Apparently, Earth needs all the saving it can get. Looking ahead into 2018, most of the major blockbusters set to be released are of the crime-fighting, apocalypse-preventing variety.
Marvel will start things off in February with its release of Black Panther. Starring Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, this film will be slightly different than previous Marvel movies in that the setting takes place within a technologically advanced yet regionally isolated country in Africa.
In the spring, movie-goers will have their work cut out for them with three major superhero flicks including the highly anticipated Avengers: Infinity War (May 4), which is the third installment in a franchise that has grossed nearly $3 billion to date.
Fox’s The New Mutants, which comes out April 13, will serve as a pioneer within the industry, blending aspects of horror into the superhero archetype. Marvel’s Deadpool 2 is scheduled for a June 1 release. The franchise has led lead actor Ryan Reynolds to garner the respect of fans and critics alike after his disastrous role as Green Lantern back in 2011.
Paul Rudd’s initial role as a superhero in the hilarious Antman will get a sequel in July and will additionally feature a lead role from Evangeline Lilly (Lost).
The second half of 2018 will feature a few new franchises including Marvel’s Venom, a movie featuring Tom Hardy focused on Spiderman’s dark and twisted twin of sorts. Additionally, the seemingly endless number of titles in the Transformer’s franchise continues with Paramount’s Bumblebee, which will reportedly feature the famous yellow transformer in his own movie.
Following a year which saw Hollywood gross over $11 billion in revenue, 2017 has proved to be rather uninspiring, down roughly 2.5% from a year ago.
As the rollercoaster ride that was 2017 reaches its end, the political, social, environmental and humanitarian issues the world and the US faces continue on. Maybe Hollywood is reminding us that we all could use a superhero around every now and then.
