superhero movies

Let the superhero invasion begin. With five potential blockbusters on the way, only one, “Hancock,” is not from the comic book universe: “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “The Dark Knight,” and “Hancock.” with more heroes waiting to leap to the big screen. Entertainment Weekly (April 25 / May 2) predicts that all but “Hellboy” will be in the top ten grossing movies of the summer, with the new Indiana Jones effort in first place.

Comic book inspired superhero movies have numbered in the top five money-makers in each of the previous four summers, 2006 including both “X-Men: The Last Stand”(if we only knew) and “Superman Returns.” Marvel’s newly formed production company has the most to lose — or to gain. And it looks like gain. Its first franchise effort, “Iron Man,” which stars the Robert Downey, Jr., opened Thursday, May 1, and made the year’s top income opening weekend with over $100 million, according to CNN.com, which also stated that the movie’s opening was the 10th biggest gross of all time. By the end of the first week, “Iron Man” ranked second for the year in gross income.

Excelsior!