Tag Archives: Spider-Man

Aug 16 2026

The MCU Surges Ahead At D23

Perhaps all the talk about superhero fatigue in fims and TV shows may have been premature. At this weekend’s D23 Expo, Marvel Studios surged ahead with impressive announcements for its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and this comes fresh off the studios’ massive success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

In the past few years, the MCU and other live-action superhero franchises have struggled with general audiences as many films and TV shows failed to capture the stunning success they experienced in the 2010s, as seen with Marvel Studios’ films last year. While that idea may have some merit, what is becoming clear is that at least with Marvel Studios they have course-corrected and laid the foundation for its comeback, which is starting to bear fruit.

It is true that recent MCU projects (putting aside the new Spider-Man film) were not resounding successes, they were well received by critics and fans as seen with Daredevil: Born Again, Wonder Man, Thunderbolts* and Fantastic Four: First Steps, which helped to rehabilate the MCU’s reputation. By the time these properties made their debut, the MCU had developed a lukewarm reputation thanks to subpar films and TV shows like The Marvels and Secret Invasion. Marvel Studios in the early 2020s was forced to produce a glut of projects that were not well executed and the MCU suffered as a result. But thankfully, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige pulled back on output and emphasized quality over quantity and that is now starting to pay off. More importantly, people began to realized that MCU films and TV shows were back to being great.

The clearest sign of Marvel Studios’ renewed success of course comes from Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The latest Spider-Man film has astonished everyone by how successful it has become as it has just eatned over $2 billion in the box office. The film clearly proves that superhero film fatigue talk was premature and demonstrated that the only fatigue that existed was for mediocre films. While in the past, the film studios could get away with putting out inferior films, that no longer works. Put out a quality film with a popular character then it will be successful. Spider-Man: Brand New Day established that the character is one of, if not the most popular superheroes around and the film could be heralding a new golden age for the MCU. It has helped reignite interest in the MCU, which bodes well for Avengers: Doomsday and beyond.

There was a lot of doubt that Marvel Studios could inspire much interest in the upcoming Avengers film and questioned how the film’s villain, Doctor Doom, did not have the kind of lead up that Thanos had with the early MCU films. These questions appear to have been dispelled as seen with the reaction to the new trailer released during D23, which was previously shown at Comic-Con, and focused on Doctor Doom. There is a lot of intrigue behind the villain and the reason for his crusade, not to mention with his power scale as seen in the new trailer when he effortlessly brushed aside Thor’s attack and raised an army of robotic sentinels to attack the Avengers. Right now fans are pouring through every frame of the trailer and every nugget of leaks and rumors to find out what happens in the film and with its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars, not to mention which characters will appear in both films. But one set of characters has everyone especially excited.

Ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and the rights to the X-Men, Marvel and MCU fans have salivated over the idea of the mutants joining the MCU…and grown impatient. Despite having the rights to the X-Men, Marvel Studios was slow with introducing mutants into the MCU, but that has changed and started with the introduction of….Spoiler Warning for anyone who has not seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day….

Jean Grey, one of the founding members of the X-Men and portrayed by Sadie Sink.

At D23, Feige introduced the director of the upcoming X-Men film, Jake Schreirer, who was rightfully rewarded for his work on Thunderbolts* with this plum assignment. Sink was introduced on stage as one of the stars of the X-Men film and more actors were presented, such as Kit Connor as Cyclops/Scott Summers, Maya Boyd as Storm/Ororo Munroe, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Anna Marie/Rogue, Christopher Abbott as Professor X/Charles Xavier, and Adam Driver (appearing on video) as Mr. Sinister/Nathan Milberry. The announcements left out other characters like Beast, Iceman, Angel and Magneto, though it’s not known at this time if they will appear in X-Men, which comes out May 5, 2028. What was refreshing about Driver plaing Mr. Sinister is that the film won’t go with the usual route of Magneto being the main villain.

Expect a full cast for X-Men to be revealed later on, perhaps with another day-long YouTube video featuring chairs with names on them. Or that may be reserved for Avengers: Secret Wars which is expected to have an even larger cast than Avengers: Doomsday. Speaking of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, once again we were teased with Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds possibly appearing in the film as Wolverine and Deadpool. This has not been officially announced, and there is no word if Tobey Maguire will appear as the OG Spider-Man, but this is driving everyone insane by now.

Even though everyone is excited by the coming slate of MCU films, many are concerned about the apparent demise of MCU TV shows on Disney+. After VisionQuest and the third season of Daredevil: Born Again there have been no announcements at D23 of anymore live-action MCU TV shows. This was made worse with the recent cancellation of Wonder Man even though a second sesaon was announced a few months following the positive reception it received. It has been reported in the Hollywood trades that Disney is pivoting away from live-action MCU and Star Wars TV shows because they appear to be diluting the brands and affecting the box office numbers for the films and the costs for producing them are too high. This is regrettable because Marvel Studios has produced some genuinely terrific TV shows. The problem they had goes back to the early 2020s with the Disney mandate to produce a glut of product which led to many terrible TV shows being produced. This clearly hurt the MCU brand and could have been remedied by cutting back and concentrating on producing permium TV shows like HBO does. This can work as we saw with Daredevil: Born Again and VisionQuest which looks like it will be great as well. There are rumors that Marvel Studios will produce one-off special presentations like Punisher: One Last Kill or Werewolf By Night, and will supposedly feature the Defenders and Strange Academy, as well as a sequel to Werewolf By Night. At least it’s something, but Disney is foolish if they completely abandon MCU television.

On a more positive note, it’s a relief to feel genuine excitement for the MCU and its upcoming projects. Any doubts about the MCU have been thankfully dispelled for now. Of course, helping to get rid of any concerns for good is if Avengers: Doomsday turns out to be great and makes a ton of money, which it will, as long as the film is well received by fans and critics. Otherwise, it could wind up like Avengers: Age of Ultron, which while it was financially successful, it dampened enthusiasm for Avengers films until Avengers: Infinty War came along. If Avengers: Doomsday ends up being a hit, and who knows if it can match or exceed the runaway success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, expect enthusiasm to go into overdrive for Avengers: Secret Wars and beyond.We can’t wait!

José Soto

Aug 9 2026

Top Ten Most Wanted MCU Spider-Man Team-Ups

One of the main features of the Spider-Man films that take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are that many MCU characters interact with Spider-Man. This made the MCU Spider-Man films unique since the previous films took place in their own universes because Sony Pictures, which owns the rights to live-action Spider-Man films, were not able to feature other Marvel Comics characters not associated with Spider-Man.

The meetings Spider-Man had with MCU characters were something of a mixed bag. On some films, the MCU references and character appearances felt intrusive and did not mesh well with Spider-Man. Other times, as seen with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the appearances of MCU characters and their interactions with Spider-Man were natural and added to the story. Here are ten other Marvel characters that the MCU Spider-Man should team up with; keep in mind that this list is geared towards characters Spider-Man has not met yet and characters that are currently alive in the MCU,,,or in another universe.

10. Cloak and Dagger

The young runaway duo made their debut in the comic book Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 and quickly gained a cult following. Eventually they had their own TV show that was not connected to the MCU, but the characters crossed over with another non-MCU Marvel TV show, Runaways. Aside from that the TV show was quickly cancelled and forgotten.

However, the characters are compelling enough to return and become part of the MCU, but recast with younger actors because the actors from the original TV show are aged out. Since they are closely associated with Spider-Man in the comics, they should be featured in a future Spider-Man film where he would serve as kind of a mentor and try to help them.

9. Rocket and Groot

Some of the most memorable moments from Avengers: Infinity War were the interactions of Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy. In the film, Spider-Man met, briefly fought and ultimately teamed up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Except he did not meet the full roster. Rocket Raccoon and Groot by that point in the film were off on their own separate adventure. So a story where Spider-Man properly meets and teams up with Rocket and Groot is warranted. For that matter, he may as well team up with the new Guardians of the Galaxy in an outer space adventure.

Actually, Spider-Man’s experiences in space demonstrated his ability to adapt to different environments. Sure he is better suited to operating in cityscapes but he held his own in outer space. It would also be amusing to see Spidey and Rocket trading insults with each other as they use their superior engineering skills to build new devices to help them fight the bad guys. Plus, Groot would be a perfect tree for Spidey to swing from.

8. Wolverine

This is one of the most popular team-ups in comics and for good reason. Wolverine is a savage and caustic character who liked to pick fights with Spider-Man, who proved that he was quite a match to Wolverine’s fighting skills. Once they stopped fighting, the duo turned out to have an engaging buddy-cop dynamic with their opposing personalities.

This kind of opposites-attract chemistry would be perfect for a bromance road film featuring these two heroes. It would be similar to Deadpool & Wolverine where Deadpool’s non-stop banter drove Wolverine insane. The same thing could happen in a Spider-Man/Wolverine team-up where Spidey’s quips and running mouth would be enough to drive Wolverine into a berserker rage. This would be perfect if they’re facing off against an army of disposable henchmen.

7. Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan would be a great team-up opportunity for Spidey. He represents New York while she represents New Jersey, so the two neignboring superheroes would have a lot in common when it comes to their locales. As seen in her comics and TV show, Ms. Marvel is a huuuge fan of superheroes and while Captain Marvel is her favorite it would be easy to see her relating to Spidey since he’s from across the river.

It should be considered that both heroes are young, eager and have unique powers that would work well in a film. The intense banter would be hilarious to watch especially connsidering that she probably outdoes him when it comes to running her mouth. Who knows, they could even develop unrequited crushes for one another to make things interesting, though we know Peter’s heart belongs to MJ.

6. Deadpool

Another popular team up in comics is Spidey with the Merc with a Mouth. The two superheroes vaguely look similar although one is a deranged and violent killer while the other is your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Given Deadpool’s penchant for violence and profanity, such a meeting would land Spider-Man in his first R-rated film!

This team-up would give Deadpool great material to break the fourth wall and quip non-stop about Spider-Man and his complicated live-action film and TV rights. It should be as hilarious as his commentary on the MCU and Marvel Studios in Deadpool & Wolverine. Also, as with Ms. Marvel, despite his gift for gabbing, Spider-Man would have a hard time keeping up with Deadpool’s mouth.

5. Miles Morales

This is so obvious. Marvel Studios and current Spider-Man actor, Tom Holland, are eager to introduce the next generation of Spider-Man to the MCU, But Sony Pictures has so far refused to allow this to happen (aside for a couple of vague references) and prefer to keep Miles Morales in his own animated film series. This is regrettable since Miles played a major role in the Secret Wars comic books and it is hard to see how the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars would proceed without him.

Still, we can always hold out hope that the ultimate team-up of these two Spider-Men can happen in live action. Sure the animated films are genuine classics but it would be so satisfying to finally seeing Miles Morales in a live-action film. Such a team-up would be a guaranteed box-office hit and a win for fans everywhere.

4. Thor

Aside from Black Widow and Hawkeye, Thor is the only OG Avenger who has not met Spider-Man (he most likely met Black Widow and Hawkeye off screen during the events of Captain America: Civil War). Thor would introduce Spider-Man to the epic cosmic scale of the MCU with outlandish worlds where Spider-Man would demonstrate his gifted intelligence to adapt and thrive in a location outside of his comfort.

Thor would feel a kinship with Spider-Man for his heroic and plucky nature. Meanwhile, Spider-Man’s amazed reaction to Thor, his power and Asgardian trappings would be worth the price of the movie ticket alone. Plus, we would get to find out if Spider-Man is actually worthy enough to lift Thor’s hammer. He is as far as we’re concerned!

3. Venom

Tom Hardy, who portrayed Eddie Brock/Venom in the Venom film trilogy, always wanted to have his anti-hero meet Spider-Man. The two characters were fierce enemies before becoming uneasy allies in the comics, and Hardy hoped this would happen in the films. Sadly this has not happened to date. The best we got was a cameo of Spider-Man appearing on a TV screen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Brock appeared in a post-credits scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home but never met Spider-Man.

Sony Pictures at one point planned to have the fourth MCU Spider-Man film feature Venom and a storyline involving Venom’s arch foe Knull, but that never came to be, which was for the best. The storyline of Peter donning the Venom suit was done in Spider-Man 3 but could be remade to feature Hardy as an MCU variant of Brock who ends up with the Venom symbiote. It could lead to a new series of Venom films set in the MCU where he and Spider-Man could fight then team up together.

2. Daredevil

Technically the two New York City-based heroes met onscreen already in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but only in their civilian identities. It was hoped that Daredevil would have appeared in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but unfortunately, that did not happen, which is not surprising since he is currently in jail. But the film did have more than a few references to the world of Daredevil.

If the two heroes were to team-up in a future film, it should be against their common foe, Wilson Fisk aka the Kingpin. He made his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 but became more known as a Daredevil villain years later. Vincent D’Onofrio and Tom Holland expressed their hopes that Kinpin and Spider-Man would confront each other but aside from a couple of references that has not happened. Come on Marvel Studios have the three characters interact with each other in a future film!

1. Human Torch

It had to be Johnny Storm. He and Spider-Man headlined the very first issue of Marvel Team-Up and years before the two often met each other in the comics. At first the two young hotheads didn’t get along well, but were able to put aside their differences to fight their enemies. It was not long before the two developed grudging respect for each other which turned into a genuine friendship that was so deep that Johnny handpicked Spider-Man to replace him on the Fantastic Four if needed.

One regrettable thing about Fantastic Four: First Steps was that it was not set in the 616 MCU reality where Spider-Man exists, which prevented any meetings between the Human Torch and Spider-Man. However, there is the hope that the upcoming Avengers films will be the perfect vehicle for these two young heroes to meet, argue and become best bros just like in the comics. Also, if Marvel Studios greenlights another FF film, it definetly should feature Spider-Man, even if all he does is argue with Johnny Storm; it could be as hysterical as his interactions with the Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Other MCU characters to consider:

Beast, Black Panther (Shuri), Blade, Falcon Joaquin Torres), Gambit, Ghost Rider, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Kate Bishop, Kitty Pryde, Korg, Loki, Luke Cage, Man-Thing, Moon Knight, Mystique, Namor, Nightcrawler, Okoye, Quake, Rogue, Shang-Chi, She-Hulk, Stature, Storm, The Thing, Werewolf By Night

Are there any other characters who should be considered to team-up with Spider-Man? Leave a comment.

Jul 31 2026

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Presents The Most Authentic Version Of Spider-Man Yet

Reeling from recent box office disappointments Marvel Studios brought out its big guns for the newest film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with the latest Spider-Man film. After slightly over a year since we’ve had an MCU film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a return to form for Marvel Comics’ most popular superhero as the latest MCU Spider-Man film presents the character at his most authentic yet.

A common complaint about the MCU version of Spider-Man was that he was basically Iron Man, Jr. and his fawning over Iron Man, over-reliance on MCU references, and outer space trips did not help. This was done to differentiate the character from past versions of cinematic Spider-Men, but now that the character became his own independent solo character by the end of the last film, he was returned to the more grounded comic-book accurate version fans have come to love. Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is now a lonely young man who scrapes by in a frugal existence and is solely devoted to fighting crime in New York City as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

When Spider-Man: No Way Home, the last Spider-Man film, ended, a magic spell was cast that made the whole world, including his girlfriend MJ Watson (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon),, forget that Peter Parker existed. This film deals with the consequences of that spell as Peter lives a solitary life in a decrepid rented attic working on upgrading his suit and fighting crime. An opening montage shows how for the past four years since No Way Home ended, Peter kept himself busy fighting assorted supervillains and helping the New York City police. In his down time, he monitors Ned’s social media feeds to keep track of him and MJ. During one incident involving a break-in at the federal detention center for the Department of Damage Control (DODC), Spider-Man goes to help the federal guards and encounters an unseen person (Sadie Sink) who can telepathically possess people, except him. His conflict with the person draws the attention of Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), an uneasy ally of Spider-Man who is the murderous vigilante called the Punisher. Unlike Spidey, Castle has no inhibition in trying to kill the telepath while Spider-Man wants to try to capture her for the DODC.

As he grapples with this new enemy Peter learns that he is starting to evolve physically; he is able to shoot organic webbing, his senses become overwhelming enhanced to the point they nearly debilate him, and his strength and agility increase. Alarmed by his development, Peter seeks out Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) for advice. Banner who is also the Hulk, has been able to keep his monstrous personna under control through an inhibitor that Peter hopes to duplicate to dampen his increased powers. At the same time, his intense loneliness drives him to eventually seek out MJ and Ned and try to find some way to reconnect with them. Naturally, all these plot lines converge with disastrous results as Peter has to find a way to come to grips with his emotional and physicaly plight while trying to stop the telepath.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the same person who helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wonder Man. Unlike the previous director, Cretton brings much needed energy to Spider-Man’s antics which now feels kinetic and literally off the wall. The camera never stops moving and presenting dynamic and colorful scenes that are filmed off kilter, which could be disorienting but better captures the mind set of our favorite wall crawler. Needless to say, it is the best filmed Spider-Man film. The fight scenes and the visceral web swinging are easily the best ever shown in a Spider-Man film. It felt as if you were there with him as he swung through the City that Never Sleeps. BTW, the look and feel of New York City feels authentic and adds to the grounded and frentic nature of the film. There are also many beautifully set up scenes that capture iconic images and covers from the Spider-Man comics that fit in well with the tone of the film and flows perfectly.

But what made the film so special was its emphasis on the emotional core of Spider-Man and the telepath who are both injured and fragile souls that are at odds with the outside world. The narrative is fast paced and holds your attention despite the film’s length.

Spider-Man fits in perfectly with the MCU as its references and characters don’t feel in-your-face unlike some of the previous MCU Spider-Man films. This time, we get a street level connection to the former Netflix Marvel TV shows, especially Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again (and no despite our hopes Daredevil does not appear in the film), in the form of the Punisher. Both Holland and Bernthal have great chemistry together as their two characters oddly complement each other. Much of the banter and emotions they share are some of the best moments in the film and will bring a smile to your face.

All the actors were at the top of their game in the film. Tom Holland himself turns in his best performance as Peter/Spider-Man who is now more mature and downbeat but is still trying to find a way to connect in the world. The moments Holland has with Zendaya were so involving and feel so genuinely human, it probably helped that the two actors are married in real life! You can just empathize with Peter as he is anguished to know that MJ does not remember him or the love they once shared. It was very haunting and you can sense the distress coming off Peter in those moments.

Of course the film is not perfect. There are a lot of narratives going on which could have collapsed the film if not for Cretton’s steady hand and smart editing. Also, the storyline with the telepath sometimes takes away from the plight of Spider-Man and, without giving anything away, could be seen as just a way to set up other MCU projects, but it was very well done and engaging.

It’s hard to say where Spider-Man: Brand New Day would rank among the other Spider-Man films. It is arguably the best of the MCU Spider-Man films and rivals the early Sam Raimi films, though Spider-Man 2 is still the GOAT. Marvel Studios would be wise to retain Cretton for future Spider-Man films since he is a perfect fit for the superhero. Now on to Avengers: Doomsday!

José Soto

Jun 6 2026

Spider-Noir Shows How To Do The Multiverse

Spider-Noir is the latest superhero TV show now streaming on Prime Video and stars Nicolas Cage as a variant of Spider-Man set in New York City during the 1930s. This time, for legal reasons, his name is Ben Reilly and he is called The Spider instead. Noticeably older and gruffer than the traditional Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Reilly operates as a classic gumshoe private detective in a gritty New York oozing with corruption, crime and notorious gangsters. In other words, this is not your typical Spider-Man story and this is how the Multiverse should have been done by the studios.

When Spider-Noir begins, Ben Reilly operates out of his tiny office in Manhattan as a gumshoe for hire and still grieving over the death of his girlfriend Ruby five years ago, Ever since her death, Reilly retired from being the masked vigilante, The Spider, but all that changed when he is hired to track down a criminal named Addison, who turns out to have pyrokinetic powers. After Addison is killed, circumstances drag Reilly and his associates down a nefarious rabbit hole involving the city’s corrupt mayor (Michael Kostroff), the notorious mob boss, Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), who runs the city’s underworld with a savage fist, and Cat Hardy (Li Jun Li), a conflicted nightclub singer he is hired to track but falls in love with. Silvermane has superpowered henchman in his employ, such as Flint Marko (Jack Huston), a Sandman variant, Lonnie Lincoln (Abraham Popoola), a more sympathetic version of Tombstone, and Dirk Leyden (Andrew Lewis Caldwell), a version of the obscure Spider-Man villain Megawatt, who all come into conflict with the Spider.

During his investigations, Reilly finds out that the villains are connected to his World War I past and how he got his spider powers. More importantly, Reilly is forced to come out of retirement as The Spider, which brings him to the attention of Silvermane, who wants to consolidate his grip of power in New York City.

As one can tell by the premise and seeing the show itself, Spider-Noir is an inspired homage to the classic 1930s crime films that were once so popular during the Golden Age of Film. The show can be watched either in garish color with popping bright hues or in noirish black and white, which feels more appropriate. The TV show captures many of the elements that made crime noir films so popular: the jaded detective; a dazzling but conflicted femme fatale; struggling people who talk with exaggerated New York accents and read script lines that would make Humphrey Bogart feel right at home; numerous Dutch angles; split focus shots, and scintillating photography that evokes stark existentialist German cinematography. There are so many ways this approach could have approached a satire, but thanks to the skills from everyone involved, Spider-Noir is a respectful tribute to those types of crime noir films. The actors have to be singled out for their innovative performances, especially Cage, who evokes a combination of Bogart and Jimmy Cagney while infusing his performance with the bouts of unpredictable insanity that made him so famous. The other actors turn in commendable work here as well, such as Li whose near-tragic Hardy captivates every scene she’s in and Gleeson, who projects a chilling presence.

The Multiverse is a great concept that allows for the exploration of many famous characters in different settings which provide captivating insights into what makes them work. The comic books from DC and Marvel have produced many memorable works based on variants of their renowned characters, but live-action attempts at exploring the Multiverse have had mixed results. For Marvel’s part, it seemed as if the studios were too afraid to go all out and give us wildly different versions of their characters. Why is that? Perhaps the studio heads fear that doing so will confuse audiences. But they underestimate them all the time. Other times, the efforts were laughably bad, such as Sony’s misguided films starring Spider-Man villains that were dead on arrival. We could have had more inspired Multiverse films and TV shows in the run up to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars and even the beloved Spider-Verse films that took greater advantage of the Multiverse concept like Spider-Noir has done. The executive producers of Spider-Noir are Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also guided the Spider-Verse films and they should be the go-to guys for more Multiverse works if they ever happen.

Spider-Noir is more than an homage to crime noir films, it is also one of the best superhero TV shows ever done that focuses on character and exciting superheroics. Underneath his cynical exterior, Ben Reilly still has a good heart because he knows that having great power has great responsibility. Even though this setting is unbelievably different than the traditional one seen with Spider-Man lore, it still is a Spider-Man story and one that hints at how the character would be like if he were middle aged. This approach allows the character to be shown in a unique way while sticking to what makes Spider-Man so popular. By going all in with the Multiverse concept, this TV show is able to present a novel approach to the Spider-Man character and see how he would have turned out under a different setting. Spider-Noir, simply put, takes full advantage of the Multiverse concept and how it should be done.

Jan 4 2026

Top Ten Most Anticipated Films & TV Shows Of 2026

2026 looks to be another jam-packed year with all the sci-fi, horror, fantasy and animated projects planned for the year. There are many promising original films and TV shows and returning franchises that will excite any fan. Also, it can be said that 2026 will be do or die for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), since it has struggled lately. Once their films were guaranteed to rake in the money, but that’s not the case anymore and Marvel Studios is betting it all with the films Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. On the other hand, the DC Universe is off and running with this year thanks to the success of last year’s Superman film. Now let’s look at the most anticipated films and TV shows of 2026.

Films

10. Toy Story 5

It’s incredible that Pixar has been able to come up with a new angle for a Toy Story film that is very relevant to current times. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return to voice the iconic toy characters Woody and Buzz as they and their toy companions now have to contend with a tablet that threatens their popularity with their child owner.

8. The Dog Stars

Not a lot is known about this post-apocalyptic film about a pilot, his dog and a disgruntled veteran, but master director Ridley Scott is behind this adaptation of Peter Heller’s novel. Given Scott’s track record with genre classics like Alien, Blade Runner and The Martian, this one should be another winning notch in the director’s filmography.

8. The Mandalorian and Grogu

Earlier this decade, a film based on the TV show, The Mandalorian, would have set fandom on fire. But given how Disney loves to milk their IP to the death, interest in the galactic bounty hunter Mandalorian and his adopted Force-sensitive child Grogu has declined and the timing of this film may be unfortunate. Still, it will be the first Star Wars film released since 2019, so that should generate interest.

7. Supergirl

The next DC Universe (DCU) film features Superman’s drunken cousin, Kara-Zor-El (Milly Alcock) aka Supergirl, in an outer space adventure that supposedly adapts Tom King’s acclaimed comic book mini-series, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The film gets bonus points for featuring the return of Krypto the Superdog and Jason Mamoa making his DCU debut as Lobo, the intergalactic bounty hunter.

6. Project Hail Mary

The directing team of Christopher Miller and Phil Lord return to live-action with this adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel about a lone astronaut (Ryan Gossling) sent on a desperate mission to another star system to find out why the stars in the universe are suddenly being extinguished. Given the credentials of the directors, who were revered for their work on the Spider-Verse films, and the off-kilter look of the trailer, Project Hail Mary should be a unique and off-beat film that could resonate.

5. Dune, Part Three

The third film adapts the Dune sequel novels, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune and completes the epic sci-fi trilogy by director Denis Villeneuve. The first two films received nearly universal praise from critics and fans for its faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel about political intrigue and religion in the distant future, which featured stunning visuals, strong performances and engrossing worldbuilding. Dune, Part Three will conclude the spiritual journey of the messiah-like Paul Atreides as he struggles to set a course for humankind in the universe while retaining his own humanity.

4. The Odyssey

The latest film from director Christopher Nolan which is based on the epic Greek fantasy poem by Homer has generated tremendous word of mouth thanks to the meticulous artistry of Nolan and the reputation his films have garnered. The Odyssey is a suitable project for Nolan because of its grand nature, and he is only one of a handful of directors who can do justice to the film. The six-minute trailer that was recently released which focused on the subterfuge of the Trojan Horse increased the fervor for the film given how impressive and large scale the scenes looked on large screens.

3. Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg, one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, returns to his genre roots with this UAP/UFO-related film that is largely shrouded in mystery. Unlike his previous UFO films that seemed hopeful, Disclosure Day feels more grounded, mysterious and ominous judging by the teaser trailer alone. The teaser implies the film will tackle government conspiracies and spirituality. After a long period of non-genre dramas and musicals, seeing Spielberg tackling aliens once again is a welcome event.

2. Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Following the aftermath of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the latest MCU Spider-Man picks up after Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) civilian identity has been erased thanks to a magical spell. Not a lot has been revealed about the next MCU Spider-Man film but it features popular Marvel characters like the Hulk and Punisher, a bunch of new supervillains and a mysterious new character played by Sadie Sink. Aside from speculation about Sink’s role, the film is noted for being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who directed the well-received MCU film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

1. Avengers: Doomsday

From the chair announcement trailer to the character teasers, no other film coming out in 2026 has generated the amount of buzz as the first Avengers film since Avengers: Endgame. The film begins the conclusion of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, which will finish with next year’s film Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has a lot riding on the success of this film given how MCU films and TV shows have had uneven reception lately. The film is pulling out all stops to bring back fans to guarantee a box office win with its hard pivot to legacy characters and actors, notably those from the Fox X-Men films and Robert Downey, Jr. who returns not as Iron Man but as the premier Marvel villain Doctor Doom. No matter how it ends up, Avengers: Doomsday will be the event film of 2026.

Notable Mentions:

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple; The Bride!; Clayface; Coyote vs. Acme; Evil Dead Burn; Flowervale Street; Forgotten Island; Godzilla: Minus Zero; Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die: Greenland 2: Migration; Hokum, Hoppers; Iron Lung; The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender; Masters of the Universe; The Mummy, Primate; Redux Redux, Werwulf, Wildwood

Television

10. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Most likely the latest Star Trek TV show will be garbage given the cringy publicity images and clips that highlight cliche teenage angst. Also going against it is that not many fans were interested in a Star Trek show set in the unpopular Star Trek: Discovery era of the 31st century, but it looks well produced and could surprise us.

9. The Boroughs

Fresh off concluding their popular TV series, Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers follow up that TV show with The Boroughs. This one focuses on middle-aged residents of a suburban community instead of kids who team up to face an unusual threat. Starring Al Molina, Geena Davis, Bill Pullman and others, The Boroughs should echo the same magic that made Stranger Things so well regarded.

8. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

The second season of the Monsterverse TV show is finally upon us. The first season unexpectedly provided depth and intriguing worldbuilding for the action-oriented Monsterverse films while featuring many appearances by our favorite kaijus like Godzilla. The second season will provide more of this and should develop the Monsterverse storyline further.

7. Neuromancer

Apple TV has turned into the premier streaming service for high-quality sci-fi programs and given recent adaptations of popular sci-fi literary works like Foundation and Silo, it was time for the streaming service to jump into adapting the William Gibson novel that jumpstarted the cyberpunk subgenre. Details are not available but since Neuromancer will stream on Apple TV, it should be a quality adaptation.

6. Spider-Noir

While it is lamentable that this program about an alternate take on Spider-Man set in the 1930s will stream on MGM+ (who actually subscribes to that streaming service?), it offers a unique take on Spider-Man. Filmed in black and white to establish a noir mood, the series will star Nicolas Cage (who voiced the same character in the Spider-Verse animated films) as Ben Reilly, an older and more jaded version of Marvel’s most popular hero.

5. X-Men ’97

After the triumphant first season that redefined the animated X-Men TV shows, this second season takes place right after the events of the first season as the heroic mutants find themselves scattered in different time periods and have to find a way back home. Only this time, the X-Men have to grapple with the mega-villainy of Apocalypse. However, being that Beau DeMayo, the showrunner of the first season, has been fired by Marvel Studios, it has to be seen if the new showrunners can match DeMayo’s work.

4. VisionQuest

This MCU TV show concludes the loose trilogy made up of WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and now VisionQuest. This shows follows the journey of the white android Vision (Paul Bettany) who was imbued with the memories of the original Vision in the final episode of WandaVision and now he has to struggle to find his identity. What makes the concluding part of the trilogy more exciting is that Terry Matalas, who was responsible for the popular third season of Star Trek: Picard, will be the showrunner.

3. Lanterns

The sole DCU TV show coming out in 2026 is a detective show will feature the intergalactic sentinels Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating a murder in Nebraska that will lead to dark and otherworldly events. Given the success of other DCU TV programs like Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, and the bonafides of the showrunners, including DCU head James Gunn, Lanterns should be another win for the fledgling superhero cinematic universe.

2. The Boys

The final season of the adaptation of Garth Ennis’ comic book series about “superheroes” dominating popular culture and the world itself promises to go all out as a ragtag group of anti-heroes led by Bill Butcher (Karl Urban) have their final confrontation against the twisted and sadistic Homelander (Anthony Starr) who rules the United States in a reign of terror with his lackeys and cohorts. The final season of The Boys promises to be just as brash, graphically violent and sardonic as the previous four seasons and its spinoff TV show Gen V.

1. Daredevil: Born Again

It’s true that the first season of Daredevil: Born Again turned out to be uneven, but the best episodes of that season were produced by Dario Scardapane and directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who were the showrunners of the original Daredevil TV program on Netflix. The second season will be completely done by them and that is reason alone to look forward to it. Another reason is that it will focus on how the blind superhero Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and his allies (including Kristen Ritter reprising her role of Jessica Jones) operate on the streets of New York City under martial law as the police enforce a ban on vigilantes imposed by Daredevil’s nemesis Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).

Notable Mentions

3 Body Problem, Army of Shadows, Avatar: The Last Airbender; The Beauty, Blade Runner 2099, For All Mankind; Invincible, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, One Piece, Paradise; Silo, Star City, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord; Stranger Things: Tales From ’85; The Testaments, Wonder Man, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man