Convinced that moviegoers would rather see an origins story than a standard sequel (unless you’re fast and furious or a pirate of the Caribbean), studios are churning out prequels, reboots and makeovers for some of Hollywood’s most successful franchises — particularly those in capes and spandex.

At least a dozen cinematic jumpstarts are scheduled or in pre-production for the next two years, from “Spider-Man” to “Superman” to “The Crow.”

This summer alone will see three new origins stories, including a repeat invasion from “Conan the Barbarian” and monkey business anew in “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”

But first up is Hollywood’s riskiest prequel in years, “X-Men: First Class,” a story that stretches back to Nazi concentration camps to tell the early biographies of Charles Xavier and his future nemesis, Erik Lehnsherr, aka Magneto.

The fifth installment of the franchise would seem a slam dunk. Reviews have been glowing, and since the franchise began in 2000, the series has grossed more than US$786 million domestically. No installment has earned less than US$157 million.

But this time our misunderstood mutants could face a vexing new enemy: deja vu. The last film, “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” another prequel, hit screens just two years ago to a respectable US$180 million. Some analysts wonder whether a second prequel will bypass audiences who feel they’ve seen the setup.

Comic-book movie fans already have a reputation as a fickle lot, a demographic that plunks down millions for a franchise they will later dismantle.

Ang Lee’s “Hulk” made a respectable US$137 million in 2003, but fans disliked the version so much, the green guy got a reboot just five years later.

Despite better reviews and US$135 million in ticket sales, “The Incredible Hulk” still didn’t wow fanboys, and the franchise ground to a halt.

“Superman Returns,” meant to defibrillate the series, did a healthy US$201 million in 2006. But fans badmouthed the reboot vociferously, and director Zack Snyder will take another whack at it in “Superman: The Man of Steel in 2012.”

Studio chiefs and directors prefer “prequel” and “re-imagining” to “reboot,” a term they feel implies failure. So what would that make “First Class,” set years before the first setup film? A pre-imagining?

For Bryan Singer, it’s a chance to set the prequel standard for big-studio comic-book films.

Singer, who directed the first two “X-Men” films and produces this one, says the mutant team has an advantage over other comic-book heroes and most movies with franchise hopes: a decades-old history and scads of characters. (SD-Agencies)

Capitons:

A scene from “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”

Superman

A scene from “The Incredible Hulk.”

A scene from “Planet of the Apes.”

Spiderman

Ang Lee

Bryan Singer

Zack Snyder