Underrated Comic Book Movies: The Losers

Sometimes a movie comes out at exactly the wrong time.

The Losers hit theaters in 2010, directed by Sylvain White from a screenplay by Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt, adapting the fantastic Vertigo comic created by Andy Diggle and Jock. While Vertigo falls under the DC umbrella, it never had the mainstream recognition of Batman or Superman, and I honestly think that worked against this movie. Audiences just weren't quite ready for comic book adaptations that weren't about superheroes, mutants, or billionaires in capes.

That's a shame because The Losers absolutely rules.

This cast is ridiculous. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldaña, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Óscar Jaenada, Jason Patric, and Holt McCallany all show up ready to have the time of their lives. Looking back now, it's kind of wild how many of them would go on to become even bigger stars, many of them in comic book franchises. It's almost like this movie assembled the Justice League of future comic book actors before anyone realized it.

What makes The Losers work so well is that it never forgets it's supposed to be fun.

The action is creative, the comedy lands, the chemistry between the team is outstanding, and every member of the squad gets a chance to shine. Jeffrey Dean Morgan oozes charisma as Clay, Chris Evans steals nearly every scene he's in with his infectious energy as Jensen, Idris Elba brings the cool, collected professionalism as Roque, and Zoe Saldaña proves once again that she's one of the most effortlessly badass actors in Hollywood as she plays Aisha.

The movie somehow keeps its characters grounded while throwing them into increasingly over-the-top situations. Is it ridiculous? Absolutely.

And that's exactly what makes it so fucking great.

There's a confidence to The Losers that I absolutely love. It embraces the comic book roots without trying to apologize for them. It knows it's delivering a big, loud action adventure with memorable characters, insane set pieces, and plenty of laughs. Sometimes that's exactly what you want from a movie.

I also have to give credit to the original comic creators and creative team. Andy Diggle and Jock built an incredibly entertaining world, with outstanding contributions throughout the Vertigo series from Shawn Martinbrough, Nick Dragotta, Ale Garza, Ben Oliver, colorist Lee Loughridge, letterer Clem Robins, editors Will Dennis and Zachary Rau, and everyone else who helped bring this series to life. The film captures the spirit of that comic remarkably well while standing on its own.

It's one of those movies I recommend all the time because so many people completely missed it when it first came out.

And honestly... I still want that sequel.

The ending practically begged for another adventure, and I've spent the last 16 years wishing we'd gotten one.

So here's my completely unrealistic plea: James Gunn... you've worked with half this cast already. Call Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Call Idris Elba. Call Chris Evans. Call Zoe Saldaña. Round everybody up, dust off The Losers, and give us one more mission.

A guy can dream.

If you've somehow never seen The Losers, fix that. It's one of the most entertaining comic book movies of the last 20 years and one of the most underrated action films of the 2010s.

Check out the trailer below: