2016 has only just started, but there are some great movies coming out for both Marvel and DC comics this year. While Marvel dominated the theaters last year with “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”, DC comics is coming back this year with the highly anticipated blockbuster hit, “Batman vs. Superman”. This year a total of 6 movies have been slated for release from both the DC comic Universe and the Marvel Comic Universe. 2016 really seems to be the year of comic book movies with the introduction of new heroes (or antiheroes) and the separation from the main story line of comic books into the spinoffs.
Deadpool
Wade Wilson was diagnosed with terminal cancer. When he is given a chance to undergo biological testing to help cure him, he takes it, not realizing that the consequences will hurt more than help him.
Deadpool is one of the only characters in the Marvel Comic Universe that knows that he is in a comic book and it has been said that this will also come into play in the movie as well. Also, Ryan Reynolds is reprising his role as Wade Wilson from “X-Men origins: Wolverine” but is promising that this movie will be a more authentic version of the origin story. Alongside Reynolds, will be Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, TJ Miller and Gina Carno.Originally starting out as an X-Men character, Deadpool was given his own spinoff series as a hired mercenary which is where this movie takes place.
Deadpool is set to be released February 12th.
X-Men: Apocalypse
Speaking of X-Men, the next in the X-Men series will be coming out May 27th and brings out the original mutant who plans to “cleanse” humanity and bring about a new world order. It’s the ninth installment in the X-Men series, which includes Deadpool and the Wolverine spinoffs as well.
This X-Men movie will star Jennifer Lawrence as Raven/Mystique, Olivia Munn as Besty Braddock/Psylocke and Michael Fassbender as Megneto. It’s set to pick up 10 years after “Days of Future Past” and includes younger versions of the characters we knew from the original X-Men movies such as Jean Grey and Scott Summers.
Suicide Squad
What could be better than a movie about villains being good? The typical villains as we know them, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Enchantress, Katana and El Diablo, along with others, make up the Suicide Squad. These villains were imprisoned and are now being recruited by the government to carry out dangerous missions.
Suicide Squad is coming to theaters on August 5th
Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Probably the most anticipated movie from DC Comics this year, Batman feels that Superman is being unchecked and reckless and battles it out with him. However with the threat created by Lex Luthor, they have to put their issues aside to stop Lex Luthor from annihilating Metropolis.
This version will star Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Jason Momoa (yes Khal Drogo) as Aquaman, Gai Godot as Wonder Woman. This is the first time we will see Ben Affleck as Batman amid mixed reviews.
Dawn of Justice is set to premiere March 25th.
Doctor Strange
After the destruction of his career, a surgeon has a new opportunity when he is trained to defend the world against evil by a sorcerer.
As part of the New Avengers, Doctor Strange is set to premiere November 4th this year. It’s an origin story of a potential fighter in the Infinity Wars movies, which are slated for development in a few years as well. Benedict Cumberbatch stars alongside Rachel McAdams. Doctor Strange, while not part of the original group of the Avengers, falls into the same category as Ant-Man, Wanda/Scarlet Witch, War Machine and Vision which we saw the beginning formations of in Age of Ultron.
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America and Iron Man are on the opposing sides of an act the government wants to enforce, which require the registration of superhumans, including the oversight of the Avengers team. This leads to a clash of between Captain American and Iron Man with destruction on both sides.
This film brings back Bucky Barnes who is no longer brainwashed by the events from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Marvel’s biggest blockbuster of the year comes out on May 6, and is the turning point of relationships of the Avengers team. All of the original avengers reprise their roles with the exception of Hulk and includes a few more people to fight including the new Spider-Man, Black Panther and Sharon Carter, who we met briefly in The Winter Soldier.
2016 is the year for big comic movie blockbusters. We probably won’t see a collection of films this big until later on when Infinity Wars is slated to release. 2016 is also the year where the unsung heroes get their turn to shine, those such as Deadpool, Doctor Strange and those from the Suicide Squad. Of course, not including the other sections of development from each of the universes’ tv shows.
