New and Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series

In comics, the Thunderbolts are a team of Marvel Comics antiheroes who emerged to protect the world after the death of the Avengers. On screen, it's a great opportunity for us to revisit some of our favorite MCU actors who weren't given their own movies, like David Harbour (Red Guardian), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), Wyatt Russell (John Walker/U.S. Agent), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Olga Kurylenko (Taskmaster), Ayo Edebiri, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Valentina Allegra de Fontaine). Written and directed by Jake Schreier (Netflix's "Beef"), Thunderbolts* hits theaters in May 2025.

In theaters May 2, 2025

IMDb fans are counting down the days until James Gunn's Superman kicks off the first of five planned films in his "Gods and Monsters" arc as part of the DC Universe reboot. The first teaser gave us a taste of an already superhero-filled world with glimpses of Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Green Lantern, and the hero we're most excited for, Krypto the (goodest boy) Superdog. Shifting a bit from Zack Snyder's darker take on the Kryptonian, Gunn is promising "a Superman who is about kindness, love and compassion...the best of humanity, even though he is an alien from outer space." We can definitely get behind that.

Expected in theaters July 11, 2025

The first Marvel-produced Fantastic Four movie is the second reboot for the superhero team, who've had a dodgy big-screen history dating back to the pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe era. (Technically, it’s the third reboot if you count the Roger Corman movie from the '90s that was shelved.) It'll take a massive power blast to prevent First Steps from finally establishing the Fantastic Four in the MCU, with the heroes being led by the beloved Pedro Pascal and "WandaVision" director Matt Shakman running the set. Shakman is going retro (as he did on "WandaVision") with a 1960s-styled version of Earth facing a threat from the planet-eater Galactus and his messenger, the Silver Surfer. The movie kicks off Phase Six of the MCU, which will be followed by Avengers: Doomsday, so if there's no direct connection between the two movies to Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, we will no longer understand anything.

Expected in theaters July 25, 2025

The first of Ryan Coogler's Disney TV projects premieres this year with "Eyes of Wakanda." Helmed by veteran storyboard artist Todd Harris, the four-episode animated miniseries follows the adventures of the Hatut Zaraze, an elite group of Wakandan warriors, tasked with retrieving dangerous Vibranium artifacts throughout time from the enemies of Wakanda. The impressive voice cast includes, Anika Noni Rose, Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, and more.

Series expected to premiere Aug. 6, 2025 on Disney+

It’s nearly time to head back to school with the supes-in-training of Godolkin University in “Gen V” Season 2. At the end of Season 1, Marie, Emma, Jordan, and Andre found themselves framed by the media as the campus killers while the real villains were left to roam free. As usual in The Boys universe, the plot is under wraps, but we do know that Season 2 will take place directly after the events of “The Boys” Season 4, which saw the world descend into chaos after the elimination of both President Singer and Vice President (and secret supe) Victoria Neuman lead to Homelander’s rise to power. The “Gen V” production team has also confirmed they did not re-cast the character of Andre after the tragic death of actor Chance Perdomo in 2024. Instead the team chose to recraft their scripts, saying in a social media post that they intend to “honor Chance and his legacy this season.”

Season 2 expected in late 2025 on Prime Video

Riri Williams was introduced in Marvel Comics in 2015, quickly becoming a fan favorite character as the young engineering student who built her own Iron Man-inspired supersuit and began fighting crime as Ironheart. The Disney+ series will follow this general storyline, and we can't wait for Dominique Thorne — who had supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk and Judas and the Black Messiah — to claim superhero status after her first MCU appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Series premieres June 24, 2025 on Disney+

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II joins the MCU as Wonder Man, the title character in the upcoming Disney+ series. The super-powered character has been both a hero and a villain in the comics, and has tangled with and been a member of the Avengers. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton and "Hawkeye" co-producer Andrew Guest are developing the series.

Series expected Dec. 2025 on Disney+

Disney is making every attempt to ensure this revival of Matt Murdock’s saga retains some of the magic that made "Daredevil" such a hit on Netflix before its cancellation after three seasons. In 2022, fans rejoiced when Marvel announced it would be reclaiming the IP to develop a revival series, but in September 2023, Disney overhauled the creative team and hired new writers and directors to complete the project. Now that the project is back on course, we can relax a bit, because Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil), Vincent D’Onofrio (Wilson Fisk/Kingpin), and Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle/Punisher) are all back on board to reprise their roles.

Streaming on Disney+

After taking on the mantle of Captain America in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Anthony Mackie returns to take center stage. Harrison Ford takes over for the late William Hurt as General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who gets to assume his comic book alter ego, Red Hulk. Also joining the cast are Shira Haas, Tim Blake Nelson, and Carl Lumbly.

In theaters

When you learn the maestro Mike Flanagan is making a "folk-body horror" movie for the DC Universe, you start getting an idea of the creative freedom James Gunn and Peter Safran have as they co-chair a new direction for the constellation of superheroes at Warner Bros. Scant details exist at the moment. It's been indicated the movie will not exist in the "Elseworlds" realm (alongside The Batman and "The Penguin"), and the character is being reshaped to potentially both haunt and help Gotham City. No news on casting yet, but shooting begins this summer with an anticipated September 2026 release date.

Expected Sept. 11, 2026

The biggest news out of San Diego Comic-Con last year was easily Marvel’s shocker that Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU, this time as the legendary villain Doctor Doom. If you're scratching your head wondering how the deceased Iron Man actor can play a different character, watch our theories here. Doomsday replaces the previously planned Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but will still serve as a the lead-in film to the final film in Phase Six of the MCU, Avengers: Secret Wars.

Expected in theaters in 2026

It’s a new world with new rules heading into the final season of Prime Video’s hit show “The Boys.” At the end of Season 4, Homelander captured most of our heroes when he took control under martial law, leaving just Butcher and Starlight free to fight back. But fight back against what? Even as more of Vought’s faithful realize the dangers of the corporate fascism they’ve helped create, the masses seem content to cheer on The Seven’s crimes, as long as the “right people” are suffering. Whether the Boys will triumph or Homelander reigns supreme is yet to be seen, but you can rest assured the show will stay as topical as ever. Series creator Eric Kripke confirmed that Season 5 went into production with plenty of wiggle room to react to current events.

Season 5 expected in 2026 on Prime Video

Are you ready to be introduced to Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El? Actually, re-introduced, as former “House of the Dragon” star Milly Alcock will make her Supergirl debut in this year's Superman. Since Kara spent her first 14 years of life on the remaining chunk of Krypton, where everyone she loved perished in miserable ways, we’re wondering what the familial vibes will be like between her and her cousin. James Gunn has promised the character is more hardcore than ever, and the script, an adaptation of the miniseries of the same name, might (we repeat: might) find Supergirl team up with the fan-favorite antihero, Lobo, against the supervillain Krem of the Yellow Hills. And speaking of re-intros, in a move that brings Robert Downey Jr. and the current MCU to mind, former Aquaman Jason Momoa is returning to the DC Universe as Lobo.

Expected in 2026

The follow-up to Matt Reeves' The Batman will see Robert Pattinson don the cowl once again, but not until 2027 (!). No plot details yet, but several villains' names are rumored, including Two-Face and the Joker, who was teased in the first film. Though not part of the official DCU, Pattinson's Batman will be part of the "DC Elseworlds" category (along with projects like Todd Phillips' Joker movies).

Expected in 2027

Batman will make his DCU debut in the upcoming The Brave and the Bold, where Robin will appear on the big screen for the first time since 1997’s Batman & Robin. Based on the comic run by Grant Morrison, the film will be helmed by The Flash director Andy Muschietti and is unrelated to the Matt Reeves/Robert Pattinson Batfilms.

In production

After the 2023 writers strike, multiple production delays, and a removal from Sony's release calendar, all we know for sure is that it's going to be awhile (possibly 2027) until we get some resolution to the reality-breaking cliffhanger Across the Spider-Verse ended on. We can wait, though, because we have faith in Lord and Miller. And with "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" and upcoming titles like "Spider-Noir" and even Spider-Man 4 on the horizon, we've got more than enough Spidey to keep us going as we count down the days.

In production

It's been 20 years since Keanu Reeves first introduced moviegoers to the Hellblazer adaptation, and in that time Constantine developed its own cult following. Unfortunately for fans, it's been a slow development process for Constantine 2, but that doesn’t mean enthusiasm for the movie has died down. After delays caused by 2023's Hollywood labor disputes, it was recently reported that director Francis Lawrence and writer Akiva Goldsman have completed a script and the project sounds as if it's back on track.

In production

It’s been nearly four years since we last saw Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. But unlike the MCU’s version of Manhattan, we haven’t forgotten who Peter Parker is. Remember how sad it was to watch the world’s collective memory of the beloved web slinger get erased at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. As Peter rebuilds his personal life and his super-reputation in Spider-Man 4, we might want to look the “Daredevil: Born Again” series for potential plot hints, since Kingpin has already been named one of the villains looking to take over the friendly neighborhood. What we’re most curious about right now: With the sequel as-yet-undated, and Avengers: Doomsday arriving in May 2026, it's likely the events of the new cornerstone MCU movie will further inform Spider-Man’s next adventure. If we're all suffering from forms of collective confusion and amnesia, maybe Peter Parker will be the only person to realize the new Doctor Doom looks a lot like his old mentor, Tony Stark.

In pre-production

For an uncomfortably long time, it seemed uncertain whether a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings would happen. As Disney overhauled the MCU during Phase 4, this project, along with others on the Marvel whiteboard, felt like it could be backburned — or worse, mothballed entirely. Both Simu Liu and director Destin Daniel Cretton have confirmed the movie will be made, though, with Cretton also making Spider-Man 4, it’s hard to know when it might get off the ground. But, we mean, the movie has to pit Shang-Chi against Xialing, since his sister now leads the Ten Rings, right? And what will the multi-verse look like three to five years from now? If you’re a fan, now’s the time to get your theories together.

In pre-production

Expect a “simple, clean gothic horror” from the latest iteration of DC’s Swamp Thing. Director James Mangold (A Complete Unknown, Logan) has assured fans that his take on the tragic monster-hero will be a standalone film with no connection to the larger DCU. It’s not clear yet which version of Swamp Thing will appear in Mangold’s movie. Some fans are betting on a new telling of the Alec Holland story (scientist + chemicals + explosion = super creature), which was most recently seen in DC’s short-lived “Swamp Thing” TV series. But we suspect Mangold may base his tale on the original Swamp Thing from 1971's "House of Secrets," which features a love triangle, a betrayal, and bittersweet revenge.

In pre-production

Back in 2021, Keanu Reeves released his comic “Brzrkr” and instantly broke records. The first volume sold 615,000 copies at publication, making it the highest-selling launch in 30 years for Boom! Studios. All those good vibes made it inevitable a movie wouldn’t be too far behind, and within the same month, Netflix announced the good news that they would be developing both a live-action feature and a spin-off anime series starring Reeves. Things have been pretty quiet since then, with the most recent update coming from co-writer Mattson Tomlin (“Terminator Zero,” The Batman II), who revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 that he had delivered the second draft of the feature and was named showrunner for the anime series.

In pre-production

Back in 2017, Todd McFarlane teamed up with Blumhouse for a hard-R reboot of his iconic anti-hero, the murdered-mercenary-turned-Hellspawn, Spawn. With a draft script finally in place, Jamie Foxx cast as the lead, and the search for a director in the works, the momentum has us excited that King Spawn's "In Development" status will soon shift to "In Production."

In development

Producer Don Murphy (Natural Born Killers, From Hell) is planning a return to the world of super-powered literary characters with a reboot of the comic series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, 20 years after Murphy’s first adaptation hit theaters. There's been no new information from Twentieth Century Studios since the initial announcement back in 2022, but as far as we know the movie is still slated for release on Hulu and reported to boast a script from writer Justin Haythe, best known for features like Revolutionary Road and A Cure for Wellness.

In development

We didn’t know we needed it either, but the minute Jensen Ackles announced a new spin-off in The Boys universe, we were hooked. Set in 1950s New York, “Vought Rising” will reveal the origins of the Vought Corporation through a twisted murder mystery. Starring Ackles as his gruff midcentury supe Solider Boy and Aya Cash as the fanatically fascist Stormfront, the new series looks like it could be the darkest entry into the franchise yet.

In development

Finally we get to see more of what James Rhodes (aka Rhodey, aka War Machine) can do with his own Marvel movie. Initially developed as a series, Armor Wars should be a direct lead out from "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." Fans have been assured the story will address matters around Tony Stark's passing, and what could happen if Stark's technology were to land in the wrong hands. Apart from Don Cheadle, no further casting has been announced, but "Black Monday" writer and co-star Yassir Lester is one of the few creators still on board after the studio's pivot to a feature film.

In development