Josh Brolin might have made a name for himself in the western genre, thanks to the neo-western, No Country for Old Men, and the criminally underrated series, Outer Range. But, before those two projects, Josh Brolin starred in one of the worst westerns of the century, and it just so happened to be based on a beloved comic book. The actor is no stranger to the comic book genre, having played Thanos in the MCU and Cable in Deadpool 2. But this 2010 stinker is another thing entirely (and not for a good reason). For those who want to torture themselves with the abysmal western action flick, it’s now streaming on HBO Max.
Jonah Hex is the movie in question, and it recently rode its way onto HBO Max. Directed by Jimmy Hayward, Jonah Hex is based on the beloved comic book series of the same name, created by John Albano and Tony DeZuniga. The gruff antihero belongs to the DC Comics imprint, but often stars in standalone stories set in a fantastical version of the Wild West. The Jonah Hex movie tried bringing the fan-favorite gunslinger to the big screen, and fans really wish it hadn’t.
Brolin starred as the eponymous anti-hero, with Megan Fox playing Lilah, and John Malkovich portraying the evil Quentin Turnbull. The supporting cast also included Michael Fassbender, Arnett, Michael Shannon, Tom Wopat, and John Gallagher Jr. The film sees Jonah Hex seek revenge on Turnbull for murdering his family in front of him. After seeing them die and having his face disfigured, Hex gained the ability to speak to the dead. But let’s be honest, no one remembers Jonah Hex for the plot. The film had some redeeming action scenes and a decent performance from Brolin and Malkovich, but the rest of the movie was a car crash.
What Went Wrong With ‘Jonah Hex’?
Given the popularity of the Jonah Hex comics and the dark and twisting stories found within their pages, the big-screen adaptation should have been a major hit. However, the film was released years before the comic book genre found its footing. While Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger were laying the foundations for the MCU, Jonah Hex was being slated by critics and audiences. The film holds a terrible 11% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score isn’t much better at just 20%. Both scores make it one of the worst comic book movies of all time, according to the platform.
Fans had to wait until Jonah Hex hit theaters before realizing it sucked, but Brolin knew as soon as the critics saw it, and the reporters turned up for the junkets. “[Y]ou know when everybody goes up an octave, there’s a problem,” Brolin said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “They’re like, [affecting a near falsetto] ‘Oh my god, this is super good! I saw it!” I’m like ‘I know you saw it!'”
