5 NEW Marvel And DC Superhero Movies Most Likely To Be Announced In 2017
We're nearly halfway through 2017, but with Comic-Con and events like D23 around the corner, should we expect some big CBM announcements in the latter half of the year? Almost definitely.
It's a great time to be a fan of superhero movies, something 2017 has proved three times (Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Wonder Woman). There are still a few comic book adaptations left in the second half of the year, but looking ahead to the future, what might be next for the genre?
Well, we've been racking our brains and have come up with five Marvel and DC Comics movies we believe will be announced in the next six months. 2017 has already majorly surprised us with Joss Whedon directing Batgirl and Tom Hardy playing Venom, so you have to believe more are coming!
Comic-Con and various other events are around the corner and big reveals are coming at any time, so keep reading to find out what we think is heading to theaters over the next few years. These may surprise you too, so don't expect to find any of the upcoming movies we already know about here.
5. Spider-Man 2099
Whether we like it or not (and let's face it, most of us don't), Sony is intent on moving forward with a variety of Spider-Man spinoffs separate to the wall-crawler played by Tom Holland currently swinging around the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Those confirmed to be on the way so far are Venom and Silver & Black, but it's easy to imagine even more being added to the list in the near future. I've been racking my brains in regards to the most likely possibilities and with Miles Morales on his way to the animated realm, I think the next most likely option for a live-action spinoff has to be Spider-Man 2099.
A future-set movie automatically makes this separate from Peter Parker's world and creates a myriad of storytelling possibilities not even Marvel Studios will be able to explore. Throw in the fact that this would be a Spider-Man movie with a non-white lead in the suit - Miguel O'Hara - and this is a project that has to be appealing to Sony on a number of levels. Don't be surprised if we hear about this one happening sooner rather than later!
4. Birds Of Prey
Gotham City Sirens is set to be directed by Suicide Squad helmer David Ayer and will focus on a villainous team led by Harley Quinn (most likely consisting of characters like Catwoman and Poison Ivy). Some fans believe the Birds of Prey could be introduced there, and while I think that certainly a possibility, Joss Whedon helming a Batgirl movie may have changed things as Barbara Gordon will more than likely be first introduced there now.
Despite that, the success of Warner Bros. must have had an impact on how Warner Bros. views their DC Comics adaptations, so I do think we could hear about a Birds of Prey movie sometime before the year is through. Perhaps it will focus on lesser-known characters like Black Canary and Huntress as they have plenty of potential without Batgirl, and who knows, it's feasible that even Wonder Woman could be thrown into the mix at this stage. Either way, I think we're going to see the Birds of Prey in some form over the next few years, so keep your eyes peeled for an inevitable update.
3. The Hulk
We already know that Marvel Studios hasn't released a solo Hulk movie because of complications with Universal Pictures, but if Kevin Feige can find a way to bring Spider-Man into The Avengers, he can sure as hell figure out how to get the Jade Giant a solo outing of his own. I don't think it will be this Comic-Con that Marvel announces their Phase 4 slate, but common sense says they'll have some sort of surprise and the reveal that a new Hulk movie is on the way would nicely fit the bill.
For starters, it would generate even more excitement around the already amazing looking Thor: Ragnarok as The Hulk's presence there as he battles the God of Thunder already looks set to make this the biggest Thor movie to date. This character has always struggled on his own, but Mark Ruffalo and The Avengers franchise have turned things around for the always angry superhero, so a film which introduces everyone from The Leader to Red Hulk could have a massive impact on the MCU and would be a smart way to capitalise on the Green Goliath's newfound popularity once Thor: Ragnarok reaches theaters this November.
2. X-23
With Hugh Jackman hanging up his claws and saying goodbye to Wolverine, it appears as if Logan is going to be left on the shelf for a while. The iconic X-Men character being recast somewhere down the line makes sense, but it's probably an announcement which is years away, especially now Deadpool is so massively popular (and profitable). However, something Fox can't ignore is the way moviegoers gravitated towards Dafne Keen's Laura/X-23, a character who definitely has the potential to shine in a movie of her own.
Most of us expected her to next appear in the X-Men franchise or X-Force, but everyone from producers to James Mangold himself have indicated that if and when X-23 does return, it will be in a movie of her own. Announcing this in 2017 would add up as Logan is still fresh in people's minds and Keen will be the right age to play a teenage Laura by the time this is released in 2019 or 2020. Honestly, I'm surprised this one hasn't been made official and if Fox is smart they'll use this movie as a launching platform for Laura to become the X-Men Universe's all-new Wolverine.
1. Man Of Steel 2
There have already been some very interesting rumblings about Man of Steel 2, but I believe this is the year Superman's next solo movie finally gets the green light. The character has very deliberately been left out of marketing materials for Justice League because Warner Bros. is looking to build some suspense in regards to his return, but this announcement coming shortly after (or even before) the release of that superhero ensemble just feels like common sense. X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn is among those being eyed to take the helm of this one, so here's hoping that comes to pass as it would be nothing short of amazing.
Either way, it doesn't look like Zack Snyder will be back to take charge of Superman's next adventure, a sign that Warner Bros. may want to take things in a different direction. Throw in the fact that The Batman still remains somewhat uncertain - I won't believe it's happening until we see the first set photo - and I'm certain Warner Bros. will want to make a move on bringing their other huge icon to the big screen as soon as humanly possible.
Which of these superhero movies would you most like to see announced in 2017? Do you have any other suggestions for those which could be on the way? Share your thoughts down below.