The poll is officially closed! Thanks to all our readers and our friends at San Diego Comic-Con who voted for their favorite.
All the fighters have entered the ring now in this “Summer of Smackdown!” With the release of Captain America this weekend, the battle for blockbuster superiority is now in full swing. So far Thor has dropped the hammer on the competition, taking in over $446M since its international release.
From the beginning, we’ve had our SmackPoll up, asking our readers which film they think will go down as the best super-hero film of the summer. No, it’s not scientific, nor even a real fair fight given the staggered release dates, but it is kind of surprising.
Captain America: The First Avenger is in first place, followed by Thor, followed by X-Men: First Class and it’s DC’s Green Lantern at the back of the pack.
Thor
May 6 – $446M – 24%
Thor, based on the Marvel comic book, tells the story of the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth). He plays the superhero/Norse god with all the swagger befitting this role. He looks and acts like he’s a god and a warrior. It’s a pretty amazing bit of casting.
When his actions nearly ignite a war between Asgard and the realm of the Frost Giants, Thor is stripped of power and banished to Earth by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins). There he learns a lesson in humility and what it means to protect the helpless at all costs.
Check out our Smackdown! of Thor -vs- Superman II
X-Men: First Class
June 3 – $347M – 28%
Setting the X-Men legend in its roots of the 1960s, this film based on the Marvel comic series is daring to do something different. Both a period piece and a superhero film, the origins of the X-Men are given a new perspective with a story that shows Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) as allies instead of rivals. Set against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, this brings the mutant debate right to the center of the civil rights movement in U.S. history.
Check out our Smackdown! of X-Men: First Class -vs- X-Men
Green Lantern
June 17 – $147M – 18%
From the DC Comics universe comes one of the biggest heroes who isn’t Superman or Batman. Green Lantern has a long career in the comics and has been the focal point of recent big story arcs.
In this film, Ryan Reynolds portrays Hal Jordan, the test pilot who is given a ring and invited into the Green Lantern Corps (kind of an intergalactic peace-keeping force). The ring allows will to become reality. But can it turn this green hero into box office gold?
Check out our Smackdown! of Green Lantern -vs- Iron Man
Captain America: The First Avenger
July 22 – $68M (as of 7/24) – 30%
The surprise of the summer may come from Captain America: The First Avenger. Also from Marvel Comics, Captain America is probably as well recognized as Superman in the DC Comics universe. But Marvel has been downplaying this film, which seems part origin story, part epic war drama, and a BIG set-up for the upcoming Avengers team film (due out in 2012). With Chris Evans (former Human Torch from The Fantastic Four) as Captain America, this could be a sleeper hit.
Check out our Smackdown! of Captain America: The First Avenger -vs- Batman Begins
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