With the release - or should we say dumping? - of Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four reboot earlier this month, the 2015 comic book movie calendar is done. Yes, despite a year packed with blockbusters like Jurassic World, Inside Out, Furious 7 and December’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015 only saw four movies based on comics hit theaters and all of them have already been released.
That means, it’s time to turn the calendar to 2016, at least if you don’t care about Star Wars or Oscar bait. Next year could actually be the make-or-break-it year for comic book movies, since eight films with comic book roots are currently scheduled to be released. That could drop to seven if 20th Century Fox can’t get Gambit off the ground soon enough.
DC Comics and Marvel will be going head-to-head at the cinema really for the first time ever in 2016. Although their films come out with weeks inbetween them, there is inevitably going to be comparisons between the final results of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25) and Captain America: Civil War (May 6). It’s interesting that both films also feature key heroes facing off against each other. This is merely a coincidence, but it will be interesting to see how audiences react to two movies with that big similarity.
So, let’s look at the comic book movies we’ve got hitting theaters in 2016.
[new page = Merc with a Mouth]
Deadpool - Feb. 12, 2016
After nearly a decade of trying to make it, Ryan Reynolds and first-time director Tim Miller finally got the greenlight from 20th Century Fox to make a movie dedicated to the foul-mouthed, fourth wall-breaking mercenary from the X-Men universe. This one is going to be rated R, so it’s definitely not kid-friendly.
Here’s the NSFW RED-BAND TRAILER:
[new page = World’s Finest]
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, March 25, 2016
Easily the most anticipated of the 2016 films, Zach Snyder’s long-awaited follow-up to Man of Steel will finally open in March. At this point, it sounds like the plot involves Batman/Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) returning to the cape and cowl to stop what he sees as an unstoppable force in Superman (Henry Cavill). Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) and Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) fit into this somehow.
[new page = Civil War]
Captain America: Civil War, May 6, 2016
Civil War, directed by Joe & Anthony Russo, is going to be the biggest non-Avengers movie in the Marvel canon. Just about every character except Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is slated to appear, as Captain America (Chris Evans) and the new Avengers crew from the end of Age of Ultron goes against Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Several new characters are expected to be introduced to help kick off Marvel’s phase three, including the new Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
A trailer debuted at Disney’s D23 convention this weekend, but that hasn’t shown up online yet.
[new page = Apocalypse is coming]
X-Men: Apocalypse, May 27, 2016
Bryan Singer’s latest film in the X-Men series will finish off a new trilogy that started with Matthew Vaughn’s acclaimed X-Men: First Class and was followed by last year’s Days of Future Past. Apocalypse will feature even more characters from the X-Men world and younger incarnations of characters who appeared in the previous X-Men films. Oscar Isaac, who is also in The Force Awakens, is playing the title villain.
[new page = Turtles are back]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, June 6, 2016
While most are still more familiar with TMNT as a cartoon and movie franchise, it’s important to remember that the idea of Heroes in a Half Shell started in comic books. Michael Bay is producing the new cycle of films for Paramount and since last year’s TMNT was a big enough hit, a sequel was greenlit. This new one will feature a few familiar characters who were not in the 2014 film, including Casey Jones (Arrow’s Stephen Amell). Dave Green (Earth to Echo) is directing.
[new page = Suicide Is Painless]
Suicide Squad, Aug. 6, 2016
David Ayer’s Suicide Squad is kind of an odd duck. It’s a collection of mostly obscure DC Comics villains going on an impossible mission that no one else will take on. Will audiences really be interested in this super dark movie during the height of the summer? That’s what Warner Bros. will find out.
[new page = Dangerous card game]
Gambit, Oct. 8, 2016
Channing Tatum is joining the X-Men world as Gambit, one of the characters who joined the X-Men in the early ‘90s, when the group came back to the spotlight. Gambit has the power of kinetic energy, which he can manipulate to help him turn things like cards into dangerous weapons. Rupert Wyatt (The Gambler, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) is directing, but it’s not clear how Fox hopes to get this done on time. There was some delay in getting the contracts all done, but it looks like things are a “go.”
Here’s Gambit played by Taylor Kitsch in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
[new page = Doctor Strange]
Marvel’s second film of 2016 will introduce audiences to the supernatural aspects of the comic universe, with Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the title role and Scott Derrickson directing. Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also starring. This is in production now, but we haven’t seen any official photos. Concept art was shown at D23 this weekend.
[new page = Star Wars 2015]
Of course, these eight movies aren’t the only blockbusters scheduled for next year. One of the other big ones is Disney’s second Star Wars movie and the first stand-alone film, Rogue One. That film stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker and others as rebels on the hunt for the Death Star plans. Godzilla director Gareth Edwards just started shooting and the movie hits theaters on Dec. 12.
Meet the stars of @StarWars: #RogueOne. #D23EXPO pic.twitter.com/L1VZZesYvj
— Disney (@Disney) August 15, 2015
[new page = More Blockbusters]
Several other big movies are scheduled for 2016. These include Disney’s The Jungle Book (April 15, 2016); Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman prequel The Huntsman (April 22); Disney’s Alice Through The Looking Glass (May 27); Fox’s Independence Day Resurgence (June 24); Paramount’s Star Trek Beyond (July 8); Warner Bros,’ Tarzan (July 1); Sony’s< i>Ghostbusters (July 15); Warner Bros.’ King Arthur (July 22); and Universal’s new Bourne movie (July 29).
In other words, make sure your weekends are free next summer. There’s going to be a lot of movies to see.
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