2016 was a banner year for the superhero genre, as it saw the release of such highly anticipated titles as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, and Doctor Strange—all to seriously high box office results. Even riskier films like Deadpool and Suicide Squad proved successful, proving that the superhero genre is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Thus, 2017’s superhero movie offerings—which in some ways are even bigger than what 2016 gave us—are of particular note, and will no doubt soar to similar box office heights.
So in the spirit of anticipation, we’ve put together a handy guide of every superhero movie set for release this year, along with pertinent info like who starring in the films, what they’re about, and who wrote them. On the docket are some exciting shakeups to the genre as a whole—from a LEGO Batman to a (finally) R-rated Wolverine movie—so there’s plenty to be excited about. So without further ado, read on.
The LEGO Batman Movie
Release Date: February 10th
Director: Chris McKay
Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith
Cast: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Mariah Carey, and Jenny Slate
What We Know So Far: This is the first spinoff film from the wildly successful The LEGO Movie, and it marks the solo feature directorial debut of Chris McKay, who served as co-director on The LEGO Movie and previously helmed episodes of Robot Chicken. Will Arnett returns to voice Batman, and the film aims to at once tackle the entire Batman canon with self-referential comedy while also offering up a unique take on the Batman movie, focusing on the abject loneliness of the titular character. Zach Galifianakis voices The Joker, Michael Cera is Robin, and a host of villains—both famous and obscure—are poised to make appearances. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the writers/directors of The LEGO Movie, are still involved in The LEGO Batman Movie as producers, so this film promises to keep the DNA of what made that film work while branching out specifically into superhero territory.
Logan
Release Date: March 3rd
Director: James Mangold
Writers: James Mangold, Michael Green, and Scott Frank
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Merchant, and Eriq La Salle
What We Know So Far: The third standalone Wolverine movie is poised to be Hugh Jackman’s final performance as the character, and he’s going out with a bang. The Wolverine director James Mangold returns with a purely R-rated film that he describes as being specifically “for grownups.” We pick up way into the future as Logan’s healing powers are waning and Patrick Stewart’s Professor X is deathly ill. They team up with a young girl who appears to have a similar mutation to Logan’s (X-23, played by Dafne Keen), and navigate a post-apocalyptic wasteland while squaring off against Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), a character who in the comics was the leader of a band of dangerous folks named the Reavers. Further details on Logan have been kept firmly under wraps, but this promises to be a very different spin on your typical superhero movie.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
Release Date: May 5th
Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn
Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Elizabeth Debicki, Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, Glenn Close, and Kurt Russell
What We Know So Far: Quite possibly the most anticipated sequel of the year, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2’s biggest secrets are still under wraps. However, we do know that the story involves Peter Quill learning more about his true parentage, with Kurt Russell filling the role of his father. His dad, it turns out, is Ego the Living Planet, a being who is literally a planet with the ability to take on humanlike form. The film also introduces Pom Klementieff as Mantis, a new member of the Guardians with empathic powers, while Elizabeth Debicki takes on the villainous role of Ayesha, the golden High Priestess. The film reportedly does not have major connective tissue to the rest of the MCU, like the appearance of Thanos in the first film, and thus is expected to be a rather self-contained story.
Wonder Woman
Release Date: June 2nd
Director: Patty Jenkins
Writers: Allan Heinberg, Geoff Johns, and Patty Jenkins; Story by Zack Snyder and Allan Heinberg
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Lucy Davis, David Thewlis, Ewen Bremnber, Saïd Taghmaoui, Danny Huston, and Lisa Loven Kongsli
What We Know So Far: Warner Bros. beats Marvel Studios to the punch with the first female-led superhero film of the post-Iron Man comic book movie era, and there’s a lot riding on Wonder Woman. The film is an origin story and thus takes place well before the events of Batman v Superman, as Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince decides to leave her paradise of her island home to aid in the World War I conflict. Along the way, she comes across human Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), with Jenkins aiming to subvert male superhero tropes by turning the genre on its head.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Release Date: July 5th
Director: Jon Watts
Writers: Jonathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers
Cast: Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Jon Favreau, and Donald Glover
What We Know So Far: This new Spider-Man reboot is a co-production between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, with Marvel taking the creative lead. As such, the film will fit into the MCU as a whole while bringing a refreshingly new Peter Parker story to life. We know the film will focus on Parker being a high school student, with a strong John Hughes vibe permeating throughout. We also know that Tom Holland is joined onscreen by Robert Downey Jr., whose Tony Stark continues to serve as a mentor of sorts for the burgeoning superhero. As for the villain, Michael Keaton fills the role of the Vulture. The studios are already bullish on the new Spidey franchise with a sequel already slated for release in 2019, so hopes are high for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Thor: Ragnarok
Release Date: November 3rd
Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Eric Pearson; Story by Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, and Stephany Folsom
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins, and Mark Ruffalo
What We Know So Far: The third film in the Thor franchise finds Chris Hemsworth’s character stranded on the other side of the galaxy—without his hammer—when the villainous Hela (played by Cate Blanchett) threatens to end Asgard once and for all. Thor must team up with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk to make his way back home, crossing paths with a number of galactic creatures along the way. Jeff Goldblum plays Grandmaster, one of the Elders of the Universe, while Tessa Thompson fills the role of new heroine Valkyrie and Karl Urban plays the antagonist Skurge. Taika Waititi marks a promising hire given his previous films Hunt for the Wilderpeople and What We Do in the Shadows, and one imagines he’ll bring some vibrant color to the Thor: Ragnarok proceedings.
Justice League
Release Date: November 17th
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Chris Terrio; Story by Zack Snyder and Chris Terrio
Cast: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Willem Dafoe, Diane Lane, J.K. Simmons, Amy Adams, Amber Heard, Kiersey Clemons, and Ciaran Hinds
What We Know So Far: Not a whole lot. Production on Justice League began mere weeks after the release of Batman v Superman, and reports swirled that the script was being tweaked to address complaints that BvS was too joyless and dour. We do know the story finds Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman assembling the titular Justice League to square off against the villain Steppenwolf, to be played by Ciaran Hinds. Steppenwolf is on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on earth for his nephew, Darkseid, and it’s up to the Justice League to stop him. But for many more tidbits, be sure to check out Steve's full set visit report.