4. Brandon Routh in Superman Returns (2006)

Winning the cape from thousands of candidates should’ve secured Routh’s stardom for life. While the movie earned decent reviews and box office numbers, it didn’t ignite a franchise the way the studio hoped.

Then came years of DC limbo — endless reboots, rethinks, and rebrands. By the time Routh found steady work on TV (Legends of Tomorrow), it was too late to reclaim blockbuster status.

5. Meg Ryan in In the Cut (2003)

This one hurts because the film is genuinely good. Jane Campion’s steamy thriller asked Ryan to destroy her “America’s Sweetheart” image and build something darker and riskier. She delivered — but audiences weren’t ready to see her that way.

Fans reacted almost moralistically, fixating on the sex scenes and refusing to accept the new Ryan. She loved the project and the experience, but Hollywood ghosted her afterward. Eventually, she stepped behind the camera to tell her own stories.

6. Taylor Lautner in Abduction (2011)

Post-Twilight, Lautner seemed destined to be the next teen action hero. Abduction put him front and center in a Bourne-style thriller fueled by abs, scowls, and… not much else.

Critics destroyed it — the acting, the script, the pacing — everything but the stunt work. Then came Grown Ups 2, and that was that. Lautner’s been working steadily in TV and self-aware comedies about fame, but that “next Tom Cruise” dream? Over.