Superhero movies and TV shows continue to grow at breakneck speed. The genre continues to top itself every year with regard to quality and box office success, and 2017 was no different. A whopping eight superhero-themed films - The LEGO Batman Movie, Power Rangers, Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, and Justice League - released on the big screen. As if that wasn't enough, most of these movies were prominent for reasons other than being the latest blockbuster release.
Homecoming marked the first solo Spidey film to release as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Logan was Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart's final film as Wolverine and Professor X, respectively. It was the beginning and the end of an era of superhero movies. Furthermore, the first live-action Wonder Woman and Justice League movies finally released on the big screen, though they performed differently than what people would've expected not that long ago.
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While there have been plenty of truly spectacular superhero moments in 2017 that arguably makes this the golden age of superhero movies and television, there were some misses along the way. But more important than those misfires were moments that make this a wonderful time to be a superhero fan. Here are The 5 Best Moments To Be A Superhero Fan In 2017.
5. No Man's Land
Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot as the eponymous superhero, isn't the first female-led comic book movie ever, but it is the first to receive a blockbuster-sized budget and be as successful as it is. It's currently Rotten Tomatoes' highest-rated superhero film ever, as well as the highest-grossing superhero origin movie. While there's certainly a lot of positive news stemming from Wonder Woman's release, the movie owes most of its wonder to one scene in particular: No Man's Land.
The moment Diana Prince steps onto the battlefield and crosses No Man's Land - swatting bullets like flies and bearing the brunt of the Germans' artillery arsenal - is the moment she transforms into a superhero, into Wonder Woman. It's the film's defining moment and one that Jenkins herself was adamant about including, even though other people didn't see its potential off the bat. In fact, Jenkins' own creative team misunderstood the importance of the scene, but they eventually came around to the idea.
Related: Wonder Woman Reviews Were 'Very Special' for Gal Gadot
Wonder Woman finally receiving her own solo movie is an achievement in and of itself, but Jenkins and the rest of the team delivering one of the genre's best films is something else entirely. It just goes to show that female-led superhero films shouldn't be novelties but cornerstones of the comic book movie sphere. Even the women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can attest to that. As for Wonder Woman, hopefully, this is just the beginning of her blockbuster career.
4. Logan vs. Wolverine
As previously mentioned, James Mangold's Logan marked the end of Hugh Jackman's 17-year career as the mutant superhero, Wolverine. The film took place several years in the future and in a reality in which Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, accidentally killed all the X-Men. Logan is considered one of the best superhero movies of the year and one of the best X-Men movies ever released, and that's due to the emotional performances by everyone involved.
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Logan's final movie, after all, required an opponent worthy of his caliber. So, who better for him to fight than himself? Or, more accurately, a younger, healthy version of himself? The two fight scenes between Logan and X-24 - the cloned Wolverine - were among the best fight scenes ever filmed in the franchise. Moreover, the final fight ultimately led to Logan's death, something that we may also consider the worst moment to be a superhero fan. After all, after that scene, Jackman's career as Wolverine was over.
3. Avengers: Infinity War Trailer
Marvel Studios didn't invent the shared universe formula (or the post-credits scene), but they've certainly mastered it. Ever since Nick Fury appeared at the end of Jon Favreau's Iron Man in 2008, Marvel Comics fans have been on quite the journey, which now spans dozens of characters - from the Avengers to the Guardians of the Galaxy - and 17 (going on 18) blockbuster movies. But it wasn't until Joss Whedon's The Avengers hit theaters in 2012 that fans realized the studio's plans for the shared universe was to build up to an ultimate showdown with the Mad Titan, Thanos (Josh Brolin).
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Thanos and his loyal Black Order will come to Earth in Anthony and Joe Russo's Avengers: Infinity War in search of the last Infinity Stones needed to complete the all-powerful Infinity Gauntlet so that he can effectively rule the galaxy (and finally satisfy Mistress Death, if the Russos' film follows Jim Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet comic arc). The 2018 superhero team-up is the beginning of the end of the MCU first saga, and fans finally got their first look at the highly-anticipated Avengers sequel via the movie's record-breaking official trailer in November. Seeing the entire MCU come together on-screen is certainly exciting for fans, and that's why it's one of the best superhero moments of the year.
2. X-Men & Fantastic Four Joining MCU?
The Walt Disney Company expanded its enormous media empire even more in December 2017 by agreeing to acquire 21st Century Fox's movie and TV assets for approximately $52.4 billion in stock, which includes the X-Men and Fantastic Four. The deal, of course, also entails the rights to franchises beyond the two Marvel superhero teams, such as Alien, Avatar, Kingsman, Planet of the Apes, and much more, not to mention the fact that the Mouse House now owns FX Networks, Fox Searchlight, and other studios. While the acquisition arguably isn't in the best interest of the filmmaking industry and may cause significant problems in the future for theater owners, there's no denying that MCU fans are excited as ever.
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For the first time in cinema history, the X-Men and Fantastic Four will be able to appear and fight alongside the Avengers on the big screen. It's something that comic book fans have waited their entire lives to see. After Spider-Man joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it seemed Marvel Studios getting the rights to the mutant superheroes and Marvel's First Family was still a pipe dream. But things changed, and they changed fast. It's unclear when (and how) the X-Men and Fantastic Four will officially join the MCU, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens after the Disney/Fox deal is finalized by federal regulators.
The Justice League Coming Together
Getting the Justice League onto the big screen has been one of Warner Bros.' most arduous projects. The last time they attempted such an endeavor was with George Miller's Justice League: Mortal in 2007/2008, but for various reasons, that didn't seem to work out. Then, Man of Steel came along and Warners got the idea to use the film as a launch pad for an extended DC Comics-based universe. And so, the unofficially titled DCEU was born.
Of course, the DCEU has suffered from its fair share of issues, and Justice League certainly didn't help to alleviate those issues. A muddled theatrical cut that featured conflicting tones and unearned character developments, not to mention to the plethora of missing scenes from trailers, resulted in Justice League becoming a colossal disaster for the studio and the brand. Plus, Superman's mustache was, at times, difficult to look past.
Related: Rushing to Catch Up With Marvel Ruined the DCEU
But, regardless of what the general public thought about the final product, seeing the Justice League (even without its seventh member, the Green Lantern) on the big screen, together, is something people have been waiting for years, if not decades, to happen. Just seeing the world's finest heroes standing tall is enough to bring smiles to the faces of many comic book fans, which makes it one of the best superhero moments of the year.