The Marvel Superhero Flop That's Defying Odds And Dominating Amazon Video

Even though Marvel movies are associated with quality, there are always exceptions to the rule. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a few stinkers, but those are masterpieces compared to Marvel's true flops. It's easy to forget that Marvel is behind some abysmal movies that are not attached to the Cinematic Universe name or canon. And yet a death at the box office doesn't necessarily mean a bad Marvel movie stays dead — something they seem to have in common with comic book characters.

Thanks to streaming services such as Amazon Video, quite a few bad Marvel movies have found a second shot at life. These include The Wolverine, the Fantastic Four films, and movies that take place within the X-Men: First Class continuity. Out of all of Marvel's flops, none have been empowered by this revival quite like X-Men: Dark Phoenix, which is easily the worst movie based on a Marvel property.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is loosely based on the comic saga of the same name. In the movie, Jean Grey (played by Sophie Turner) transforms into an all-powerful psychic thanks to a combination of PTSD, aliens, and space radiation. Eventually, she sacrifices herself to destroy the aliens. In the source material, Jean Grey turns into a being of pure thought and resurrects herself as the powerful Phoenix. But, a cadre of villains brainwashes her into becoming an intergalactic, world-ending threat known as Dark Phoenix. After a heart-wrenching internal conflict between her good and evil halves, Jean Grey sacrifices herself to protect the universe. This story was eventually semi-retconned by turning Jean Grey and Phoenix into two separate entities, but the comic is still one of the most influential stories in comic history.

Against all odds, X-Men: Dark Phoenix has seen an uptick in viewings on Amazon Video. This sudden surge in popularity occurred very recently. Before February 4, the movie was dust blowing in the wind, but now it is one of Amazon Video's top 10 most streamed movies in the U.S. X-Men: Dark Phoenix is also one of iTunes' top 10 most streamed movies in Cyprus, Qatar, and Vietnam.

Only time will tell how long this new popularity will last.