5 Movies that almost ruined the entire franchise

Franchises survive when each movie sticks to what works. One strong film can set everything in motion and one weak link can stop it all. Viewers walk in with expectations and when a film misses the mark, it doesn’t just fall flat—it makes people walk away from the entire series.

Studios often lose sight of that. They focus too much on action and ignore the story. They bring in new actors without thinking about how it affects the audience. They change the tone so much that it feels like a different world. Box office success does not always mean the film worked.

Some of these movies made money and still hurt the franchise. Some forced a reboot. Some made fans give up. These are not just average sequels. These are the ones that came close to ending it all. Each one took a working formula and threw it off track.

Each one created more damage than progress. These five films nearly erased the trust fans had in their franchise. They took everything the earlier films built and almost turned it to dust. They serve as a warning that one bad decision can ruin years of success.

5 Movies that almost ruined the entire franchise

1. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Image via 20th Century Studios)

This film was meant to be the conclusion to Fox’s long-running X-Men series. It picked up the Dark Phoenix storyline again after The Last Stand had already failed to handle it. Jean Grey’s powers increased suddenly without proper buildup. Her emotional struggle felt rushed and disconnected from the rest of the team. Characters like Mystique and Cyclops were pushed aside. Their reactions to Jean’s shift lacked weight.

The film moved quickly through key moments without slowing down. A major death was treated like a footnote. Quicksilver vanished early in the film and never returned. The pacing undercut every emotional beat. The final act took place on a train because the ending was reshot. The studio wanted to avoid looking too similar to Captain Marvel.

This film did not close the saga. It made it feel like the series ended by accident. After this movie, the franchise was folded into Disney. There was no farewell and no payoff.

2. Batman & Robin (1997)

This film replaced dark storytelling with camp. Joel Schumacher turned Gotham into a neon playground. Batman wore suits with rubber nipples, and Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered freeze puns non-stop. George Clooney’s Batman had no weight or struggle. His performance felt flat and disconnected.

Robin was given more screen time, but the character lacked direction. Batgirl was introduced, but her background made no sense. Alfred was dying, yet the film barely slowed down to show the emotional impact. Most of the movie was bright lights and silly action. The plot never built tension, and the stakes were unclear.

Fans rejected it completely. Critics called it embarrassing. Warner Bros. canceled the next planned sequel. For eight years there was no Batman movie. When the series returned with Batman Begins, it had to rebuild everything. Batman & Robin nearly erased the character from film.

3. Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)

Transformers: The Last Knight (Image via Paramount Pictures)

This movie threw five plots into one. It tried to link Transformers to King Arthur’s knights. It showed them fighting in World War II. It added secret groups and new mythology without setting anything up. Viewers had to keep up with lore that changed mid-scene.

Optimus Prime was missing for most of the film. He turned evil for a short stretch and returned to normal without a real reason. New characters appeared with no backstory. Cade Yeager became the “last knight,” but it was never explained why. The action scenes never stopped long enough for anything to land.

Audiences gave up. Critics slammed the movie. The franchise paused all future sequels. Paramount pivoted to Bumblebee, which focused on character instead of noise. The Last Knight nearly wrecked the brand beyond recovery.

4. Terminator Genisys (2015)

Terminator Genisys (Imager via Paramount Pictures)

This film tried to reset everything. It copied scenes from the original Terminator but then flipped the timeline. Sarah Connor was raised by a T-800. John Connor was turned into a villain. The twist was spoiled in the trailer before the movie was even released.

The film ignored the emotional core of Terminator 2. Characters acted like plot devices. Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney were miscast and had no chemistry. The tone jumped between serious and goofy. Key plot points clashed with franchise logic. Nothing connected to earlier films in a meaningful way.

Fans were left confused. Critics were not impressed. Plans for two more films were canceled. The studio tried again with Dark Fate but interest had faded. Genisys broke the franchise timeline and damaged fan trust.

5. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

The Matrix Revolutions (Image via Warner Bros.)

This film closed the trilogy with more confusion than clarity. Neo and Trinity spent most of the time away from the rest. Their journey lacked urgency. Morpheus was pushed to the side. Zion’s battle dragged on for too long without strong emotional moments.

The Oracle was recast and nothing explained the change. Neo’s final fight with Agent Smith looked big but felt empty. Stakes were unclear. The war ended with a vague peace deal. Viewers never got to see what it meant for the world. There was no satisfying closure.

The film made money but fans checked out. The story felt unfinished. Nothing made it feel worth the build-up. The series stayed quiet for 18 years. When Resurrections came out most people had already moved on. Revolutions didn’t just wrap things up. It ended everything on a flat note.