I can’t believe it’s 2016 already!

A new year stretches ahead of us, curving out of sight like a path through the forest—a path that holds surprises, opportunities, and mysteries. What awaits? More specifically, how will the year shape up in terms of entertainment in the realms of science fiction and fantasy?

Though, like Frodo on his journey to Mount Doom, I have but a vague outline of what awaits, there are some clear milestones along the path. Some fantastic movies are set to release this year, and my geeky heart is ready to explode with anticipation. So many chances for new adventures.

Box Office Predictions for Spec-fic Movies

Civil War. Civil War. Civil War. Um…yeah, in case you couldn’t tell, I’m crazy excited for this movie. Probably more so than for any other movie to this point. (Since I’m new to the geek realm and didn’t anticipate the release of any Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter movies.)

But wait, Civil War isn’t the only cool kid on the block. Batman v. Superman adds a voice to the chaos vying for top spot at the box office. And of course, we have Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, plus a host of other spec-fic movies that should rake in loads of cash.

But who will rule the day?

Here’s my completely uneducated, fan-based opinion on how the rankings for the top ten spec-fic movies of 2016 will shake out. Or even random guesses, since I know next to nothing about some of these movies.

10. Warcraft. A video game as a movie? Given the popularity, similar visuals and storytelling to movies, and widespread appeal of video games, turning one into a movie isn’t as crazy as it sounds. I’m not a gamer, but based on my slight knowledge, Warcraft is a big deal. Will that status transfer over to the big screen? I think so.

9. Doctor Strange. My guess is that the content will be too strange (ha! Did you see what I did?) for some people, even Marvel fans, which will hurt Doctor Strange’s performance.

On the upside…BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH! The British star of Sherlock is the ace in this movie’s back pocket and will help make up for this departure from superhero movies as we’ve come to know them.

8. Independence Day: Resurgence. Despite the absence of Will Smith, this movie should do well. Large-scale destruction. Explosions. World-wide implications. An alien invasion. A fight to survive. Standard recipe for success for a modern movie. While it lacks the compelling pull movies such as Civil War and Rogue One, it should easily crack the top ten in the spec-fic department.

7. Suicide Squad. This is an intriguing movie because it takes the superhero stories inundating Hollywood and bends them in a different direction. A darker, more twisted direction, yet one that offers glimpses of compelling themes and a unique perspective.

The success of Suicide Squad will largely rest on the shoulders of Batman v. Superman. The presence of Batman in the movie should help, and if the unveiling of a new Joker reveals a character as compelling as Heath Ledger’s portrayal, this film will be primed to make a statement.

6. Alice Through the Looking Glass. Based on the trailer I saw, this looks to be a fascinating movie. The whimsical, adventurous nature should appeal to a wide range of people, and the visual feast is a welcome respite from the mind numbing explosions, chase scenes, and destruction common to modern movies.

If the success of the first movie, Alice in Wonderland, is any indication, Alice in the Looking Glass will offer a strong performance.

5. X-Men: Apocalypse. The last X-Men movie, Days of Future Past, kicked the franchise into high-earnings territory, and was an excellent film to boot. While the plot revealed in the trailer looks standard, X-Men: Apocalypse should perform well and squeeze into the top five.

4. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Dark Knight Trilogy was incredible, and incredibly successful, but other than that, what has DC done? Not much, and that’s not going to play in their favor. BvS has potential but will ultimately suffer from cast overload and the fact that the storyline echoes Civil War, but then apparently doesn’t, thus cheating us from actually seeing Batman and Superman duke it out for final supremacy.

Which is fine since Batman could never win.

At the end of the day, BvS has too many weaknesses to crack the top three. It will enjoy substantial success but won’t enter the blockbuster breakout category.

3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Sure it’s a spinoff and sure it has plenty of stiff competition. To that I reply with three words: The Force Awakens. If the latest addition to the Star Wars canon has shown us anything, it’s that Star Wars still has a massive following, and judging by reactions to The Force Awakens, the thrill and excitement surrounding the franchise has returned in a major way.

The only reason this film won’t dominate the box office is due to unfortunate timing—aka releasing the same year as two even bigger films.

2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This is the 2016 version of The Force Awakens. The potential hovers somewhere in the thermosphere, but will the spin-off cash in on the fact that it’s the continuation of a global phenomenon? There’s no debating the fact that Harry Potter is a huge deal on pretty much every level, and easily one of the most successful film franchises of all time.

The question remains, will this new addition to the Potterverse thrill and delight current fans while attracting new fans, or will it underperform as Age of Ultron did? Only time will tell, but I’m leaning toward massive success.

1. Captain America: Civil War. Surprise-surprise, but not really. In all honesty, I don’t see any contenders topping Civil War. The hype has already begun, with this movie amounting to an earth-based Avengers film (minus Hulk and Thor) in scope and importance, despite the fact that this is technically the final installment in Captain America’s trilogy.

Oh, did I forget to mention the debut of Black Panther? And if memory serves, this other fellow is coming home to the Marvel fold where he belongs. A queer guy in a red and blue suit crisscrossed with spider webs.

Add to that the larger implications in the multiverse and the fact that this will be the first movie to ever pit two teams of superheroes (and former allies, no less) against each other, and Civil War is shaping up to blow minds and break hearts. In every good way possible.

What movies are you looking forward to seeing this year? Which movie do you think will take home the top box office spot? I’d love to hear your thoughts.