My excessive excitement over the return of Mulder and Scully in the new X-Files limited series on Fox led me to think about the other events/films/pop culture moments I'm excited about this year.
The return of Mulder and Scully means the return of CSM, monsters, speculation about what happened to Mulder's sister, and flashlights. Welcome back Fox and Dana. We missed you. (Mondays at 8 p.m. on Fox)
What else am I excited about in 2016?
1) Superhero brawls! (Batman v. Superman/Captain America: Civil War)
This is a year for superhero on superhero violence. First up, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice has the Dark Knight battling the Man of Steel. Batman has a good reason for his animosity towards Superman. Supe was straight up responsible for the destruction of Metropolis and probably hundreds of Wayne Enterprises employees. (Yeah, Bruce had a building there.) We will also see Wonder Woman on the big screen (finally!) and the dawn of the Justice League. DC is working on big things (including Suicide Squad in August.)
In Civil War, Cap and Iron Man are at odds over who much freedom superheroes should have. And Bucky. Seems as though Bucky is accused of a serious crime. Heroes have to choose sides, we meet Black Panther and a new Marvel approved Spidey, and the Marvel Movie world will never be the same. Expect some casualties and a very different Avengers lineup when they battle Thanos in Infinity War.
Batman v. Superman opens March 25th.
Captain America: Civil War opens May 6th.
2) The Apocalypse is Nigh
Our Merry Mutants are finally facing their toughest foe, Apocalypse, the first mutant. Notable mutant appearance, Psyclocke, who apparently is wearing a costume surprisingly similar to her rather revealing one from the comics. Opens Memorial Day Weekend.
3) Black Panther by Ta Nehesi Coates
Anytime there is a Black Panther comic released it's worth noting. However, when you have an award winning social commentary writer take on the comic book, it's cause for celebration! Learn more here.
Coates tweeted this Alex Ross cover from the new Black Panther series.
In addition, as I already mentioned, T'Challa makes his screen debut in Captain America: Civil War. For a kid who grew up loving Black Panther, I couldn't be more excited. Wakanda Forever! (April)
The first official pic from Rogue One. Felicity Jones stars!
4) A totally different Star Wars film: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be the first Star Wars film not to feature a Skywalker kin. And we might see Darth Vader really let loose! Hope those rumors are true. Cool fact: my middle school track coach (Chris Weitz) wrote the film! Opens December 16th. Learn more here.
5) A new Trek.
Trek has rebounded well with a new cast and director J.J. Abrams. But, Abrams has moved to another Star themed franchise and Into Darkness was just o.k. This is a big film for the franchise and Fast and Furious director Justin Lin is hoping to bring Trek back, again. Opens July 22nd.
6) Doctor Strange:
Marvel is going somewhere mystical! The legendary Dr. Strange will make his screen debut later this year. Benedict Cumberbatch will portray the good doctor, while the film will also feature the likes of Chiwetel Elijor and Tilda Swinton. Interesting to see how Marvel pulls this one off. Opens November 4th.
Since it's 2016, I can't help think about these events!
7) The Presidential Election: Yeah, this is going to be a big one. Soon, we'll know how real Trump's campaign is. Can Hillary win the nomination? Will the nation continue to feel the Bern? So many questions . . . Answers to some of these questions will come soon enough. Seriously, this election is compelling and frustrating for everyone involved. Don't forget to vote in your state's primaries! Election Day is November 8th.
8) The Summer Olympics: Who will be the breakout athlete? How will Michael Phelps do? The return of the USWNT. Will our women's hoops team ever get their due? Those and so many other questions will begin to be answered on August 5th.