It’s a great time to be a nerd.

The summer box office season has always been about big budget movies full of action, explosions and dudes wearing spandex or capes. This summer is no different and, quite frankly, I think we might be looking at one of the best line-ups in recent memory.

I got out to see Iron Man 3 a couple of weeks ago, proving to be a fantastic way to kick off the summer movie season. While I’m not sure it could stand toe-to-toe with the original Iron Man flick, it blows the decidedly “meh” Iron Man 2 right out of the water. Robert Downey Jr. plays his best version of Tony Stark yet, a fast-talking billionaire who, for the first time, is showing real signs of struggle and humanity. And then there’s Ben Kingsley’s interpretation of The Mandarin, which you have to see to believe. It’s pretty dang wonderful what he does with the character.

This weekend it’s all about Star Trek: Into Darkness, which I will be eagerly waiting in a mile-long line to see tomorrow afternoon. I’ve never been a huge Trekie, but director JJ Abrams’ recent reboot of the Star Trek universe gave me a version of the mythos I can really get behind. Yes, it’s flashier, over-the-top and jam-packed with action, but I fail to see the harm in these changes when it has turned a niche series into something pretty much everyone with a pulse is chomping at the bit to see.

And that’s just the tip of the Sci-Fi/super hero iceberg, folks. We’ve still got The Man of Steel, Epic, After Earth, This is the End, World War Z, Pacific Rim, The Wolverine, Elysium and Kick-Ass 2 on the horizon, as well as the less nerdy but equally awesome The Hangover III, Monsters University, Despicable Me 2, Lone Ranger and Fast & Furious 6 between now and August.

In short, beat the heat in the movie theater this summer. There’s going to be plenty to keep you busy this year.