The rating system for movies has been a confusing, unexplained practice for years, frustrating every director in its wake.

However, to disobey the Motion Picture Association of America's rating board can lead to the dreaded "NC-17" rating, and those movies won't play in most theaters.

The ire toward the MPAA and its ratings surfaced again on Wednesday when comedian Mike Birbiglia, director of the movie "Don't Think Twice," spoke out, asking why his new movie, about a group of New York City improv comics, got an R rating, while the very violent "Suicide Squad" got a PG-13.

Here's his tweet:

Director Judd Apatow also chimed in, adding this comment while retweeting Birbiglia:

The ratings board (whose members are kept secret — not even the filmmakers who are pleading their case to the board know who they're pleading to) has often been criticized for allowing more violence in movies than sex. In fact, a 2013 study showed that gun violence in PG-13 movies exceeds that in violent R movies.

If you want a real deep dive on how twisted the MPAA rating system really is, seek out the Kirby Dick documentary, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated."

SEE ALSO: Here's what the cast of "Suicide Squad" looks like in real life

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NOW WATCH: The directors of 'Catfish' and 'Nerve' reveal how to make it in Hollywood without going to film school

The good news for Warner Bros.’ latest DC Comics movie, “Suicide Squad,” is that it will make a lot of money its opening weekend.

It'll likely grab $100 million-plus in the debut (it might be as high as $140 million), which would be a record breaker for August. The current record holder is “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with $94.3 million.

But what happens after this weekend will decide if it succeeds, and if we go by what happened to the previous DC movie, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” the squad is on shaky ground.

“Batman v Superman” had the highest opening weekend ever for a March release when it took in $166 million in 4,242 theaters, but in its second weekend (adding 14 more screens) it nose-dived, with only $51.3 million. That’s a 69.1% drop in sales.

In an era when film criticism is questioned often, media (plus word of mouth) led to “Batman v Superman” taking in only $872.6 million worldwide.

That would be an astounding figure for most movies, but not enough to consider this hulking blockbuster a success.

“Suicide Squad” is in the same boat. After this weekend, it’s likely to take a dive in sales following a bashing by critics. (It currently has a 29% ranking on Rotten Tomatoes.) But it doesn’t have the lofty goals “BvS” had.

Focusing here on a ragtag group of bad guys who aren’t as iconic to audiences as Batman and Superman, Warner Bros. is looking for the kind of success fellow fringe comic-book character Deadpool had in February, when the movie became that month’s biggest all-time opening with $132.4 million.

“Suicide Squad” can match that kind of success. Warner Bros. is opening the film domestically on 4,200 screens (380 in IMAX, which means a more expensive ticket price), while 20th Century Fox released “Deadpool” on 3,558 screens.

But, again, it’s the long game that’s the question mark.

The word of mouth for “Deadpool” was beyond what anyone at Fox expected, and it led to the movie earning $782.5 million worldwide. It's the third-highest-grossing movie domestically this year ($363 million). That's basically unheard of for an R-rated movie.

With “Suicide Squad” rated PG-13, it means there’s more opportunity for larger audiences than “Deadpool” had (added to it appearing on more screens). But that theory only works if the word of mouth is as good, and sadly, that won’t be the case for “Squad.”

"Squad" also comes with a higher price tag, at $175 million, than "Deadpool" ($58 million).

So Warner Bros. is now in the same predicament it was in with “BvS,” trying to muscle as much money as it can out of “Suicide Squad” so as not to have egg on its face for a second time.

If “Squad” hits at least $800 million worldwide, it will be considered a success.

However, industry insiders I've spoken to since this story originally ran tell me even at around $750 million the movie can make a profit, following merchandise and home video/streaming sales.

One silver lining is that "Squad" is already outpacing"Deadpool" and even "Guardians of the Galaxy" in the overseas markets — at least for now.

But with two films from its DC Comics cinematic universe being slaughtered by critics, Warner Bros. may have more to worry about going forward than box-office projections. Reputation, after all, still matters.

SEE ALSO: The 15 worst movie sequels ever, ranked

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NOW WATCH: Here's how the 'Suicide Squad' cast looks compared to their comic-book counterparts

Even with over 60 live action films and TV series based on Marvel characters available for public consumption it’s hard to believe how many heroes still haven’t gotten their chance in the spotlight. Some of the most popular Marvel heroes still haven’t appeared on the big or small screen outside of animated form. The reasons for this are wide and varied.

The still tangled web of different property rights is a major reason. Many of your favorite mutants are controlled by 20th Century Fox who is finally just beginning to explore the X-Men universe. Other characters are caught in a weird limbo of rights between Sony Pictures, who still controls the "Spider-Man" franchise, Fox and Marvel Studios. For instance, both Fox and Marvel had the right to use Quicksilver who turned up in two different movie incarnations within weeks of each other. It sort of worked and it sort of didn’t.

Also, unlike DC that is more than OK with duplicating characters on the big and small screen, Marvel is creating one gigantic interconnecting universe. That means shows like "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Daredevil" can’t create their own versions of known Avengers characters without fans assuming that’s the definitive Black Knight or Moon Knight (more on them later) for all of Marvel. And, frankly, there may just be too many popular Avengers members and international heroes for Marvel to deal with when you have that particular strategy.

Keeping that in mind, here are 20 Marvel heroes most fans are still hoping to eventually see kicking ass in some form or another (assuming the powers at be can find the time to give them a home).

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The best Marvel superhero movies of the past 8 years

DON'T MISS: Stan Lee has made 31 cameos in the Marvel universe — here they all are

Nova

First appearance: "Nova #1," Sept. 1976

Real identity: Richard Ryder

Lowdown: Sure, the Nova Corps are alive and well in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie franchise, but the greatest Nova of them all, Richard Ryder, hasn’t stepped hd his moment yet (at least not that we know of). Ryder has an Avenger connection as a one-time member and has saved the Marvel comic book universe on his own more than once. Every kid wanted his super powers growing up (Flying through space! a constant force field! Energy blasters!) and he’s also that Marvel relatable twentysomething that’s now missing from the big screen back to being a Spider-Man a goofy teenager again.

Best Chance: Baring a surprise cameo in "Guardians Vol. 2," the best hope for Ryder is to debut in a space-themed future Marvel Studios endeavor such as "Avengers: Infinity War," a fourth "Thor" film or – and this seems the most likely – "Captain Marvel."

Note: Another hero took the mantle of Nova over the past decade, the undeniably adorable Sam Alexander. It would be great for Marvel to bring a hero with real Hispanic heritage such as Sam into the mix, but he may just be too similar in personality to the new Spidey to work at this time.

She-Hulk

First appearance: "Savage She-Hulk #1"

Real identity: Jennifer Walters

Lowdown: One of Marvel’s most powerful heroes, Bruce Banner’s cousin is a Hulk in control of her own body (there’s no Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde issue here) with a keen intelligence and sharp wit. Marvel figured out the best way to exploit the character by focusing on Walters background as a defense lawyer, but since her debut three decades ago She-Hulk has been a key member of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and The Defenders. The fact Marvel Studios hasn’t found a way to introduce a hero so interconnected in its comic book universe is sort of head scratching.

Best Chance: Future "Avengers" film or "Captain Marvel" although we’re betting on the later. Walters’ friendship with Carol Danvers is the perfect opportunity to also bring in some of Marvel’s other powerful ladies including a number of other heroines on this list. A "Defenders" appearance isn’t out of the question, we’re just not sure even Netflix has the budget to pull a CG motion capture She-Hulk off for more than a scene or two.

Cable

First appearance: "New Mutants #87" (as Cable), 1990

Real identity: Nathan Summers

Lowdown: The long grown son of Scott Summers and Madelyne Pryor – wait for it – a clone of Jean Grey, Cable was raised in the far future for his own protection only to return to the present a man seemingly older than his father and with combat abilities no one could have fathomed. He also was visibly battle scared with a robotic right arm. He’s a character with the sort of convoluted history that gives screenwriters headaches, but that tragic background has helped turn him into a fan favorite with more solo titles than his pop Cyclops has ever had. The question is how do you introduce him into an established movie universe without a 10-minute long exposition explaining who he actually is and how he got to be that way?

Best Chance: Cable is set to appear in 20th Century Fox’s "X-Force" that has been in active development since 2013, but still doesn’t have a director or release date.  However, a post-credits scene for "Deadpool" says the character will appear in "Deadpool 2."

The Joker was the biggest promotional selling point of "Suicide Squad." The character has achieved mythic status in movies, and Jared Leto was clearly gnawing on scenery in the early trailers for the new DC Comics/Warner Bros. film.

But it turns out the final movie, which is out in theaters Thursday night, has a lot less of Leto's Joker than was originally filmed.

As Slash Film reports, Leto told Telestar of the missing material, "Oh, there are a lot of [deleted] scenes, yeah, there are a lot of scenes that didn’t make it to the final film. And hopefully they’ll see the light of day … who knows?"

All told, the Joker adds up to only 15 minutes of the movie, according to Slashfilm.

Director David Ayer confirmed there was cut footage which will "maybe" end up in a future Blu-ray release.

Apparently the Joker is quite nasty in the film, true to Leto's trailer persona, but less of the unpleasantness ended up in the final product than we could've had.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every actor who's played Batman, from best to worst

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It’s time to finally see “Suicide Squad,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. But we have to warn you, there are a lot of characters to digest.

From some that show up for what seems like seconds, to others that are on-screen for way too long, and one we wish we could have seen more (we’re talking to you, Panda Man), the latest DC Comics movie throws a lot at you in two hours (don't get us started with all the music queues).

Here we break down all the characters and rank them from worst to best.

Mild spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: Here's the biggest problem with "Suicide Squad," and how it could've been fixed

21. Slipknot (Adam Beach)

With one of the most distasteful introductions in movie history as he walks out of an SUV and immediately decks a female guard with a right hook, there's really nothing else memorable from the guy who can climb anything. Might have been best to leave him on the cutting-room floor.

20. Enchantress (Cara Delevingne)

The evil witch who likes to shake her hips is the cause of all the trouble in the movie. But played by an actress who is still learning her craft, the character feels forced.

19. The Flash (Ezra Miller)

One of the last-second additions to the movie, The Flash literally says one line and, like his power, is gone. Just teasing us for Erza Miller coming in "Justice League." 

Warning: spoilers for "Suicide Squad" ahead.

"Suicide Squad" is the latest DC Comics release from Warner Bros., and as with its previous title, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," there are elements to the story that tease the massive convergence of superheroes coming in "Justice League."

For "Squad" it's the blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance of Justice League member The Flash (Ezra Miller) when he captures Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) in assisting Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to form the Suicide Squad.

It turns out, however, that the sequence came together long after principal photography wrapped. The way Courtney tells it, there was no other actor with him on set when he filmed his portion of the scene.

"I didn't f------ know that was happening when we were filming," Courtney told Business Insider of The Flash appearance. "That was a surprise for me when I saw the film."

Courtney explained how he imagined the scene while filming it.

"It's part of the roundup of the squad, so my interpretation was that he had been taken out by [Rick] Flag's crew," Courtney said. "But it's not specified [in the script]." 

Warner Bros./DC heads could've had numerous options in mind.

There's Courtney's theory of it being one of Flag's (Joel Kinnaman) men. It could have possibly been Batman (Ben Affleck) capturing Boomerang, as he's seen in the movie nabbing Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). But it turns out the plan was always to have The Flash in the movie, according to "Squad" director David Ayer.

“Flash was always in the movie," Ayer told Collider. "We just got lucky because 'Justice League' was happening and they had the uniform, they had the assets, so we were able to get that photography.”

So instead of having Miller show up for literally one shot during production of "Suicide Squad," Ayer confirmed to Collider that "Justice League" director Zack Snyder directed The Flash portion of the Boomerang capture scene while shooting "League" in London and sent the footage to Ayer, who was in postproduction on "Squad." 

SEE ALSO: Every character in "Suicide Squad," ranked

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NOW WATCH: Here's how the 'Suicide Squad' cast looks compared to their comic-book counterparts

Critics aren't exactly thrilled about "Suicide Squad," but one thing they seem to agree on is that Margot Robbie is a standout. 

Good thing, too, because a standalone Harley Quinn film is apparently in the works.

Fortunately, the actress can't get enough of playing the kooky character. When asked by ComicBook.com how long she hopes to play Harley Quinn, Robbie replied, "I hope forever."

"I really, I could play Harley for a long time. I don't know how long. We've signed on, I mean I think everyone's committed to a couple of films," Robbie told ComicBook. "There's so much you can do. They're the sort of characters that you could keep exploring and find so many more, so much more to do."

DC Comics and Warner Bros. would like to turn the characters into a lucrative franchise, despite the critical beating "Squad" has taken. Actor Jai Courtney suggests that all the stars are signed on for "a few movies." So here's hoping they appreciate that Robbie is the real gem.

SEE ALSO: The first reviews of 'Suicide Squad' are here, and people hate it

DON'T MISS: 'Suicide Squad' star Margot Robbie is blowing up — here's how the Aussie took over Hollywood

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Disney just released 3 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the new 'Star Wars' movie

Channing Tatum was cast as Gambit nearly two years ago, but it seems like we're still not any closer to seeing his version of the X-Men character any time soon.

"X-Men" producer Simon Kinberg told Slash Film that the character's voice still needs to be found.

"I think the truth is when you have these movies that need a very special and unique tone, it takes a little while to find that tone," Kinberg told Slash Film.

"'Deadpool' feels like it exploded out of nowhere but it was a ten-year development process on that movie," he continued. "I think it was honed over those ten years. I hope that 'Gambit' doesn’t take ten years but it takes a little honing to get that tone and that voice exactly right. The character has such a specific voice in the comic in the same way that 'Deadpool' has a specific voice in the comic, that we want to make sure that we capture that voice on the page. Really it’s just about getting a screenplay that is worthy of that character and I think we’re really close right now."

Seeing as how "Deadpool" was a box-office juggernaut, it's no surprise 20th Century Fox wants to hold off on the project. (It also has those "Avatar" sequels to take care of.)

The project is already on its second director, Doug Liman, after it lost original director Rupert Wyatt because of scheduling conflicts. 

Gambit is a mutant who can manipulate kinetic energy at his will. He is skilled in card-throwing and often uses playing cards as weapons when energized with his power. Taylor Kitsch played the character in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."

"Gambit" was originally slated for a October 2016 release but is likely going to take up one of the slots listed on Fox's lineup as untitled Marvel projects for October 2017 or January 2018.

SEE ALSO: THEN & NOW: The cast of the original 'X-Men' 16 years later

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NOW WATCH: Nobody wants to buy 50 Cent's massive $6 million mansion

ABC's cancellation of "Agent Carter" after only its second season was a surprise for many.

After all, Marvel and ABC are sibling companies under Disney. And years ago, ABC had been very vocal about wanting to mount a Marvel TV franchise starting with "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Jeph Loeb, who heads television at Marvel, told Business Insider that there wasn't much discussion between Marvel and ABC surrounding the decision to kill "Agent Carter."

"There were no conversations," Loeb told us. "We had a call from the network. The network said they were cancelling the show."

When we asked what he understood of ABC's decision, Loeb responded, "I don't."

"Agent Carter," which acted as a gap-filler between seasons of "S.H.I.E.L.D," was certainly praised by critics, but it was never a barn-burner in ratings. According to Nielsen, the show's second season earned a low 0.79 average rating among viewers most desired by advertisers, adults under age 50, and averaged just 2.7 million total live viewers.

For comparison, "S.H.I.E.L.D." averaged a 1.18 rating and 3.4 million live viewers.

To add insult to injury in the relationship between ABC and Marvel, the broadcast network passed on ordering the series "Marvel's Most Wanted."

But Loeb said the ties between the two Disney branches "couldn't be better."

"We make the best shows that we can as they are requested by the various networks," he explained. "So whether it’s ABC or Netflix or FX or Fox or Freeform, any of the networks that we’re on, they ask us to tell the best stories that we can, and we do that. We hope that, in turn, we’re then going to get the best audience that we can. And when they decide that that’s not something they want to do anymore, there’s not a lot you can do. That’s the nature of the television business."

As for fans of "Agent Carter," Loeb emphasized that a goodbye in the Marvel Universe isn't always final.

"Let me just put it this way: I watched ‘The Avengers.’ Phil Coulson died. His story was done. We’re about to go into the fourth season, and he’s standing right over there," Loeb gestured to the actor who plays Coulson, Clark Gregg, who was in the room with us. "So I like to think that anything is possible. And that’s one of the reasons why I enjoy my job so much."

Haley Atwell, who played Carter, is currently starring on ABC's new fall show "Conviction." But she's still in the family.

SEE ALSO: Another TV network is making its own Marvel superhero show

DON'T MISS: The 10 best and worst TV shows this summer

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Daredevil' villain was thrust onto the stage at Comic Con for the first time

There's a bit of the Goblin King in Jared Leto's portrayal of the Joker in "Suicide Squad."

The actor told NME that he spoke with a "famous writer in the world of DC" and David Bowie was mentioned when discussing how to create the character.

"We discussed David Bowie a bit — not necessarily the music of David, but his class, his elegance, his timelessness," Leto said.

Bowie's alter-ego Ziggy Stardust was certainly an afficiando of makeup and kooky costumes, and Bowie even played an antagonist in the cult classic "Labryinth."

Leto even has a music side gig as the lead vocalist for rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.

"I think David Bowie’s probably an inspiration for, like, almost anything you could do creatively," Leto said. 

Watch the full NME interview with Leto:

SEE ALSO: The first reviews of 'Suicide Squad' are here, and people hate it

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NOW WATCH: Watch Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone dance and sing in the first trailer for 'La La Land'

Superheroes are supposed to save us.

But they seem to tear into their cities more and more, especially in the movies. Whatever happened to that Spider-Man aphorism, "With great power comes great responsibility?"

Of course, epic battles mean there will be epic destruction. Marvel Comics went meta with its series "Damage Control," which focuses on a company that cleans up the property damage caused by super-fights.

The latest comic-book movie, "Suicide Squad," didn't even wreak that much havoc compared to its peers.

These 13 superhero movies couldn't contain themselves and were the worst offenders of city destruction.

SEE ALSO: Here are all of the superhero movies coming out in the next 5 years

"Man of Steel"

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The worst offender. Zack Snyder's first installment in the DC Extended Universe demolished a city like no other film. Not only does Superman uncharacteristically kill in this movie, but he also never attempts to take the fight out of Metropolis. He first turned his attention to the terraform that was in the middle of nowhere, rather than try to handle the one in the center of the city. And then even when his and Zod's fight went into space, they still crashed back into Metropolis. 

It's what spurred the action of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," but the damage overall was estimated to cost about $700 billion (in a fictional world, of course), according to Buzzfeed.

"X-Men: Apocalypse"

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Apocalypse uses Magneto's powers to manipulate the earth's magnetic poles and cause worldwide destruction, such as crushing the Sydney Opera House. The climactic battle between the X-Men and Apocalypse's Four Horsemen takes place in Cairo, a city not often featured in superhero movies. Unfortunately, its first appearance is also its last because the Egyptian city is turned to rubble. 

"Apocalypse" also sees the destruction of the X-Mansion — though everyone is saved in another great Quicksilver montage — and, at the hands of Magneto, also the destruction of Auschwitz, an unnecessary emotional and shocking moment. 

"Avengers: Age of Ultron"

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"Ultron" features the worst destruction in a Marvel film. There's the obvious destruction from when Ultron raises most of Sokovia so that its fall would wipe out civilization. Another city is turned to rubble. 

There's also the unnecessary fight between Iron Man and Hulk. Hulk goes on a rampage and terrorizes a city, and Iron Man has no choice but to match his terror and wreck a market area, high-rises, and the streets to try to get him to stop.

Much of the talk surrounding "Suicide Squad" centers on Jared Leto's Joker.

Despite his menacing laugh in the trailers and promotional presence, Leto's Joker isn't actually featued much in the final film. The actor said many of his scenes were cut and told Variety there were enough scenes to piece together a standalone Joker movie — which DC is probably eyeing anyway.

Leto's costar and the Joker's love interest Margot Robbie said she thinks the filmmakers cut the scenes because they just shot "so much."

"They probably realized that the emotional through-line of the story had to be the mission that we were on, and explaining the Enchantress’ position and all that kind of stuff. And the [Harley and Joker] backstory stuff — though it’s magic and some of the stuff we shot was insane — they are flashbacks and they're meant to be snippets," the actress who plays Harley Quinn told Tipsy Talk. "I think when we were filming, maybe we got too engrossed in the flashbacks... So there’s a lot, but it just didn’t make sense to confuse the present storyline to incorporate all that."

Watch the full interview, over mimosas, with Robbie:

SEE ALSO: 'Suicide Squad' star Margot Robbie is blowing up — here's how the Aussie took over Hollywood

DON'T MISS: Here's who Jared Leto says inspired his Joker in 'Suicide Squad'

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NOW WATCH: Disney just released 3 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the new 'Star Wars' movie

The debut of "Suicide Squad" came and went, and it wasn't only the critics who hated it.

Many are saying the highly anticipated supervillain film from DC Comics and Warner Bros. is a muddled mess, and possibly worse for those baited by the marketing, it doesn't live up to what the trailers hyped.

While we saw a lot of the Joker in those initial clips, it feels like he's hardly in the final movie at all.

Reports have confirmed that the studio ordered major tweaks after filming in response to the negative backlash to "Batman v Superman," notable for its dark tone.

And director David Ayer and the cast have said that many, many scenes didn't make the final cut of "Suicide Squad."

Now what's rumored to be a list of scenes that were cut from the film has surfaced on Reddit, and it teases a darker "Suicide Squad" that explains more of the Joker's (Jared Leto) backstory with his love interest Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and has a completely different beginning.

Note: Business Insider cannot confirm if these are real scenes cut from the film. Warner Bros. did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Here's the rumored list of scenes that were cut from "Suicide Squad" (which sound a lot like what we saw in those early trailers):

SEE ALSO: Every character in 'Suicide Squad,' ranked

"In early cuts, the movie's opening detailed June Moon's posession by Enchantress in real tome. Reshoots reshuffled the scene to be later in the movie in flashback form in favour of a new opening centered on Deadshot."

"Deadshot in the prison cell, watching the rain fall and thinking about his daughter."

"El Diablo observing the flame of a lit match, before putting it out due to his vow to no longer use his powers."

There's been a lot of complaining this summer about Hollywood releasing sequel after sequel from big movie franchises.

And yes, there have been a lot of big-budget movies that underperformed: "Independence Day: Resurgence,""Alice Through the Looking Glass,""Zoolander 2," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" are just a few. 

But if you hate franchises, sorry: The movie sequels and adaptations will keep coming.

To see why Hollywood loves franchises, all you have to do is look at the top 10 highest-grossing movies of the summer so far, below. 

Note: All figures below are domestic gross totals via BoxOfficeMojo.com.

SEE ALSO: Why Hollywood hasn't learned anything from a miserable summer of box-office bombs

10. "The Angry Birds Movie" - $107.2 million

Based on the popular app.

9. "Ghostbusters" - $116.5 million

A female-led reboot of the franchise that began in 1984.

8. "The Legend of Tarzan" - $124 million

The latest movie based on the stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Superheroes are a crowded business these days.

While they've been with us for a long time, with blockbusters along the way (Superman in the 1970s and Batman through the 1980s, '90s, and '00s), the superhero genre didn't become the many-tentacled beast it is today until Marvel realized the possibilities of its movie universe under Disney.

"The Avengers," in retrospect, was an expensive gamble (for the actors' salaries alone), but it has paid off handsomely even if critics don't always love the franchise's movies. At the same time, DC Comics has struggled to keep up with its major competitor.

"Suicide Squad," DC's latest, is reviled by critics, and it is projected to have a steep drop-off this weekend after a record August opening, which will most likely keep it off the list of the most prized superhero movies.

Below are the highest-grossing superhero movies at the domestic box office of all time:

*Note: figures, from Box Office Mojo, are adjusted for inflation, to keep things fair.

SEE ALSO: The 30 most expensive movies ever made

10. "Iron Man 3" (2013) — $422,680,300

Unadjusted: $409,013,994

9. "Spider-Man 3" (2007) — $423,597,700

Unadjusted: $336,530,303

8. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) — $463,543,100

Unadjusted: $459,005,868

It seems that Thor won't be reunited with his love, Jane, anytime soon.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Natalie Portman, who has played the physicist Jane Foster in "Thor" and "Thor: The Dark World," said that she doesn't believe she will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"As far as I know, I'm done," Portman told WSJ. "I don't know if maybe one day they'll ask for an 'Avengers 7' or whatever, I have no idea. But as far as I know, I'm done."

So it's safe to say that Jane won't be popping up in 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok."

In "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Jane Foster — along with Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts — was mentioned but not seen, an example of how the sequel crammed many Marvel characters into the running time.

In the meantime, Portman can be seen in the upcoming Jackie Kennedy biopic, "Jackie," and her directorial debut, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," opens in select theaters on Friday.

Watch The Wall Street Journal interview below:

SEE ALSO: Natalie Portman talks directing her first movie and why you'll never see her on social media

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In July, Marvel announced that Tony Stark is retiring as Iron Man, and now the superhero name itself is also being laid to rest.

Riri Williams, the black female 15-year-old MIT student who is replacing Stark as the character, will be calling herself Ironheart when her series debuts in November, according to Wired's interview with the writer, Brian Michael Bendis.

Williams will take over in "Invincible Iron Man #1," a new volume of the current Iron Man Marvel Comics series.

Williams and Stark have actually met in the current series.

The new name Ironheart has a lot of thought behind it.

"Iron Woman seemed old-fashioned to some," Bendis told Wired. “Iron Maiden looked like a legal nightmare."

Finally, it was Marvel's chief creative officer Joe Quesada who coined the ultimate name.

"Ironheart... speaks not only to the soul of the character but to the Iron Man franchise as a whole," Bendis told Wired. "Tony first put on the armor to save his heart. Riri puts it on for different reasons altogether but still heart-related. When people see her story, you’ll be amazed at how simple and brilliant Joe’s suggestion was."

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If there's a solid bet for big-budget Hollywood movies these days, it's the superhero genre.

One of the biggest movies of this summer was (for yet another year) a Marvel mashup, "Captain America: Civil War." Meanwhile, Warner Bros.' DC Comics title "Suicide Squad" struggled, breaking a record in its first weekend and then quickly dropping based on bad reviews and worth of mouth.

But "Squad" can't even come close to the most epically disastrous superhero movies. Long before they were Hollywood's cash cow, comic-book adaptions were known as a notoriously mixed bag. For every Tim Burton "Batman" there was... "Blankman."

Here are the wide-release superhero movie titles with the lowest box-office grosses, going back to 1978, as reported by Box Office Mojo:

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10. "The Meteor Man" (1993)

Adjusted gross: $16,769,200*

An original superhero movie starring Robert Townsend, "Meteor Man" is about a teacher who becomes a superhero when Washington, DC, is taken over by street gangs. Critics didn't think it quite worked though, with Roger Ebert saying it "contains big laughs and moments of genuine feeling, but it seems to be put together out of assorted inspirations that were never assembled into one coherent storyline."

*Note: All figures adjusted for inflation.

9. "Blankman" (1994)

Adjusted gross: $16,454,000

Damon Wayans in his "In Living Color" days starred in a comedic take on superhero movies. He plays a naive repairman who loves Batman. It probably wasn't intended for primetime, though the admittedly funny movie became a cult hit on video.

8. "Zoom" (2006)

Adjusted gross: $15,851,500

Tim Allen took his own shot at the superhero genre with this family/sci-fi affair also featuring a then-unknown Kate Mara. Panned by critics, it couldn't recoup its $35 million budget. If you have no memory of the film, you're far from alone.

While his "Last Week Tonight" show is off for the week, John Oliver took an opportunity Sunday to rip into superhero movie franchises and pitch his own self-mocking superhero in a new web segment. 

First, Oliver gave humorous nicknames to this year's slew of comic book-inspired blockbusters — including "Mean Spiderman" ("Deadpool"), "Sadman vs. Supersadman" ("Batman v. Superman"), and "The Insane Clown Posse Takes Manhattan" ("Suicide Squad"). 

Then, as a proposed relief for fans who are "fatigued" by the Marvel and DC Comics universe film adaptations, Oliver unveiled his own hero: Johnny Strong. 

Oliver said he created the crudely drawn, self-parodying comic in 5th grade. 

"Johnny Strong is a kickass hero with a bad attitude," Oliver said. "He's seen a boob, and he knows what the F-word is."

At the very least — unlike "Batman v. Superman"— "Johnny Strong" isn't completely humorless and self-serious.

Watch the segment below, via HBO:

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Mel Gibson has joined the onslaught of negative opinions toward "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," the DC Comics/Warner Bros. movie that critics universally panned earlier this year. 

"It's a piece of sh-t," Gibson told Deadline at the Venice Film Festival. "I'm not interested in the stuff. Do you know what the difference between real superheroes and comic-book superheroes is? Real superheroes didn't wear spandex. So I don't know. Spandex must cost a lot."

The 60-year-old director brought up the film when asked whether summer blockbusters need budgets upward of $200 million.

Whereas the budget for "Batman v Superman" was reportedly around $250 million, Gibson revealed that his new World War II film, "Hacksaw Ridge," had a relatively meager $40 million budget.

"I look at them and scratch my head. I'm really baffled by it," Gibson said of the superhero-movie trend. "I think there's a lot of waste, but maybe if I did one of those things with the green screens I'd find out different.

"It seems to me that you could do it for less," Gibson continued. "You're spending outrageous amounts of money, $180 million or more. I don't know how you make it back after the tax man gets you, and after you give half to the exhibitors."

Gibson's film "Hacksaw Ridge" reportedly premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a 10-minute standing ovation this weekend. It will open in theaters nationwide on November 4. 

Watch the trailer for "Hacksaw Ridge" below:

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