Prediction: Iron Man 2 Will Be Highest Grossing Movie Of 2010

We're still a couple weeks away from reaching 2010, but Comicbook.com is ready to make a bold prediction. (Well, maybe not so bold, because I imagine a lot of people will be making similar predictions, once the movie release date grows closer). We predict that Iron Man 2 will be the highest grossing movie of 2010.

It's not like Iron Man 2 won't have tough competition for the title as Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland with Johnny Depp will set the bar high early in the year. Shrek Forever After and Toy Story 3 will also challenge as popular kids movies in the Summer, and The Twilight Saga: Ecplise will bring teen girls out in droves. However, Iron Man 2 will ultimately conquer all, as the combination of comics books and Robert Downey, Jr. will have a mass appeal to both male and female moviegoers. Like Spider-Man, Iron Man is a comic book movie that a guy can actually take a date to. Also, even though the movie hasn't been officially rated yet, count on it to get a PG-13 rating, which means parents won't hesitate to bring the kids. Iron Man 2 has so much going for it, we wouldn't be surprised if it cracks $400 million at the box office. The first Iron Man movie was a delightful surprise for many, so the good worth of mouth has built up high anticipation for the sequel. Based on the recently released Iron Man 2 trailer, it also looks like Iron Man 2 could be an even better movie than the original. For one thing, the movie pulls off the rare event of perfect casting. In the first movie, Robert Downey, Jr. proved to be the perfect Tony Stark, and Gwyneth Paltrow proved to be the perfect Pepper Potts. Now, you add Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johannson, Don Cheadler, and more Samuel Jackson to the equation, and you have one of the best cast movies of all time. If there was any weakness in the first Iron Man movie, it was probably that the villain took a backseat to introducing the Iron Man character. Based on early footage of Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, it looks like Iron Man 2 will have a very compelling villain. The special effects even look more elaborate and better than the original. After comic book movies saw a strong Summer 2008, Summer 2009 actually proved light in the comic book category. Comic book movie fans are hungry for another good movie. Iron Man 2's release date in May will also play in its favor. Iron Man 2 will get an early start on the Summer blockbuster movie season, and enjoy a long run at the theaters to really build up the box office numbers.