Summer movie preview: 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' 'Indiana Jones,' 'The Flash' and 'Fast X' lead appealing slate

Apr. 28—This appears to be the summer of the FUN superhero.

The Flash.

Star-Lord.

Spider-Man.

Dominic Toretto.

Barbie. (Yeah. Barbie.)

If you're not entertained, it may be a YOU problem.

We'll even get a little serious fare — namely Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" — along with the usual mix of rom-coms, horror and animated adventures, as well as the likely final time we see Harrison Ford in one of his greatest roles, Indiana Jones.

Here's a look at some of what's coming to theaters and streaming services from early May to late August. (As always, dates are subject to change.)

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" — May 5 — Theaters >> This trilogy-closing space romp is every bit as big, action-packed and simultaneously hilarious and heartfelt as you'd hope. On his way out the Marvel Cinematic Universe door to guide the new DC Universe — and after some bumps in the road — "Guardians" writer-director James Gunn gives us one last epic adventure. Although a major element of it is Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) struggling to move past the fact that the reborn Gamora (Zoe Saldana) wants nothing to do with him (and is really rough around the edges these days), "Vol. 3" is primarily concerned with Rocket — the aggressive, experimented-on raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper — and his not so pleasant backstory. Look for our full review in the coming days, but know that Dave Bautista's Drax the Destroyer and Pom Klementieff's Mantis are as outrageous as they were in late 2022's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" (Disney+), while Karen Gillan's powerful (and durable) Nebula has become a driving force within the team. The guess here is you'll enjoy what possibly is one last ride with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

"Love Again" — May 5 — Theaters >> Priyanka Chopra Jonas, one of the stars of the promising new Prime Video spy-action series "Citadel," shares the screen with Sam Heughan ("Outlander") in this romantic comedy, which sees Celine Dion showing up to portray herself.

"Book Club: The Next Chapter" — May 12 — Theaters >> Just in time for Mother's Day, the four ladies from 2018 hit rom-com "Book Club" — Diane Keaton's Diane, Jane Fonda's Vivian, Mary Steenburgen's Carol and Candice Bergen's Sharon — take their club on a trip to Italy for Viv's bachelorette party in this sequel. What will that mean for the fellas — Andy Garcia's Mitchell, Don Johnson's Arthur and Craig T. Nelson's Bruce? (Apparently, Richard Dreyfuss' George isn't around for this volume.) Director Bill Hoderman is back, again co-writing the screenplay with Eric Simms.

"Crater" — May 12 — Disney+ >> Caleb Channing (Isaiah Russell-Bailey) is a young man who embarks on a journey with friends in this straight-to-Disney+ science-fiction adventure.

"Fool's Paradise" — May 12 — Theaters >> Charlie Day ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Horrible Bosses") makes his his directorial debut in this satire and portrays a mute man recently released from a mental health facility who's mistaken by a struggling publicist (Ken Jeong) for a method actor.

"The Mother" — May 12 — Netflix >> Jennifer Lopez stars as a former assassin on the run in this action film from talented director Niki Caro ("Whale Rider," "Mulan").

"Still a Michael J. Fox Movie" — May 12 — Apple TV+ >> The the life of the beloved star of TV shows ("Family Ties") and movies ("Back to the Future") who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 29 is the subject of this film, which, according to press materials, "incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements" and "recounts Fox's extraordinary story in his own words."

"Fast X" — May 19 — Theaters >> Can it actually be the beginning of the end? Positioned as the second-to-last movie in the main "Fast and Furious" series, "Fast X" is the sequel to 2021's solid "F9." Unfortunately, that film's director, Justin Lin — who helmed most of the best installments in this silly-but-thrilling series — walked away from the project, with Louis Leterrier ("The Incredible Hulk") stepping into his fuel-injected shoes. With an "Avengers"-sized cast that already features "F&F" vets Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Jason Statham and others, "X" adds "Aquaman" star Jason Momoa to the muscular mix as the new big bad, Dante Reyes, who teams up with Charlize Theron's returning Cipher. They'll try to bring down Diesel's Dominic Toretto, but we're talking about a man who lives life a quarter mile at a time. Won't be easy.

"White Men Can't Jump" — May 19 — Theaters >> Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow star in this update of the 1992 basketball comedy, the feature debut of director Charles Kidd II, aka Calmatic. A Twentieth Century Studios production, it is bouncing directly to Hulu.

"The Little Mermaid" — May 26 — Theaters >> Almost a quarter of a century after the release of the Disney animated classic, this live-action version is helmed by the dependable Rob Marshall ("Chicago," "Into the Woods," "Mary Poppins Returns"), who works from a screenplay by David Magee ("Finding Neverland"). Haile Bailey, who's 50 percent of the music duo Chloe x Halle, stars as mermaid princess Ariel. The supporting cast includes Jonah Hauer-King, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay and, last but not least, Javier Bardem. Disney has an uneven record with these remakes, but there's enough talent in front and behind the camera to be optimistic about this one.

"The Machine" — May 26 — Theaters >> Popular comic Bert Kreischer portrays a version of himself, while Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, plays his father in this action comedy in which the Kreischers are kidnapped thanks to a two-decades-old grudge. Peter Atencio ("Keanu") directs.

"Reality" — May 29 — HBO >> Sydney Sweeney ("The White Lotus") portrays the government whistleblower Reality Winner in this drama.

"The Boogeyman" — June 2 — Theaters >> "Yellowjackets" star Sophie Thatcher is front and center in this slice of horror as a high school student who has lost her mother and now, apparently, has to deal with the movie's titular entity.

"Shooting Stars" — June 2 — Peacock >> This adaptation of the book of the same name by NBA superstar LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger sees five-star high school baller Marquis "Mookie" Cook portraying James in his days at Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary Catholic High School. Wood Harris ("The Wire") portrays James' coach Dru Joyce, while the greatest player in Cleveland Cavaliers history will appear in the film, as well.

"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" — June 2 — Theaters >> This delayed sequel to the dazzling and Academy Award-winning animated adventure "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" continues the story of young Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as an inexperienced Spidey. Also returning are Hailee Steinfeld, as Gwen Stacy, and Jake Johnson, as veteran webslinger Peter Parker, while newcomers include Issa Rae, as Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya, as Spider-Punk, Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099 and Jason Schwartzman, as the villainous Spot. A follow-up, "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," is on the books for early 2024.

"Flamin' Hot" — June 9 — Hulu >> Onetime "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria makes her feature directorial debut in this biopic about Richard Montanez (Jesse Garcia), a janitor at Frito-Lay who claimed to have invented the company's popular Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

"Strays" — June 9 — Theaters >> Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx and Isla Fisher are among those voicing dogs who come together for an adventure in this live-action affair. "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" director Josh Greenbaum will try to keep this one on its leash.

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" — June 9 — Theaters >> This sequel to "Bumblebee," like that 2018 hit, isn't helmed by the spectacle-embracing Michael Bay, director of the first five "Transformers" movies. (As with "Bumblebee," Bay's involved as a producer.) Instead, that duty falls to "Creed II" director (and Cleveland native) Steven Caple Jr. Set in the '90s, "Beasts" will mix old-school Autobots including Optimus Prime (voiced as always by Peter Cullen), the uniquely communicating Bumblebee and Mirage (Pete Davidson) with Maximals (Ron Perlman's Optimus Primal and Michelle Yeoh's Airazor) and Terrorcons (Peter Dinklage's Scourge). Last but not least, we get the planet-eating Unicron, the BIG bad in 1986's animated "Transformers: The Movie," voiced by the late great Orson Welles. He's voiced here by "Fear the Walking Dead" star Colman Domingo, who isn't Welles but who does possess a great voice. Oh, wait, wait — forgot about the humans, who are played by, among others, Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback.

"The Blackening" — June 16 — Theaters >> A play on the trope that a Black person often is the first to die in a horror movie, this comedy horror film from director Tim Story ("Barbershop") about an all-Black group of friends was runner up for the People's Choice Award for Midnight Madness at September's Toronto International Film Festival.

"Elemental" — June 16 — Theaters >> As it has in Academy Award-winning films such as 2015's "Inside Out" and 2020's "Soul," Disney subsidiary Pixar Animation Studios is going high-concept with its latest release. "Elemental" is set in Element City, where nature's elements reside. It is a love story between fire element Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis) and water element Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), who will have to work to get past their, well, natural differences. Peter Sohn, who helmed 2015 Pixar entry "The Good Dinosaur," directs.

"Extraction 2" — June 16 — Netflix >> The action-heavy "Extraction" was a hit for Netflix in 2020, so it's no surprise its central figure, mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth), is back from the dead for this sequel. Also returning are director Sam Hargrave and writer Anthony Russo, this time co-writing with brother (and fellow Northeast Ohio native) Joe Russo and Ande Parks, author of the graphic novel on which the movies are based, "Ciudad."

"The Flash" — June 16 — Theaters >> Said to borrow from the "Flashpoint" storyline from comic books, this long-awaited superhero flick appears poised to usher out the DC Extended Universe and launch the DC Universe with some timeline-altering shenanigans, giving DC Comics and partner Warner Bros. Pictures the opportunity to reboot heroes who've been featured in movies and use others who have not. We'll see if the well-publicized troubles of DCEU veteran Ezra Miller — he's played the speedy Flash and alter ego Barry Allen since 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" — affect the movie's box-office performance. Hard to see how this one won't be a hit, though, with "Batman" star Michael Keaton portraying a Caped Crusader from another part of the multiverse. And, hey, if this is to be a "dance with the devil in the pale moonlight," perhaps it's good the director of the "It" movies, Andy Muschietti, is at the helm.

"Asteroid City" — June 23 (wide-release date) — Theaters >> Brilliant more often than not, writer-director Wes Anderson obviously has plenty of terrific actors who work with him. Just look at this latest quirky comedy — concerned, at least vaguely, with space and aliens — boasts Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Borday, Steve Carell, Hong Chou, Margot Robbie, Willem Dafoe, frequent collaborator Jason Schwartzman and, for the first time, Tom Hanks.

"No Hard Feelings" — June 23 — Theaters >> Worried about the lack of interest in all things adults — especially women — the parents (Matthew Broderick and Laura Benanti) of young Percy hire struggling Uber driver Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) to, as she puts it, "date his brains out." (Best. Parents. Ever.) If the NSFW red-band trailer can be trusted, this should be one uproariously funny coming-of-age sex comedy.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" — June 30 — Theaters >> OK, we all think the trailer released a few weeks ago looks pretty darned good, right? We're starting to be ... cautiously optimistic? Look, we're all rooting for what almost surely is the last movie with Harrison Ford starring as Indiana Jones to be a lot of fun, right? It doesn't have to be 1981's "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but it also can't be the most recent installment, 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." On the screen, Ford will have help in carrying the adventure in the form of endlessly talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge, as Jones' feisty goddaughter, and Mads Mikkelsen, who seems like he's up to the task of being an impactful fNazi villain. For the first time, Steven Spielberg isn't in the director chair, the task of orchestrating the adventurous symphony falling to the dependable James Mangold ("Walk the Line," "Ford v Ferrari").

"Harold and the Purple Crayon" — June 30 — Theaters >> Based on the 1955 children's book, this adventure about a boy on a magical mission features adult cast members Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery and Zooey Deschanel.

"Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken" — June 30 — Theaters >> In this offering from DreamWorks Animation, Lana Condor voices the titular Ruby, a girl just trying to hide her true sea-monster identity and fit into the world who runs afoul of a mean-girl mermaid (Annie Murphy) who plans to expose her. Voice work is also turned in by Toni Colette, Sam Richardson and Jane Fonda.

"Insidious: The Red Door" — July 5 — Theaters >> Patrick Wilson co-stars and directs this fifth entry in the horror series and a direct sequel to the first two chapters. Cast members Ty Simpkins and Rose Byrne are around for this latest scare-fest, as well.

"Joyride" — July 7 — Theaters >> After debuting at March's SXSW fest, the directorial debut from Adele Linne — about a group of friends trekking across China in what is a very personal mission for one of them — holds a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" — July 12 — Theaters >> We still don't know much about what will go on in this seventh film in the long-running franchise — "Synopsis: Forthcoming," a media document states — but we know Tom Cruise's daring Ethan Hunt will be in the middle of it all, as always. This is the fourth time Cruise's greatest partner in creative crime, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie, is steering this espionage-action ship. The undoubtedly thrilling ride also features franchise vets Ving Rhames, Simon Peg, Rebecca Ferguson and Vanessa Kirby. Hayley Atwell ("Agent Carter") joins the "M:I" fray as the potentially problematic Grace.

"Theater Camp" — July 14 — Theaters >> We're looking forward to a trailer for the directorial debut of Molly Gordon, who, along with Ben Platt ("Dear Evan Hansen"), leads an ensemble cast in this comedy.

"Barbie" — July 21 — Theaters >> Count us among the many who can't wait to see what "Lady Bird" director Greta Gerwig — working with partner and frequent collaborator Noah Baumbach ("White Noise") on the screenplay — has planned for this undoubtedly commentary-filled movie based around the enduring line of dolls. The recently released second trailer is insanely colorful, with Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as an equally blond Ken looking doll-perfect. However, according to the synopsis, "After being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll, Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness."

"Oppenheimer" — July 21 — Theaters >> This biopic about "the father of the atomic bomb," J. Robert Oppenheimer ("Peaky Blinders" star Cillian Murphy), from writer-director Christopher Nolan, is described in a press document as "epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it." We understand the instinct to make the movie as exciting as possible, but this is Nolan, the man behind "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Memento" and "Inception." He doesn't make boring films, even if a biopic would seem to be rather conventional fare for him. The cast includes a bunch of other talented folks, including Emily Blunt, Robert Downey, Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh and Kenneth Branagh.

"They Cloned Tyrone" — July 21 — Theaters >> (In Yoda voice): "Begun the cloning of Tyrone has." We make that terrible joke because "Star Wars" sequel trilogy star John Boyega portrays Fontaine, a man leading an effort to reveal a massive conspiracy in this fun-looking sci-fi comedy.

"Haunted Mansion" — July 28 — Theaters >> Like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and 2021's "Jungle Cruise," "Haunted Mansion" stems from a Disney theme park attraction. LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish lead a cast that also boasts Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito and Owen Wilson in what should be a slice of spooky but family-friendly fun. Justin Simien ("Dear White People") directs.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" — Aug. 4 — Theaters >> Seth Rogen is among the writers of this computer-animated adventure for the enduring group of crime-fighting reptiles. The voice cast includes Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Post Malone and, of course, Rogen.

"The Meg 2" — Aug. 4 — Theaters >> And just when we thought it was safe to go back into the deepest depths of the ocean. Jason Statham returns for more giant-shark battling in this sequel to 2018's "The Meg," with "Free Fire" director Ben Wheatley at the helm.

"Gran Turismo" — Aug. 11 — Theaters >> The fact that director Neill Blomkamp ("District 9, "Elysium") is at the wheel for this adaptation of the long-running Sony PlayStation racing series suggests something beyond a video-game cash-in. Archie Madekwe stars as a rising young driver, while David Harbour, Orlando Bloom and Djimon Hounsou turn in supporting performances.

"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" — Aug. 11 — Theaters >> We expect a more typical Dracula tale than the one offered up in the recent comedy "Renfield," as this horror film is adapted from a chapter in Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula" from 1897. The tale of a doomed ship's crew stars Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham and David Dastmalchian, with Javier Botet as Dracs.

"Blue Beetle" — Aug. 18 — Theaters >> It's a little murky as to whether this adventure featuring a lesser-known DC superhero will exist in the new DCU or be stuck in the DCEU. The powers that be surely will figure out how to keep things going if it performs well enough at the box office to merit a sequel. Trying to make that happen are star Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, who gains alien superpowers and becomes the titular hero, and director Angel Manuel Soto.

"Lift" — Aug. 25 — Netflix >> F. Gary Gray ("Straight Outta Compton") directs Kevin Hart in this heist comedy about a master thief convinced by his FBI ex-girlfriend (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to do a job aboard a plane traveling from London to Zurich.

"They Listen" — Aug. 25 — Theaters >> Chris Weitz ("About a Boy," "Operation Finale") isn't a name we associate with horror (unless you want to count "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"), which alone makes this one a little interesting. Details are scarce, Katherine Waterston ("Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them") stars.

"White Bird" — Aug. 25 — Theaters >> This prequel to the 2017 coming-of-age drama "Wonder" picks up with a key character from that story, Julien (a returning Bryce Gheisar) is visited by his grandmother (Helen Mirren), who tells him of her childhood as a young girl in Nazi-occupied France. The dependable Mark Forster ("Finding Neverland," "Christopher Robin") directs.

"The Equalizer 3" — Sept. 1 — Theaters >> Denzel Washington is back with his "Training Day" director, Antoine Fuqua, for another turn as vigilante hero Robert McCall.