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Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy concludes with this Warner Brothers release that finds The Dark Knight pitted against Bane, an unstoppable foe possessed of tremendous physical and intellectual strength. Nearly a decade after taking the fall for Harvey Dent's death and disappearing into the darkness, a fugitive Batman (Christian Bale) watches from the shadows as the Dent Act keeps the streets of Gotham City free of crime. Meanwhile, an elusive cat burglar seizes the chance to strike, and a masked anarchist plots a devastating series of attacks designed to lure Bruce Wayne out of the shadows. Determined not to abandon the people who he once risked his life to protect, The Dark Knight emerges from his self-imposed exile ready to fight. But Bane (Tom Hardy) is ready, too, and once Batman is within his grasp, he will do everything in his power to break Gotham City's shadowy savior. Oscar-winner Michael Caine and Gary Oldman return in a sequel also starring Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Marvel Studios delivers the ultimate comic-book film, which ties together such characters as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) for a big-screen franchise team-up like no other. Taking center stage this time is Nick Fury (played once again by the note-perfect Samuel L. Jackson), leader of the peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. Fury, along with former Russian spy Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), recruits a super team to combat Thor's ever-deceptive brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) after he brainwashes ace archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) while stealing a cosmic cube from an underground base. Thus the heroes must learn to work together alongside outlaw scientist Bruce Banner (Ruffalo), who can track down the artifact's gamma signals when he's not hulking out into a giant green monster. Show runner Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly) adapted and helmed the script by Zak Penn. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's seminal comic book series, Batman: Year One, makes its way to the animated small screen with this Warner Premiere production. The story follows James Gordon (voiced by Bryan Cranston) during his early years on the force just as the vigilante Batman (Ben McKenzie) targets both the corrupt police officials and the crime-ridden streets for a clean-up. Eliza Dushku and Katee Sackhoff lead the supporting voice cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Exiled to Earth after his arrogance fans the flames of an ancient conflict, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) of Asgard discovers the meaning of humility when a powerful old foe dispatches a destructive force to crush humanity. Only when the banished prince has defeated an opponent capable of crushing him in battle will he learn what it takes to be a true leader. Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, and Tadanobu Asano co-star in a comic-book adventure from acclaimed director Kenneth Branagh. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

As the world sinks into a deep crisis and the threat of ultimate destruction looms just over the horizon, the only hope for mankind lies in six superheroes in this animated Marvel feature. The world's most powerful superheroes have all been brought together in hopes of averting disaster, but with Captain America locked frozen in a solid block of ice for over 60 years, the powerful team must struggle to find a leader. As the reluctant superheroes combine their forces to fight for the good of mankind, the sudden emergence of an unexpected opponent from within their own ranks throws the entire mission -- and the fate of mankind -- into chaos. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Follow The Mighty Thor of Asgard on his first great adventure as he quests for the mythical Lost Sword of Surtur. With his brother Loki by his side and the swaggering Brothers Three to help fend off the forces of evil, Thor embarks on a clandestine treasure hunt that quickly turns treacherous. Upon discovering that the very future of Asgard hangs in the balance, the fearless warrior must prove his strength in order to embrace his magnificent destiny. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This animated adventure finds the ultimate superhero Superman succumbing to the clutches of disturbed criminal mastermind Lex Luthor, who has constructed a plan to murder the Man of Steel with solar radiation. Following his exposure to the deadly phenomenon, Superman is sure he only has weeks to live, and lays plans to make good on the many tasks that ahead of him before he expires -- including telling the truth about his secret identity to Lois Lane, and defeating Lex once and for all. But is the hero's fate truly sealed, or can he appeal the fatal sentence and live to fight once more? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Assuming the role of Captain Marvel as he joins Superman in the quest to defeat the villainous Black Adam, courageous Billy Batson struggles to determine whether he's fighting for justice or revenge. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Superman and Batman join forces to rescue an elusive Kryptonian from the malevolent Darkseid in this adaptation of author Jeff Loeb's popular Superman/Batman storyline. Shortly after a spacecraft carrying a powerful Kryptonian crashes down into Gotham Harbor, Darkseid kidnaps the extraterrestrial visitor and imprisons her in Apokolips. Rescuing the Kryptonian from Darkseid's grasp won't be easy, but thankfully Superman and Batman have just what it takes to get the job done. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A diabolical villain who seems to know Batman's every move sets out to clean up the streets of Gotham for good and destroy the caped crime-fighter in the process. Every night, Batman protects the citizens of Gotham from the shadows. But lately another vigilante has been prowling the streets, and his merciless methods are more frightening than reassuring. Now, as the Red Hood commences to exterminating the scum of the city with extreme prejudice, the Joker resurfaces to taunt his old nemesis by digging up some skeletons that were best left buried. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Exiled into deep space by the most powerful superheroes on Earth, the Incredible Hulk becomes an unlikely hero after crash landing on a distant planet. Millions of light years from Earth, the Red King rules planet Sakaar with an iron fist. When Hulk arrives on Sakaar, he is sold as a slave and forced to fight as a gladiator. The people of Sakaar need a savior, and as Hulk fights his way through a series of formidable opponents, he forms a powerful bond with four fearsome warriors. Later, along with the help of fellow combatants Miek, Korg, Hiroim, and Elloe, Hulk wages war on the despotic Red King. As the battle intensifies, it begins to appear that Hulk may be Sakaar's destroyer, rather than its savior. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The gruff, adamantium-clawed Marvel superhero Wolverine strikes out on his own in this X-Men spin-off starring series regular Hugh Jackman. The story gets under way as the boy who will become Wolverine makes a shocking discovery about his family bloodline, and gains a brother in the process. Flash forward to find the mutant siblings battling side by side through two world wars and Vietnam -- where they are sentenced to death for killing a commanding officer -- and Logan (Hugh Jackman) and his brother, Victor Creed (aka Sabretooth, played by Liev Schreiber), have joined a top-secret government task force. When their targets begin to include innocent civilians, conscientious Logan escapes to the Canadian Rockies, where he builds a home with pretty schoolteacher Kayla Silverfox (Lynn Collins). Informed by his old commanding officer William Stryker (Danny Huston) that the members of his old team are being targeted for death, Logan is heartbroken when Victor finds and kills Kayla. Vowing revenge, Logan agrees to take part in a dangerous experiment that will fuse his bones with a powerful metal alloy called adamantium, which makes him virtually indestructible and gives him the strength needed to defeat his powerful brother. Subsequently betrayed by Stryker, Logan (now Wolverine) sets out to find his blood-lusting brother and stop the cycle of violence once and for all. Along the way, the temperamental hero is joined by fellow mutants John Wraith (Will.i.Am) and Remy LeBeau (aka Gambit, played by Taylor Kitsch). But before Wolverine can seek vengeance against Striker and his brother, he'll have to do battle with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) a formidable mutant instilled with many powers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

300's Zack Snyder brings Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' critically acclaimed comic book Watchmen to the big screen, courtesy of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Pictures. Set in an alternate universe circa 1985, the film's world is a highly unstable one where a nuclear war is imminent between America and Russia. Superheroes have long been made to hang up their tights thanks to the government-sponsored Keene Act, but that all changes with the death of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a robust ex-hero commando whose mysterious free fall out a window perks the interest of one of the country's last remaining vigilantes, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). His investigation leads him to caution many of his other former costumed colleagues, including Dr. Manhattan, Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Sally Jupiter (Carla Gugino), and her daughter, The Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman). Heralded for bringing the world of superheroes into the literary world, Watchmen gave the super-powered mythos a real-life grounding that had been missing in mainstream comics to that point. The film adaptation had languished in one form of development hell or another for years after the book's release, with various directors on and off the project, including Terry Gilliam, David Hayter, and Darren Aronofsky, as well as Paul Greengrass, whose eventual dismissal stemmed from budget conflicts with the studio. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi