Comic-Con Preview: Comic Book Movies

It looks like this year's Comic-Con will be a good show for comic book-inspired movies. Four major comic book adaptations are poised to take over the show. Meanwhile, potential blockbusters like "Indiana Jones 4" and "Star Trek XI" will be unwrapped for salivating fans. Here's a quick rundown of the top movies lined up for Comic-Con 2007:

One of the most talked-about and anticipated films will be none other than "Watchmen," the adaptation of what many consider to be the greatest graphic novel/limited comic series ever created. "Watchmen" is being directed by Zack Snyder, who's coming off of the mammoth success of "300." Snyder will be at the event to talk about the new film and provide eagerly-awaited casting news. Who will play Dr. Manhattan? Will Jackie Earl Haley ("Little Children") really be cast as Rorschach (I hope not)? And can Hollywood do Alan Moore's epic the right way? I'm crossing my fingers.

View the Comic-Con 2007 Preview Slideshow (19 images)

Director Zack Snyder snuck in a quick frame of Rorschach in his spring blockbuster "300."

If there's one comic book movie that has more buzz than "Watchmen," it's got to be "Iron Man." Director Jon Favreau's version of the popular comic book series already has a stellar cast that includes Robert Downey Jr. (as Tony Stark), Gwyneth Paltrow, Terence Howard and Jeff Bridges. Fans will undoubtedly look for some early footage of the film with Iron Man in action. Sure, it will be a lot of special effects and CGI, but as "Transformers" has proven, that stuff can look pretty darn good. Favreau and Downey will be at the conference to chat up the film, which is slated for a May 2008 release.

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in "Iron Man."

And let's not forget "The Dark Knight," director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to the highly successful re-launch "Batman Begins." Christian Bale returns as Batman, but the big question about the new flick is Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker; will Ledger be able to fill Jack Nicholson's formidable shows as the legendary villain? It certainly looks like the Joker has gotten a makeover from Tim Burton's "Batman" (see the slideshow for a peak). Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are all returning for "The Dark Knight," and recent reports have Aaron Eckhart ("Thank You For Smoking") playing Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face.

Warner Bros. released some pictures of "The Dark Knight" recently, including this picture of the Bat Pod, which looks kind of like a motorcycle but not really.

Speaking of comic book movie re-launches, if Batman pulled it off, then why not give the Hulk a shot? "The Incredible Hulk" aims to do just that, with Edward Norton stepping into the role of Bruce Banner for Eric Bana, who played the character in 2003's "Hulk." Also joining in are Liv Tyler, William Hurt and Tim Roth as the villain known as the Abomination. The first "Hulk" movie was criticized because the CGI looked too fake, which is a problem that can be fixed. But if Oscar-winning director Ang Lee couldn't make "Hulk" work the first time around, then will Louis Leterrier ("The Transporter" and "Unleashed") be able to pull it off?

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