Will Smith, Ron Perlman and Christian Bale promise to heat up July’s big screens as very different types of superheroes fighting against evil. Considering the diverse release schedule below, fans of musicals, comedies, girl power, action adventures and sci-fi films may also have cause to celebrate the month’s cinematic offerings.    

JULY 2:

Hancock. If anyone can pull off the role of an unpopular superhero who needs to shape up in more ways than one, it’s Will Smith. Judging from the entertaining previews, this movie should be an explosive hit with July 4th holiday moviegoers. 

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. Everyone’s little sweetheart, Abigail Breslin, takes on the role of a 10-year-old girl with a passion for writing in this G-rated film set in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the Great Depression.

JULY 11:

Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Ron Perlman returns for his second adventure as the fiery-red Hellboy, a demon raised to fight on the side of Good. He must now lead a battle against rebellious creatures from the mythical world.

 Journey to the Center of the Earth. Based on Jules Verne’s novel, this action adventure follows Brendan Fraser’s character as he leads a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother and ends up discovering a lost world at the center of the earth.    

Meet Dave. Eddie Murphy stars in this bizarre comedy about miniature aliens who operate a spaceship with a human form. Believe it or not, a human woman, played by Elizabeth Banks, captivates the alien crew. Talk about close encounters!

JULY 18:

The Dark Knight. After seeing the trailers for this dark Batman Begins sequel, I fear Christian Bale’s Batman might take a back seat to the late Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the psychotic Joker. But it looks like an exceptionally thrilling ride.  

Mamma Mia! Okay, movie musical fans, time to shout hooray!  Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski, Dominic Cooper and Julie Walters bring this popular Broadway show to life on the big screen. I’m already humming some of those wonderful ABBA songs from the ‘70s.  

Space Chimps. Chimps become heroes after being blasted into space by an ambitious senator (voiced by Stanley Tucci) in this animated sci-fi comedy. Cowboys in space, Muppets in space, Chimps in space -- what’s next? Probably “Grannies in Space”-- but, hey, it’s all in good fun.

JULY 25:

The Step Brothers. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play a couple of spoiled guys who compete against each other after their respective parents marry each other. Both actors can be very funny, so I have high hopes for this comedy.  

The X-Files: I Want To Believe. Agents Scully and Mulder return for their second film adventure. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny co-star, of course. Would we accept anyone else?

American Teen. This contemporary documentary offers a look at cliques among high school seniors in a small Indiana town. I'm surprised it's not a horror flick.    

Remember all release dates are subject to change.

(Photo: Hancock poster. © 2008 Sony Pictures. All Rights Reserved.)

Listen to John P. McCarthy, A.J. Hakari, Nikki Starr and Betty Jo Tucker discuss Superhero Movies on the July 1 "Movie Addict Headquarters" show by clicking on this BlogTalkRadio link.