7 Predictions for the Future of the Comic Book Movie

4. Smaller & Stranger Projects?

Marvel have already confirmed several smaller projects and hinted at many more. Superhero films are a safer bet for studios than ever before especially if they are linked into big names. Rabid comic book fans are always going to go to the cinema and pick up the DVDs for anything related to the world they love and the studios know this for sure now. There are various rumours of films that were thought about, films that almost got made and there are some films that simply seemed to appear out of nowhere. So let's take a look at the smaller characters that we're going to see soon and some that almost made it but didn't quite cross the finishing line.

Not exactly some of Marvel's most well known characters are they? The Guardian's of the Galaxy jumped their place in the queue ahead of for more well known (and loved) characters and have a director (James Gunn of Slither fame) and a release date (1st Aug 2014).

It's common knowledge that Ant-man is now another definite with Edgar Wright directing and, with Adam Buxton, writing. At the time of writing the debate continues over the leading man and there's no confirmed release date (2014 seems to be the most likely though) but you can probably be sure Simon Pegg will appear in some way. Test footage is scheduled to appear online sometime soon

A third definite and with a lot of buzz around how it'll turn out. So what do we know? Joss Whedon, his brother, Jed Whedon, Jed's wife Maurissa Tancharoen and Jeffrey Bell are on as the writing/directing team for at least the pilot. It will be autonomous from the movies with a totally new cast which Lizzy Caplan is not a member of.

News of this series broke in 2010 and it seems the success of 'The Avengers' was the push this series needed to get going. Guillermo del Toro is heading things up and there is a mystery writer that is being waited on but, aside from that, very little is known including whether or not it'll be Ruffalo in the purple trousers.

This is a dead-cert with Brad Peyton (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) writing and directing and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson playing the title character. This film, too, has gone through a few transitions production-wise with Guy Ritchie previously attached and it being set on earth instead of space as it now will be.

Fox returned the film rights for Daredevil back in August so we're likely to see something although it may not be too soon as the rumour mill has been relatively quite. I imagine it's safe to assume it'll be a reboot but it'd be interesting if it wasn't and delved one of the hard bitten story lines from the get-go.

There was a plan to reboot Daredevil by Fox for which Joe Carnehan made a genuinely great test reel (see below) but it wasn't to be, mainly due to the time constraints put on Fox by the rights reverting back to Marvel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9883GPAVjk

This seemed like an obvious choice to many and a hint from a map in Iron Man 2 seemed to indicate BP was on the way. Who knows why this hasn't picked up steam, the time seems ripe.

What is known is thatBP was part of the 'short films plan' created by Marvel back in 2009 and before that, in the 90s Wesley Snipes was trying to get it off the ground. conflicting info about the status of this movie's production are coming and going like no tomorrow and it won't be a huge surprise if this gets officially confirmed soon but, saying that, Marvel don't have a lot of room schedule-wise so where would it fit in?

There may not have been a lot of faith surrounding another punisher film but that was before Thomas Jane went and made the brutal and awesome short film, 'Dirty Laundry' with his own production company. Marvel have also reacquired the rights to punisher and it'd be great to see Thomas Jane back in the role he obviously loves with a better story to work with.

Dirty Laundry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWpK0wsnitc

After a pretty rough bit of film representation Venom maybe given his own movie entirely. Sony have been planning an Eddie Brock story which will tie into it's newly rebooted Spider-Man franchise. This was teased at press junkets for 'The amazing Spider-Man' with many suspecting the sequel (2014) to that film setting up the premise for the venom film.

There's been Rumours about a film starring the Doctor since the mid-eighties but it never gathered enough steam. Strange was also on Marvel's 2009 list of considered characters but very recently rumours have been flying around of Dr. Strange making an appearance in 'Thor: the Dark World' and being played by either Viggo Mortenson, Karl Urban or Joel Edgerton.

There was a point that Iron Fist was a definite. In April 2002 it actually reached pre-production with Ray Park (Darth Maul) as Danny Rand. Unfortunately things fell apart as directors came and went and deadlines passed by. Iron Fist was one of the characters on Marvel's 2009 'list of properties they wanted writers to look at; along with Dr. Strange and Black Panther.

A Deadpool movie really seemed to be gathering momentum just after 'X-men origins: Wolverine' but I think even many of the die-hard 'pool fans may have given up, as directors and writers attached thmselves to and then detached themselves from the project and Ryan Reynolds championed the character less and less before becoming Green Lantern. It's a shame but in the meantime we have a game to look forward to and there's the below excellent fan flick to enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDpXu4j7ibM