26 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Man of Steel,' 'Wolverine,' 'The Lone Ranger'

Iron Man 3

Opens: May 3

Already having grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, the third installment of the Disney and Marvel Studios franchise stars Robert Downey Jr., who reprises his role as Tony Stark. The film focuses on Stark’s efforts to take down the infamous terrorist named the Mandarin in an effort to protect love interest Gwyneth Paltrow and the rest of the world.

FILM REVIEW: Iron Man 3                     

The Iceman

Opens: May 3

This drama-thriller based on the life of Mafia hitman Richard Kuklinski stars Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder and Chris Evans. It follows the notorious killer until he is finally arrested.

VENICE REVIEW: The Iceman

The Great Gatsby

Opens: May 10

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic comes to life in director Baz Luhrmann’s film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio (Jay Gatsby), Joel Edgerton (Tom Buchanan), Carey Mulligan (Daisy Buchanan) and Tobey McGuire (Nick Carraway). The film explores the mystifying, controversial and deceiving world of 1920s New York, which is inhabited by equally bewildering characters.

FILM REVIEW: The Great Gatsby

Star Trek Into Darkness

Opens: May 16

After a four-year hiatus from the franchise, Star Trek: Into Darkness debuted to $83 million domestically. Director J.J. Abrams' film stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana. The crew of the Enterprise face a threat from within their own organization as Captain Kirk (Pine) leads the group to capture a terrorist played by Benedict Cumberbatch.

FILM REVIEW: Star Trek Into Darkness

Epic

Opens: May 24

Blue Sky Studios test the boundaries of good and evil in their latest animated feature Epic, starring Colin Farrel, Josh Hutcherson and Beyonce Knowles. The film follows a teenager who finds herself in a forest riddled with forces of good and evil. She eventually joins a group of characters who band together to save the world.

FILM REVIEW: Epic

Fast & Furious 6

Opens: May 24

The crew returns for the sixth film in the franchise. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and Michelle Rodriguez reprise their roles as Dominic, Brian, Luke and Letty, respectively, as the crew works to take down criminal mastermind Owen Shaw’s (Luke Evans) organization, which is involved in vehicle warfare.

FILM REVIEW: Fast & Furious 6

The Hangover Part III

Opens: May 23

The Wolfpack reunites for the third (and supposedly final) film of the franchise. Returning to Las Vegas, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) get into all kinds of trouble as they try to find Alan treatment for his mental issues and rescue their kidnapped friend Doug (Justin Bartha).

FILM REVIEW: The Hangover Part III

Penguins 3D

Opens: May 24

Narrated by David Attenborough, Penguins 3D centers on a young male King Penguin who returns to his homeland. The film follows the hero as he attempts to find his place in the world.

After Earth

Opens: May 31

Set in the distant future, After Earth follows the adventure of Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher (Will Smith) as they crash-land on an abandoned Earth. The father-son duo must face unfathomable amounts of danger to get to safety.

The Internship

Opens: June 7

In the comedy, two middle-aged (and tech illiterate) salesmen (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) must deal with the increasing importance of technology in the digital age. After losing their jobs, the two fall into an internship at Google, forcing them to compete with the nation’s smartest, most tech-savvy young adults.

Much Ado About Nothing

Opens: June 7

In this modern retelling of Shakespeare’s classic, director Joss Whedon chooses to present the romantic comedy in black and white. The film stars a host of Whedon veterans including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz, Jillian Morgese, Sean Maher, Clark Gregg, and Reed Diamond.

FILM REVIEW: Much Ado About Nothing

Man of Steel

Opens: June 14

In the latest Superman flick, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) must face his hidden past when Earth is invaded by criminals from his native Krypton. Featuring Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Russell Crowe as Jor-El, the film also stars Michael Shannon as the villain General Zod.

The Bling Ring

Opens: June 14

Starting off with a bang at the Cannes Film Festival, The Bling Ring stars Emma Watson, Israel Broussard and Katie Chang. The film, based on true events, follows a group of fame-obsessed teenagers who break into celebrities’ homes.

Monsters University

Opens: June 21

As a prequel to the hit Monsters, Inc., Monsters University establishes the relationship between Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) during their college years. The Disney Pixar film also features John Krasinski and Nathan Fillion.

World War Z

Opens: June 21

World War Z takes the zombie genre to big budget territory. Brad Pitt stars as Gerry Lane, a United Nations employee who must make sense of a zombie pandemic threatening the existence of humanity.

White House Down

Opens: June 28

This action-thriller stars Channing Tatum as a Capitol policeman who must save his child and the President (Jamie Foxx) when a heavily armed group of invaders attack the White House. Director Roland Emmerich's film also features Maggie Gyllenhaal and Richard Jenkins.

Despicable Me 2

Opens: July 3

The Despicable Me sequel stars Steve Carell (Gru) and Kristen Wiig (Lucy Wilde), the film follows Gru as he is recruited by a league that hope to deal with a powerful new criminal.

The Lone Ranger

Opens: July 3

This pulpy Western stars Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and Helena Bonham Carter. Tonto (Depp), a Native American warrior, recounts the tale of John Reid (Hammer), otherwise known as the Lone Ranger, and his path to finding justice after his brother is murdered.

Pacific Rim

Opens: July 12

The action-adventure flick Pacific Rim stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba and Charlie Day. The Guillermo del Toro film sees humankind using giant robots to ward of an alien attack that threatens Earth’s existence.

Turbo

Opens: July 17

Though snails may be slow, they can have big dreams. Turbo follows the titular character (Ryan Reynolds), a snail who aspires to win the Indy 500. The animated film also features Paul Giamatti as Chet and Maya Rudolph as Burn.

Girl Most Likely

Opens: July 19

Fresh off her Saturday Night Live hosting gig, Kristin Wiig stars as a failed New York playwright who must move back home with her mother in New Jersey. The film also stars Matt Dillon, Annette Bening and Darren Criss.

The Wolverine

Opens: July 26

After receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in last year’s Les Miserables, Hugh Jackman returns in the title role of The Wolverine. The film centers on the clawed mutant as he travels to Japan where he must face an enemy capable of threatening his entire future.

Elysium

Opens: August 9

This futuristic action film stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster. While humankind’s wealthy live on a man-made space station, the rest live on a destroyed Earth. A man (Damon) aspires to bring equality two the two worlds.

Kick-Ass 2

Opens: August 16

The high-school hero Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) returns in the sequel. With the addition of Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit-Girl and Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes, the film follows Kick-Ass as he joins a group of costumed heroes fighting against the villainous The Mother F---er (Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

The World’s End

Opens: August 23

In Simon Pegg’s latest comedy The World’s End, five friends try to replicate their pub crawl from 20 years before. The film follows the group as they realize they may be humankind’s only hope for survival.

You’re Next

Opens: August 23

You’re Next expects to deliver the screams. The film stars Sharni Vinson and A.J. Bowen and sees a gang of animal-masked murders attack a family reunion, revealing the hidden murderous talents of one of the family members.