Last week, the largest event in the comic calendar took place in San Diego, Comic Con 2013.
One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of the event was the announcement of a Superman versus Batman movie in the works from Warner Bros. The unveiling of a combined bat and “S” logo soon spread like a rash over the internet. Chatter on how the Dark Knight could match the intrinsic powers of the son of El were rife, with suggestions of Bruce Wayne using his seemingly limitless wealth to purchase a quantity of Kryptonite, to weaken the Man of Steel. Zack Snyder is set to direct after successfully helming the latest Superman movie, Man of Steel. The new movie is scheduled for release in summer 2015.
The follow up to this year’s Man of Steel will fly into cinemas in the summer of 2015 and will be directed by Zack Snyder again. Although Henry Cavill will return as Superman, joining Man of Steel co-stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane, it's not yet known who'll fill Christian Bale's cape and cowl as the Dark Knight and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne.
Speaking about the new project, Snyder said: ''I'm so excited to begin working again with Henry Cavill in the world we created, and I can't wait to expand the DC Universe in this next chapter. Let's face it, it's beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest Super Heroes in the world.''
Coinciding with the annual convention in San Diego, Christopher Nolan's 2008 film Batman: The Dark Knight, has also been voted the ‘Best Superhero Movie of All Time’, with three other films from the Batman franchise also placing in the top five.
Over 7,000 fans completed the Ranker.com survey about superheroes, including masked vigilantes, costumed crime fighters, and peace protectors. Christopher's Nolan's 2005 movie, Batman Begins, came in close behind at second, while his third Batman instalment, The Dark Knight Rises, is fifth. X-Men: First Class, Iron Man, Avengers Assemble and Spiderman franchises also featured in the top ten.
The 1978 classic, Superman film with Christopher Reeve came in at 18 in the poll, while this year's Man of Steel is at number 25.
“It's no surprise to see Batman films dominating this poll,” says DCM’s Film Specialist Tom Linay. “Being an ordinary man with extraordinary means seems to appeal more to the public than characters with genuine superhero capabilities. It's also testament to how Christopher Nolan transformed the superhero movie with his Dark Knight trilogy. The impact of that film can be seen in almost all superhero films since, from Man of Steel and The Wolverine through to upcoming films such as Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
Here's a rundown of the top 10 superhero films, according to Ranker.com:
1. The Dark Knight, 2008 2. Batman Begins, 2005 3. X-Men: First Class, 2011 4. Iron Man, 2008 5. The Dark Knight Rises, 2012 6. The Avengers, 2012 7. Batman, 1989 8. Spider-Man 2, 2004 9. X2, 2003 10. Spider-Man, 2002
The popularity and sheer volume of news that has come out of this year’s Comic Con cements the position of superhero movies in the future release schedule. Proving this point, Marvel is forging ahead with its phase 2 releases, such as Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. The audience for these releases will be predominantly male and will skew towards the more affluent end of the scale.
Footage of the movie panels from Comic Con can be found below.
Dawn of the Planet of The Apes
Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Kick-Ass 2
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Riddick
Robocop
Veronica Mars
The World's End
The Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past
Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy