10 Highly Anticipated Comeback Movies That Were Total Disasters

10. Peter Five Eight (2024)

Following a total exile from major studios due to a laundry list of serious SA allegations, Kevin Spacey attempted an independent comeback in this low-budget neo-noir. Playing an assassin with a highly criticized hairpiece, the project was resolutely ignored by audiences and mainstream press alike. Pulling in a pitiful $62,091 internationally, the tiny film proved that a high-profile return was entirely out of reach.

9. Edge of Darkness (2010)

Marking his first lead Hollywood role in nearly a decade, Mel Gibson starred in this hard-edged thriller directed by the creator of the original BBC source material. However, the film sputtered heavily at the box office as audiences refused to look past the star's highly publicized real-world controversies. The project failed to revive his career, permanently stalling his A-list status.

8. What Happens Later (2023)

After an eight-year absence, Meg Ryan pulled double duty by directing and starring in her first romantic comedy in over two decades. Hopes were high that the former genre queen would reclaim her crown, but the film bombed in a humbling ninth place on its opening weekend. Ryan later admitted the exhausting project left her with absolutely no desire to repeat the experience.

7. Iron Man 2 (2010)

After years of battling personal demons and a stint in professional boxing, Mickey Rourke enjoyed a spectacular mid-2000s resurgence. This wave of momentum was supposed to culminate in this high-profile Marvel sequel, where he played the villainous Whiplash. Instead, heavy studio editing reportedly gutted his performance, stalling his return to the Hollywood A-list.

6. Coming 2 America (2021)

Following a string of massive box office flops, Eddie Murphy achieved a triumphant critical resurgence with Dolemite Is My Name. Eager to capitalize on that success, he returned to his most beloved 1980s property for a streaming sequel. Unfortunately, fans were met with an incredibly lackluster comedy that critics savaged as entirely incompetent.

5. Honey Boy (2019)

Shia LaBeouf briefly recaptured Hollywood’s respect with this highly acclaimed, deeply personal script he penned while in rehab about his childhood. However, his career quickly derailed again due to shocking domestic abuse allegations and a string of poorly received indie projects. He later admitted he heavily fabricated the film’s narrative, permanently destroying his industry standing.

4. Basic Instinct 2 (2006)

Attempting to salvage her career after the catastrophic failure of Catwoman, Sharon Stone reprised her most iconic role as the dangerous Catherine Trammell. Saddled with a broke director and a complete lack of her original A-list co-stars, the sequel ended up being a deeply non-sensual, critical disaster. It barely clawed back half its budget and thoroughly embarrassed everyone involved.

3. The Love Guru (2008)

Audiences were highly anxious to see Mike Myers return to live-action character comedy after a lengthy absence from the screen. Unfortunately, this project about a cartoonish spiritual healer was met with intense cultural controversy and universal critical hatred. The offensive, aggressively unfunny film swept the Razzie Awards and permanently derailed his career.

2. The Last Stand (2013)

Action cinema fans were thrilled when Arnold Schwarzenegger finally stepped away from California politics to headline his first lead movie role in a decade. Sadly, the highly anticipated B-movie throwback suffered from an incredibly disjointed tone that failed to resonate with audiences. The film bombed so severely that its acclaimed international director never made another Hollywood picture.

1. Back in Action (2025)

After more than a decade of complete retirement from the film industry, Cameron Diaz made a highly publicized return in this star-studded Netflix action-comedy. Despite an incredible supporting cast and a proven comedy director, the project turned out to be a generic, utterly forgettable streaming mockbuster. It resulted in a deeply disappointing anticlimax for Diaz's genuine star power.