The Russian superhero film that became a symbol of cinematic failure and bankruptcy

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Released in 2017 with high hopes of launching a Soviet-themed cinematic universe, Guardians was intended to showcase national strength through genetically augmented heroes. Instead, the film became a notorious box office bomb, triggering lawsuits, bankruptcy for its production company, and frequent inclusion on lists of the worst movies ever made.

Directed by Sarik Andreasyan, Guardians follows a secret Cold War organization called Patriot that recruits superhumans representing various Soviet nationalities. The team includes Arsus, who transforms into a bear-man; Khan, a master of speed and swords; Ler, who manipulates earth; and Xenia, who possesses underwater invisibility. They are tasked with stopping Professor Avgust Kuratov, a cyborg villain who plans to control global technology by hijacking satellites. Despite the ambitious premise, the film was panned upon its February 2017 release for its derivative plot, poor CGI, and subpar acting.

The film's commercial trajectory was disastrous. Although it debuted at the top of the Russian box office, its earnings plummeted by 90% in its second weekend, a trend that continued throughout its run. By July 2017, the production company Enjoy Movies filed for bankruptcy, and the Cinema Foundation of Russia initiated legal action to recover funds. Critics were particularly harsh, with RIA Novosti naming it one of the worst films of all time. Comparisons to Marvel’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy were common, though the film failed to achieve similar success.

Despite the failure, the project left a strange trail of tie-ins and excuses. A prequel comic distributed at Comic Con Russia was later dismissed by the director as non-canon, and an iOS game was released alongside a prose novel. When asked years later why a planned sequel never materialized, Andreasyan claimed that the script for Deadpool 2 was too similar to their own. While the film found narrow recovery through international viewership and modest home video sales in the UK, it remains a cautionary tale about the challenges of building a superhero franchise under the weight of high expectations and critical scrutiny.

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