Superhero franchises are everywhere today, but there are some movies even ardent audiences may not have known spawned whole franchises. Marvel , DC , and numerous independents produced superhero projects that quietly spawned sequels, spin-offs, and ancillary media. What makes these examples so fascinating is how unlikely they are.

Several cult classics, experimental films, and even animated shows quietly expanded into full-blown franchises without most audiences realizing it. Some grew through direct-to-video sequels, others through spin-off series, multimedia tie-ins, or long-delayed revivals that kept their worlds alive long after their original runs ended. These projects proved that superhero storytelling doesn’t need blockbuster budgets to become enduring.

Darkman (1990)

Darkman

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