“Expend4bles” was largely criticized by both fans of the franchise and critics when it debuted in late September 2023. The long-gestating sequel received a 14% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a B- CinemaScore — a franchise low. The film fared exceptionally poorly at the box office, grossing just north of $50 million worldwide on a production budget of $100 million — yikes. Overall, the film was a commercial and critical disappointment, so it makes sense that the Razzies are awarding the Scott Waugh-directed pic the most nominations this year. 

While “Expend4bles” leads the pack, it’s followed by the equally ill-received “The Exorcist: Believer” and “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,” both of which scored five nominations. The real shocker here, however, is how Marvel and DC are tied with four nominations each. Both franchises have always had their place at the Razzies (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” had a whopping eight nominations in 2017), but it’s pretty interesting to see them have the same number of nominations in vastly different categories. 

The year 2023 was devastating for comic book movies, from both a financial and a cultural standpoint. Marvel and DC were equally criticized for their lackluster offerings last year, and coupled with superhero fatigue, both studios saw very few wins. In the case of Marvel, the backlash that “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” received may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for Kevin Feige’s vast comic book empire. While it remains to be seen who takes home the most Razzies this year, it’ll also be interesting to see if Marvel and DC can get out of the rut they’ve found themselves in.