Predicting 20 Comic Book Movies Announced In 2017
Bubble burst? Dream on.
Right now, it feels like there's not a week goes by without the announcement of another comic book movie, whether it's the confirmation of a release date, or a studio picking up the rights to every single Mark Millar comic ever released. The genre is big bucks, obviously, and the big blockbuster makers know they have a greater chance of striking it rich with another adaptation or sequel than investing in an indie or the latest Adam Sandler comedy.
For cynics, this is obviously a bad thing: poised to celebrate the bursting of the so-called bubble almost since Iron Man came out, there's a particularly virulent strand of film fans who would love nothing more than the mooted over-saturation to finally set in. For everyone else buying the tickets that defy them, that time will never come.
What is very clear is that Marvel, DC, Sony and Fox have a lot of possible options for where they go next, and with the comic book movie slate creeping ever closer to more than 10 releases a year, they're going to have to start mapping out their next releases.
The possibilities are extremely exciting too...
20. Rocket & Groot
Rocket and Groot have got spin-off potential written all over them. Not only is Groot one of the most marketable properties in the entire cinematic world at the minute (he's adorable, what more do you want?!), but their relationship poses lots of questions that the films are yet to really address.
The best approach to such a spin-off would probably be to focus on how the pair came together, with a prequel perhaps filling in some of the gaps in what we know of Rocket's tragic backstory, as well as expanding on why they're so close.
Rocket is basically the Han Solo of the Guardians crew (no matter what Star-Lord claims), and if he can have his own spin-off establishing where his legend came from, then so should Rocket.
Evidence?
James Gunn has already spoken several times about his attraction to making a Guardians spin-off - probably in place of a threequel in fact - and Vin Diesel has already hinted (in his usual over-sharing manner) that the film could be on the cards.