Mystery Men: The Superhero Movie That Bombed in 1999 — and Accidentally Predicted the Future
Before Superhero Movies Took Over
Before comic book movies were a standard household genre, Ben Stiller and Universal Pictures were working on a superhero story packed with a high-profile cast, a massive studio budget, and some of the industry’s best talent behind the camera. And, oddly enough… it totally bombed. The movie is, of course, 1999’s Mystery Men, and its path from weird indie comic book to huge studio gamble makes it one of the most interesting stories in superhero cinema. In today’s episode, we look back on Mystery Men, the comic book that inspired it, and the troubled production and on-set clashes that took this movie from being an ambitious idea to a box office disappointment, and eventually all the way back around to cult classic favorite. Let’s get into it.
The Story and the Cast
For those of you who don’t know, Mystery Men is the story of a group of suburban friends who moonlight as crime-fighting vigilantes in the fictional setting of Champion City. After the city’s most sinister villain is released from his asylum and plots to destroy the town, the friends must recruit a team of cheap, dime-store superheroes and take on this horrific threat. The movie stars Ben Stiller as Mr. Furious, William H. Macy as The Shoveler, Hank Azaria as The Blue Raja, Kel Mitchell as Invisible Boy, Janeane Garofalo as The Bowler, Paul Reubens as The Spleen, Greg Kinnear as Captain Amazing, and Geoffrey Rush as the movie’s villain, Casanova Frankenstein. There are so many more great actors in this movie, like Tom Waits and Eddie Izzard, but I’d be here all day if I named them all.
From Flaming Carrot to Universal Gamble
The film is loosely based on Bob Burden’s wacky Dark Horse comic book Flaming Carrot, which features The Mystery Men as a supporting group of characters that were intentionally lame and underpowered. In 1997, when modern superhero movies were still mostly unknown territory, Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson pitched the concept to producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin. They were interested in the idea and found the characters and themes of persisting against all odds to be charming — but they knew it was a risk. These were characters without name recognition among the masses who had powers like super farts and simply being “mysterious.”
Timing Was Everything
What’s important here is the timing. This movie was being pitched at the same time that Universal and other big studios were buying and developing movies based on comic book properties that were much more popular at the time. Films like Blade, X-Men, and a planned James Cameron Spider-Man were in development. However, Universal optioned Mystery Men and hired family comedy screenwriter Neil Cuthbert to draft the script.
Danny DeVito Almost Directed
The studio knew that in order to make these lackluster characters likable, they needed the right blend of comedic and dramatic talent. Originally, Danny DeVito was offered nearly $15 million to star in and direct the movie. DeVito was hot off the success of Matilda and had the comedic chops to lead the cast. However, he declined the gig, reportedly over Universal’s refusal to give him control of the movie’s soundtrack. Maybe that’s a good thing, because contrary to popular belief, the song “All Star” by Smash Mouth was written for this movie. We all think of Shrek when we hear it, but this was the film that gave us that tune.
Ben Stiller Steps In
With DeVito out, Universal approached Ben Stiller and pitched him the idea. They asked him to punch up the jokes and add some adult edge, and even courted him to direct the movie, which he turned down after being overwhelmed by the scope of the project. However, he was happy to help write and star in the piece.
Kinka Usher’s Visual Style
Eventually, Universal found their director in Kinka Usher, who at the time was a commercial director and B-movie cinematographer. The direction of this movie does not come off as amateur in any way, with the entire production having a charming grunge balanced with polished and bright visuals. Usher brought a strong visual sensibility shaped by his commercial background — think Joel Schumacher-inspired architecture and neo-futuristic set pieces. This movie is not boring to look at. However, Usher did find parts of the script “boring” and encouraged significant improvisation from the actors.
The Ensemble and Improv
The comedy and character dynamics feel natural and believable. Each character has a distinct personality, and they interact in ways that make it feel like everyone could be the main character. That’s a big reason the movie works now as a cult classic — the ensemble is the core of its success. Stiller, Hank Azaria, Paul Reubens, and Janeane Garofalo were especially involved in reworking dialogue and character beats, approaching scenes like sketch-comedy workshops inside a big effects movie. Bob Burden himself would even throw ideas around with the writers on set.
The Characters That Made It Work
These characters are incredibly dorky and lame, yet fascinating because of the actors playing them. Paul Reubens’ The Spleen is essentially a bizarre Shaggy-type whose superpower is flatulence — and somehow it works. Kel Mitchell plays a character who can turn invisible, but only if nobody is looking at him. The contradiction is funny enough, but Mitchell’s earnest performance elevates it into something brilliant.
Production Problems and Rising Costs
The production wasn’t without issues. The script was constantly being altered during filming, and studio frustrations began to erode confidence in the project. Production ran from October 1998 through April 1999 — far longer than expected — which drove up costs significantly. Ben Stiller later said he expected the shoot to be quick and didn’t realize how long it would take. Much of the delay stemmed from elaborate practical sets and real locations, which help the film hold up visually today, even if some of the CGI is a little shoddy. Janeane Garofalo noted that many of her effects-heavy shots required precise positioning so digital artists could add in the physical bowling ball effects later. Some of it still looks amazing, but the scene where the team accidentally fries Captain Amazing hasn’t aged as well.
Ahead of Its Time
Watching the movie now, it’s remarkable how accurately it parodied superhero tropes that wouldn’t become mainstream for years. Corporate-sponsored superheroes like we see in The Boys? Captain Amazing did it first. Meta commentary on superhero disguises and absurd logic? Already there. Dysfunctional team dynamics that feel like a superpowered family? The film explored that long before audiences fully embraced it.
The Box Office Bomb
There was just one problem — audiences in 1999 weren’t ready for it. When the movie was released in July 1999, it brought in a modest $33.5 million against a budget that was more than double that. Despite mostly positive reviews, it failed to generate enough interest to turn a profit and faded into obscurity. Critics at the time were mixed. Variety called it heavy on laughs but tiresome over two hours, while others predicted it would eventually gain cult status alongside films like Brazil and Buckaroo Banzai.
The Cult Classic Legacy
And maybe that’s exactly where it belongs. I like to revisit it when I’m in the mood for something like The Phantom or The Rocketeer. It has the charm and colorful visuals of a ’90s superhero movie, with performances that make you care about the heartfelt story at its core. Mystery Men is about lovable losers trying to matter in a world that doesn’t take them seriously. Fittingly, the production itself was a messy fight for an offbeat vision inside a studio system that never quite knew how to sell it. It bombed. It hurt the studio’s bottom line. Its director never made another feature. And yet, like The Shoveler insisting he’s “just a guy who shovels well,” Mystery Men endured. It slowly found its audience through late-night cable and VHS rentals until culture caught up and realized this strange 1999 misfit had quietly predicted the future of superhero cinema. If you’re interested in how superhero movies evolve — or how chaotic productions can still land on something special — Mystery Men is worth another look. Sometimes the heroes — and the movies — that don’t work the first time end up being the ones that stick around the longest.
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