FEATURE: Here Are The CBM Team's Top 5 Most Anticipated Comic Book Movies Of 2017
2017 is shaping up to be a pretty great year for comic book-based films (at least, we really hope so), and after the jump you'll find the 5 movies we at Comicbookmovie.com are most excited about...
For many, 2016 was a bit of a disappointing year for the ol' superhero flicks (though personally I think we got some terrific movies), and they'll be hoping the next 12 months delivers the goods. It's certainly shaping up that way, though at this stage fans seem to have learned to manage their expectations a little.
Regardless, we're confident that 2017 won't let us down, and below you'll find our most highly anticipated films of the year from 5-1. For this list we focused only on movies based on comic books, just in case you were wondering why the likes of Star Wars: Episode VIII wasn't on there!
Have a read through, and be sure to share your own top 5s in the usual place.
5. Thor: Ragnarok
Marvel's previous Thor movies are generally considered (perhaps unfairly?) to be on the lower end of the Marvel Studios spectrum in terms of quality, so when Thor: Ragnarok was first announced there wasn't really much buzz around it. However, when we began to find out more details, that all changed.
The return of Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk is a major selling point of this threequel, and fans are practically chomping at the bit to see elements of the Planet Hulk comic book arc up on the big screen. There's also the addition of new cast members such as Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum and Karl Urban, as well as a director that's sure to put his own unique stamp on the proceedings in Taika Waititi.
Thor: Ragnarok is at a slight disadvantage next to the other films on this list in that we've yet to see any footage from it - that said, it did just manage to claim the #5 spot over Wonder Woman!
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming
You might have expected to see this slightly higher on the list, but Marvel and Sony's Spider-Man: Homecoming has the unenviable task building hype for a reboot of a reboot, which, let's be honest, doesn't really look a whole lot different from its predecessors. That said, there are still plenty of reasons to get excited for Spidey's next big screen adventure.
First and foremost, Tom Holland had a fantastic debut in Captain America: Civil War and left audiences eager to see more. The British actor also had a lot of chemistry with Robert Downey Jr., who is set to return as Tony Stark. Add to that the debut of Michael Keaton as The Vulture and a whole host of up-and-coming young talent such as Zendaya, and all the components are in place for a successful reboot.
It remains to be seen if Cop Car director Jon Watts does enough to set his film apart from what's come before, but as of right now, we're fairly confident he'll pull it out of the bag.
3. Justice League
Though Wonder Woman comes out first, for many people Zack Snyder's Justice League is the movie that will define Warner Bros.' DC Films Universe... for better or worse.
Though the three previous movies (Man of Steel, Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad) received mixed reviews and were definitely divisive among the majority of fans, there's no denying that they all showed the potential for greatness - that potemtial simply needs to be realized. Ben Affleck is generally considered to be a top-notch Caped Crusader, and if Snyder and the studio allow Henry Cavill's natural charm and charisma to shine through as Superman this time and fully utilize the talent of the new cast members, then we'll be on to a winner.
There's no doubt that Justice League has a lot riding on it, but we remain hopeful that mistakes will be learned from, and a movie worthy of these iconic DC characters will be delivered.
2. Logan
20th Century Fox's X-Men movie are undoubtedly divisive, but one thing (almost) everyone can agree on is that Hugh Jackman has been a fantastic Wolverine - even if he is too tall and has never worn that damn costume!
Though Logan is (apparently) to be Jackmans's final turn in the claws, fans were somewhat cautious about James Mangold's movie after The Wolverine jumped the shark in the last act, but then the trailer came along, and it actually moved to the top of many people's most anticipated lists... ours included.
Excitement levels were further elevated when 40 minutes of the film screened to a very positive response, and by all accounts Logan really is going to be the violent, emotional swansong both Jackman and this iconic character deserve.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
For many (most of us here at CBM included), Guardians of the Galaxy remains one of, if not Marvel's best movie yet. A near perfect blend of humor, action and a little bit of drama too (c'mon, you know you welled up at "we are Groot"), with a team of incredibly likeable characters at its core, James Gunn's sequel couldn't come soon enough - and then the trailers dropped.
It remains to be seen if Gunn and co. can capture the same offbeat, somewhat anarchic tone of the original, but based on what we've seen so far GOTG Vol. 2 is shaping up to be every bit as awesome as its predecessor.
At any rate, it's our most highly anticipated CBM of 2017 - but what's yours? What about the movies you aren't really looking forward to? Sound off below.