Summer movies are filled with heroes
If you’re holding out for a hero, you are in luck because the silver screen will be chock-full of them this summer.
The blockbuster season kicks off Friday with the tentpole “Captain America: Civil War,” and a number of returning heroes and villains will be featured at your local multiplex from May through August.
While comic book characters are getting attention, four-color favorites aren’t the only ones crowding summer lineups. A number of cinematic thrill rides will showcase some of our most popular actors taking on interesting roles.
Sequels and reboots are plentiful, but so are family-friendly fare, biopics, supernatural happenings and romance.
The best news is a slew of actual movies for grown-ups. George Clooney as a TV financial expert under siege? Michael Keaton as McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc? Bryan Cranston as a U.S. customs agent? Yes, please!
We’ll see Jared Leto as the Joker, Matt Damon return as Jason Bourne, the Enterprise exploring the final frontier once more, and girl Ghostbusters.
Here is a look at what’s ahead. Release dates are subject to change.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
“Captain America: Civil War”
Who: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd and Anthony Mackie; directed by Joe and Anthony Russo.
What: This clash of the Marvel universe titans pits Team Cap vs. Team Iron Man, with friends, allies and foes getting involved. Who has control over these people with superpowers? That’s the issue that develops into a rip-roaring family feud.
When: May 6
“X-Men: Apocalypse”
Who: Professor X and Mystique, in a sequel to the prequels, need the help of new X-Men recruits to battle the Four Horsemen – Magneto, Psylocke, Storm and Angel.
What: Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Tye Sheridan and Olivia Munn; directed by Bryan Singer.
When: May 27
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
Who: Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica A. Fox, Sela Ward and Judd Hirsch; directed by Roland Emmerich.
What: Twenty years after aliens tried to annihilate us, the U.S. and other nations of Earth have collaborated to protect the planet. The aliens won’t stop trying to destroy us either.
When: June 24
“Star Trek Beyond”
Who: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Idris Elba, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, and Anton Yelchin; directed by Justin Lin.
What: Bad guy Krall (Idris Elba) takes on the Federation, and it will be a battle royale for the Enterprise crew.
When: July 22
“Jason Bourne”
Who: Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander and Julia Stiles; directed by Paul Greengrass.
What: Damon returns as the lethal weapon after a nine-year hiatus, and a new adventure awaits in Athens.
When: July 29
RE-IMAGININGS
“The Legend of Tarzan”
Who: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent; directed by David Yates (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”)
What: After living in London, Tarzan heads back to the jungle to help solve a case.
When: July 1
“Ghostbusters”
Who: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts; directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”).
What: Who you gonna call when there is something strange in your neighborhood? The Ghostbusters are back to save the world from supernatural forces.
When: July 15
“Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie”
Who: Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley; directed by Mandie Fletcher.
What: The British TV series gets a big-screen outing as the two hard-partying London ladies take off for the south of France, only they are broke and desperate.
When: July TBD
“Suicide Squad”
Who: Jared Leto, Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Cara Delevingne; directed by David Ayer (“Fury”).
What: DC Comics characters surface in this action-adventure, which features super-villains recruited for a secret government task force. They do the dangerous dirty work in exchange for shorter prison sentences.
When: Aug. 5
“Ben-Hur”
Who: Jack Huston, Nazanin Boniadi, Tobey Kebbell, Haluk Bilginer and Morgan Freeman; directed by Timur Bekmambetov.
What: Remake of the Oscar-winning 1959 film in which a Jewish prince survives years of slavery, betrayed by his Roman friend.
When: Aug. 19
FUNNY FOLKS
“Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping”
Who: Andy Samberg and his Lonely Island cohorts, with Bill Hader, Imogene Poots and Sarah Silverman.
What: In this mockumentary, pop/rap star Conner4Real goes into a tailspin after his latest record fails to sell.
When: June 3
“Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”
Who: Zac Efron, Adam Devine, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza and Stephen Root; directed by Jake Szymanski.
What: Brothers advertise online for dates to their sister’s Hawaiian wedding, and wind up with quite a pair.
When: July 8
“Bad Moms”
Who: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn and Christina Applegate; directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
What: Stressed-out moms, who on the surface have perfect lives, liberate themselves from the responsibilities of motherhood for one wild night.
When: July 29
“Nine Lives”
Who: Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Walken and Robbie Arnell; directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (“The Addams Family”).
What: A busy billionaire winds up as a cat, Mr. Fuzzypants, after a fateful accident, and is adopted by his family.
When: Aug. 5
“War Dogs”
Who: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller and Bradley Cooper; directed by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”).
What: Based on a true story, two young men win a Pentagon contract to arm soldiers in Afghanistan.
When: Aug. 19
ANOTHER ROUND
“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”
Who: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Chloe Grace Moretz and Selena Gomez; directed by Nicholas Stoller (“Neighbors”).
What: Mac and Kelly ask Teddy to help when the sorority next door gets too unruly.
When: May 20
“TMNT: Out of the Shadows”
Who: Megan Fox, William Fichtner, Tyler Perry, and Fred Armisen.
What: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles return for another live-action adventure.
When: June 3
“Now You See Me 2”
Who: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Lizzy Caplan, Daniel Radcliffe, Dave Franco, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo, and Morgan Freeman; directed by Jon M. Chu.
What: The Four Horsemen magicians resurface, and will have to pull another grand stunt to clear their names.
When: June 10
“The Conjuring 2”
Who: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Franka Potente, David Thewlis and Frances O’Connor; directed by James Wan (“The Conjuring”).
What: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren go to London to help a single mother and her four children battle malicious spirits.
When: June 10
“Mechanic: Resurrection”
Who: Jason Statham, Jessica Alba and Tommy Lee Jones.
What: The elite hitman must try to rescue the love of his life from a formidable foe.
When: Aug. 26
CRIME FIGHTERS
“Nice Guys”
Who: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger and Margaret Qualley; written and directed by Shane Black (“Lethal Weapon”).
What: In this buddy comedy-thriller set in 1970s L.A., a private investigator teams up with a hired gun to search for a missing girl.
When: May 20
“Central Intelligence”
Who: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Aaron Paul and Amy Ryan.
What: After reuniting on Facebook with an old friend, a mild-mannered accountant finds himself thrust into an espionage incident.
When: June 17
“The Infiltrator”
Who: Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Diane Kruger, Amy Ryan, Benjamin Bratt
What: This fact-based crime drama concerns federal agent Robert Mazur going undercover to nab Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in the biggest drug sting in U.S. history.
When: July 15
TRUE STORIES
“The Man Who Knew Infinity”
Who: Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones and Malcolm Sinclair.
What: Srinivasa Iyengar is admitted to Cambridge University on a scholarship and develops ground-breaking math theories under a professor’s tutelage.
When: May 13
“Free State of Jones”
Who: Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russell, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Sean Bridgers; directed by Gary Ross (“The Hunger Games’).
What: Newt Knight fights the Confederacy and Jones County; Mississippi is able to secede in this real Civil War drama.
When: July 24
“The Founder”
Who: Michael Keaton, Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch and Patrick Wilson; directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”).
What: Account of Ray Kroc’s acquisition of the McDonald brothers’ restaurant, and how he started his fast-food empire.
When: Aug. 5
“Florence Foster Jenkins”
Who: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant and Rebecca Ferguson; directed by Stephen Frears.
What: Tone-deaf amateur singer tries to have a career, helped by her husband’s vast wealth.
When: Aug. 12
“Hands of Stone”
Who: Robert DeNiro, Edgar Ramirez and Usher Raymond.
What: The life of boxer Roberto Duran, culminating in defeating Sugar Ray Leonard for the welterweight title in 1980.
When: Aug. 26
THRILLS! CHILLS!
“Money Monster”
Who: George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jack O’Connell; directed by Jodie Foster.
What: Financial TV host and his producer are in a live-TV standoff with a disgruntled investor who has lost everything.
When: May 13
“The Darkness”
Who: Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, Jennifer Morrison.
What: A family returns home from the Grand Canyon with a supernatural presence in tow.
When: May 13
“A Bigger Splash”
Who: Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes, Matthias Schoenearts and Dakota Johnson
What: A vacationing rock star is visited on a remote island.
When: May 20
“The Shallows”
Who: Blake Lively
What: A woman tries to thwart a shark.
When: June 24
“Lights Out”
Who: Terese Palmer, Maria Bello and Billy Burke.
What: A young woman discovers she is being haunted by a mysterious figure every time she turns off the lights.
When: July 22
“Spectral”
Who: Emily Mortimer, James Badge Dale, Max Martini and Bruce Greenwood.
What: A special ops team is dispatched to eradicate a supernatural threat.
When: Aug. 12
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
“The Angry Birds Movie”
Who: (Voices) Jason Sudeikis, Tituss Burgess, Danny McBride, Josh Gad, Sean Penn and Peter Dinklage.
What: Why are the birds so angry? Red, Chuck and Bomb lead a group of flightless birds on an island.
When: May 20
“Alice Through the Looking Glass”
Who: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Michael Sheen, directed by James Bobin (“The Muppets”).
What: A sequel to the “Alice in Wonderland” grand fantasy from 2010: Alice takes the battery to Time’s clock, and chaos ensues.
When: May 27
“Finding Dory”
Who: (Voices) Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Diane Keaton, Bill Hader and Kate McKinnon.
What: Forgetful blue tang fish Dory reunites with her pals in this Pixar sequel to “Finding Nemo.”
When: June 17
“The BFG”
Who: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill; directed by Steven Spielberg.
What: Adapted from Roald Dahl’s 1982 children’s novel, a big friendly giant befriends Sophie, a curious orphan, and must protect her.
When: July 1
“The Secret Life of Pets”
Who: (Voices) Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Lake Bell and Ellie Kemper.
What: Max’s life is turned upside down when his owner brings home a mongrel named Duke, but that’s not the only problem. A rabbit named Snowball is leading a gang of orphaned pets.
When: July 8
(Belleville News-Democrat editorial cartoonist Glenn McCoy wrote and animated the short that will precede the movie)
“Pete’s Dragon”
Who: Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford.
What: Live action remake of the Disney animated film.
When: Aug. 12
“Kubo and the Two Strings”
Who: (Voices) Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes and Matthew McConaughey.
What: Kubo has a spirit from the past re-ignite an age-old vendetta.
When: Aug. 19
ROMANCE
“Love and Friendship”
Who: Kate Beckinsale
What: Based on a Jane Austen novella “Lady Susan,” a young widow seeks a husband for not only her but her daughter, too.
When: May 27
“Me Before You”
Who: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McAteer, and Charles Dance.
What: A small-town girl forms a bond with a paralyzed man she has been hired to take care of, in this adaptation of Jojo Moyes’ novel.
When: June 3
“Equals”
Who: Kristen Stewart, Nicholas Hoult and Guy Pearce; directed by Drake Doremus (“Like Crazy”).
What: In utopia, there are no emotions, but after a mysterious disease, two people have fallen in love in this sci-fi romantic drama.
When: July 15
“Café Society”
Who: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Blake Lively and Parker Posey; directed by Woody Allen.
What: A romantic comedy set in 1930s Hollywood is the Woodman’s annual effort.
When: Aug. 12
“The Space Between Us”
Who: Asa Butterfield, Britt Robertson, Carla Gugino and Gary Oldman; directed by Peter Chelsom.
What: A sci-fi romantic drama centers on a young man raised on Mars who comes to Earth to find his father.
When: Aug. 19
INTERESTING INDIES
“The Meddler”
Who: Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Cecily Strong, Lucy Punch, Michael McKean and Jason Ritter; written and directed by Lorene Scafaria.
What: After her husband dies, a mother follows her daughter to Los Angeles, where she hopes to start a new life.
When: May 13
“The Lobster”
Who: Colin Ferrell, Rachel Weisz and Ben Whishaw.
What: In a dystopian future, people are given 45 days to find a mate or be turned into animals.
When: May 13
“Maggie’s Plan”
Who: Greta Gerwig, Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, and Wallace Shawn; written and directed by Rebecca Miller, daughter of Arthur and wife of Daniel Day-Lewis.
What: A young woman comes between a marriage but things get very, very complicated.
When: May 20
“Sausage Party”
Who: Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, Selma Hayak and Kristen Wiig.
What: An animated movie with talking food.
When: Aug. 12
DOCUMENTARIES
“Weiner,” the beleaguered New York politician, May 27.
“Love, Animated,” an autistic boy is helped through animated movies, July 8.
“De Palma,” the filmmaker who gave us “Carrie” and “Scarface,” June 10.
“The Music of Strangers,” cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Project, June 10.
This story was originally published May 1, 2016 at 7:58 AM with the headline "Summer movies are filled with heroes."