SUPERHERO MOVIES OF 2013

Iron Man 3
May 3rd

Judging by the insane popularity of The Avengers, Marvel's latest superhero movie, it is likely that this year's Iron Man 3 will receive plenty of attention when it's released this coming May. One storyline fans have pioneered for since the success of the original is the Demon in a Bottle storyline. This was a pivotal time for Tony Stark in Marvel's mainstream Universe during which the character succumbed to alcoholism. Sadly, nothing in the trailer indicates that this will be addressed as the focus seems to predominantly be upon Ben Kingsley's villain, The Mandarin. The X-Men movies are often criticised for their deviation from the comics' fictional universe however, Favreau has himself taken liberties with characters. Despite the villain of Iron Man 2 being a combination between the Crimson Dynamo and Whiplash, fans generally loved it. Whether the director has taken artistic liberties again this time around remains to be seen but whether he has or hasn't, it is likely to do extremely well. The first two incarnations were renowned successes and then the colossal Avengers movie will likely provide a wonderful boost to the film's revenue.

Man of Steel

June 13th

For some reason of late, DC comics have really struggled to create an impressive live-action movie adaptation (with the exception of Nolan's Batman trilogy of course). Their wonderful, interesting characters seem to be eclipsed by the powerhouse of Marvel's productions. Superman particularly has been a difficult sell to audiences considering the tragic Superman Returns (2006) however, hopefully Nolan's involvement in this latest film will prove to dispel the bad publicity of the past. Fans have been promised a darker, grittier version of the Man of Steel. This could be seen as a major advancement in the character as, for me, part of his unpopularity may lie in his invincible nature. The character seems to be unbeatable and infinitely optimistic unlike Bale's dark, brooding Bruce Wayne. The cast assembled would suggest that the film may be more successful with the likes of Russell Crowe, Amy Adams and Kevin Costner. Also, the director is Zach Synder who is often heralded by the fandom for his movies including 300 (2006), The Watchmen (2009) and Sucker Punch (2011). Despite his turbulent past on film, I have high hopes for the last son of Krypton this year.

Kick Ass 2
19th July
I remember the day that the very first issue of Kick Ass came out. There had been some publicity surrounding the protagonists name as, if I remember rightly, Mark Millar auctioned the character's name in an attempt to raise money for charity. The writer had already produced some good issues with The Ultimates, Wanted and Marvel's Civil War in his list of published work therefore fans of his were actively looking forward to Kick Ass. I found my copy the other day and reread it, reminding myself how interesting it was. The film was a commercial and critical success while also managing to gain a large cult following. This all likely culminated in the proposal to create a sequel with big names such as Jim Carrey set to star. I'm sad to hear that Evan Peters who briefly starred in the original has passed on returning. His character would become the superhero Ass-Kicker which I thought would have been a wonderful role for him to play. Despite the film not being too far off, there hasn't been that much to say about it so far besides the odd leaked set photo here and there. Hopefully, the film will manage to recreate the success of the first providing a rare adult perspective on the comic book universe. Expect a lot of swearing, particularly c-bombs, to be going down.

The Wolverine

July 24th

The history of the X-Men's on-screen adaptations has became very very muddy since Bryan Singer's original X-Men film (1999). Brett Ratner is often blamed for his production of X-Men 3: The Last Stand (2006) however, I feel the problem can be traced right back to the first movie. Had Singer simply adapted straight from the comics, it is likely that the film series would be incredible. While the original movie can be seen as a great comic book film, it undeniably strays away from Marvel's initial mythology by favoring popular characters over the originals. Where was Beast and Angel in Singer's film? Despite Wolverine, Rogue and Storm being fan favourites, they aren't part of the initial roster. X-Men First Class provided a perfect opportunity to rectify these mistakes but it simply made matters worse. At this point, there is no point in squabbling over continuity as any sense of such has been entirely shattered. All that is left now is to enjoy the characterisation and consider the films as stand-alone entities. I sincerely hope that The Wolverine is enjoyable and that Hugh Jackman is producing this for his love of the entire X-men mythology and not just an ego-trip to parade himself in front of the camera. The film details Logan's time in Japan in which, according to the comic world, he finds love and manages to make some enemies. It should be a relatively interesting film although, in my eyes, I doubt it'll stand up to Marvel's other features of 2013.

Sin City 2

October 4th

I'm really surprised by this announcement as it feels as though this movie has been in development for absolutely years upon years. At last, Rodriguez is powering on with this sequel. Notorious for his distinctive visual style, the director's latest films haven't really compared commercially to his big screen adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novels. It's interesting that, although the title suggests that this too will focus on the comics, the news thus far has predominantly centred around the new storylines. It's rumoured that the audience will see Jessica Alba's Nancy's feelings post her relationship with Bruce Willis' Hartigan. There was also the news I posted last week regarding Joseph Gordon-Levitt's upcoming role. I'm concerned that the appearance of the film may scare away potential audience members. It undoubtedly won't collect revenue similar to Iron Man 3 or Man of Steel but it's still exciting for fans to be given another visual interpretation of Miller's iconic comics.

Thor 2

November 8th

I've always felt that Thor is a largely underrated character. This may be because a Norse God is difficult to relate to as, at times, he can be perceived as being out of touch. The themes of loneliness and isolation exhibited by the character in both Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012) can surely be empathised with if people just give him a chance. While Iron Man was successful before The Avengers, Thor wasn't recieved as well therefore I'm hoping that after the team-up, more people will want to follow the adventures of this Asgardian legend. The Dark World sees the return of Thor's villainous half-brother Loki, portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, who is a favourite amongst fans. It seems that this time, Hiddleston will not be the arch nemesis as another entity will apparently threaten the nine realms. Production wise, the film has crossed hands a lot which suggests to me that a lot of people already don't entirely have faith in the film. Either way, I'm eager to see a trailer or hear some more news regarding this film despite it's relatively distant release date.