If 2015 was the year of film remakes, then 2016 is the year of superhero movies.
Ever since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy raked in more money than an elaborately planned bank heist, studios have looked to capitalise on the deep pool of ready-made comic book characters prime for the Hollywood treatment. Each studio scrambling to offer the latest hero to help quench the fans thirst for more before the hype simmers down.
With the continued successes of The Avengers, Iron Man, Superman, the X-Men and many (many) more, it comes as little surprise that comic book movie adaptations continue to dominate this year’s releases. No matter how obscure some characters are, Hollywood’s continual attempts to wring out what is left of the genre seems ever-present. The trouble is, we’ll be there to watch them all, and so will you.
Here is the list of all the superhero films you can look forward to this year:
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On to a more anticipated film, and one that had people excited when there were only rumours surrounding this film. While there were initial concerns around the film, so far the film has managed to win over the fans, and this could be the movie that surprises people the most. The ‘Merc with a Mouth’ personally confirmed the film would have an R-rating, a red band trailer, and on set pictures all looking great, the decision to make this the first superhero movie of 2016 could be the best way to get the hype started this February 12, 2016.
Gambit
Strangely, not a lot of information is available on this mutant’s debut film. Unlike most of the other films on this list, the only information available so far is the character will be brought to life by 21 Jump Street star Channing Tatum. With no trailer, or even much information on who the villain will be, it’s hard to say much about this film. How big of a role this movie will play in the future tapestry of superhero movies is something we’ll just have to wait and see. The film will hit theatres October 7, 2016.
Doctor Strange
Another superhero film that has mostly been kept under wraps. Probably the only thing do we need to know about this film though is that Benedict Cumberbatch will be starring as the world’s protector against magical and mystical threats. The other point to note is the director brought on board to bring the character to life is Scott Derrickson, who is behind films like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and most recently Deliver us from Evil. So could this new film have a horror feel to it? It is expected to be in theatres on November 4th, 2016.
Suicide Squad
Apart from an initial mixed review of Leto’s joker first look, the film has seen impressive responses from the public and boasts an incredible list of stars. With Jared Leto (Joker), Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Cara Delevingne (Enchantress), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn), Will Smith (Deadshot), and Viola Davis (Amanda Waller), it’s hard not to see why this film already looks impressive. With this being Warner Bros and DC comics’ first real competition to Marvel’s highly successful superhero film franchise since Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, there is a lot riding on the success of this film. The wait is still long, but almost over, as the August 5, 2016 release date draws closer.
X-Men: Apocalypse
Following the last movie on this list with another movie with an even more impressive cast, the critically acclaimed X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer returns to direct potentially the most impressive and unquestionably the biggest X-Men film to date. X-Men Apocalypse will see the return of previous cast members along with introducing new characters, such as Apocalypse who will be played by the incredibly talented Oscar Isaac. Looks like X-Men fans are in for an incredible year. The film will be in theatres on May 27, 2016.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
This could be the ultimate DC movie and probably the most anticipated film of this year. Henry Cavill will be reprising his role as the Man of Steel and Ben Affleck has big shoes to fill as the new Dark Knight after Christian Bale’s impressive role as the caped crusader. With Zach Snyder, an incredibly talented director that has brought us the impressive spectacle that was 300 and Watchmen, directing this extravaganza, it’s almost guaranteed to be the most successful film this year. The film has a release date of March 25th, 2016.
Captain America: Civil War
The year that keeps on giving has one more superhero film for everyone to be excited about. Captain America: Civil War is the thirteenth film instalment in the Marvel cinematic universe. The film will see a fracture in the Avengers that will go head to head with each other in what is sure to be even more explosiony than what we have seen before. The film will also introduce us to superheroes Black Panther and Spider-Man. The Russo Brothers, directors of the previous Captain America: The Winter Soldier, will be directing this, which means we could anticipate Marvel’s darkest film yet. The film release date is set for May 6th, 2016.