Get to Know Summer's Heroes

Movie heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Some wear costumes, some wear regular clothes, and some wear lions on their heads. Meet the most compelling protagonists of summer 2014.

Steve Rogers may get all the credit, but this movie's surprise MVP is Sam "Falcon" Wilson (Anthony Mackie). The Falcon was actually the world's first African-American superhero. He made his Marvel Comics debut back in 1969.

Anthony Mackie's 'Captain America' costar Scarlett Johansson has already proven her butt-kicking abilities as Black Widow. But in 'Lucy' she takes it up a notch as a drug mule instilled with superhuman powers.

'Breaking Bad''s' Walter White was the ultimate antihero. But Bryan Cranston, the actor who so memorably portrayed him, finds redemption as a nuclear physicist trying to save humanity from getting stomped on by a giant lizard.

The nerdy Viking and the misunderstood Night Fury return to the silver screen, older and (perhaps) wiser. Together they encounter new foes, new species of dragons… and Hiccup's long-lost mother.

There's no better fit for the strongest demigod in mythology than Dwayne Johnson. This movie picks up after Hercules has finished his twelve labors. What could be worse than cleaning the Augean stables?

The latest sci-fi epic from the Wachowskis ('The Matrix' trilogy and the underrated 'Cloud Atlas') stars Mila Kunis as Jupiter, an ordinary woman destined to become intergalactic royalty. We're certainly intrigued.

The Transformers franchise gets a new jolt of energy thanks to the always-welcome Mark Wahlberg. The Bostonian hamburger entrepreneur plays a Texas inventor who discovers Optimus Prime in his workshop.

Not all heroes are heroic. Take, for example, this cowardly sheep farmer, played by writer/director Seth MacFarlane. As he tallies up the myriad gruesome deaths in 1882 Arizona, will he find himself among the casualties?

Melissa McCarthy stars as the put-upon heroine in this road trip comedy. After losing her job, her car, and her cheating husband, what's left to do but hit the highway with her grandmother (Susan Sarandon)?

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are a pair of futuristic soldiers sent back in time again and again to fight the same battle. The plot makes our heads spin, but the movie looks thrilling.

The summer of 2014 is packed with Marvel superheroes – none more so than this X-Men sequel, which sends Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, who else?) back to the 1970s to prevent developments that could wipe out mutantkind.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are without a doubt Marvel Comics' motliest crew, and they make their big-screen debut this summer. Chris Pratt plays their wisecracking leader Peter Quill, who prefers the moniker Star-Lord.

The barrage of Marvel movies continues with this Spider-Man sequel. This time, Spidey (Andrew Garfield) fends off a trio of villains unleashed by Oscorp Industries technology. Glimpses of the Oscorp labs promise more baddies to come.

What could be more heroic than battling cancer? Nothing that we can think of. Shailene Woodley's star continues to rise as she takes on the role of Hazel in this adaptation of the beloved novel.