Uma Thurman And Sean Connery Tried To Reboot A Classic '60s Spy Show As A Movie Franchise

Today, when you think of "The Avengers," you think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one of the most famous super teams in comic book history. But years before that team even graced comic books, there was a completely different team with the name. British spy series "The Avengers" first aired in 1961 and, for the most part, followed umbrella-carrying spy John Steed (Patrick MacNee), who was aided by a series of tough-as-nails female assistants on his missions. The most famous of these aides was Emma Peel, played by "Game of Thrones" star Diana Rigg. 

"The Avengers" was given the big-screen reboot treatment in 1998, with Uma Thurman as Peel opposite Ralph Fiennes as John Steed. This version of the Avengers faces off against a mad scientist, Sir August de Wynter (played by Sean Connery, having a meta moment as a Bond-level villain), who can manipulate the weather and plans to plunge the world into chaos. Unfortunately, neither the show's legacy nor the film's quality was enough to keep audiences and critics interested, and "The Avengers" ended up becoming one of the biggest bombs of the year. However, given the competition from other movies released that year, it's easy to understand why.

Today, it's hard to imagine any movie being tough competition for a film with "Avengers" in the title (especially this year with "Avengers: Doomsday"). However, 1998's "The Avengers" didn't have that spark. On a $60 million budget, the film earned a lackluster $54.7 million. A box-office bomb of that magnitude might not have been as noticeable had it not been for other movies hitting screens that year. Try as they might, John Steed and Emma Peel were no match for the likes of "Titanic," "Armageddon," and "Saving Private Ryan." Even before its release, though, Ralph Fiennes was aware just how much of a blunder he was appearing in and feared it might put a stop to his career.

"I was having a slightly up-and-down moment," Fiennes explained to Vanity Fair. "I had done this big turkey, 'The Avengers,' which was the turkey of all turkeys. They didn't even have a premiere. They didn't even have screenings. They just said, 'Put it out and then shut your eyes.' And so I was literally thinking, as you do if that comes your way, Oh, my career is over." Thankfully, that wasn't the case. After the likes of "Strange Days." "The English Patient" and "Schindler's List," Fiennes would go on to become Lord Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" franchise, while also giving the spy genre another go in "The King's Man." As for the Avengers, we can be glad we got a different team of heroes who were more into shields and hammers than umbrellas and bowler hats.