superhero movies

Spiderman Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the SpiderMan film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character SpiderMan. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp. It stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, a high-school student who turns to crimefighting after developing spiderlike powers, along with Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn(a.k.a. the Green Goblin), Kirsten Dunst as Peter's love interest Mary-Jane Watson, and James Franco as his best friend Harry Osborn.

After being stuck in development hell for nearly 25 years, the film was licensed for a worldwide release by Sony Pictures Entertainment in 1999 after it acquired James Cameron's originalscriptment. Directors Roland Emmerich, Tim Burton, Chris Columbus, and David Fincher were considered to direct the project before Raimi was hired as director in 2000.

Koepp wrote the script, using Cameron's scriptment as a basis, and it was revised by Scott Rosenberg andAlvin Sargent during production.

Filming took place in California and New York City from January until June 2001. Spider-Manwas released on May 3, 2002, and became a critical and financial success. With $821.71 million worldwide, it was 2002's third-highest-grossing film and is the 30th highest-grossing film of all time. Reviews were very positive with critics praising Maguire's performance in particular. Spider-Man was, for its time, the only film to reach $100 million dollars in its first weekend, the largest opening weekend gross of all time, and the most successful film based on a comic book. The film's success led to a successful film trilogy composed of it,Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007), all directed by Raimi and starring Maguire, Dunst and Franco.

Spiderman 2 Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character SpiderMan. It saw the return of Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watsonand James Franco as Harry Osborn.

Set two years after the original, the film focuses on Peter Parker struggling to manage both his personal life and his duties as Spider-Man. The main villain in this film is Dr. Otto Octavius(Alfred Molina), who takes a turn for the diabolical following a failed experiment and the death of his wife. Using his mechanical tentacles, Octavius is dubbed "Doctor Octopus" and threatens to endanger the lives of the people of New York City.

The film was released in 2004 in the United States by Columbia Pictures, and received high acclaim from critics. It grossed over $783 million worldwide, and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The film's success led to the final sequel, Spider-Man 3.

Spiderman 3 Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed

by Sam Raimi, with ascreenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Mantrilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell and Cliff Robertson in his final film appearance. The film begins with Peter Parker basking in his success as Spider-Man, while Mary Jane Watson continues her Broadway career. Harry Osborn still seeks vengeance for his father's death, and an escaped convict, Flint Marko, falls into a particle accelerator and is transformed into a shape-shifting sand manipulator. An extraterrestrial symbiote crashes to Earth and bonds with Peter, influencing his behavior for the worse.

When Peter abandons the symbiote, it finds refuge in Eddie Brock, a rival photographer, causing Peter to face his greatest challenge.

Spider-Man 3 was commercially released in multiple countries on May 1, 2007, and released in the United States in both conventional and IMAX theaters on May 4, 2007, by Columbia Pictures. Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, in contrast to the previous two films' highly positive reviews, it stands as the most successful film in the series worldwide, Marvel's most successful film, and Sony Pictures Entertainment's highest grossing film to date.

Iron Man Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow plays his personal assistant Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard plays military liaison James Rhodes and Jeff Bridges plays Stark Industries executive Obadiah Stane.

The film was in development since 1990 at Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, and New Line Cinema, before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006. Marvel put the project in production as its first selffinanced film. Favreau signed on as director, aiming for a naturalistic feel, and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California, rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero films set in New York City-esque environments.

During filming, the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and action. Rubber and metal versions of the armors, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character.

Hasbro and Sega sold merchandise, and product placement deals were made with Audi, Burger King, LG and 7-Eleven.

Reviews were very positive, particularly praising Downey's performance. The American Film Institute selected the film as one of the ten best of the year. Downey, Favreau and Paltrow returned in the sequel Iron Man 2, released on May 7, 2010. Downey also made a cameo appearance as Stark in The Incredible Hulk and is scheduled to appear in the 2012 crossover film The Avengers. The film is the first installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Another sequel, Iron Man 3 is set for a 2013 release, with Downey reprising his role.

Iron Man 2 Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr., who reprises his role as Tony Stark. In cinematic canon, it takes place six months after Iron Man, and directly before The Incredible Hulk and Thor.

Stark has revealed his identity as Iron Man and is resisting calls by the United States government to hand over the technology. Ivan Vanko, meanwhile, has developed the same technology and built weapons of his own, creating new challenges for Stark.

Iron Man 2 premiered in Los Angeles, California, on April 26, 2010, and was then released in 54 countries between April 28 and April 30, 2010, before going on general release in the United States on May 7, 2010.

Hulk Hulk (also known as The Hulk) is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name.

Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte. The film explores the origins of the Hulk, which is partially attributed to Banner's father's experiments on himself, and on his son.

Development for the film started as far back as 1990. The film was at one point to be directed by Joe Johnston and then Jonathan Hensleigh. More scripts had been written by Hensleigh,John Turman, Michael France, Zak Penn, J. J. Abrams, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Michael Tolkin, and David Hayter before Ang Lee and James Schamus' involvement. Hulk was shot mostly in California, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. The film was released with mixed reviews and grossed over $245 million worldwide. Marvel Studios rebooted it in 2008 with The Incredible Hulk.

The incredible Hulk The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. It is the second film to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is not a sequel to the 2003 film Hulk, but rather a reboot that establishes a new back-story where Banner became the Hulk as an unwitting pawn in a military scheme to reinvigorate the supersoldier program through gamma radiation. On the run, he attempts to cure himself of the Hulk before he is captured

by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt), but his worst fears are realized when power-hungry soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) becomes a similar but more bestial creature. Liv Tyler also stars as Betty Ross, Banner's girlfriend and General Ross' daughter.

Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to the character after the mixed reception to Hulk, and writer Zak Penn began work on a loose sequel that would be much closer to the comics and the television series.

Norton rewrote the script after he signed on to star, which clarified the film's new back-story. Leterrier redesigned Roth's character, called the Abomination in the comics, from the comics' reptilian humanoid into a monster with bony protrusions. Filming mostly took place in Toronto, Ontario in 2007, where the production attempted to be environmentally friendly.

The film outgrossed its predecessor and received generally positive reviews. Despite this positive reception Marvel chose to put off a possible sequel until after 2012's The Avengers;Edward Norton was initially set to reprise his role, however after talks broke down he will be replaced

by Mark Ruffalo for The Avengers and any subsequent sequels. As of April 6, 2009, the film has grossed $263,427,551 in worldwide box office and it made $58,448,280 in DVD sales, bringing its total film gross to $321,875,831.

Thor is a 2011 American superhero film based on the comic book character of the same namepublished by Marvel Comics. It is the fourth film released as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Kenneth Branagh, written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne, and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins and Stellan Skarsg책rd. The film tells the story of Thor, a god who is exiled from his homeland of Asgard to Earth. While there, he forms a relationship with Jane Foster, a scientist. However, Thor must stop his brother Loki, who intends to become the new king of Asgard.

Sam Raimi first developed the concept of a film adaptation of Thor in 2001, but soon abandoned the project, leaving it in "development hell" for several years. During this time, the rights were picked up by various film studios until Marvel Studios signed Mark Protosevich to develop the project in 2006, and Paramount Pictures bought the film rights. Matthew Vaughn was originally assigned to direct the film for a tentative 2010 release. However, after Vaughn was released from his holding deal in 2008, Branagh was approached and the film's release was rescheduled into 2011. The main characters were cast in 2009, and principal photography took place in California and New Mexico from January to May 2010. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.

Captain America Captain America: The First Avenger is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Captain America. It is the fifth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed

by Joe Johnston, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and stars Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Stanley Tucci. Set during World War II, the film tells the story of Steve Rogers, a sickly man from Brooklyn who is transformed into super soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Captain America must stop the Red Skull-- Adolf Hitler's ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a device called a tesseract as an energy-source for world domination.

Captain America: The First Avenger began as a concept in 1997, and was scheduled to be distributed by Artisan Entertainment. However, a lawsuit, not settled until September 2003, disrupted the project. After Marvel Studios received a grant from Merrill Lynch, the rights were acquired

by Paramount Pictures. Directors Jon Favreau and Louis Leterrier were interested in directing the project before Johnston was approached in 2008. The principal characters were cast between March and June 2010.

Production of Captain America: The First Avenger began in June 2010, and filming took place in London, Manchester and Liverpool in the United Kingdom, and Los Angeles in the United States. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.

Captain America: The First Avenger premiered in Hollywood on July 19, 2011, and was released in the United States on July 22, 2011. The film became a critical success grossing a total of $368.6 million worldwide.

The Blu-ray and DVD were released on October 25, 2011.

X-men X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics characters of the same name. Directed by Bryan Singer, the film stars Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Bruce Davison, James Marsden, Halle Berry, Rebecca Romijn, Ray Park and Tyler Mane. It introduces Wolverine and Rogue into the conflict between Professor Xavier's X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Magneto. Magneto intends to mutate world leaders at a United Nations summit with a machine he has built to bring about acceptance of mutantkind, but Xavier realizes this forced mutation will only result in their deaths.

Development for X-Men began as far back as 1989 with James Cameron and Carolco Pictures. The film rights went to 20th Century Fox in 1994. Scripts and film treatments were commissioned from Andrew Kevin Walker, John Logan, Joss Whedon and Michael Chabon. Singer signed to direct in 1996, with further rewrites by Ed Solomon, Singer, Tom DeSanto, Christopher McQuarrie and David Hayter. Start dates kept getting pushed back, while Fox decided to move X-Men's release date from December to July 2000. Filming took place from September 22, 1999 to March 3, 2000, primarily in Toronto. X-Men was released to positive reviews and was a financial success, spawning the X-Men film series and a reemergence of superhero films.

X2 (X-men 2) X2 (often promoted as X2: X-Men United and promoted in the UK as X-Men 2) is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. Directed by Bryan Singer, it is the second film in the X-Men film series. It stars an ensemble cast including Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Brian Cox, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Halle Berry and Kelly Hu. The plot, inspired by the graphic novel God Loves, Man Kills, pits the X-Men and their enemies, the Brotherhood, against the genocidal Colonel William Stryker (Brian Cox). He leads an assault on Professor Xavier's school to build his own version of Xavier's mutant-tracking computer Cerebro, in order to destroy every mutant on Earth.

Development phase for X2 began shortly after X-Men. David Hayter and Zak Penn wrote separate scripts, combining what they felt to be the best elements of both scripts into one screenplay. Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris were eventually hired for rewrite work, changing characterizations of Beast, Angel and Lady Deathstrike. Sentinels and the Danger Room were set to appear before being deleted because of budget concerns. Filming began in June 2002 and ended that November. Most of the filming took place at Vancouver Film Studios, the largest soundstage in North America. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas adapted similar designs of John Myhre from the previous film. X2 was released in the United States on May 2, 2003 and became both a critical and financial success, earning eight nominations at the Saturn Awards and grossing approximately $407 million worldwide.

X-men: the last stand X-Men: The Last Stand (also called X-Men III: The Last Stand) is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden. The film's script is loosely based on two X-Men comic book story arcs, "The Dark Phoenix Saga" by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Byrne, and "Gifted" by writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday, with a plot that revolves around a "mutant cure" that causes serious repercussions among mutants and humans, and on the mysterious resurrection of Jean Grey.

Filming started in August 2005, budgeted at $210 million, the most expensive film at the time of its release, and had extensive visual effects done by eleven different companies. X-Men: The Last Stand received mixed reviews from critics and fans, but grossed approximately $459 million worldwide, the seventh-highest grossing film of 2006 and the most financially successful of the series as of at least December 2011.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a 2009 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics' fictional character Wolverine. The fourth installment in the X-Men film series, it was released worldwide on May 1, 2009 as a prequel to the original trilogy. The film is directed

by Gavin Hood and stars Hugh Jackman as the title character, along with Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed, Danny Huston, Will.i.am, Lynn Collins, Dominic Monaghan, Taylor Kitsch, Daniel Henney, Kevin Durand and Ryan Reynolds. The film acts as a prequel/spin-off for the X-Men trilogy, focusing on the violent past of the mutant Wolverine and his relationship with his half-brother Victor Creed. The plot also details Wolverine's early encounters with Major William Stryker, his time with Team X, and the bonding of Wolverine's skeleton with the indestructible metal adamantium during the Weapon X program.

The film was mostly shot in Australia and New Zealand, with Canada also serving as a location. Production and post-production were troubled, with conflicts arising between director Hood and Fox's executives, and an unfinished workprint being leaked on the Internet one month before the film's debut. Reviews for X-Men Origins: Wolverine were mixed, with critics considering the film and its screenplay uninspired, but praising Hugh Jackman's performance. It opened at the top of the box office, and has grossed $179 million in the United States and Canada and over $373 million worldwide.

X-Men: First Class is a 2011 American superhero film by Matthew Vaughn and produced by Bryan Singer, based on the X-Men characters appearing in Marvel Comics. The fifth installment in the XMen series, the film acts as a prequel for the X-Men trilogy, being set primarily in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It focuses on the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr and the origin of their groups, the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. The film stars James McAvoy as Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Lensherr.

Other cast members include Kevin Bacon, January Jones, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, ZoĂŤ Kravitz, Nicholas Hoult and Lucas Till.

Announced as early as 2006, First Class entered its production on August 2010, being finished just three weeks before its premiere on June 2011. Locations included Oxford, the Mojave desert and Georgia, with soundstage work in both Pinewood Studios and the 20th Century Fox stages in Los Angeles. The film received positive reviews, praising the writing and acting and considering First Class a fresh new beginning for the franchise, and was a box-office success with earnings of $353 million worldwide.

Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the purpose of retaining the film rights, was never intended for a theatrical release. Despite getting major hype on its release and becoming a box office success, the film was negatively received by critics.

The film was released in the United States on July 8, 2005. It was the third superhero film of the year, after Elektra and Batman Begins.

In 2007, a sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, was released.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story. Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards, Jessica Alba as Sue Storm, Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm are the film series' recurring protagonists, while Julian McMahon and Kerry Washington reprised their roles from the first film as, respectively, Victor Von Doom and Alicia Masters. Beau Garrett appears in the sequel as the Frankie Raye, along with Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer and Laurence Fishburne as the voice of the Silver Surfer.

The plot follows the Fantastic Four as they confront, and later ally with, the Silver Surfer to save Earth from Galactus.

While the film was the highest-grossing film during the week that immediately followed its release on June 15, 2007 in North America and was the recipient of two out of fifteen awards nominations, it was received with unfavorable reviews by critics with critics noting an improvement on the first film, but continuing to criticize the film's flimsy direction and lack of humor. The film was released onto Blu-ray Disc and DVD on October 2, 2007.

Blade is a 1998 American vampire superhero action film starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character Blade. The film was directed

by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer. Blade grossed $70 million at the U.S. box office, and $131.2 million worldwide. It was followed by two sequels, Blade II and Blade: Trinity.

Snipes plays Blade, a human-vampire hybrid who protects humans from vampires.

Blade II is a 2002 American vampire superhero action film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the first film and the second part of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film. Guillermo del Toroassumed director duties, and Wesley Snipes returned as the lead character and producer.

The film follows the Dhampir Blade in his continuing effort to protect humans from vampires.

Blade: Trinity (also known as Blade III or Blade III: Trinity) is a 2004 American vampire superhero action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films. It is the third film in the Blade film series, following on from Blade and Blade II and it is based on the Marvel Comics character Blade, played by Wesley Snipes. The story continues in Blade: The Series. Blade: Trinity was Wesley Snipes' last theatrical release until 2009's Brooklyn's Finest.

Ghost Rider is a 2007 superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the character of the same name which appeared in Marvel Comics, the film stars Nicolas Cageas Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who sells his soul to the Devil and transforms into the vigilante Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is an upcoming 3D superhero film based on the Marvel Comics antihero Ghost Rider, scheduled to be released in theaters on February 17, 2012. The film is a sequel to the 2007 film Ghost Rider, though Nicolas Cage, who stars in the film, denies that claim. It will be directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Cage will reprise his role as Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider.

It is the second film to be released under the Marvel Knights banner after 2008's Punisher: War Zone.

The Punisher is a 2004 American comic book action film, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, starring Thomas Jane as the antihero Frank Castle / The Punisher and John Travolta as the villain Howard Saint, a money launderer who orders the death of Castle's entire family. The story and plot were mainly based on two Punisher comic book stories; The Punisher: Year One and Welcome Back, Frank along with scenes from other Punisher stories such as Marvel Preview Presents: The Punisher #2, Marvel Super Action Featuring: The Punisher #1, The Punisher War Zone, and The Punisher War Journal.

The film was an attempt at rebooting the character after the failure of the 1989 film of the same name. The Punisher was shot on location in Tampa, Florida, and surrounding environs in mid- to late 2003. It was distributed

by Lions Gate Entertainment in North America, although Artisan Entertainment, which produced 1989's The Punisher, financed and co-distributed the film with Lionsgate, while Columbia Pictures distributed the film in non-North American countries. Director Jonathan Hensleigh agreed to helm the film during its development stage despite a dispute with Marvel Studios.

The film was released on April 16, 2004, by Lions Gate Entertainment, grossing $13,834,527 in the United States over its opening weekend. A DVD release followed on September 7, 2004 - with $10.8 million in copies sold. The success of the DVD sales prompted Marvel Comics and Lionsgate to start development on a sequel titled The Punisher 2, which instead became a reboot titled Punisher: War Zone after Jane and Hensleigh left the project due to creative differences. This was the last film produced by Artisan Entertainment.

Punisher: War Zone is a 2008 comic book action film directed by Lexi Alexander; based on the fictional Marvel Comics vigilante/anti-hero the Punisher. It is the third film to depict the Marvel character Frank Castle (the Punisher). The film is a reboot that follows the original telling of Castle's war on crime and corruption rather than a sequel to 2004's The Punisher or 1989's The Punisher, and is the first film to be produced under the Marvel Studios and Marvel Knights production banner, which focuses on films for mature audiences. Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson replaced Thomas Jane as Castle. In the film, Castle wages a one-man war against a horribly disfigured mob boss known as Jigsaw (Dominic West). Punisher: War Zonewas released in North America by Lionsgate on December 5, 2008, and was released in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2009.

Daredevil is a 2003 American superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, the film stars Ben Affleck as Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who fights for justice in the courtroom and out of the courtroom as the masked vigilante Daredevil. Jennifer Garner plays his love interest Elektra Natchios, Colin Farrell plays the merciless assassin Bullseye, David Keith as Battling Jack Murdock, a washed up fighter who is Matt's father, and Michael Clarke Duncan plays Wilson Fisk, also known as the crime lord Kingpin.

The film began development in 1997 at 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, before New Regency acquired the rights in 2000. Johnson chose to shoot the film primarily in Downtown Los Angeles despite the Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan setting of the film and the comics. Rhythm and Hues Studios were hired to handle the film's CGI needs. Graeme Revell composed theDaredevil score which was released on CD in March 2003, whereas the various artists soundtrack album, Daredevil: The Album, was released in February.

Reviews of the film were generally mixed or average. Despite this, the film still enjoyed a profitable theatrical run and became February's second biggest release. The film was successful enough to allow a spin-off film, Elektra, which was released in 2005. Also in 2005, an R-rated director's cut of the film was released, incorporating approximately thirty minutes back into the film, including an entire sub-plot involving a character played by Coolio. The director's cut was praised by many as an improvement over the theatrical version.

Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film directed by Bryan Singer.

It is the fifth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as an alternate sequel to Superman(1978) and Superman II (1980) by ignoring the events of Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

The film stars Brandon Routh as Superman, as well as Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, James Marsden, Frank Langella, and Parker Posey, and tells the story of the title character returning to Earth after a five year absence. He finds that his love interest Lois Lane has moved on with her life, and that his archenemy Lex Luthor is plotting a scheme that will destroy the world, starting with the United States.

After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Superman on the screen, Warner Bros hired Bryan Singer to direct and develop Superman Returns in July 2004. The majority of principal photography took place at Fox Studios Australia, Sydney, while the visual effects sequences were created by Sony Pictures Imageworks; filming ended in November 2005. Preceded by an extensive marketing campaign at the cost of $44.5 million, Superman Returnswas released to positive reviews and received many award nominations, but Warner Bros. was disappointed with the $391 million worldwide box office return. A sequel was planned for a summer 2009 release, but the project was later cancelled. The Superman series will be rebooted in 2013 with the film Man of Steel and will be directed by Zack Snyder with Henry Cavill as Superman.

Batman is a 1989 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance. The film, in which Batman deals with the rise of a costumed criminal known as "The Joker", is the first installment of Warner Bros.'Batman film series.

After Burton was hired as director, Steve Englehart and Julie Hickson wrote film treatments before Sam Hamm wrote the first screenplay.

Batman was not greenlit until after the success of Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). Numerous A-list actors were considered for the role of Batman.

Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker under strict conditions that dictated a high salary, a portion of the box office profits, and his shooting schedule.

Filming took place at Pinewood Studios from October 1988 to January 1989. The budget escalated from $30 million to $48 million, while the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike forced Hamm to drop out.

Uncredited rewrites were performed by Warren Skaaren, Charles McKeown and Jonathan Gems. Batman was a critical and financial success, earning over $400 million in box office totals. The film received several Saturn Award nominations and a Golden Globe nomination, and won an Academy Award. It also inspired the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series, paving the way for the DC Animated Universe, and has influenced Hollywood's modern marketing and development techniques of the superhero film genre.

Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman (1989), and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

Burton originally did not want to direct a sequel because of his mixed emotions toward the previous film. Daniel Waters delivered a script that satisfied Burton; Wesley Strick did an uncredited rewrite, deleting the character of Robin and rewriting the climax. Filming started in Burbank, California in June 1991. Batman Returns was released to financial and critical success, though it caused some controversy for being darker than its predecessor.

Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns (1992), with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman.

The plot focuses on Batman trying to stop Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) and the Riddler (Jim Carrey) in their villainous scheme to drain information from all the brains in Gotham City. He gains allegiance from psychiatrist Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman) and orphaned ward Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell).

The film had a change in tone compared to the previous installments, becoming more family-friendly since Warner Bros. considered that the previous film, Batman Returns, underperformed at the box office due to its violence and dark overtones. Production was troubled, with many actors considered for the main roles, and Kilmer entering in conflicts with the director and the rest of the crew. Batman Forever received mixed reviews upon release, but was a success with audiences, out-grossing Batman Returns with over $336 million worldwide and becoming the sixth-highest grossing film of 1995.

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, and Rutger Hauer. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of the character and begins with Bruce Wayne's initial fear of bats, the death of his parents, and his journey to becoming Batman. It draws inspiration from classic comic book storylines such as The Man Who Falls, Batman: Year One, and Batman: The Long Halloween.

After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Batman on screen following the 1997 critical failure of Batman & Robin, Nolan and David S. Goyer began work on the film in early 2003 and aimed for a darker and more realistic tone, with humanity and realism being the basis of the film. The goal was to get the audience to care for both Batman and Bruce Wayne. The film, which was primarily shot in England and Chicago, relied on traditional stunts and miniatures—computer-generated imagery was used minimally. A new Batmobile (called the Tumbler) and a more mobile Batsuit were both created specifically for the film.

Batman Begins was both critically and commercially successful.

The film opened on June 15, 2005 in the United States and Canada in 3,858 theaters. It grossed $48 million in its opening weekend, eventually grossing over $372 million worldwide. The film received an 85% overall approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that fear was a common theme throughout the film, and remarked that it had a darker tone compared to previous Batman films.

The film would begin Nolan's Batman trilogy; a sequel titled The Dark Knight was released in July 2008 and also saw the return of both Nolan and Bale to the franchise, and a second sequel titled The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled for release in 2012.

The Dark Knight is a 2008 American superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, with a returning cast of Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as James Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox. The film introduces the character of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Gotham's newly elected District Attorney and the cohort of Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who joins Batman and the police in combating the new rising threat of a criminal calling himself the "Joker" (Heath Ledger).

Nolan's inspiration for the film was the Joker's comic book debut in 1940, and the 1996 series The Long Halloween, which retold TwoFace's origin. In addition elements of Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers' Dark Detective miniseries as well as the unpublished followup were reportedly cannibalised along with other elements of Batman mythology for the story. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. Nolan used an IMAX camera to film some sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film.

On January 22, 2008, some months after he had completed filming on The Dark Knight and six months before the film's release, Heath Ledger died from a toxic combination of prescription drugs, leading to intense attention from the press and movie-going public. Warner Bros. had initially created a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screen shots of Ledger as the Joker, but after Ledger's death, the studio refocused its promotional campaign.

The Dark Knight was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 24, 2008 in the United Kingdom. The film received highly positive reviews and set numerous records during its theatrical run. With over $1 billion in revenue worldwide, it is the tenth highest-grossing film of all time (unadjusted for inflation). The film received eight Academy Award nominations and won for Best Sound Editing and Best Supporting Actor for Ledger's performance. The film will be followed by a third and final entry titled The Dark Knight Rises, with Bale, Caine, Oldman and Freeman returning in the original roles. The film is set to be the conclusion of Christopher Nolan's Batman series.

Batman & Robin is a 1997 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Forever(1995), with George Clooney replacing Val Kilmer as Batman.

Batman & Robin also stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Uma Thurman, Chris O'Donnell, Alicia Silverstone, and Michael Gough. The film tells the story of Batman and Robin struggling to keep their partnership together while trying to stop Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Bane from covering Gotham City with ice and vegetation.

Development for Batman & Robin started immediately after Batman Forever, and Warner Bros. commissioned the film for an adamant June 1997 release. Principal photography began in September 1996 and finished in January 1997, two weeks ahead of the shooting schedule.

Batman & Robin was released on June 20, 1997, and received very negative reviews. Observers criticized the film for its toyetic and camp approach, as well as possible homosexual innuendo added

by Schumacher. Batman & Robin received 11 nominations at the 1997 ceremony of the Razzie Awards, including one for Worst Picture, and frequently ranks among the worst superhero films of all time. After this, Warner Bros. canceled the unproduced Batman Triumphant, and the film series was eventually rebooted with Batman Begins (2005) by director Christopher Nolan. The song made for the film, "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" by The Smashing Pumpkins was more successful than the film itself, winning a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards.

Green Lantern is a 2011 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins, with Martin Campbell directing a script by Greg Berlanti and comic book writers Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim, which was subsequently rewritten by Michael Goldenberg. Green Lantern tells the story of Hal Jordan, a test pilot who is selected to become the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps and given a ring that grants him superpowers after a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the universe.

The film first entered development in 1997 as a vehicle for writer/ director Kevin Smith and went through various incarnations until Greg Berlanti was hired to write and direct in October 2007. Martin Campbell was brought on board in February 2009 after Berlanti was forced to vacate the director's position. Most of the live-action actors were cast between July 2009 and February 2010 and filming took place from March 2010 to August 2010 in Louisiana. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.

Green Lantern was released on June 17, 2011. The film received generally unfavorable reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office according to analysts.

Watchmen is a 2009 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder and starring Malin Ă…kerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson. It is an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The film is set in an alternate history 1985 at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, as a group of mostly retired vigilantes investigates an apparent conspiracy against them and uncovers something even more grandiose and sinister.

Following publication of the Watchmen comic, a live-action film adaptation was mired in development hell. Producer Lawrence Gordon began developing the project at 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. (parent company of Watchmen publisher DC Comics) with producer Joel Silver and director Terry Gilliam, the latter eventually deeming the complex novel "unfilmable". During the 2000s (decade), Gordon and Lloyd Levin collaborated with Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures to produce a script by David Hayter; Darren Aronofsky and Paul Greengrass were also attached to the project before it was canceled over budget disputes. The project returned to Warner Bros., where Snyder was hired to direct – Paramount remained as international distributor.

Fox sued Warner Bros. for copyright violation arising from Gordon's failure to pay a buy-out in 1991, which enabled him to develop the film at the other studios. Fox and Warner Bros. settled this before the film's release with Fox receiving a portion of the gross. Principal photography began in Vancouver, September 2007. As with his previous film 300, Snyder closely modeled his storyboards on the comic, but chose not to shoot all of Watchmenusing chroma key and opted for more sets.

The film was released in both conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6, 2009, grossing $55 million on the opening weekend, and grossed over $185 million at the worldwide box office. It divided film critics; some gave it overwhelmingly positive reviews for the dark and unique take on the superhero genre, while others derided it for the same reason, as well as the R-rating, the running time, and the muchpublicized accuracy to the graphic novel. A DVD based on elements of the Watchmen universe was released, including an animated adaptation of the comic Tales of the Black Freighter within the story, starring Gerard Butler, and the fictional biography Under the Hood, detailing the older generation of superheroes from the film's back-story. A director's cut with 24 minutes of additional footage was released in July 2009.

The "Ultimate Cut" edition incorporated the Tales of the Black Freighter content into the narrative as it was in the original graphic novel, lengthening the runtime to 215 minutes, and was released on November 3, 2009.

Catwoman is a 2004 American superhero film and quasi-spinoff of the Batman film series directed by Pitof and released by Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures on July 23, 2004.

The film was inspired by the DC Comics character of the same name, who is traditionally a supervillain and love interest of the superhero Batman. This story features a completely new character, Patience Phillips, donning the Catwoman costume.

The film stars Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Benjamin Bratt, Lambert Wilson, Frances Conroy, and Alex Borstein.

Hancock is a 2008 American action-comedy superhero film directed by Peter Berg and starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron. It tells the story of a vigilante superhero, John Hancock (Smith) from Los Angeles whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of dollars. Eventually one person he saves, Ray Embrey (Bateman), makes it his mission to change Hancock's public image for the better.

The story was originally written by Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in development hell for years and had various directors attached, including Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow, and Gabriele Muccino before going into production in 2007.

Hancock was filmed in Los Angeles with a production budget of $150 million.

In the United States, the film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America after changes were made at the organization's request in order to avoid a "restricted" (R) rating, which it had received twice before. The film was presented and widely released on July 2, 2008 in the United States and the United Kingdom by Columbia Pictures. Hancock received mixed reviews from film critics and grossed more than $620 million in theaters worldwide.

Hellboy is a 2004 American supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film is about a demonic beast known as Hellboy who secretly works to keep the world safe from paranormal threats.

Released in the spring of 2004, it grossed $59 million at the United States box office, and $99 million worldwide and was favorably received by critics. A sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was released on July 11, 2008.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a 2008 American supernatural superhero film based on the fictional Dark Horse Comics character Hellboy, starring Ron Perlman and Selma Blair. The movie was directed by Guillermo del Toro and is a sequel to the 2004 film Hellboy, which del Toro also directed.

Perlman reprises his role as the eponymous character. The film was commercially released on July 11, 2008 in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures.

Kick-Ass is a 2010 black comedy superhero film based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. The film was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who co-produced the film with actor Brad Pitt, and co-wrote the screenplay with Jane Goldman. The film's general release was on 25 March 2010 in the UK and on 16 April 2010 in the US. The film tells the story of an ordinary teenager, Dave Lizewski, who sets out to become a real-life superhero, calling himself "Kick-Ass". Dave gets caught up in a bigger fight when he meets Big Daddy, a former cop who, in his quest to bring down the drug lord Frank D'Amico, has trained his eleven-year-old daughter to be the ruthless vigilante Hit-Girl.

Despite having generated some controversy for its profanity and violence performed by a child,KickAss was well received by both critics and audiences.

The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media. Directed by Michel Gondry, the film stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz.

The film was released in North America on January 14, 2011, in versions including RealD Cinema and IMAX 3D.

The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. This film was directed

by Chuck Russell, and produced by Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Cinema, and originally released to movie theatres on July 29, 1994.

The film stars Jim Carrey as Stanley Ipkiss (also The Mask). The film's supporting cast includes Peter Greene as mafia officer Dorian Tyrell, Amy Yasbeck as a newspaper reporter, Peter Riegert and Jim Doughan as two police detectives, Richard Jeni as Stanley's friend, Orestes Matacena as nightclub owner and mafia boss Niko, Ben Stein as a psychologist, and Cameron Diaz in her feature film debut as Stanley's love interest Tina Carlyle. Carrey was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, but lost to Forrest Gump.

Son of the Mask is a 2005 American fantasy family-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman, starring Jamie Kennedy as Tim Avery, an aspiring cartoonist from Fringe City who has just had his first child born with the powers of the Mask. It is the stand-alone sequel to the successful 1994 film The Mask, an adaptation of Dark Horse Comics which starred Jim Carrey. The film had an $84 million budget and $57.6 million worldwide box office gross.

It also stars Alan Cumming as the god of mischief, Loki, whom Odin has ordered to find the Mask. It co-stars Traylor Howard, Kal Penn, Steven Wright, and Bob Hoskins as Odin. Ben Stein makes a quick reappearance as Dr. Arthur Neuman from The Mask to reestablish the relationship with the mask and Loki. The film was widely panned by critics. It won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake or Sequel.

Unlike the first film which was more adult oriented, this film is a family film as the tone is much lighter and more comical than the first one's.

The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced

by Pixar and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The starring voices are Craig T. Nelson as Bob Parr, Holly Hunter as his wife Helen Parr; Sarah Vowell as their teenage daughter Violet; Spencer Fox as their young son Dash; Jason Lee as the supervillain Syndrome; Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone; and Elizabeth PeĂąa as Syndrome's beautiful assistant, Mirage. Bob's yearning to help people draws the entire Parr family into a battle with the villain and his killer robot.

The film won the 2004 Annie Award for Best Animated Feature, along with two 2004 Academy Awards, Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing. It also received nominations for two other Academy Awards, won the Saturn Award for Best Animated Film, and became the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. It was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the 2004 Golden Globes.