Why 2016 Is The Most Important Year For Comic Book Movies (Discussion)

comic book movies

By Nav K on January 3, 2016 • ( 16 Comments )

Happy New Year everyone! It’s finally 2016, and as most of you know, this is going to be a big year for comic book movies. With 7 major comic book/superhero movies coming out, 2016 is the most important year for them. So let’s take a look at why 2016 is the most important year for comic book movies!

 

Deadpool is making a comeback

After X-Men Origins: Wolverine we never thought we would see the poor guy get his second chance. We especially didn’t think we would see Ryan Reynolds back. But they’re both back, and seeking redemption. I think the marketing material has convinced most people that we’re getting a much more comic book-like Deadpool.

With Fantastic Four failing to make a splash, there’s a good chance Deadpool 2 will take the place of Fantastic Four 2. And if Deadpool is successful it could lead the way to a X-Force movie. Reynolds even said himself: “I always see Deadpool running against the grain for everything he does. He can’t possibly conform to any sort of leadership role. He always has to be the wild card. So you’d have to have someone like Cable running point on a team like X-Force. I’d love for that to be a next step that we take.”

This is also a test for R-rated superhero movies. Within this new age of superhero movies, most of them are nice and family friendly. If Deadpool is a success, it will give the other studios the confidence to look at some of their darker characters, and commit to a project that won’t be targeting all ages and demographics. Right now it looks like Deadpool will be a hit, so we’ll see what that means for future movies.

Fox will attempt to expand their world

There really was no connection between Fantastic Four and X-Men, so this is really the first year we’ll see Fox worldbuilding a lot more. Deadpool and Gambit will both reference X-Men, and potentially (probably) find themselves in X-Men movies in the future.

It’s important for Fox to keep expanding their universe, because you can’t keep making Wolverine the only focus in your movies. Apocalypse seems to be taking the step in the right direction, with Wolverine not even being in the latest trailer. Apocalypse will also be introducing the new generation of mutants, who will be able to carry on in many future X-Men films. We’ll probably start to see the films shift away from Wolverine, as it has been hinted that Wolverine 3 will be Jackman’s last film. Of course they could just recast Wolverine, but even so they need to stop relying on him to sell their movies.

It’s the start of the DCEU

Okay technically Man of Steel was the start of the DCEU, but really Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad are the launching pads for the DCEU. We’ve never seen such an expanded world in a DC movie, they’re typically a lot more self-contained. This is the first time WB have really committed to creating a shared universe. The question is now, will it work and will people like it?

Batman v Superman will set-up the other heroes in the universe and Suicide Squad will set-up the other villains in the universe. With that it will make things a lot easier come solo movies and Justice League. You can’t deny that it’s been an uphill battle for the DCEU, and a lot of people are quick to doubt their capabilities, so they have a lot to prove. But WB seem pretty confident with everything, which is a good sign.

Wonder Woman is making her debut

Wonder Woman has one of the most recognisable superhero names, yet she’s never been in a live-action movie. So 2016 is kind of a big deal when she makes her debut in Batman v Superman. WB seem really proud about this as well, as she has been heavily featured in marketing materials and in merchandise.

Because Wonder Woman is already a recognisable name I really think she’ll be the breakout character of this movie. I’ve already noticed that in trailers, she seems to be the one getting the most reactions. A character who is proud of her femininity and excels in power and strength, Wonder Woman has the potential to have a huge impact on the movie-going audience.

Audience’s reaction to Wonder Woman will be looked at closely, as major studios are still hesitant to focus on female leads. And with Wonder Woman’s solo movie coming out next year, if the reception to Wonder Woman isn’t good in Batman v Superman, then WB are going to have a major problem. But from what we know, I have a lot of confidence in them portraying her well!

Batman is returning to the big screen

The last time we saw Batman was back in 2012, and considering he’s arguably the most popular superhero, having a new Batman is pretty exciting. Public opinion has seemed to have changed a lot since Ben Affleck was first announced, and now most people seem to be on board. This is the first time we’ll see Batman in a world that isn’t so self-contained, it will be the most comic book-like Batman.

And even though those of us who are familiar with these characters see it as totally normal for Batman to be fighting alongside the Justice League, and battling enemies like Darkseid, the general audience aren’t used to that. This Batman needs to be developed in a way that allows the audience to accept that he can be part of a team of gods and fight out-of-this-world characters.

Spider-Man is joining the MCU

Even though I like most of the Spider-Man movies, it’s pretty great that he will now operate in the same world as the MCU. Even though Amazing Spider-Man 2 wasn’t the worst thing in the world, and still made money, it was clear that Sony was struggling with their long-term plans for the character.

Enter their knight in shining armour, Marvel. Before his next solo movie next year, Spidey will be introduced in Civil War. No one is expecting that appearance to be any more of an extended cameo, you know just enough to say, hey I exist here too! It’s exciting to think about the potential future banter between Iron Man and Spider-Man, and seeing what his role will be with the rest of the Avengers.

The Marvel brand will be tested again

From all the comments director Scott Derrickson has given, Doctor Strange sounds like it will be a really, really weird movie. I love the sound of it, but it’s definitely not going to be something the general movie-going audience are used to. Guardians of the Galaxy was another pretty weird-looking movie, but it went on to be a hit. So now will the same thing happen with Doctor Strange?

I think that right now Marvel are in a very strong position of trust with their audience, and people seem to be responsive to most things they put out. Coupled with the amazing cast, Doctor Strange will probably be another massive hit for Marvel.

Superhero fatigue will be tested

We’ve read the articles and heard the discussions many times, will people soon get over superhero movies? 2016 will be a big test for that, as there are 7 major comic book movies coming out. Now not all of them will be billion dollar hits, but there is a big potential for them all to be pretty successful. Looking at the 2016 slate, the films seem to be different compared to one and other, which is a great thing.

Stories and characters seem to be diverse, and they are all focusing on different aspects. Deadpool is focusing on the crude and breaking the fourth wall, Batman v Superman is focusing on this epic battle, Suicide Squad is focusing on the bad guys, Doctor Strange is focusing on magic etc. At the end of the day, a good story is a good story, a good character is a good character, and it looks like we’ll be getting that from a lot of these movies.

There’s many more reasons as to why 2016 is such an important year for comic book movies, but there are some of the big ones. Welcome to the new superhero age!

 

Categories: comic book movies

Tagged as: dc comics, film, marvel, superheroes