Time to peer into the future and predict the characters to watch in 2016. Major changes, big anniversaries and unusual comebacks are in store for some of your favorite heroes and hated villains.
Here are the first eight on our list of the 16 comic book characters to watch in 2016:
Mockingbird
The kick butt comeback of Barbara “Bobbi” Morse continues as she battles spies and terrorists on Agents of SHIELD and spins off into a pilot for her own potential series. Adrienne Palicki and Nick Blood headline Marvel’s Most Wanted as the S.H.I.E.L.D. operative and her mercenary ex-husband.
After the success of the the SHIELD 50th Anniversary Mockingbird one-shot, writer Chelsea Cain returns to craft a new ongoing series starring Bobbi next year.
What a comeback for Hawkeye’s ex-wife was missing in action for decades in the Marvel Universe. With the popularity of Palicki – could she turn up in a major Marvel movie?
Bruce Wayne
In 2016 amnesiac Bruce regains his memory and reclaims the Cape & Cowl. Batman and Joker were believed dead in the finale of Endgame but Bruce survived with no memory of his past as the Dark Knight or the tragic childhood events that led him down the path. Jim Gordon stepped up as an all-new Batman in high-tech armor with corporate backing. As just learned in this month’s Batman, the Joker maybe have been reborn with no memory of his past or rivalry with the Dark Knight.
It was only a matter of time before Bruce became the dark hero again but how will writer Scott Snyder take us on the wild ride and what will be the repercussions for Gotham City? Will Gordon give up the title?
What influence with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice have on the comics and the Bat legacy? Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight is influenced by Frank Miller, who’s Dark Knight III: The Master Race continues in 2016.
Deadshot
In a killer rogues gallery of classic villains in Suicide Squad what makes us put the bullseye on Deadshot? Two words: Will Smith. Jared Leto and Margot Robbie will obviously steal the show as Joker and Harley Quinn and may even return in a new Ben Affleck starring Batman film but don’t forget the box office power of Smith who could slyly steal the movie as the sane, steady one in DC’s wild bunch.
Deadshot is already starring in a Suicide Squad spinoff with Katana and if the movie scores, we could see a new series and maybe even a Will Smith leading solo film as the master assassin.
Superman
The Man of Steel lost his powers and secret identity this year in a brutal story that saw the nearly unstoppable icon become very vulnerable and human.
Kal El’s return to full power greatness begins with in an arc starring immortal villain Vandal Savage. What price will Superman pay to regain his power and will he get his Clark Kent identity back too?
Gene Yuen Lang, Greg Pak and Peter Tomasi have crafted Superman’s downfall and plot his resurrection in 2016.
Henry Cavill reprises his role as the Man of Steel with even more Clark Kent in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Will the cinematic Superman fall in love with Wonder Woman like his comic book counterpart?
Steve Rogers
In comics, the former Avengers leader proved non-powered senior citizens can be inspiring heroes. When Rogers lost his powers he asked Falcon to take his famous code-name and continue his legacy. The old allies’ friendship is now strained and will get tested in the upcoming Avengers Standoff which will lead to Civil War II in comics.
The Super Soldier Serum was sucked out of his body but will Steve find a way to regain his powers and become Captain America again in the 75th anniversary year of the character?
In movies, Chris Evans will play Rogers again in Captain America: Civil War opposite Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. A crackdown on superheroes shatters alliances and leads to all-out war. If movie follows comics canon, will this mean a new Captain America in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe?
Apocalypse
The first mutant rises on the big screen and in a big crossover. Oscar Isaac plays the titular villain in X-Men: Apocalypse hitting cinemas Memorial Day Weekend.
Director Bryan Singer and the First Class (including James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Fassbender) and new mutants battle the risen Apocalypse and his Four Horsemen in a mutant war set in the 1980’s.
The immortal mutant returns to comics in The Apocalypse Wars beginning in March in Extraordinary X-Men then spinning into Uncanny and All-New X-Men. It’s being hailed as a “thematic” crossover in the spirit of Fall of the Mutants featuring the tyrant in the future, his current version who hopes to avoid his destiny and the return of his most infamous Horseman, the Archangel of Death.
Wasp
Marvel announced the Ant-Man sequel will be Ant-Man and The Wasp. Evangeline Lilley (Hope Van Dyne) was last seen with a new Wasp uniform and the film left the door for the original comics Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) to possibly be alive.
In comics Janet makes an unusual comeback in All-New Wolverine #5. The founding Avenger returns to the comics as a mentor to Laura Kinney, the former X-23. Janet sworn off the life of a super hero after the events of Uncanny Avengers/AXIS (she and Havok were married and had a daughter in a rival timeline only to have it ripped apart). Could Janet’s appearance with Wolverine led to a new role for the younger Avengers like Ms. Marvel and better yet, who better to join or lead A-Force?
Legion
The son of Professor X starred in his own comic book following his father’s death but faded off to the back burner. Legion is one of two new X-Men inspired television pilots after an agreement between Fox’s X-Men movie team and Marvel’s television team. Noah Hawley Fargo is writing the pilot.
“…what I’m seeing on Legion with Noah and FX is an intent to do something completely original in the genre, in some ways to sort of blow up the paradigm of comic book or superhero stories and almost do our Breaking Bad of superhero stories.” Kinberg told Collider.
If the television series is a hit expect Professor X’s son to make a comic book comeback.
Who will be our next eight? Tune in tomorrow?
By Editor