It's been said before, but it really is an incredible time to be a fan of superhero movies. You don't have to go too far back to find a time when it was just Batman films carrying the torch, but now you have the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Extended Universe in the works, as well as the and franchises over at Sony and Fox. Three of the ten highest grossing movies of all-time are those featuring comic-book heroes (both Avengers films and Iron Man 3), while The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises both grossed over $1bn. Even something like Spider-Man 3, generally a poorly-received film, took almost $900m at the box-office. It's big business, and that means that studios are determined to cash-in while the going is good. They now have plans not just for next year and the year after that, but stretching all the way to 2020 and beyond (Marvel's reportedly go as far as 2028!). However, even the best laid plans can go to ruin. A couple of misfires, especially with studios taking more risks, and films could be changed, postponed, shelved completely (or have the rights sold back to Marvel). Here are eight planned movies that studios will likely decide aren't worth it.
Honourable Mention: Gambit
The Film: A standalone film within the X-Men universe, featuring everyone's favourite card-throwing Cajun mutant. Thankfully it won't be Taylor Kitsch in the role, with Channing Tatum dealing the cards this time around. Why It Won't Happen: This one probably will still go-ahead, especially as long as Tatum is attached, but it's getting an honourable mention here because it has been dogged by problems that'll ensure at the very least it'll be delated. First there were reports that Tatum had actually left the project, although he has since reaffirmed his commitment. Now, just one month before the film is due to start shooting, director Rupert Wyatt has left the production, leaving it in limbo for now. It's expected that another director will be found eventually - and hey, maybe Tatum could just take the reigns himself - but there's a lot of work to be done yet, especially given the trouble they had finding someone to direct before Wyatt agreed, and it appears to have no chance of making a release date that's just over a year away.
NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far.
A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.
