When we talk about comic book movies, we aren't talking just about Marvel and DC Comics superhero flicks. For example, V for Vendetta, Ghost World (which basically launched Scarlett Johansson's career), American Splendor, The Mask, and quite a few others are based on comic books from various publishers.
So it shouldn't be too surprising to hear that 2017 will see the release of 15 comic book movies - with the bulk being, of course, in the superhero genre.
And one of these movies has already been released, even if just for digital download - Justice League Dark, an original DC animated movie. Justice League Dark is set to be released on DVD and Blu-ray on the 7th of February - and you should grab it too, especially if you were a fan of the short-lived TV show Constantine (Matt Ryan voices the same character in the animation).
So do you want to know more? Then check it out!
The Lego Batman Movie (February 10)
After the success of The Lego Movie, was it any wonder to hear that sequels and spin-offs were being planned? No, it wasn't. And the first spin-off is focused on Batman, who stole the show every time he appeared in The Lego Movie. There were, obviously, teasers, trailers, and clips released, and each one promised the audiences quite a few laughs - Will Arnett can surely say I'm Batman, maybe even better than Michael Keaton.
Arnett is joined by quite a few stars, including Zach Galifianakis as the Joker and Ralph Fiennes as the trustworthy Alfred Pennyworth. It will be a blast, filled with Batman Easter-Eggs.
The tracking says that The Lego Batman Movie will win the weekend (against John Wick: Chapter 2 and Fifty Shades Darker), with an approximate $50 million dollars in the US. The flick’s budget hasn't been revealed just yet - but $50 million is pretty nice for a February debut. And if the reviews are in any way like the ones for The Lego Movie, Batman will once again prove to be a bankable character for DC Comics and Warner Bros.
Logan (March 3)
After the release of its first trailer, Logan became one of the most anticipated superhero movies of 2017 - if not the most anticipated. And this says something, especially since it’s a part of the X-Men Shared Universe and of the very poorly received Wolverine franchise. It’s the swan song of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart in the respective roles of Wolverine and Professor X, and, most likely, just the first flick of X-23 in the shared universe.
And it’s rated R!
Of course, depending on the movie’s success, Hugh Jackman may return in the role (although I doubt it), given the most recent teases from Ryan Reynolds (the two actors are good buddies, and they might appear on the big screen together one last time in a Deadpool sequel).
There are no other notable releases on March 3, so Logan will certainly win the weekend. With the praise was heaped on the 40-minute preview, I guess that the entire movie will do well with the critics. And it’s quite awesome, given the previous Wolverine installments.
At the moment, the one question I have in regard to this movie is this: Will it manage to beat Deadpool to become the highest grossing R-rated movie of all time? I hope it will.
Wilson (March 24th)
This one stars Woody Harrelson, so you’ve probably heard about it - it’s the story of a very sincere man who reunites with his ex upon finding out that he has a daughter. If you did know about it, did you also know that it’s based on a 2010 graphic novel, with a story that stretches across a couple of years?
And did you know that Daniel Clowes, who wrote the graphic novel, also wrote Ghost World? This alone should tell you that Wilson is a must see - and if the title Ghost World doesn't tell you anything, check out the Wilson trailer below!
Woody Harrelson is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood. He’s proven time and time again that his comedic timing is flawless. As you can see in the trailer, Wilson promises to be one of the funniest movies of the year. So you owe it to yourself to see it.
If not, Harrelson will return in July in War of the Planet of the Apes"¦
If not that, you can (and you will) see the next movie on this list!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (May 5)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 is the first big comic book movie of the year, and that’s because it has, reportedly and understandably, a much bigger budget than Logan’s. Not only that, it comes with higher expectations, since the first installment surprised everybody, including the critics.
James Gunn is back at the helm, and all of the main stars are returning. The sequel will also introduce a couple of other actors into the MCU, including the legendary Kurt Russell and his Tango and Cash co-star Sylvester Stallone, as well as new superheroes. Of course, I’m talking about Mantis, who will be portrayed by Pom Klementieff (she'll return for the Infinity War, as well).
So far, trailers have shown that the director hasn't lost his ability to perfectly blend humor and action. So it appears that Marvel has yet another big hit coming. And the fact that this movie could also mark the introduction of Adam Warlock (given the main antagonist, Ayesha) makes it even more exciting!
Without a doubt, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 will destroy its competition at the box office, with Alien: Covenant (the most serious contender of the month) arriving two weeks later.
Can't wait to see Drax!
Wonder Woman (June 2)
If Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 has to surpass its predecessor, Wonder Woman comes with a different sort of expectation: It has to show that Warner Bros. and DC can handle a shared universe. In other words, it has to be anything other than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and even Man of Steel. And, while the trailers have done a great job at showing the change of tone, the most recent rumors say that it’s just as big a mess.
And since it was produced while Zack Snyder had full creative control over the DCEU, should we believe those rumors?
We still don't know who the main antagonist is (which is a great thing), we still don't know who that mysterious masked lady is, and so on and so forth. And this suspense is good - I wouldn't want trailers to reveal important details of doomsday proportions.
So Wonder Woman has the chance to make or completely break the DCEU. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the former. Otherwise, Zack Snyder's Justice League will have to make up for even more movies before it.
I don't doubt that Wonder Woman will be a hit - besides Tom Cruise's The Mummy (which arrives a week later) and Transformers: The Last Knight (three weeks later), there aren't any other high profile releases that month.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7)
After all these years, we finally have a chance to see Spider-Man in the MCU - and the movie is very aptly called Homecoming (of course, this could also be a hint that Venom will appear, but let's not get ahead of ourselves). Peter Parker will actually be a high schooler, and with just a couple of scenes in Civil War, Tom Holland proved that he’s better than all those before him.
And Spider-Man isn't coming alone - Tony Stark will also be there, which is guaranteed to bring in the cash for Disney and Marvel. And this isn't all - the villain Vulture will be portrayed by Michael Keaton (and, apparently, he makes one great villain).
What else can be said that hasn't been said already? This is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, period. And I would enjoy it even more if it weren't as by the numbers as the other Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks.
Spider-Man will slay at the box office!
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (July 21)
While there was a lot of buzz about this movie at last year's San Diego Comic Con, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets seems to have gone under the radar in the past few months. Is it because one of its stars, Cara Delevingne, was the most disappointing actress in one of the most disappointing movies of 2016?
Or is it because the special effects in the trailer seemed a bit dodgy? I guess it’s both.
The movie has a huge budget – $180 million without the marketing costs. I believe it will be one of 2017’s biggest bombs. And that's a shame, since there are plenty of aspects that remind me of The Fifth Element, the movie that made Luc Besson an international sensation (even though Leon was way better).
To add to all of these, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets will be released on the same weekend as one very high profile flick: Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. And I guess everybody knows what happens to movies that enter into direct competition with Nolan's flicks"¦
The Coldest City (July 28)
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, The Coldest City is the story of an undercover MI6 agent sent to Cold War Berlin to investigate the death of a fellow agent and retrieve a list of double agents. Sound interesting?
Well, it should. The Coldest City has one of the best casts ever: Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton, James McAvoy as David Percival, Toby Jones as Gray, Eddie Marsan as Spyglass, Sofia Boutella in an unspecified role, and John Goodman.
For the moment, no promotional material has been released, except for a couple of photos. However, based just on the cast alone, this is a flick to see. And with David Leitch (John Wick and the upcoming Deadpool 2) directing, this promises to be a sleeper hit.
We'll see - or, at least, I'll see.
Batman and Harley Quinn Animated Movie (Summer 2017)
As with all of the other animated Warner Bros. and DC Comics movies, a release date wasn't announced so early on. However, what more do you need to know? It has Batman, who is ubiquitous when it comes to live action movies and animations, and Harley Quinn, who was one of the best parts of Suicide Squad.
Anything else? Not really - besides being an original story and having Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman Beyond, and Superman: Doomsday) behind it, no other details are known.
Of course, the recent DC Animated Movies have been rather disappointing. Maybe this one will turn the tide. Who knows?
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (October 6)
One of the most fun surprises of 2014, Kingsman: The Secret Service, has a sequel coming out this year. Titled The Golden Circle, it will see Harry Hart return from the dead, despite having been shot in the face by the over-the-top but entertaining Samuel L. Jackson in the previous flick.
Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, and Vinnie Jones will join the cast, and Matthew Vaughn will return to the director's chair.
Given the release date, there is no trailer available for Kingsman: The Golden Circle. However, we know that the British agency will be under attack and that it will have to work with the Americans in order to prevent another world-ending event.
Yes, it does sound like any other action flick - but Matthew Vaughn has released only great movies so far, and I’m sure that won't change with this one. Of course, the movie does have some competition at the box office (the much-anticipated Blade Runner 2049). But, other than that"¦
Thor: Ragnarok (November 3)
Thor: Ragnarok, yet another Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, might be the last movie in the rather disappointing Thor franchise. It needs to surpass all expectations - especially since it will be the last galactic adventure before the Infinity War begins.
With Taika Waititi directing, the actors and crew had a blast during shooting. And this is always great news - after all, if they’re having fun, our chances of having fun as we watch the movie are even greater.
Hulk joins Thor, which is great - but Taika has plenty of things to juggle. In addition to adapting quite a few comic book storylines (including Planet Hulk), he also has to introduce a number of other characters (most notably Hela, who is rumored to be the MCU’s Lady Death, with whom Thanos is infatuated). So there is a lot riding on it.
Will Taika Waititi manage to do what previous directors couldn't? I hope so.
Thor: Ragnarok has no serious competition at the box office during the weekend it’s released. However, two weeks afterwards"¦
Justice League (November 17)
Where do I start with this one?!?
Most likely the last Zack Snyder-directed DC Extended Universe film, Justice League is a movie I’ve looked forward to for many years. And while some projects were interesting, Warner Bros. refused to make them. Now, in the age of superhero movies, it’s finally happening.
However, with the bad taste left by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League no longer seems as appealing. Of course, I'll watch it - but I don't really believe that Snyder can actually make a good movie (his most well-received flick was, after all, written by James Gunn).
And the teaser trailer, while it had an awesome Flash, seemed to be trying too hard to show that Warner Bros. had learned its lesson. In other words, I wasn't exactly impressed. Given the release date, we'll have to wait a while longer for a first full trailer to arrive"¦
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders 2
Last year, Warner Bros. surprised us with the release of Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders - it was quite an event, continuing the classic Batman television series from the "˜60's. It also received a limited theatrical release. Key actors from the TV show returned, with Adam West voicing Batman, Burt Ward voicing Robin, and Julie Newmar voicing Catwoman.
And, to everybody's surprise, it was announced that a sequel is to follow in 2017.
As we said about the other animation on this list, we don’t know much about Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders 2. What we do know is that Two-Face will be the villain, voiced by William Shatner.
