2012 Comic Book Movie Preview List

With Thor, Green Lantern, X-Men: First Class, Cowboys & Aliens, and Captain America being released in the summer of 2011, many thought that 2011 was the year of the comic book movie. In actuality, 2011 was just warm up for 2012, which will likely be the biggest year ever for comic book movies. On that note, Comicbook.com has compiled a preview list of upcoming 2012 comic book movies.

– Release Date: February 17, 2012. While Ghost Rider certainly isn't the most well-known superhero getting his own movie in 2012, he has the unique advantage of being in the first major comic book movie released in 2012. Even though the first Ghost Rider movie was a critical flop, it still managed to cross the hundred million mark at the box office. For Spirit of Vengeance, Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor had already put out a buzzworthy trailer, so optimism is high for the sequel. While Ghost Rider undoubtedly will not be the biggest comic book movie of the year, it could turn out to be an early surprise hit and be a financial success.

– Release Date: May 4, 2012. The Avengers is a comic book movie that many have been dreaming about for a long time. With a fan favorite director like Joss Whedon and a number of star actors, The Avengers has all the makings of a monster hit.  Everyone knows that no matter what The Avengers will have a huge opening weekend, and if the movie turns out to be as good as early trailers are making it out to be, then it might be one of those rare hits where fans keep coming back for multiple viewings. If The Avengers will be able to reach the heights of Avatar or Titanic is unknown, but it has a very real shot at crossing the half a billion mark in the U.S.

– Release Date: May 25, 2012. Being science fiction rather than superhero, most typical moviegoers won't think of Men In Black as a comic book movie. The first two Men In Black movies were huge box office hits, and expect the third to be one as well. It's been ten years since the Men In Black graced the big screen, and absence often makes the heart grow fonder. With both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones back for the third film, the movie will definitely have star appeal.

– Release Date: June 29, 2012. While technically a toy movie rather than a comic book movie, many will associate it with comic books because of numerous past comic book series based on the characters. While the first G.I. Joe movie wasn't exactly a critical success, it did well enough at the box office to earn a sequel. With a much upgraded cast that includes Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson hopes are much higher for the sequel, but who knows how this one will pan out.

– Release Date: July 3, 2012. The Amazing Spider-Man is probably one of the most controversial upcoming comic book movies. When the reboot was first announced, many fans seemed to feel it was too soon and unnecessary to re-launch this franchise. However, Andrew Garfield did win many over with an appearance at the San Diego Comic Con. While the Amazing Spider-Man movie appears to be living in the shadow of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, Spider-Man is still one of the best known and most popular superheroes of all time. This movie will likely live or die by how good or bad it is. If it turns out to be a bad movie, then it will get lost among all the other 2012 comic book movies. If it turns out to be a good movie, then it will have a blockbuster July 4th weekend opening.

– Release Date: July 20, 2011. The Dark Knight Rises might be the only 2012 movie that has a chance at topping The Avengers at the box office. Christopher Nolan won a lot of fans with his first two Batman movies, so anticipation and expectations are very high for The Dark Knight Rises. With The Dark Knight having set the bar by which all other comic book movies are judged, everyone will turn out to see if Christopher Nolan can actually top it with this latest installment. Could there actually be two comic book movies that top half a billion at the box office during the summer of 2012?

– Release Date: September 21, 2011. Judge Dredd isn't exactly a household name in the U.S., but he's a popular comic book character in the UK. Some might remember the character from a previous Judge Dredd movie starring Sylvester Stallone in the nineties, but that was a movie best forgotten. With a smaller budget than the typical comic book movie and a post-summer release dates, expectations are not high for Dredd, but we're excited to see Judge Dredd get another shot at the big screen. If this movie does moderately well at the box office, it could prove to be a financial success, which would be a good thing for the possibility of more Judge Dredd movies.