10 Upcoming Comic Book Adaptations You Need To See

I don’t think I’d be saying anything too controversial by stating that we are living in the golden age of comic book adaptations. Every year a new crop of comic films and shows make their way onto screens across the world and I, for one, couldn’t be more thrilled. Studios are buying up comic book properties like their playing a life or death game of hungry, hungry hippos.

That means that some of the overlooked great comics stories and characters are getting a chance to etch their stories into the silver screen and big screen alike. Let’s take a look at a few of the new (no sequels here - sorry!) comics book adaptations we have to look forward to.

10) Deadly Class - Syfy (1/16/19)

There are a few items on this list that I am incredibly excited about but this is by far the adaptation I’m most excited for. Rick Remender’s ultra-violent ode to the '80s hits the small screen in just a few weeks! If you haven’t read Deadly Class then you’re missing out on a truly magnificent story and a creative team at their best. Remender and Wes Craig are in peak form as they guide the reader and Marcus Lopez (their main character) through King’s Dominion, high school to some of the deadliest teenagers around. With Rick Remender as co-showrunner, you just know it’s going to make for a thoughtful and thrilling television adaptation. Oh, and the Russo Brothers are producing. Honestly can’t wait.

9) Umbrella Academy - Netflix (2/15/19)

2019 is going to be a great year for comic book adaptations. Feels like we’ve been saying that for a couple years now, but now that comic book adaptations are established studios are more willing to produce some less established stories. Marvel and DC aren’t the only contenders in the genre anymore. Enter: Umbrella Academy. Umbrella Academy, written by Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance) is another one of my favorites on this list. Sort of like someone took J.D. Salinger’s stories about the Glass family and threw them in a blender with some superhero comics, Umbrella Academy tells the story of a family of super-powered individuals that grew up in the spotlight, now older and jaded the series unfolds. An excellent cast, including Ellen Page & Robert Sheehan, is sure to set this up as one of Netflix's next great series.

8) Watchmen - HBO (3/6/19)

With Game Of Thrones ending next year, HBO is hoping to fill the empty black void in our collective chests with Watchmen; An adaption with a bit of a twist. See, According to showrunner Damon Lindelof, this series will be more of a “New Testament” rather than a retelling. Not entirely a sequel or a reboot, but a “remix” and reimaging while continuing along the story the comics established. There hasn’t been much information released about this series other than a few photos of a uniformed police squad with plain yellow gloves and masks. Regardless of how much information is floating about out there, this is one adaptation that is sure the rake in the viewers and keep those HBONOW subscriptions nice and paid for.

7) Captain Marvel - (3/8/19)

Ever since Grimace on steroids decided to snap half the universe out of existence fans have waited with bated breath for some news, any news on just what the plan is now. Sure, there was Ant-man & The Wasp, but it hardly answered a single question. Curse you, Feige. But also, I love you. Captain Marvel may be set in the past, but it should be able to fill in at least a few of the key missing pieces that have been left void before Avengers: Endgame. Personally, I can’t wait to see Brie Larson unleash a can of whoop*ss the likes of which Thanos has never seen.

6) Shazam! - (4/5/19)

Let’s face it, when it comes to the cinematic universes, it’s Marvel over DC. I honestly don’t even know what to say here if you think otherwise. That being said, DC seems like it’s starting to see the error of their ways. Typing this having not yet seen Aquaman - I am cautiously optimistic - and Shazam looks pretty fantastic too. Zachary Levi feels like a great fit for the role (although, that costume could maybe use a little work) and Jack Dylan Grazer seems hilarious as Freddy Freeman. The film genuinely looks like it’ll be a good time. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see when it comes out early next spring.

5) Hellboy - (4/12/19)

David Harbour is getting into some even Stranger Things next April when he takes on the role of Hellboy in a new and darker version of the apocalypse-inducing hellspawn's story. This adaptation promises to stick closer to Mike Mignola’s original comics than Guillermo Del Toro’s original adaptations. There hasn’t been a trailer released yet, but we’ve seen a couple of photos and heard news about the R-rating they’re aiming for. Director Neil Marshall will certainly have a lot of eyes on him when his film comes out next spring but until then it looks like we’ll all just have to wait for the trailer to be released to find out more.

4) Joker - (10/4/19)

Honestly, I wasn’t too sure about a Joker origin film. I’m sure I was with the majority of people thinking how dumb and pointless that seemed. But it seems like, despite all the initial skepticism and criticism, Joker is actually gearing up to be a fantastic film. Robert De Niro is set to play late-nite host Murray Franklin along with Zazie Beetz’ Sophie Dumond, but the real draw here is Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker. Phoenix looks absolutely terrifying in some of the early footage that’s been released, which is a great sign for fans of the Clown Prince of Darkness and moviegoers alike.

3) Spawn - (2019?)

Spawn has had a bit of a rocky history, cinematically. On the one hand, there’s the classic animated series that definitely has a seat near the legendary Batman: The Animated Series, but on the other, there’s the last feature adaptation, and we all know how that worked out--if you don’t, SPOILERS: It wasn’t great. While it did a great job of giving a much younger version of myself nightmares about John Leguizamo’s Violator--dude still creeps me out, it didn’t accomplish much else. There’s not much information out there other than it’s set to star Jamie Foxx as the titular anti-hero and Jeremy Renner as an NYPD homicide detective Maximillian “Twitch” Williams.

2) Invincible - Amazon (TBA)

It seems like you can’t throw a stack of money anywhere without it hitting Robert Kirkman. Dude’s work is everywhere. Not that I’m complaining, I loved The Walking Dead--until that monster, Kirkman destroyed that sweet ray of light Glen... And then the show made me--ahem... everyone relive it in godforsaken 1080p... You MONSTERS! Anyway… I guess we can all get ready to have our hearts broken again when Amazon’s animated version of Kirkman’s classic superhero tale hits it’s streaming service sometime in the future. This gives anyone who hasn’t read Invincible yet plenty of time to do so. Seriously. Go do it. It's fantastic and horrible and you'll love it.

1) MillarWorld Adaptations- Netflix (TBA)

This one is actually more of a group post because I’m excited about it and now you can be too! A while back, Netflix acquired MillarWorld comics from Mark Millar (the guys who brought you Kickass, Kingsman, and the original Civil War) and since then we’ve received a few comics, but no shows or films to speak of. Well, that's about to change, because Netflix recently announced that it would be adapting American Jesus and Jupiter’s Legacy as shows for it’s streaming service as well as film adaptations of Empress, Huck, and Sharkey the Bounty Hunter (which will be released as a comic and followed up with a film). Feels like a pretty great time to be a comics fan.