Last year gave us one of the biggest films of all time, again, with The Avengers, but 2013’s looking to go one better. Comic books go dark, Oz has a new hero (sort of) and Clark Kent returns to the big screen to take up his role as king of the superheroes. Seriously, 2012, you had it easy!

The one with bite: The Wolverine

Hugh Jackman became a star as the sideburned mutant butWolfy’s first solo outing, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, was muted by its who’s-who cast. This post-X-Men: The Last Stand sequel, based on a Japanese-set comic story, should make Logan a standalone star with a bulkier, more character-focused script.
Released July 26

The dark Stark: Iron Man 3

Iron Man Tony Stark finds his dark side in the third Robert Downey Jr starring solo outing from writer-director Shane Black (Hollywood legend behind Eighties hits including Lethal Weapon). With Guy Pearce up to no good and Ben Kingsley’s villain Mandarin, Stark is facing his biggest struggle yet. 
Released April 26

The period one: The Great Gatsby

Postponed from its December release while Baz Luhrmann tinkers to perfection, this colourful new adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s roaring Twenties state-of-a-nation classic has a stellar cast – Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Carey Mulligan. It may be Baz’s biggest, boldest and brashest yet.  
Released May 17



The South African one: Elysium

Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 follow-up, about a future in which the poor live on Earth and the rich on the titular space-station paradise, is one of the most anticipated movies of the new year. Big cast, big stars – Matt Damon and Jodie Foster – and a big budget mean the pressure’s on the Saffa. 
Released September 20

The oddball comeback: Jack The Giant Slayer

After basically inventing the contemporary trend for comic book movies with 2000’s X-Men, Bryan Singer abandoned the franchise to sink his career somewhat with the multi-millionbucks misfire Superman Returns. His first film in five years sees Nicholas Hoult as a human waging a war against giants in this contemporary reworking of the fabled beanstalk tale. 
Released March 22

The new Batman: Man Of Steel

Chris Nolan produces a new take on Superman from Zack Snyder (Watchmen) in the hope he can bring some of his Dark Knight magic to DC’s other property. Brit Henry Cavill is the man with his pants on the outside. The mean and moody trailer suggests this will be out of this world.
Released June 14

The sci-fi sequel: Star Trek Into Darkness

Despite the shonky title, this should be one of the big hitters, with the returning ensemble cast (Chris Pine’s Kirk, Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Simon Pegg’s Scotty and more) andnew boy Benedict Cumberbatch as Trek-lore big bad, Khan (so say the rumours) or John Harrison (says the producer). JJ Abrams’ 2009 reinvention did so-so box office. With Avengersshowing that geekdom can be big dollar, he’ll expect better. 
Released May 17



The mainstream oddity: The Lone Ranger
Johnny Depp re-teams with his Pirates director Gore Verbinski to play Tonto to Armie Hammer’s Lone Ranger in this fantasytinged adventure makeover of the popular TV show. Depp does his wide-eyed oddball routine a la Jack Sparrow.
Released August 9

The one that could go either way: Cloud Atlas

Matrix minds The Wachowskis (Andy and Larry-turned-Lana) hit back from their Speed Racer car crash with this ambitious, era-spanning, sprawling sci-fi epic (adapted from David Mitchell’s 2004 novel) about how our actions connect us all, or something like that. Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant and more, it looks absolutely bonkers. 
Released February 22

The new technicolour: Oz The Great And Powerful

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man follow up is this 3D Wizard Of Ozprequel, starring James Franco as a Kansas ’magician’ zapped to the land of the yellow bricks where, helped by witches Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, he must become the man worth the long walk to see and rise to save Oz. 
Released March 8

Keep reading for the bands of 2013