6. The Shadow

The 1994 movie adaptation of the classic pulp adventure hero is better than you remember, though it still has an off-base plot line and little respect for its history. Its filmmakers hoped to start a franchise, but competing against The Lion King and The Mask was too tough for the unintentionally campy take to overcome.

Still, The Shadow earned a cult following (which includes yours truly) who would love a classic period piece or even a modern take on the vintage superhero who served as inspiration for Batman. Sam Raimi had previously tried to reboot the character in 2007, but they’ve yet to come up with a good script. Perhaps the character would work best using its serialized roots as a TV series.