The new year means fresh starts, but for comic book movies, it's business as usual. A new Avengers film and the Batman-Superman team-up may seem far away, but there's plenty to be excited about in 2014. Here's what's ahead.
Robocop (Feb. 12)
From its trailer, Robocop doesn't seem entirely different from its predecessors, aside from updated effects and an exciting cast (Gary Oldman, Joel Kinnaman, Michael Keaton and, of course, Samuel L. Jackson). One new approach is the decimation of Alex Murphy's body, trading countless bullets across his body for an exploding car. Perhaps this film will tone down the brutality, taking the opposite turn from the newest Judge Dredd film.
300: Rise of an Empire (March 7)
The effectiveness of this trailer is undeniable. If you loved the style, aggression and tone of 300, this film looks to be a direct continuation, now focusing on the characters of Themistocles, Artemisia and the villainous Xerxes. As written by 300 helmer Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, this film will probably take another "who cares?" approach to history. This time around, Noam Murro takes the director's chair.
Captain America: Winter Soldier (April 4)
Marvel's first of the year borrows from the Ed Brubaker storyline. Reception was split on the first Cap film, but this trailer, with heavy dosages of humor, explosions and the Falcon, has me pumped. Steve Rogers and his assimilation to life in this century was some of the most compelling aspects of Marvel's The Avengers, and it'll be great to see that arc taken further with this film.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2)
They seem to be adding a new villain to this one every day. It's not enough to have heavy-hitters like Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti play Electro and Rhino, respectively. The newest trailer hinted at Doc Ock and Vulture making appearances at some point in this franchise. If they were willing to show that much in the trailer, is it possible that we'll see the entire Sinister Six in this one? And don't forget a confirmed Green Goblin, too, who appears to have his pointy ears back.
Godzilla (May 16)
Gareth Edwards showed a lot of talent in his indie film, Monsters, with a shoestring budget. Now, he's been given the Big Guy, and hopefully he'll inspire more terror than the '90s, Matthew Broderick-led effort. The real question is this: After Cloverfield, and more recently, Pacific Rim, do we need another huge monster film? Will this garner the same amount of interest? That remains to be seen. It may just be time for Godzilla to get his movie monster crown back.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23)
In this incarnation of the classic X-tale, it's Wolverine who gets sent back in time to warn of impending doom for mutantkind. That makes total sense, as Ellen Page hasn't been given the right amount of screen time to play this role in the story. And frankly, aging her (and presumably de-aging her) would have been a nightmare. Let's just hope that Bryan Singer's touch will not send this film over to the "Lame X-Men Movie" column, right under the third in the series.
Guardians of the Galaxy (Aug. 1)
We got just a tiny taste of Guardians of the Galaxy's feel in the after-credits scene of Thor 2. It'll be interesting to see how GOTG does with fans outside of comicdom. After all, it's not a tested brand outside of the funnybook medium. With a cast like Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly and Glenn Close, there aren't so many comic book movie vets in this one. For me, that adds greatly to the appeal.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Aug. 8)
Director Jonathan Liebesman may not inspire as much confidence as other helmers, with titles like Battle: Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans under his belt. But anyone who was a kid during the release of the first live-action Turtles movies is at least curious. The folks behind this film were smart to put Megan Fox in the role of April O'Neil. But without a trailer, it's hard to get excited just yet.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (Aug. 22)
Looking past his other recent disasters, letting Frank Miller create some new tales for the Sin City sequel provides something to anticipate. The first film was tonally perfect and expertly cast. And thankfully, everyone you'd want on board again seems to be in tow. Rumored stories take place before and after the events of the first film.