Ten films to watch in 2016

This is the smackdown we’ve all been waiting for (Ben Affleck versus Henry Cavill? It’s gonna be legendary). Say hello to the DC Cinematic Universe, where the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel face off in a live-action movie for the first time. And let’s not forget the silver screen introduction of several new characters, including Aquaman, Cyborg, a (possible) splitsecond red blur that is The Flash, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman (before she stars in her own film next year).

As a throwback to the beloved ’60s animated film, Disney breathes new life into the story of orphan boy Mowgli and his jungle friends with this stunning CGI piece. You’ll recognise Baloo (who’s still looking for the bear necessities), King Louie, Shere Khan and the slithering, seductive Kaa, aptly voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Just watch the trailer – it gives the classic tale a modern twist with mind-blowing visuals.

Things aren’t going so well in the superhero realm, what with the Batman and Superman feud, and now Captain America battling Iron Man. But hey, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, right? And even though this is Cap’s movie, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Vision and Scarlet Witch all show up. Not to mention Spider-Man, Black Panther and Ant-Man. It’ll either be a feast for the eyes, or a superhero overload. Either way, Avengers versus Avengers is gonna be awesome.

Sure, you’ve got the solo outings of Deadpool, Gambit and Wolverine to get psyched about. But why watch one mutant when you can have ’em going all battle royale against an ultra-powerful villain? This edition’s big baddie arrives in the form of an ancient immortal named Apocalypse, who’s got Magneto, Storm, Angel and Psylocke in his corner. So the fate of all mankind hangs in the balance as Charles Xavier and his band of new gen good guys lobby to save humans from extinction.

Twelve years after Nemo’s ocean adventure, Dory embarks on her own. The scene-stealing surgeonfish with the memory of a, err, goldfish is still voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, and regains some of her lost memories before swimming off to a family reunion. Since this is a kid-friendly Pixar film, expect learning lessons, touching scenes and moments of hilarity in between.

An all-female reboot of the classic ’80s series? It doesn’t get much cooler than that. Paul Feig, who helmed laugh-out-loud comedies Bridesmaids and Spy, is behind the wheel for this one. The fearless foursome with the Proton Packs comprises Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones – basically all top-notch Saturday Night Live funny women. Oh, and Chris Hemsworth swaps his hammer for a telephone to play… a receptionist. We’re guessing there’s more to this, and we can’t wait to find out.

Opens Aug 4
Dir: David Ayer. 2016. USA/Canada. Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jared Leto.

Baddies take the lead here – yes, you heard that right. Supervillains like the Joker, Harley Quinn, El Diablo and Captain Boomerang and Deadshot form the Suicide Squad, a group of prisoners coerced by cold-blooded government agents to undertake deadly black ops missions in exchange for pardoned sentences. And with so many notorious assassins working together in close quarters, who knows what kinds of madness they’ll cook up. 

Opens Nov 3
Dir: Scott Derrickson. 2016. USA. Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton.

After the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man, Marvel is expanding its reach into the lesser-known heroes. This one delves into the mythical and magical, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the arrogant surgeon whose path takes a swerve after his career goes down the drain and a sorcerer appoints him as an apprentice.