Ghostface killer.
6John Connor (Multiple Actors)
Terminator
John Connor looms as a major figure in theTerminatorstory inThe Terminator,although he is never seen in person. He is officially introduced as a rebellious, cynical kid inT2, who leads the movie through his funny and heartfelt dynamic with the friendly T-800. John’s characterization is a major part of what makesT2the undisputedbestTerminatormovie. In the sequel, Nick Stahl does a decent job portraying John as a young man with complicated feelings about his supposed destiny, even if he struggles to support a mediocre movie.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day(1991)
Played by Edward Furlong; young John is an enjoyable addition to the franchise.
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines(2003)
Played by Nick Stahl; John is an understandably unsure young man; any problems are symptomatic of the movie itself.
Terminator Salvation(2009)
Played by Christian Bale; John is a generic action hero with some contradictory traits.
Terminator Genisys(2015)
Played by Jason Clarke; undoes John’s heroic characterization in a storyline that ruins the franchise’s continuity.
John’s character inSalvationis a generic, gritty fictional war movie hero whom the writers likely based on Bale’s recently famous role as Bruce Wayne. He has some compelling moments with his teenage father, but his hostility towards Marcus doesn’t make sense when he knows about the possibility of friendly machines.Genisysthen completely destroys John’s character, making him a comical villainwhose death has no emotional effect on his would-be parents. Apparently feeling that there was nothing to salvage after this,Terminator: Dark Fatekills John off to focus on new characters.
The Terminator franchise, launched by James Cameron in 1984, explores a dystopian future where intelligent machines wage war against humanity. The relentless pursuit of key human figures by time-traveling cyborg assassins known as Terminators is central to the narrative. John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance, is the core target of the malicious machines.
8 Movie Franchises That Deserved A Better Legacy
Often the legacy of a great movie franchise can be tarnished over the years, with substandard sequels diminishing the overall impact of the series.
5Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)
Pirates Of The Caribbean
When he first appeared on-screen,Captain Jack Sparrow was the beating heart of thePirates of the Caribbeanmovie franchise,despite having relatively little effect on the outcome of the story. Jack’s razor-sharp comments and unexpected brilliance were the spark the basic action-adventure plot needed to stand out. In the sequels, the story started to become more dependent on Jack’s character and backstory than before, but Johnny Depp mostly carried on the legacy of his Oscar-nominated performance.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl(2003)
Jack is introduced as an eccentric, brilliant, and unpredictable pirate captain.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dean Man’s Chest(2006)
Jack maintains most of his characterization as the story becomes more dependent on him.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End(2007)
Largely the same asDead Man’s Chest; Jack’s actions seem repetitive and redundant, symptomatic of the movie’s bloated plot.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides(2011)
Jack’s comedic moments are more farcical and the movie puts too much emotional weight into his arc with the introduction of Angelica.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales(2017)
Jack’s character has none of his old brilliance and his comedy is entirely slapstick.
The fourth movie truly started to derail his persona with the introduction of Penélope Cruz’s character, who carried more emotional implications for Jack’s arc than audiences ever wanted him to have. Additionally, the humor associated with his character grew lazier.By the time the franchise arrived at its fifth and most recent installment, Jack was delivering a constant stream of ridiculous, unintelligent jokes— yet the story continues to treat him as though he has the gravitas to support the entire plot.
4Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)
Luke Skywalker is an iconic hero of cinematic history, whose arc in the originalStar Warstrilogy follows a fairly predictable but reliable trajectory, which is credited with popularizing the hero’s journey in pop culture. In the beginning, Luke is an untrained but eager apprentice, who becomes more cautious due to the events of the first two movies.Despite people’s complaints aboutReturn of the Jedi, it shows a satisfying fulfillment of Luke’s character arc,as a skilled Jedi warrior who is completely sure of his moral stance.
Luke begins his classic hero’s journey.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back(1980)
Luke’s story becomes darker and more complex with him acting against Yoda’s advice and discovering the truth about his father.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi(1983)
Luke is a fully trained Jedi with unshakable morals, showing how his character has matured throughout the trilogy.
Luke has lost all faith in the Jedi and is a cynical teacher in the most divisive movie of the franchise.
Undermines Luke’s already divisive arc inThe Last Jediby further demonstrating how he has moved on from his misgivings far too quickly.
The Last Jedidramatically dividedStar Warsfans;one of its most controversial storylines focuses on Luke, who has abandoned the new Jedi Order and the Resistance following Kylo Ren’s turn to the Dark Side.He is unlikable because of his objectively selfish decision to leave behind others to fight a war he contributed to.Rise of Skywalkeris even worse, because it reverts Luke to a generically wise Jedi mentor ghost, making people wonder why this couldn’t have just been his character in the legacy sequels to begin with.
3Alan Grant (Sam Neill)
Jurassic Park
Alan Grant is a strong lead in the originalJurassic Park, and it is impossible not to like someone who faces off with a T-Rex to protect two children.Alan shares the breathtaking scene of seeing the live dinosaurs for the first time with Ellie and Ian,where they all properly convey the awe-inspiring nature of what they are seeing. He contributes to the dialogue of the main trio’s concerns about meddling with nature, before being launched into his solo arc showcasing his level-headness as he makes his way across the park with the kids under his protection.
Jurassic Park(1993)
Alan is an interesting and capable hero who always comes to the rescue.
Jurassic Park III(2001)
Alan’s character is undermined by the very premise of a disliked movie.
Jurassic World Dominion(2022)
Alan’s character is reduced to an extended Easter Egg who is nearly always seen with Ellie and Ian.
Alan’s two other movies in the franchise are generally counted among theworstJurassic Parkmovies.Jurassic Park IIIis dependent upon Alan not being as intelligent as he should be;he is still a clever protagonist once he is facing off with dinosaurs, but other characters have to trick him into going back to the island first. Years later,Jurassic World Dominioncompletely misunderstood the original characters, who work together as a group throughout the movie to the detriment of their individual characters.
The Jurassic Park franchise is an action-adventure sci-fi series that began with Michael Crichton’s original novel. The series explores the dramatic repercussions of resurrecting dinosaurs through advanced genetic science. Set primarily in a disastrous theme park, Jurassic Park explores the profound ethical dilemmas about tinkering with the DNA of long ago extinct creatures and the manipulation of the natural world through science.
2Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon)
Legally Blonde
Legally Blondewas never cut out to be a franchise,something the producers involved should have realized after several poorly-received sequels and spinoffs. Fans can only hope thatLegally Blonde 3will finally do justice to Elle Woods' character, which no movie since the original has been able to accomplish. In her iconic rom-com that serves as a perfect standalone adventure, Elle is a relentless, bubbly sorority sister who follows an ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law, only to discover her own aptitude for the profession.
Legally Blonde(2001)
Elle is a subversive, empowering, and charming young lawyer in the making.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde(2003)
Elle’s character is mostly used for overblown comedy.
People found Elle’s determination and confidence oddly empowering, making her one of the quintessential characters of the decade. However, the ill-advised sequel failed because it did nothing more for Elle.The story acts as though the first movie has done everything needed to make Elle an inspirational, intelligent character,and she can now be used only for comedy. In the process, she becomes completely obnoxious, leaning into the stereotypes she originally subverted.
9 High-Rated Comedies With Low-Rated Sequels, According To Letterboxd
Several mainstream comedies of the late 1990s and 2000s received scores above 3.0 on Letterboxd, while their sequels underperformed with audiences.
1Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire)
Spider-Man
It is generally agreed upon that Sam Raimi’s first twoSpider-Manmovies are good, while the final installment in the trilogy is what ruined the story.In the first two movies, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Park is a lovable nerd who becomes an unlikely hero,exactly as the character is in the comics. This is accompanied by engaging, perfectly cast villains and fantastic action sequences that doubtlessly influenced the later boom in superhero movies.
Peter is a nerdy hero worthy of theSpider-Mancomics.
Spider-Man 2(2004)
The same asSpider-Man, with some interesting character development through Peter being at a worse place in his life.
Spider-Man 3(2007)
Peter is arrogant and completely unlikable, partially due to the Symbiote.
Spider-Man 3is oversaturated with villains, in part due to studio executives overruling what Raimi thought was best for the story. However, the movie is especially mocked because of its hilariously unlikable Peter — while there is an in-story reason for it, the consensus is that they went too far.The downfall of a character as iconic and beloved as Peter Parker was incredibly disappointing for fans to watch,especially when the movies had managed to do right by him for the first two installments.
