4. Man of Steel
Release Date: June 14, 2013 After Bryan Singer's Superman Returns disappointed many fans and wasn't the box office hit for which Warner Bros. hoped, director Zack Synder is bringing the world's first superhero back to screens next year. It has a strong cast led by Henry Cavill (as Clark Kent/Superman), Amy Adams (as Lois Lane), and Michael Shannon (who should have been nominated for Take Shelter) taking on the villain role of Kryptonian General Zod, originally played by Terrence Stamp in Superman II. Shannon is always a fascinating screen presence and it'll be great to see a villain other than Lex Luthor in the mix. With Christopher Nolan as a producer, Man of Steel has the potential to be the Batman Begins of the Superman franchise, especially with screenwriter David S. Goyer's statement that Man of Steel would be adopting the naturalistic approach he and Nolan brought to the Batman franchise, which is apparent in the elegiac and somber teaser trailer released back in July. This is in stark contrast to Snyder's visual style, which is more surreal and bombastic. It'll be interesting to see how the two styles blend. If they blend well, we could be looking at an artistically dynamic and diverse superhero film. http://youtu.be/6jKWJZsjm5U