It’s safe to say we’re living in the golden age of superheroes. So much is their popularity that two of the best superhero franchises, Spider-Man and Batman, were recently rebooted to capture the growing audience of the genre. X-Men, Avengers, and Justice League have sent cash registers ringing for the producers and have proved that the reign of superheroes in the box office is far from over. While the genre did face a slump in the mid-80s and 90s, the rapid improvement in VFX technology has led to a revival of interest in superheroes. Major studios like Marvel, Disney, DC and others have already lined up their most awaited superhero movies for the coming year and beyond.
10 Most Awaited Superhero Movies
Here are 10 great superhero movies coming soon, featuring some of the most popular Hollywood actors.
10. The Lego Batman Movie
It’s a Batman ride from Lego. Known mostly for its toys, Lego earned a name by comically reprising this superhero franchise in its video games. The Lego Movie turned out to be a sleeper hit and has spawned two Batman spinoffs slated to be released in 2017 and 2018. The first part introduced Lego Batman to the audience in a marked departure from The Dark Knight series. In The Lego Movie, Bruce Wayne was more of a confident but somewhat a narcissist jerk. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the two leading developers of The Lego Movie, described Batman as “very self-aware.” The Lego Batman Movie promises to be a fun ride.
9. Power Rangers
Billed as Saban’s Power Rangers and revolves around the extremely popular superhero TV series. It’s one of the most eagerly awaited superhero movies and a reboot of the film franchise. The Power Rangers are superheroes in their own right, protecting the world from evil forces. People were sceptical when 20th Century Fox announced the first Power Rangers film. 2017 instalment will be different from the Morphin Power Rangers and will appeal to a much wider audience. The producers seem to have heeded the demand to cater to a more grownup audience. But trust this upcoming 2017 superhero film to trigger some nostalgia.
8. Thor: Ragnarok
Thor really isn’t among the more successful superhero movies. Notwithstanding a terrific antagonist like Loki, Thor films were not enough ambitious despite coming from the Marvel stable which gave us Spider-Man, a permanent franchise in the all-time superhero movie list. The film, slated for an October 2017 release, will see Thor teaming up with Hulk. Marvel is probably trying to reconcile with fans who were left disappointed with the first two films. The studio obviously can’t use Hulk in a standalone film because of rights issues. Teaming it up with another character was the next best option to not waste Thor’s potential by using it only in the Avengers series.
7. Wolverine 3
Hugh Jackman’s last outing to bare those famous claws and sideburns. This upcoming superhero movie has been kept tightly under wraps. The first two solo Wolverine films were a disappointment but Jackman made Logan the face of X-Men for 16 years now. The audience is keeping faith on the writers to come up with a fitting finale for Jackman. It’s tentatively scheduled for a March 2017 release but that could be pushed further. Speculations are rife that the film revolves around Old Man Logan. Jackman, meanwhile, has confirmed that the story is not set in X-Men times.
6. Spider-Man: Homecoming
The second reboot and the 16th film in the hugely popular Marvel franchise. One of the most keenly awaited superhero movies, the film has Tom Holland playing Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Michael Keaton, a superhero himself (Batman, 1989), as one of the key villains. It also stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man. Producers Marvel and Columbia Pictures haven’t revealed much of the film’s plot, but in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker will try to strike a balance his superhero avatar with his high school life. The film is likely to be released in July 2017 if there are no post-production delays.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Marvel hit the jackpot with Guardians of the Galaxy (GOTG) that surprised critics when the film emerged as one of the best superhero movies in recent times. It was based on a forgotten comic book but eventually became one of Marvel’s biggest hits. The sequel obviously is a likely outcome and GOTG Vol. 2 is at number five on the superhero film list 2017. In GOTG, James Gunn introduced us to a hitherto unexplored part of Marvel Universe featuring space and aliens. The big bad Thanos brought some traction to the series; the talking racoon and the 70s-80s soundtrack became very popular. With Star-Lord saving the planet in GOTG, the April 2017 release is among the awaited superhero movies.
4. Wonder Woman
The fourth instalment of the DC Extended Universe, Wonder Woman will see Gal Gadot in the title role for the first time in a solo film, after she was seen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. But in the June 2017 release, Diana Prince begins her journey into a man’s world, a century before she helped Superman and Batman save the world. She joins forces with the smart Steve Trevor, a US pilot, to challenge new enemies as she begins her transition into Wonder Woman. With World War I as the backdrop, Wonder Woman promises some interesting VFX, with the highly underrated female actresses playing the title character.
3. Justice League
First announced in 2014, Justice League is all set to hit the screen in November 2017. Zack Snyder and co. are swinging for the fences in perhaps the most awaited superhero movies, after proving their mettle in Batman v Superman. Not exactly one of the movies for date nights, Justice League could be a windfall for DC. Many industry watchers have been critical of the studio’s decision to abjure the format of introducing their superheroes in standalone films first before going for team-ups. But DC is sticking to its plan to unveil major characters in ensemble films before going for solo adventures. Justice League is certainly one of the big superhero movies 2017 to wait for.
2. Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel will take two films to tell the Infinity War storyline. Thanos will continue to be the chief antagonist and this 2018 superhero film will bring together various Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters. Avengers: Infinity War will begin the end of everything that came before. Brothers Anthony and Joseph Russo, directors of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, have been roped in to direct this superhero film 2018. It’s also expected to be a technical wonder as the entire film will be shot in the new IMAX camera. The release is slated in May 2018.
1. Aquaman
Jason Momoa as Aquaman was first introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will continue as a part of Justice League ensemble. Producer Warner Bros. has hired The Conjuring and Furious 7 director James Wan to helm the project. It’s already among the eagerly awaited superhero movies of 2019. Multiple writers came up with separate drafts and Geoff Johns, DC Films head, finally nailed the story.
Which ones of these awaited superhero movies are on your radar? Let us know in the comment box below and don’t forget to share this story on your social media handles.
