Upcoming Comic Book Movies of 2011

Make sure your tights and capes are washed and pressed, 2011 is a busy year for superhero and comic book fans. No less than five upcoming comic book movies will be making their way to the big screen this year, including The Green Lantern, Thor, Captain America, X-Men and Transformers.

Director: Martin Campbell

Release Date: 17 June 2011

Based on: characters created by DC Comics

Ryan Reynolds is well know to comic book fans, having already played a superhero twice before. He appeared as Hannibal King, a vampire hunter and member of The Nightstalkers in Blade Trinity and then made an appearance as Deadpool in Wolverine.

Ryan was one of many actors who tested for the role of Hal Jordan, a test pilot who becomes the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps., an intergalactic group of peace keepers, by wearing a ring that grants him super powers.

Director: Joe Johnston

Release Date: 22 July 2011

Based on: characters created by Marvel Comics

Captain America is finally making his way to the big screen. Chris Evans, who also played Johnny Storm / The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies, won the part of Steve Rogers, a physically inept soldier who is selected for a secret military operation in which he is injected with a super soldier serum that transforms him into the ultimate soldier, Captain America. Along with his sidekick Bucky, Captain America must take on The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving).

The First Avenger: Captain America will set up the upcoming Avengers film, in which Captain America will join fellow heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Nick Fury, and others as part of the wider interconnected Marvel film universe.

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Release Date: 6 May 2011

Based on: characters from Norse Mythology / Marvel Comics

Thor, the Norse God of Thunder and Lightning, as portrayed in the Marvel comics, will be played by Chris Hemsworth, who appeared in Star Trek (2009) as James Kirks father.

Thor's arrival on Earth is hinted at in the post-credit scenes in Iron Man 2 when a SHIELD agent discovers his hammer in a remote location. Thor, like Captain America, will serve as an origin story and set up for the upcoming Avengers film.

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Release Date: 3 June 2011

Based on: characters created by Marvel Comics

Before Professor Xavier and Magneto were enemies, they were good friends who fought alongside each other for mutant rights. X-Men: First Class goes back to the beginning and serves as an origin story for the X-Men and The Brotherhood of Mutants, taking place in the 1960's, long before the events of the first X-Men movies.

Director: Michael Bay

Release Date: 01 June 2011

Based on: characters created by Hasbro

The third and final film in the successful Transformers series will see the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out once more as both groups scramble to discover the secrets of a Cybertronian spacecraft on the moon.

Shia LeBouf returns as Sam Witwicky, and this time has a new love interest in Carly (Rosie-Huntington Whiteley). The change in character was due to Megan Fox dropping out of the film and having her character Mikaela subsequently written out.