8 Comic Books Coming to the Big Screen in 2016

Deadpool (Feb. 12)
Deadpool was, well…dead. During the dark days of the X-Men film franchise, Ryan Reynolds played a version of the character in the awkwardly titled X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It’s generally considered a low point of the franchise (though it has its moments), but even in muted form, Reynolds’ seems like a perfect fit for Marvel’s mouthy mercenary. Since then, the comic series has enjoyed both a creative renaissance and an in-story timeline reboot, so the long-delayed movie is back on (and they’re already planning a sequel). In Wade Wilson’s 25-year history on the page, his adventures have been chronicled by a number of creators, all with different takes, and it’s not clear that the movie is drawing from anything in particular. Essentially, he’s a mentally unstable mercenary who frequently breaks the fourth wall. The trailers look to have captured the anything-goes nuttiness of Wade’s adventures. To get a feel for the character, check out comedian Brian Posehn’s recent run.

Batman v Superman (March 25)
For my money, this one is the year’s riskiest bet: Zack Snyder is back as director following the divisive Man of Steel. Kickstarting DC’s very own cinematic universe and following up on 2013’s Superman movie, it introduces Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, and Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. Oh, and it’s got Cyborg, Aquaman, and a movie version of the Flash, not to mention what looks like Doomsday. It’s a gutsy move to throw so many elements together at once, and it’ll be awesome if it comes together. Affleck is looking good as a slightly older Bruce Wayne, and if Gadot can nail Wonder Woman, they’ll be halfway home.

Captain America: Civil War (May 6)
Where Batman v Superman’s crazy mix of heroes makes me a little nervous, with this one not so much. Marvel has been building to this one for a while, and they’ve shown that they can pull off team movies on more than one occasion. Kicking off Phase Three of Marvel’s master plan for global cinematic domination, this one has the Cap’n and Tony Stark facing off over a proposed superhuman regulation act. The Winter Soldier was, arguably (but not really arguably), the best Marvel movie yet, and they’ve brought back the same creative team for this one. True, it’s looking a bit more like an Avengers movie than a Captain America one, given that almost the whole gang is here, plus the introductions of Black Panther and a new Spider-Man. Inspired by the 2007 series of the same name, I have a really good feeling about this.

X-Men Apocalypse (May 27)
2016’s second (of three) X-Men movies has franchise-founder Brian Singer returning following 2014’s time-traveling high-point Days of Future Past. That one combined casts from both eras of the series, while the latest takes place in the ’80s and focuses entirely on the younger (and surprisingly accomplished) crew lead by James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Oscar Isaac. In the comics, the 5,000-year old mutant En Sabah Nur arises after centuries of sleep and finds himself disenchanted with the modern world. Seeing himself as a necessary force for change, he creates his Four Horsemen to cleanse mankind as part of the massive Fall of the Mutants storyline. Later, the alternate timeline of the Age of Apocalypse run sees him as the world’s absolute dictator. The movie will probably draw most from the former, but the films introduced alternate timelines very recently, so who knows? Director Singer is billing this as a (but not the) conclusion of the series, so it should be fairly epic.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (June 3)
Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird’s 26-year-old comic has had an extraordinary life beyond its initial conception as a one-off story from an independent publisher. This is the sixth film based on the popular series, though technically it’s the first sequel to 2014’s Michael Bay-produced reboot. Shadows introduces vigilante Casey Jones as well as long-time franchise villains Bebop and Rocksteady, who join Shredder to plan an invasion of New York City. Megan Fox is back as April O’Neil, leading an impressive cast including Arrow’s Stephen Amell, Will Arnett, and Laura Linney. It’s delightful seeing the films embrace the true weirdness of the franchise, which is another way of saying: they’re finally bringing Krang to the big screen.

Suicide Squad (August 5)
DC’s second film this year is potentially the more interesting of the pair. We don’t know a ton about the plot yet, but traditionally the Squad is a team of villains who are cajoled, conned, and bullied into joining up with the government’s Task Force X. If they run dangerous missions under the command of the imposing Amanda Waller, and stay alive, they might earn pardons for their past misdeeds. Jared Leto’s Joker may or may not live up to the iconic versions of the character from movies and TV past, but Viola Davis should be perfect as the relentless Waller. Will Smith is also part of an all-star cast that includes Affleck’s Batman. John Ostrander’s brilliant run on the comic series is back in print, and is well worth checking out in the meantime.

Gambit (October 7)
A huge question mark on this one, given that filming’s been pushed back to March. It’s still scheduled for October, but there’s a fair chance that we won’t see this one until 2017. What we do know is that Channing Tatum is going to star alongside Spectre’s Lea Seydoux as Cajun mutant Remy LeBeau. Like Deadpool, the character first appeared in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, there played by Taylor Kitsch. In the comics, Gambit is a (former) thief who can mentally control kinetic energy, typically demonstrated via the playing cards that he uses as power-charged weapons. He’s probably best known (and loved) from the ’90s-era animated series, and he’s been one the horsemen of the super-villain Apocalypse, so there could be some connection to summer’s X-movie.

Doctor Strange (November 4)
Marvel Studio’s other 2016 film (not including the Fox-produced X-Men movies) stars Benedict Cumberbatch as neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, who learns the mystic arts following a devastating car accident.  Another incredible cast in this one: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Hannibal’s Mad Mikkelson, and Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One. Sadly missing? Jessica Walter, who played Morgan Le Fay in the 1978 TV movie. Steve Ditko’s creation comes straight out of the psychedelic ’60s, traveling to surreal and colorful realms; hopefully the filmmakers can recreate that a bit of that vibe.
What’s on your comic-book movie calendar for 2016?