The year 2013 was a pretty good one for comics fans, with blockbusters like Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World cementing the superhero as king of Hollywood –- and comic books as the source of choice for moviemakers. Which means 2014 is only going to be better.
With the standard caveat that projected release dates may change, let’s take a look at the big blockbuster superhero movies Hollywood does so well.
First up is Captain America: The Winter Soldier, scheduled for April 4, and based on the 2005 storyline by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Steve Epting. Spoiler alert: That storyline returned Cap’s WWII sidekick James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes to comics after he was thought dead for roughly 40 years. Bucky was deceased for so long, and his death seemed so irreversible, that when a comic-book character died fans used to ask “Is he ‘dead’ (meaning he will likely come back) or is he ‘Bucky-dead’? (meaning he won’t).” Obviously, that phrase will need amendment.
Anyway, the movie will do the same for the Bucky character played by Sebastian Stan in Captain America: The First Avenger, who returns in Winter Soldier as a brainwashed, artificially long-lived, Russian assassin. Ouch!
In addition to Chris Evans doing another star turn as the Star-Spangled Avenger, the movie promises big roles for Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson) and The Falcon (Anthony Mackie). The latter is a new character in the movies, but in the comics he’s an African-American in a flying suit who has been Cap’s off-and-on partner since the 1960s.
Next is The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2). Not only will the movie introduce classic Spidey villains Rhino (Paul Giamatti) and Electro (Jamie Foxx), but supposedly Sony is planning to expand the Spider-Man franchise to movies based on related characters, like Venom, who has already had one big-screen appearance (Spider-Man 3, 2007).
Two weeks after that, Fox will premiere X-Men: Days of Future Past. X-fans are delirious, as that particular storyline is a classic, and the movie will serve to blend the first three X-Men movies with the new version that began in 2011 with X-Men: First Class.
In the comics, the mind of a future Kitty Pryde is sent back in time to inhabit the body of her teenage self, where she warns of a dystopic future where mutants are herded into concentration camps and the world is policed by giant, mutant-killing robots called Sentinels. The story follows two tracks, the first depicting the last few X-Men in hopeless battle against Sentinels in the future, and the second showing the whole team working desperately in the present to prevent that future from coming to fruition. From the trailers, it appears the time traveler will be Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), and the two time periods will allow old and young versions of such characters as Professor Xavier and Magneto to appear simultaneously!
Finally, Marvel will premiere Guardians of the Galaxy in August. It’s based on one of their oddest properties, a strange collection of space-based characters often played for humor, including Star-Lord (a cynical Earth-alien hybrid), Drax (“the Destroyer”), Gamora (“the deadliest woman in the galaxy”), Rocket Raccoon (a gun-loving, intelligent space rodent) and Groot (a sentient, semi-verbal tree). Marvel seems to really be rolling the dice with this one, as it will be different in tone than their other, proven properties, and take place in outer space, away from possible guest stars or references to other movies. Still, it’s hard to go wrong with a talking raccoon.
And that’s just the superheroes! Look for other comics-based films, like Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For (Aug. 22), based on writer/artist Frank Miller’s series of noir graphic novels set in the fictional city. This one acts as sort of a prequel, explaining why Dwight mentioned in Sin City that he has had face-altering plastic surgery and is wanted for murder.
Speaking of Miller, his graphic novel Xerxes – which is still being drawn – has been adapted as 300: Rise of an Empire (March 7). Empire takes place before, during and after the events of 300, and will explain to the non-history buffs among us why Greece wasn’t annexed by Persia after the Spartans fell at the Battle of Thermopylae. (Hint: That wasn’t the only battle.) Empire will be rendered in the same style as 300, and looks spectacular.
Speaking of Greeks, Hercules: The Thracian Wars, based on a graphic novel by Steve Moore and Admira Wijaya, is scheduled for July 25. That’s not to be confused with The Legend of Hercules, which is not based on any comics, and came out Jan. 10.
And that’s not all! More comics-based films included I, Frankenstein (Jan. 25, starring Aaron Eckhart), Big Hero 6 (a CGI movie based on a Marvel property), a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (starring Megan Fox) Vampire Academy (Feb. 14, which has been adapted to comics from young-adult novels) and The Wind Rises (Feb. 21, adapted to manga from a novel).
Plus, there will be plenty of movies that aren’t adapted from comics, but appeal to the same audiences, like a new Dracula, a new Godzilla, a new Robocop, the second Planet of the Apes movie, the third Hobbit movie, the fourth Transformers movie, the fifth Sinbad movie and more science fiction and animated movies than you can shake an action figure at!
So adios, 2013. You were good, but this year’s gonna be better!
Contact Captain Comics at capncomics@aol.com.
Replies
I have yet to watch the first Captain America film, as I feel I need no re-telling of cap's origin cinematically. I can wait for Winter Soldier to hit broadcast.
I will pass on the Spider-Man reboot sequel.
After seeing the mid-credit teaser from The Wolverine, I am very interested to see X-Men: DoFP, just for the explanation on how Prof X returns.
Guardians of the Galaxy? I'm slotting this one for my usual routine (one week after theater release on a Optimum Rewards matinee).
300: Rise of an Empire; FINALLY! I know long before 300 came out that there was a seafront assault at the same time as the Hot Gates stand, and several History Channel specials confirmed that. I may run this one same as Guardians.
Hercules? no thanks. Retold too many times.
I, Frankenstein? On Demand maybe, Broadcast at best.
the TMNT reboot? Broadcast.
The rest I can pass on, Godzilla & RoboCop look interesting, Hobbit 3 is a guarantee, TF4 is debatable,
If I recall also, the phrase “Is he ‘dead’ or is he ‘Bucky-dead’?" also had a Spider-Man version; “Is he ‘dead’ or is he ‘Uncle Ben-dead’?".
This new Planet of the Apes movie is the third of the new ones. Or does the Wahlberg one not count any more?
Horn'd One said:
"Batman's parents dead"?
Jor-El dead? Proty dead? Uatu dead (soon)?
I don't think it does. It was a bit too s%itty.
But I think the one before this one was a new reboot.
PowerBook Pete, the Mad Mod said:
Wow! Two reboots! It's like a DC series!
...What's " TF4 "...Okay , I'M the abbreviations fan...But , if it says in the Captain's column , I can't read it...
And what is Big Hero 6 ?????????
Horn'd One said:
Transformers 4
The mind boggles...
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next