Many great movies have already been released in 2026, from the wildly successful original horror movies Obsession and Back room to franchise heavyweights who The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. More is still to come, with highly anticipated releases such as The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Dayand Dune: Part III not yet in theaters. But despite this year's film successes and hyped projects, not all films can meet these expectations.
Not every disappointing movie is a bad movie, but they can feel like massive disappointments when audiences have been looking forward to the return of a franchise or an ambitious passion project. Some of the year's most anticipated releases carried huge hype, but the final product fell short of expectations, leaving moviegoers feeling disappointed.
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Scary Movie 6's comedy missed the mark
When Scary movie 6 announced, the return of Anna Faris, Regina Hall, and Marlon and Shawn Wayans generated plenty of excitement, especially from audiences who had grown up with Scary movie franchise. The ill-received fifth installment had actually ended the comedy/horror franchise over a decade ago, so expectations for Scary movie 6 were high.
What could have been a great reunion for a nostalgic franchise was instead full of uninspired pop culture references that missed the mark and failed to pack a punch. The story follows Cindy Campbell and her classmates, who accidentally hit a pedestrian with their car, dump the body and swear to silence. A year later, a goofy killer wearing a Ghostface mask begins murdering the teenagers one by one, performing a series of crazy gags that mock late '90s horror tropes.
Faris and Hall still had the same chemistry that made Cindy and Brenda such memorable characters, and many audiences enjoyed seeing them on screen again. Scary movie 6 wasn't a failure, but audiences largely felt that the film was just digging into the past instead of reinventing itself. Some of the biggest criticisms leveled at it were its choice of parodies, the lack of successful jokes, and its frequent callbacks to previous films, resulting in the film receiving a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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The Mandalorian and Grogu were disappointing returns to theaters
Modern Star Wars can often struggle to find consensus among fans, but Din Djarin and Grogu is a rare collective success. The Mandalorian helped solidify interest in the two characters, making the announcement of a spinoff film feel like the logical next step. Fans' excitement only grew as the franchise prepared to return to theaters for the first time since then rise of skywalker, expect greater measures and greater efforts.
Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, The Mandalorian and Grogu centers on bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice, Grogu, working for the New Republic. Tasked with hunting Imperial warlords, Mando accepts a mission to find a missing commander. To obtain the necessary information, he must first rescue Rotta the Hutt from a rival syndicate, leading to a galactic hunt involving bounty hunters and Imperial remnants. It's fun, action-packed, and has tons of impressive visuals, but it was disappointing Star Wars fans and critics alike.
Ironically, The Mandalorian and Grogu'The biggest criticism is that it felt too much like another episode of the Disney+ show. The side quests and episodic structure often undermined the sense of scale that audiences have come to expect from a big screen Star Wars adventure, and the film overall didn't feel significant enough to justify its existence, earning just a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many viewers had hoped for something closer Rogue One or The Force Awakens for Star Wars' triumphant return to cinemas.
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Fans were hyped for Supergirl as the DCU's second theatrical outing
As James Gunn's second theatrical outing for the DCU, following the successful 2025 Superman, many superhero fans were looking forward to the 2026s Super girl. This is especially true after Gunn's comments about Kara Zor-El being fundamentally different from Clark Kent created genuine excitement among comic book readers. Milly Alcock had become a fan favorite thanks to dragon's house, and audiences were hyped to see a hardened character shaped by trauma and loss, as opposed to another optimistic hero.
Super girl centers on Kara Zor-El, a Kryptonian survivor who moves to Earth after seeing her homeworld fall apart. Living in the shadow of her famous cousin, Superman, her peaceful routine is interrupted when a planetary threat emerges. The story details her journey to manage her latent abilities, form alliances and confront an interstellar adversary. Many viewers singled out Alcock as Supergirl's biggest strength, while Jason Momoa's energetic Lobo was also praised. But many other parts of the film disappointed the audience.
Complaints about a bland visual identity, weak emotional core, underdeveloped characters, jarring tonal shifts and pacing issues became recurring themes throughout Supergirl's reviews. Several critics argued that the film seemed torn between focusing on a new hero, establishing the future DCU, and telling its own story. Super girl seemingly impressed audiences more than critics, and it's still a fun, enjoyable watch, even if it didn't quite live up to expectations.
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Michael was exceptionally controversial
Biopics often arrive under huge expectations, though Michael operated under a level of scrutiny few films have ever experienced. Michael Jackson remains one of the most successful and controversial figures in music history, which meant the film faced the difficult task of satisfying longtime fans while accurately portraying the decades of public debate surrounding his personal life. The casting of Jaafar Jackson created huge attention, with many viewers surprised by how much he resembled his uncle.
The biopic traces the life of singer Michael Jackson, from his early years with the Jackson 5 to his peak solo success in the 1980s. The plot details his rise to global prominence along with the subsequent media attention, complex legal issues and financial strains that defined his later career. Michael's musical sequences, recreations of famous performances and Jaafar Jackson's portrayal were often praised, and for many the film succeeded as a tribute to Michael Jackson's cultural impact.
However, the audience's disappointment came from what Michael did not explore. Reports of rewrites and reshoots gave the impression that the film struggled to capture all aspects of Michael Jackson's life, and the final product leaned too heavily on celebration. Huge, pivotal moments in Michael Jackson's life, particularly his childhood and his abuse allegations, were glossed over or left out entirely, leaving the biopic feeling shallow and sanitized. The audience did not leave Michael with any further insight into who the singer was.
