21 Years Later, Marvel’s True Worst Movie Ever Makes Morbius Look Like Citizen Kane

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Considering the huge number of Marvel movies – almost 100 when you include the Marvel Cinematic Universe and earlier films – it’s inevitable that some wouldn’t be very good. While recent films like Madame Web and Morbius have become notorious for being poorly received, even becoming the subject of online jokes and failing to make money, a 2005 Marvel movie called Man-Thing was so bad it makes those films look great in comparison.

The R-rated horror film Man-Thing is widely considered a cheesy B-movie, currently holding a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both critics and audiences. Expect silly writing, over-the-top violence and nudity, strange editing choices, and inconsistent sound that requires constant volume adjustments.

Then there’s the acting.

Although the movie Man-Thing takes place in the Louisiana bayou, it was surprisingly filmed entirely in Sydney, Australia. This means most of the actors are Australian and did their best to imitate southern American accents, which is noticeable and sometimes pulls you out of the movie.

What might bother comic book fans the most isn’t just the movie itself, but how it drastically changed the established backstory of Man-Thing.

Man-Thing’s New Origin

In the original comic books, Man-Thing is actually Ted Sallis, a scientist who was trying to reproduce the formula that made Captain America super strong. He ended up injecting himself with it and turned into the creature known as Man-Thing. However, the movie doesn’t include the character of Ted Sallis at all.

Okay, so let me tell you, this movie really relies on name-dropping a character named Ted Sallis, but you never actually see him. It’s a weird choice. And they completely changed his backstory! Forget the scientist – here, he’s portrayed as a Native American medicine man who gets killed by a greedy oil tycoon trying to steal his people’s land. Honestly, there’s no proper explanation for how Man-Thing comes to be. He just… appears out of the swamp once the bad guy starts drilling and then, well, starts brutally attacking everyone. It feels really abrupt and leaves a lot to be desired in terms of origin story.

Perhaps the biggest difference in this version of the character is his powers. In the original comics, Man-Thing could burn anyone he touched who was feeling afraid. This movie version is much more brutal – he simply tears his victims apart, leaving a strange, swamp-like substance growing inside their bodies, according to the medical examiner.

Even though the movie has significant flaws, it’s not a total loss. The practical effects, especially the gore, are pretty good, and the Man-Thing costume is surprisingly well-done given the overall quality of the film. However, these few positives are overshadowed by many issues.

The MCU Proves Man-Thing Has Potential

After almost twenty years, Man-Thing finally appeared in live-action again, this time as part of the main Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2022 special, Werewolf By Night. This version of the character was much closer to how he’s portrayed in the comics, but it’s currently unknown if he’ll be featured in future Marvel projects.

If you’re interested in seeing the original 2005 film, Man-Thing is now available to stream on Tubi and Pluto TV for free. It’s a Marvel horror movie known for being unintentionally funny rather than truly frightening.

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2026-04-30 04:08