In comic book movie terms, 2016 is set to be the year of the 'Superhero Smackdown'. 

Not only do we have Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to look forward to in March, a mere six weeks later we'll have the Marvel equivalent in Captain America: Civil War. What a time to be alive!

Although most fans would be satisfied with a yield like that, we're starting to get a little bit greedy here in the Entertainment.ie offices. We decided to dream up some other potential match ups. Some were amazing. Some were downright ridiculous. 

Here's the pick of the bunch.

1. Spider-Man vs. Wolverine

Precedence: The two faced off in Spider-man vs. Wolverine #1 which was published in February 1987. The whole plot is a bit long winded but basically the two end up in Berlin for a plot involving KGB agents. The two go toe to toe in a graveyard. It ends in a draw, as neither character could pull the trigger and kill the other when the opportunity arose. They also butted heads in the animated Spider-man series from the 90s which saw them in a triple threat match of sorts with the Hob Goblin. 

Why it would be awesome: Arguably they're the two biggest smart asses in the Marvel Universe (though Tony Stark would have something to say about that) so any duel between the two of them would be full of epic one liners. 

Likelihood: Considering the movie rights of the X-Men franchise are owned by 20th Century Fox and Spider-man's home is over at Sony, it's not very likely we'll see these two on the big screen anytime soon. That being said, if Marvel were able to cut a deal with Sony to get Spider-man to appear in Captain America: Civil War then it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for Spider-man and the X-Men universe to crossover at some point. 

2. Batman vs. The Green Arrow

Precedence: There's no precedence for a straight head to head battle between these two but they have cameod in each others stories in the past and there has been tension. 

Why it would be awesome: Although everyone is pumped for Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice let's just be practical about it for one second. In "reality", Superman should be able to kill Batman without breaking a sweat. A Bruce Wayne/Oliver Queen showdown on the other hand should be evenly matched. Neither have superpowers. They're both just rich dudes who've trained A LOT and this would be a duel of strategy and wits. 

Likelihood: Very unlikely. Although Batman is big box office, The Green Arrow has often been seen as a poor man's Batman (which fans of the CW's hit show Arrow will protest is grossly unfair).

3. The Hulk vs. The Thing (Ben Grimm)

Precedence: These two have been sparring partners for years. Which makes sense as theoretically, Ben Grimm is the only Marvel character that rivals The Hulk when it comes to brute force and size. They first met in Fantastic Four #12 but have had several bouts in the comics throughout the years and even had a rumble in the Fantastic Four animated series from the 90s. 

Why it would be awesome: As we mentioned before, The Thing/Ben Grimm is the only Marvel hero that comes close to the Hulk in terms of size. There would also be a neat human element to the drama as Ben Grimm would have massive envy towards Bruce Banner's ability to revert to his normal self. 

Likelihood: Slim chance of this happening. Each entry of the Fantastic Four franchise thus far has failed to make a good impression with audiences and although The Hulk has seen a massive surge in popularity since The Avengers, Marvel have still not a greenlit a new standalone Hulk movie. 

4. Suicide Squad vs. The Sinister Six

Precedence: None.

Why it would be awesome: This would be the comic book equivalent of WWE's The Royal Rumble. A DC group of villains vs. a Marvel group of villains. There would be so many possible permutations here. Nearly 100 different villains have been part of the Suicide Squad over the years while roughly 20 have been part of the Sinister Six.

Likelihood: Zero. Although the Suicide Squad are getting their own big screen outing next year, plans to make a Sinister Six movie fell by the wayside after The Amazing Spiderman 2's underwhelming box office performance. Also it would require a DC/Marvel crossover which although it has happened in the comic book world for a limited series, seems lightyears away in Hollywood. Even if you had a Millenium Falcon handy to get you there its far more likely that a Marvel hero vs. DC hero movie would have to happen first.