The Controversial Superhero Hit That Grossed More Than James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Resurfaces on Streaming Amid Sequel Buzz

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Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

It seems odd to learn that while Hollywood was quick to develop sequels to Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy, which made $99 million worldwide, and John Wick, which made around $85 million globally, it still hasn't turned the superhero film Hancock into a franchise. Released in 2008, the film grossed more at the global box office than James Gunn's recent Superman reboot, and arrived during a heyday for the genre. Remember, this was the same summer that saw the release of The Dark Knight and Iron Man. However, over 15 years later, Hancock stands by itself. But last year, star Will Smith hinted that one might finally be getting off the ground soon, with Zendaya in talks for a role. An entire generation has passed since the original film, and Sony would probably have to do a lot of heavy lifting in order to acquaint younger audiences with it. But it seems like the movie is still popular on home video, as it recently witnessed a spike in viewership.

According to FlixPatrol, Hancock was among the most-watched movies on the global HBO Max charts this week, when the leader board was topped by Paul Thomas Anderson's epic Oscar contender, One Battle After Another. Hancock starred Smith as an immortal being who wastes his powers living a life of hedonism and only reluctantly does good. However, he literally becomes more vulnerable when he inadvertently comes in proximity to another immortal. In the film, this character was played by Charlize Theron, while Jason Bateman starred as a regular Joe who tries to clean up Hancock's poor public image. Directed by Peter Berg, Hancock made $630 million at the global box office, against a reported budget of $150 million.

'Hancock' Earned Mixed Reviews

For context, Iron Man had a similar reported budget, but it made around $50 million less. Hancock opened to mixed reviews, and is now sitting at a 42% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, "Though it begins with promise, Hancock suffers from a flimsy narrative and poor execution." While Smith has partnered with Sony on two Bad Boys blockbusters in the years since, not to mention the hit Men in Black 3, Theron has gone on to play an immortal superhero in The Old Guard and its sequel, both for Netflix. Bateman is perhaps more popular now than he ever was, with the hit show Ozark and a voice role in the blockbuster Zootopia movies on his resume. You can watch Hancock at home, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.