After A long, disappointing winter at the multiplex, Hollywood is responding this summer with a platoon of heroes to target every corner of the marketplace.

The summer of 2008 will feature an unusually deep bench of comic-book characters, including "Iron Man," ''Hellboy II," ''The Incredible Hulk" and the return of Batman in "The Dark Knight." The season also has heroic figures aimed at baby boomers ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"); outsiders (Will Smith as a down-and-out guy infused with super powers in "Hancock"); conspiracy theorists (a new "X-Files" movie); and fantasy lovers ("The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"). And moviegoers looking for heroines without special powers (but with outfits as stylish as those of any superhero) can check out the movie version of "Sex and the City."

Hollywood executives, who begin every summer with sunny forecasts, describe it as a something-for-everyone approach that will keep the turnstiles spinning. "I think week after week, there are some huge movies," says Jeff Blake, chairman of world-wide marketing and distribution at Sony Corp.'s Sony Pictures Entertainment.

But this year, an especially crowded marketplace could make it tough for heroes to break from the pack and save the day for their respective studios. About 50 wide-release films are due to open from May through August, compared with 41 five years ago, according to box-office tracker Media by Numbers, Encino, Calif. Several of the season's big-budget films open in May, before the summer officially kicks off, including "Indiana Jones," ''Iron Man," ''Narnia" and "Speed Racer."

An overstuffed marketplace has already made 2008 a difficult year. Through last weekend, total domestic ticket sales stood at $2.47 billion, down 3.5 percent from $2.56 billion last year; with increased ticket prices, attendance is down even more, about 6.6 percent. By this time last year, four films had sold more than $100 million in tickets domestically; this year, only the animated Dr. Seuss tale "Horton Hears a Who!" has cleared that bar.

"There is some concern that with this much product out there, you have to make sure your voice is heard," says Adam Fogelson, head of marketing for Universal Pictures. "That said, I think there is room for everything out there to work."

The people who make and finance movies — major studios and outside financiers trying to make their own fortunes in Hollywood — often turn to comic books for material because, in the past, they have provided cross-generational box-office gushers like the "Spider-Man" franchise. Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount, says the superhero genre has grown in popularity because, "It plays well with families, because people can accept a certain level of violence as long as it's not real."

Of the two Marvel-financed summer movies, "Iron Man," is seen as a more likely candidate than "Hulk" for blockbusterdom. The big-budget movie, which cost $135 million, opens the first weekend in May, which has often been one of the best launching pads for summer hits. Distributor Paramount has staked the film's success on Robert Downey Jr., who stars as Iron Man.

Jon Favreau, who directed "Iron Man," says "it took some coaxing with Marvel" to cast the 43-year-old Mr. Downey, whose past substance-abuse problems have at times cast a pall on his prospects. "When a company is hanging an entire franchise on someone, they want someone younger," Mr. Favreau says. But the director felt most comfortable with an experienced actor. For Marvel, he adds, Mr. Downey presented "a big chance to take."

Mr. Downey isn't the only hero with a few miles on him this summer. Harrison Ford, who turns 66 in July, stars in the fourth installment of the "Indiana Jones" saga, which has been dormant since 1989. Producer Frank Marshall says he isn't worried about Mr. Ford being too old to play Indy: "He's older and wiser in this film. He is sort of like a fine wine. He has matured well."

Comic book movies aren't always hits. In 2003, an artsy Ang Lee-directed take on the Marvel Comics' character the Hulk was a box-office misfire for Universal Pictures. But that's not stopping Marvel from trying again. The comic-book publisher is financing its own movies these days, and it is paying for another big-budget attempt at getting the Hulk franchise to generate some green.

This time around, Edward Norton stars as scientist Bruce Banner, who swells into an angry emerald beast when he gets stressed. Most of the drama surrounding this movie, which will again be distributed by Universal, has been offscreen, with Mr. Norton clashing with Marvel executives about the movie's final cut. The two sides publicly buried the hatchet recently, but it remains to be seen how the controversy will affect the film's box-office returns.

"Sex and the City" from Time Warner Inc.'s New Line unit, also hopes to tap into the heroic spirit of the summer. "These women are the ultimate female superheroes," says Michael Patrick King, who executive produced the HBO hit from which the movie sprang. "'Sex and The City' was made to correct the myth that if you were single at a certain age, you were a leper. Its four characters are heroes to a lot of women; they run around New York, or Gotham — but they have fancy shoes instead of capes."

But the ladies, too, are a little older than the last time we saw them. In the film, they're in their 40s, a "different, somewhat-tougher time" than their 30s, which the television series focused on, says Mr. King. "If you want to see the girls at 34, you can turn on your television every night or rent the DVDs," Mr. King says. "I knew the one mistake I could make in the film was to freeze-dry them and pretend they weren't in their 40s now."

May 2

'Iron Man'

The Pitch: Robert Downey Jr. plays wealthy womanizer Tony Stark, who builds a super-powered suit of armor to escape terrorists. The experience inspires him to start saving lives — and to change his own. "You have a lot of fun with him before has his change of heart," says director Jon Favreau.

Inside Track: Mr. Favreau and Mr. Downey improvised and rewrote many of the star's monologues. In one scene set in Afghanistan but filmed in California, Stark pitches a weapon system to Air Force officers by delivering a jingoistic speech. "Robert and I were hunkered down, frantically scribbling out different versions of the monologue on the foam core that was supposed to be rocks. That monologue, which ended up so tongue-and-cheek, really set the tone for Tony Stark, for Iron Man."

Bottom Line: Marvel took a risk in casting Mr. Downey, and he seems to be on a roll, with starring roles in two other films coming out this year. But he hasn't proved he has Will Smith's box-office clout, and this could be the first film of a new franchise.

May 9

'Speed Racer'

The Pitch: The Wachowski Brothers adapt the 1960s Japanese cartoon into a feature-length film. In the movie, the young Speed Racer uses his driving skills to save the family business from a takeover by a large, evil corporation. The movie stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman.

Inside Track: Although the entire film focuses on automotives, not a single real car was used — or harmed — in the making of the movie. Instead, more than 2,000 special-effects shots were used to create the vehicles that appear in the film. Most of the movie was shot on a green screen in Berlin.

Bottom Line: The Wachowski Brothers launched a franchise with "The Matrix" and could do it again with "Speed Racer" — but it's a steep hill to climb, even for supercharged automobiles.

May 16

'The Chronicles

of Narnia: Prince Caspian'

The Pitch: The second installment of C.S. Lewis's fantasy series picks up the story of the four Pevensie siblings one Earth year after the first movie ended — but 1,300 years later in Narnia.

Inside Track: New Zealand-born Andrew Adamson once again takes on the directing and screenwriting duties for "Caspian," a more complicated tale than the first Narnia movie, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." ''This time, the material was less cinematic, and the hardest nut to crack was the story structure," says Mr. Adamson, who also co-directed the first two animated "Shrek" films. The new movie is about a prince fighting to regain his throne. To add flair, Mr. Adamson invented a major battle scene in the middle of the film that involves an army of fantastical creatures raiding a castle.

Bottom Line: The first movie took in almost $745 million at the world-wide box office. If the second, denser film matches or exceeds that, Disney could have another money-gushing "Pirates" franchise.

May 22

'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'

The Pitch: Nineteen years after Indiana rode off into the sunset, he's back. The first film was set in the 1930s, but the new one takes place in the 1950s. Indiana is teaching again, but it isn't enough — and it isn't long before he's investigating the "legend of the crystal skull," and tracking down one of the mystic skulls that contain the knowledge of the universe.

Inside Track: As Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford wears the same costume he wore nearly two decades ago in the last installment. "He was very proud that he could fit into the pants," says producer Frank Marshall. They also used much of the same furniture and accessories like whips and hats from the original films, stored at the Lucasfilm archive in Northern California.

Bottom Line: With Mr. Ford having passed retirement age, this installment might be a stretch for younger filmgoers. But young co-star Shia LaBeouf — and the 1950s rock 'n' roll soundtrack — could add a spark.

May 30

'Sex and the City: The Movie'

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