The Underrated Ben Stiller Sci-Fi Flop That Should Have Spawned A Franchise

After more than 25 years, it truly feels like one of Ben Stiller's best films, "Mystery Men," could have been the band of underdogs that surpassed even the likes of "The Suicide Squad" or "Guardians of the Galaxy." Riffing on comic book superheroes before "Deadpool" made it cool, "Mystery Men" is adapted from a team of misfit heroes that debuted in "Flaming Carrot" #16 and showcases an array of comedic talent. These low-level and incredibly odd crimefighters consist of Mr. Furious (Ben Stiller), The Shoveller (William H. Macy), fork-throwing Blue Raja (Hank Azaria), the superhuman fart factory The Spleen (Paul Reubens), Invisible Boy, who can only disappear when no one is looking (Kel Mitchell), and The Bowler (Janeane Garofalo), whose weapon of choice is a bowling ball containing the skull of her late father.

Fighting the good fight for laughs, the film received a mixed reception both critically and financially, having earned only $33 million worldwide against its $68 million budget. The common consensus is that the film is uneven overall, with Variety stating the "main flaw here is a familiar case of too much of a good thing, hindering what could've been," whereas Sight & Sound described it as "a desperately hit-and-miss affair." However, with a score of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, matching even some ratings of comic book capers today, it's clear there's an audience that approved of it –- it was the box-office competition it faced back in 1999 that was its real arch-nemesis.

By the end of 1999, "Mystery Men" was sadly at the lower end of the box office rankings, given the other movies that were hitting theaters, drawing audiences in, and leaving our heroes in the dust. A rage-fueled force he might have been, but Mr. Furious and his team just couldn't compete against the likes of "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace," "The Sixth Sense" (which opened on the same day "Mystery Men"), and "Toy Story 2," which were the top three films of that year, respectively. It's also an interesting glance into yesteryear that there wasn't a single superhero movie among 1999's top ten, with the exception perhaps being Keanu Reeves in "The Matrix," who ended by doing his Superman thing in that film's final shot.

Talking to The Independent about the film's legacy, Mystery Men comic book creator Bob Burden said, "All these big movies got scared by 'Star Wars' at the beginning of the summer. I think if they'd have released ['Mystery Men'] at a different time, it would have found its marketplace." Now, after all this time and with Hollywood still rummaging through the wardrobe of costumed heroes, the maker of the Mystery Men acknowledges now might have been the perfect time for his team to head to the screen. "I think if you made it today, it would probably do fairly well." That could be true, but might a sequel do just as well, given that some of the cast would be willing to return for it?

There's no doubt that "Mystery Men" has gained a strong enough cult status to perhaps warrant a trip back to Champion City and see how its protectors have fared. Back in 2022, Ben Stiller himself admitted that he'd be willing to reprise his role when it was brought to his attention by ComicBook.com that murmurs of another movie had taken place. "That's the first I'm hearing of it, but sure. I'm all for it. I had fun doing it," Stiller explained. "Yeah, it would be a blast. It was a really, really fun cast. And there's still some rage and fury inside me somewhere, I think."

One other cast member who backed the idea was Greg Kinnear, aka Captain Amazing, who confirmed he would join Stiller in a "Mystery Men" sequel if it ever got going. "If Mr. Furious is coming back, then Captain Amazing is coming back. No question about it." The only minor issue regarding Kinnear's return was that the titular team accidentally killed his character in their effort to rescue him from the grip of the villainous Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush), but that wouldn't hold Kinnear back. "I think I got Psycho-defrakulated in the original 'Mystery Men,' so they'd have to do some creative work, but that can always be figured out on the page," he told /Film. Perhaps sometime soon, Stiller and his on-screen team of super strange heroes might get a second chance in an era that's full of others like them.