By Jessica Wedemeyer
12:43am PST, Dec 23, 2016
Bring on the New Year! From babies and weddings to movie and TV debuts, these are the top 17 things Wonderwall.com is most eagerly anticipating in 2017. No. 1 is a no-brainer: We can't wait for "Wonder Woman." Gal Gadot made her debut as Diana Prince in 2016's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and was widely regarded as a highlight of the superhero flick, which starred Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in the titular roles. To the delight of fangirls everywhere, the Israeli model-actress will star as the Amazon princess in the stand-alone "Wonder Woman" origin story, which debuts on June 2. Will the film fare better than its poorly reviewed predecessor, which was nonetheless a hit at the box office? We sure hope so! Now keep reading for more of the top 17 things to expect in 2017…
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No. 2: A royal engagement
Things have been heating up quickly between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they first connected in May 2016. "I can see them engaged by the spring. He's head over heels," a friend of the fifth in line to the British throne told Us Weekly. Though Harry has yet to introduce his girlfriend to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II is reportedly "fully supportive" of the relationship. Whether or not an engagement is imminent, expect 2017 to be the year of the taming of the Party Prince!
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No. 4: A new lead dude on "24"
Jack may not be back, but we can't wait to see what Corey Hawkins' military hero Eric Carter brings to the table when "24: Legacy" debuts on Feb. 5. The 28-year-old actor previously portrayed Dr. Dre in 2015's "Straight Outta Compton" and has starred as Heath on "The Walking Dead" since Season 6 of the series. Kiefer Sutherland headlined the original "24" from 2001 to 2010 and briefly returned to the role of Jack Bauer on the 2014 event series "24: Live Another Day."
No. 5: Spidey swings back into action
Tom Holland made his debut as Peter Parker in 2016's "Captain America: Civil War" — and stole scenes from A-list co-stars Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. The 20-year-old actor (pictured on set) will step into the spotlight when his stand-alone film, "Spider-Man: Homecoming," debuts on July 7. Our Spidey sense is tingling already!
No. 6: Brad's bevy of beauties
In September 2016, Angelina Jolie shocked the world by filing to divorce Brad Pitt after two years of marriage, 12 years as a couple and six kids together. We have to say, in spite of the nasty custody battle that played out publicly in the wake of the divorce filing, the A-list actor hasn't looked this good in years. So it's only a matter of time until he's linked to someone new. Will she be a cocktail waitress? A Hollywood ingénue? A human rights attorney? (We're looking at you, George Clooney!) Either way, she's bound to pop up eventually — and we are ALL about it!
No. 7: Bradley's baby
Bradley Cooper and his girlfriend of less than two years, Irina Shayk, are expecting their first child sometime in 2017. The Russian beauty's baby bump was on full display when she walked the runway during the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris on Nov. 30, 2016. We can't wait to see how fatherhood changes B.Coop! And since they're also reportedly engaged, could a wedding be on its way soon too?
No. 8: Sonequa's "Discovery"
The "Star Trek" franchise will return to the small screen for the first time in more than a decade when "Star Trek: Discovery" debuts on CBS All Access in May. ("Star Trek: Enterprise" went off the air in 2005.) The series is expected to make history for the "Star Trek" franchise by centering around a character who is not a captain for the very first time — "The Walking Dead" star Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha) will fill the lead role, a lieutenant commander, on the show — and by featuring an openly gay character. Trekkies, rejoice!
No. 9: Hugh's final foray
Nearly two decades after he made his debut as Wolverine in 2000's "X-Men" (pictured), Hugh Jackman will bare his Adamantium claws for the very last time when "Logan" opens in theaters on March 3. The Oscar nominee also portrayed the Wolverine in "X2," "X-Men: The Last Stand," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "The Wolverine" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and made cameo appearances in "X-Men: First Class" and "X-Men: Apocalypse."
No. 10: More Diesel drama
The end of 2016 was not good to Vin Diesel. In August, he publicly feuded with "The Fate of the Furious" co-star Dwayne Johnson after The Rock took to Instagram to complain about certain individuals acting unprofessionally on set. In November, his only film of the year, "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," debuted to mixed reviews and subsequently failed to impress at the box office. And then in December, he made headlines for sexually harassing YouTube star and interviewer Carol Moreira while promoting "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" in Brazil. Unfortunately, Vin's odd behavior is becoming a trend, and with "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" debuting on Jan. 20, we expect more strangeness as he steps into the spotlight while fulfilling his promotional duties for the film.
No. 11: Lady Gaga's Super Bowl Halftime Show
Lady Gaga will headline the Pepsi Zero Sugar Super Bowl LI Halftime Show at Houston's NRG Stadium on Feb. 5. If Katy Perry's performance during the 2015 halftime show and Beyonce's appearance during the 2016 halftime show taught us anything, it's that female artists are the best at stealing the spotlight during the biggest sporting event of the year. (No offense, Bruno Mars!) The Mother Monster clearly has big shoes to fill, but we don't expect the singer-actress to disappoint.
No. 12: The return to "Twin Peaks"
The long-awaited reboot of "Twin Peaks" will finally debut on Showtime in 2017. In October 2014, series creators Mark Frost and David Lynch announced their plans to revive the franchise. In April 2016, they released the names of all 217 cast members, including most of the original cast (Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, David Duchovny, etc.), plus new stars (like Naomi Watts, Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Laura Dern and Michael Cera). The original series lasted just two seasons from 1990 to 1991, spawned a 1992 prequel, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me," and has since become a cult classic with a devoted legion of fans. (Plot details and an exact premiere date have yet to be revealed.)
No. 13: Harry Styles' feature-film debut
Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" debuts on July 21. In the eagerly anticipated World War II epic, Harry Styles portrays an allied soldier named Tommy alongside celebrated actors Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh. Not too shabby for someone who has just one acting credit on his résumé so far — as a version of himself on a 2012 episode of "iCarly."
No. 14: Finn's new friend
Australian shepherd Finn has been the No. 1 man in Amanda Seyfried's life since long before "The Newsroom" actor Thomas Sadoski put a ring on it. The actress's Instagram basically functions as a timeline of her longtime companion's daily acts of cuteness, so now that she and her fiance are expecting their first child together sometime in 2017, we expect plenty of social media moments capturing Finn with his newborn human brother or sister. Yay!
No. 15: Fergie's sophomore solo album
It's been more than a decade since Fergie released her debut solo album, "The Dutchess," in September 2006. The former Black Eyed Peas frontwoman earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Big Girls Don't Cry," the fourth of five singles from the album, which went five-times platinum. So if her sophomore effort proves to be even half as successful as its predecessor, it'll go down as a huge hit. "I've turned it in. It's done, and it's coming out beginning of the year — and I'm sorry it's taken so long," the singer-actress said in an Instagram video in November 2016.
No. 16: FX's "Legion"
The first live-action TV show to tackle the X-Men universe is headed to FX in early 2017. "Downton Abbey" alum Dan Stevens stars on "Legion," which debuts on Feb. 8, as diagnosed schizophrenic David Haller, the son of Charles Xavier and possibly the most powerful mutant in the universe. Enticed? Us too! (You'll be seeing plenty of this blue-eyed Brit in 2017: He also stars opposite Emma Watson as the titular former prince in the upcoming live-action remake of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," which opens in theaters on March 17.)
No. 17: So, so, SO many sequels
Some of our favorite films will get sequels in 2017: "Fifty Shades Darker" and "John Wick: Chapter 2" both debut on Feb. 10; "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" opens on May 5; "Alien: Covenant," the follow-up to 2012's "Prometheus," premieres on May 19; "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" debuts on Oct. 6; and a "World War Z" sequel is due sometime in the summer. We're also looking forward to new installments in the "Star Wars," "Thor," "Fast & Furious," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Cars," Transformers," "Pitch Perfect," "Despicable Me," "Planet of the Apes," "Saw," "Resident Evil," "xXx" and "Underworld" franchises, plus a new addition to the DC Extended Universe with 2017's "Justice League."
