This year is going to be a gigantic time for superhero movie fans—animated and live-action alike—and that’s because the upcoming projects have major promise. With the recent release of the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day—premiering July 31st, 2026—people are getting quite excited about what’s to come for superhero fans in cinema.
Marvel Studios, DC Studios, and even outside of those two, are bringing some amazing projects soon. Thus, the next few years could be what finally puts an end to the conspiracy of “superhero fatigue.” Some of the greatest superhero franchises in recent history are getting sequels, spinoffs, and even smaller animated films that adapt iconic stories from the comics. It’s arguable that the next few years could be some of the best in comic book movie history.
‘Batman: Knightfall Part 1’ (2026)
The “Knightfall” story in the Batman comics mythology is one of the most iconic of all time, with imagery that has transcended comics into major motion pictures—most specifically, The Dark Knight Rises. For those who are fans of the DC Comics animated projects, it’s pretty surprising that it took them and Warner Bros. Entertainment so long to adapt the “Knightfall” plot to film.
Batman: Knightfall Part 1 will be the first part of the animated adaptation of the 1990 comic book arc. It is arguably the most iconic Bane storyline in the comics, and while a cast hasn’t been officially announced yet, people are excited to see who will be bringing him and the Caped Crusader to life. It’s going to be directed by Jeff Wamester, who is also known for Green Lantern: Beware My Power and multiple episodes of the animated series Guardians of the Galaxy.
‘Masters of the Universe’ (2026)
The original He-Man (John Erwin) is one of the original non-Marvel or DC Comics superheroes, first debuting in a television show in 1983 with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Nobody expected the franchise to make a huge comeback in the way that it is through the 2026 live-action Masters of the Universe major motion picture.
Masters of the Universe has a really good-looking cast, with the likes of Nicholas Galitzine, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, and more—let’s just refrain from talking about that specific actor—who are going to bring these characters to life exceptionally. It’s always hard to translate cartoon characters to live-action in a way that people feel good about, but it seems like this cast isn’t going to have that problem—for the most part. As long as they have a good script, this movie could be something really dang cool.
‘Clayface’ (2026)
If Joker proved anything to the world, it’s that supervillain movies can work. Some people didn’t think so for a while, thanks to movies like Venom, but DC Comics seems to have the secret sauce to make it work. While the DCU has some really lighthearted projects coming up, they have another one coming this year that is dar darker. Clayface follows one of the coolest Batman villains in media.
Making a dark character study of a character like Clayface (Tom Rhys Harries), also known as Matt Hagen, is a really smart idea. A villain who can change himself to look like anyone he wants, while looking and feeling like a monster deep down, is the perfect recipe for another Joker-like film. With how much of a success that first Joker film was, it seems like Clayface is not going to be something people want to miss.
‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ (2027)
There is a lot of speculation, uncertainty, and anticipation for the saga of the next two Avengers movies, especially surrounding the finale, Avengers: Secret Wars. Why? Because Marvel Studios has all but confirmed that this movie is going to be a soft-reboot for the MCU, which is something that fans have believed they’ve needed for quite some time. Not to mention, it’s going to be the gigantic final battle against the likes of one of Marvel’s most famous villains, Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.)
Avengers: Secret Wars, if written and directed well—some of the biggest worries of fans—could very well be one of the most important superhero movies of the last decade. It is, without a doubt, going to bring in some of the largest superhero actors, characters, and plots ever. Avengers: Secret Wars is going to be either amazing or mid, and no matter how the cookie crumbles, it’ll be a must-watch.
‘Man of Tomorrow’ (2027)
There is no denying that Superman was one of the biggest superhero movies in recent years, and a great theatrical kickoff to the DCU. Directed by James Gunn himself, Superman got people extremely excited for what’s to come in his blossoming universe. Everyone immediately wondered when and if a sequel was coming, and while it’s not Superman 2, a sequel of sorts was soon revealed to be titled Man of Tomorrow.
With the likes of the Superman cast, Supergirl (Milly Alcock), and—just confirmed—John Stewart’s (Aaron Pierre) Green Lantern, Man of Tomorrow is the first real crossover story in the MCU, making it extremely important. Not just that, but seeing all these heroes—and presumably more—share the screen together is going to be something that people will not want to stay home for. The DCU is going to be changed forever after Man of Tomorrow.
‘The Batman: Part II’ (2027)
Before the DCU hit, though, the biggest DC project in recent years was, and still is, Matt Reeves‘ The Batman. It brought a whole new vibe to the Caped Crusader in film, leaning far more into his detective side from the comics, making this 2022 flick more of a crime noir movie. People have been waiting for the sequel to this project for years, begging to know when they’ll get to see Robert Pattinson‘s Batman again.
Come 2027, though, they’ll get everything they’ve been waiting for, with The Batman: Part II finally releasing in theaters. Fans are beyond excited to see this Dark Knight once more, and with all of the rumors surrounding who could be the big bad of this next tale, there’s a plethora of anticipation. Pattinson himself was even recently hyping up the second entry when speaking to Deadline, saying, “The script is extraordinary. I think it’s going to be a really, really special movie and very, very different.” If that doesn’t get fans excited about it, then what would?
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ (2026)
Although the speculation, anticipation, and hype may be high for Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s even higher for Avengers: Doomsday, which is coming one year prior and will act as the first entry in this two-part saga. Sure, everyone’s wondering how this story will end, but they’re even more curious—maybe even nervous—about how it’ll start, especially with the many teasers released earlier this year.
What will the story behind Robert Downey Jr.‘s casting as Doctor Doom be? How is the gigantic cast going to factor into the near three-hour film? There are so many questions that people want answered, and that alone is going to bring people out to the theaters come December 18th, 2026. Avengers: Doomsday is going to be the talk of the town at the end of the year.
‘Supergirl’ (2026)
After making a little cameo appearance at the end of Superman, audiences everywhere got immediately excited about the next DCU film in the lineup, Supergirl’s solo film, smartly titled Supergirl. But it was when the trailer came out on December 11th, 2025, that people really got hyped up. If one thing was clear, it was that Supergirl was going to be a banger.
Taking inspiration from the plot of the extremely popular comic book Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (2021), this 2026 movie is going to be such a fun ride. The trailer depicted a story that looks exciting, electric, and high-flying. If that’s not convincing enough, Jason Momoa is going to be making his return to the world of DC, now as Lobo. There is so much promise for this movie to be something awesome.
‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ (2027)
One of the most popular and impactful animated franchises of all time is the one that began in 2018 with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and it only got more important and well-liked with its 2023 sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This franchise has continually shaken the ground beneath the industry and changed the animated film medium for the better. Thus, it only makes sense that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is one of the most anticipated movies of the decade.
The final installment of this story comes June 18th, 2027—for now, pending no delays, that is—and comic book fans and general audiences alike absolutely cannot wait to see it come to life. So long as directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson manage to continue the excellent screenwriting and give the animation team time to include their typical attention to detail, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will most likely be one of the biggest animated films of the decade.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ (2026)
After the recent big trailer release for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that this fourth installment in the Tom Holland Spider-Man franchise is, without a doubt, the most hyped superhero movie of 2026. It is the Spider-Man movie that fans have been waiting years for, and with the phenomenal Destin Daniel Cretton in the director’s chair, this project is going to be amazing.
The way this movie seems to be following up and picking up from the finale of Spider-Man: No Way Home has people beyond just excited. This ambitious new start is looking like it’s going to be potentially the greatest live-action Spider-Man movie ever made. It’s doing so many new and refreshing things, while still being everything a film about the Wall-Crawler has needed to be.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
- Director
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Destin Daniel Cretton
- Writers
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Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Steve Ditko, Stan Lee