Every Marvel, DC and comic book movie coming in 2024 and beyond

Updated as of August 7, 2024

Comic book movies have helped to spearhead the contemporary must-see movie trend. Even though many factors have led to an overall declining box office, superhero movies are continuously fighting to leave their cinematic mark and many of our favorite heroes have had a positive impact at movie theaters in recent years.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is evolving their strategy while moving forward to develop content for many years to come (and excitement is once again high after the success of Deadpool and Wolverine!) and the Sony Marvel movies supplement the genre with sporadic releases. The DC franchise remains in the mix, as it navigates the superhero movie playing field with promises of a new, more stable movie universe.

We are here to help you keep track of superhero movie mania. What is the next big release? Will it be a part of a shared movie universe that you know and love? What cast members are set to return in the sequel?

The live-action movies that follow have confirmed theatrical opening dates. Here are the latest updates to the release date schedule.

Joker: Folie a Deux

Release Date: October 4, 2024
Director: Todd Phillips
Writers: Todd Phillips and Scott Silver

Cast:
• Joaquin Phoenix - Joker/Arthur Fleck
• Lady Gaga - Harley Quinn
• Zazie Beetz - Sophie Dumond
• Brendan Gleeson
• Catherine Keener
• Harry Lawtey
• Ken Leung

While the first Joker could have easily been left as a one-off triumph, being nominated for the Best Picture Oscar with Joaquin Phoenix taking home the Best Lead Actor award, its critical and financial success meant a sequel would surely follow. For a studio that constantly struggles to figure out how to secure a hit from their DC comics catalogue, Warner Bros. was enticed to bring both Todd Phillips and Phoenix back for more.

The original Joker paid homage to classic gritty crime sagas – most notably Martin Scorsese films such as Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. However, all signs point to this sequel taking on the musical genre. So if Todd Phillips intends to stylistically or spiritually emulate films of the past, perhaps he will look to dark musicals such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show or Sweeney Todd.

The addition of Harley Quinn suggests that Folie a Deux will again include a love story (however twisted it may be). And who better to play the lovable menace in a musical than Lady Gaga? She proved her talent in the Star is Born remake and was even better in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci, which also is a more apt indicator for her ability to take on Mr. J’s partner. Of course, Margot Robbie has been undeniably appealing in this role already, but DC film and television studios threw a singular connected universe out the window a long time ago.

Venom: The Last Dance

Release Date: October 25, 2024
Director: Kelly Marcel
Writer: Kelly Marcel

Cast:
• Tom Hardy – Venom/Eddie Brock
• Stephen Graham - Detective Mulligan
• Juno Temple
• Chiwetel Ejiofor

Sony’s Marvel Universe is just as unpredictable as the old DCEU. Morbius and Madame Web didn’t generate enough income to warrant a sequel conversation, Kraven the Hunter had its release pushed back by an entire year, and El Muerto has completely disappeared from theatrical calendars. But Venom is the production company’s current go-to comic book property. Critical response aside, the original Venom raked in over $800 million worldwide and Let There Be Carnage broke $500 million, which was rare for a pandemic-era release.

Tom Hardy is a special actor, with an impressive physicality and an uncanny ability to shift tonal cues with each role. He may be the best man for this job, although it certainly isn’t one of the Oscar nominee’s top performances. He was even more captivating as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Kelly Marcel wrote the first two movies, although she couldn’t quite nail down the complex duality of Venom and Eddie without resorting to silly gimmickry. She is now tasked with both writing and directing The Last Dance.

After Michelle Williams co-starred in the previous entries, there is no confirmation for her return in the trilogy culmination. It looks like Juno Temple will be taking over as the new female lead. One would expect her part to be more than just a simple love interest to the anti-hero. Chiwetel Ejiofor is also on board, since he currently is on extended standby for his other superhero franchise, as Mordo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Kraven the Hunter

Release Date: December 13, 2024
Director: J.C. Chandor
Writers: Matt Holloway, Art Marcum, and Richard Wenk

Cast:
• Aaron Taylor-Johson – Kraven / Sergei Kravinoff
• Ariana DeBose – Calypso
• Christopher Abbott – The Foreigner
• Fred Hechinger – Chameleon/Dmitri Merdyakov
• Alessandro Nivola – Rhino / Aleksei Sytsevich
• Russell Crowe – Nikolai Kravinoff

Despite Kraven being commonly recognized among Spider-Man fans as one of the wall-crawler's best villains, the deadly Russian hunter has not appeared in any of the eight live-action Spidey flicks (although he was a member of the Sinister Six in the Spider-Man Broadway show). Sony setting an entire movie around Kraven will remedy his previous absence. As the protagonist, he will fight as an anti-hero, similar to Venom and Morbius.

The casting for Kraven is a promising start with Aaron Taylor-Johnson previously proving himself as Kick-Ass and Quicksilver in great superhero movies. Both of those parts couldn’t have been more different and Kraven has the potential to be an especially introverted and layered role for the star. The remarkable indie actor, Christopher Abbott, will portray the assassin Foreigner, while the sensational singer/dancer Ariana DeBose will aim to enchant as the voodoo sorceress Calypso.

Kraven will be the fifth film in the current Sony Marvel Universe, after two Venoms, Morbius, and Madame Web. And Chandor is by far the most accomplished director in the series, so Marvel fans can hope he raises the bar for Sony. It is still to be determined if Kraven and the other films will connect. At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we saw that the Venom movies take place in an alternate universe from the MCU. And Michael Keaton’s Vulture was perplexingly brought to that reality at the end of Morbius. Will any of those previously installed menaces confront Kraven?

Captain America: Brave New World

Release Date: February 14, 2025
Director: Julius Onah
Writers: Julius Onah, Dalan Musson, and Malcolm Spellman

Cast:
• Anthony Mackie - Captain America / Sam Wilson
• Shira Haas - Sabra
• Tim Blake Nelson - The Leader / Samuel Sterns
• Danny Ramirez - Falcon / Joaquin Torres
• Carl Lumbly - Isaiah Bradley
• Harrison Ford - President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross
• Liv Tyler - Betty Ross
• Giancarlo Esposito - Sidewinder / Seth Voelker

The previous Captain America feature’s release date was about nine years before Brave New World. Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers stood as a symbol of liberty in three solo Captain America adventures and four Avengers epics, with his last appearance in Avengers: Endgame. In his closing moments, he gifted his shield to Anthony Mackie’s Falcon.

Sam Wilson did not immediately assume the role as the leader of heroes. Mackie starred in the limited series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which charted Sam’s path to becoming Captain America. So now with Steve Rogers gone, Brave New World will be the first cinematic experience with the new Captain America. Will he face off against former antagonists such as Baron Zemo or U.S. Agent? Surprisingly, this film will see the return of Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader, who’s only MCU attendance was in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. This announcement is doubly unexpected because it will be over 15 years between appearances and Leader is normally a Hulk foe.

Liv Tyler will also reprise her role from The Incredible Hulk, whose father will now be depicted by Harrison Ford, after the passing of William Hurt. Talented Nigerian American director, Julius Onah, will be taking the franchise over from the Russo Brothers. Luce showcased his proclivity for tense sequences, which could fit with the tone of other Captain America movies like Civil War and The Winter Soldier. And speaking of Winter Soldier, at the moment there is no word on whether Sebastian Stan will come back as Captain America’s sidekick in Brave New World, although he will be joining a new team…

Thunderbolts

Release Date: May 2, 2025
Director: Jake Schreier
Writers: Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin

Cast:
• Julia Louis-Dreyfuss - Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
• Florence Pugh - Black Widow / Yelena Belova
• Sebastian Stan - Winter Soldier / Bucky Barnes
• Wyatt Russell - U.S. Agent / John Walker
• David Harbour - Red Guardian / Alexei
• Hannah John-Kamen - Ghost / Ava Starr
• Olga Kurylenko - Taskmaster / Antonia Dreykov
• Lewis Pullman - Sentry / Robert Reynolds
• Harrison Ford - Thunderbolt Ross

The Thunderbolts are an anti-Avengers assembly of not-so-good guys. After over 30 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally debut a supervillain team-up. While multiple named antagonists have compiled in a single narrative, villains from previous films have not yet gathered together in a large follow-up event. So, Thunderbolts should be an enticing prospect for the franchise.

The character who was guaranteed from the beginning to round up the Thunderbolts is Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, brought to life by Julia Louis-Dreyfuss. She could operate similar to Nick Fury’s role within the Avengers – recruiting the members of the team. Thus far, she appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, molding Captain Walker into U.S. Agent, in Black Widow, giving Yelena a nudge toward taking out Hawkeye, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, unveiling her position as the head of the CIA. Surprisingly, she was nowhere to be found in the Hawkeye miniseries, but one could imagine that she will pop up again before Thunderbolts comes out.

The most popular veteran MCU figure on the Thunderbolts will be the Winter Soldier, as he is the only teammate to also suit up as an Avenger. His opponent from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, John Walker, will learn to work beside him in this movie. Three standout Black Widow cast members will return; Florence Pugh as the new foremost Black Widow, David Harbour as Red Guardian, and Olga Kuryleno as Taskmaster. Ant-Man and the Wasp’s Hannah John-Kamen will round out the Thunderbolts roster as Ghost, while Lewis Pullman will be unveiled as the unfathomably formidable golden guardian, Sentry.

Superman

Release Date: July 11, 2025
Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn

Cast:
• David Corenswet - Superman/Clark Kent
• Rachel Brosnahan - Lois Lane
• Nicholas Hoult - Lex Luthor
• Maria Gabriela de Faria - Engineer/Angela Spica
• Nathan Fillion - Green Lantern/Guy Gardner
• Isabela Merced - Hawkgirl/Kendra Saunders
• Anthony Carrigan - Metemorpho/Rex Mason
• Edi Gathegi - Mister Terrific/Michael Holt
• Milly Alcock - Supergirl/Kara
• Sean Gunn - Maxwell Lord
• Sara Sampaio - Eve Teschmacher
• Skyler Gisondo - Jimmy Olsen
• Wendell Pierce - Perry White

Although this will not be James Gunn’s first involvement with the DC Universe (recently changed from DC Extended Universe), Superman will make a grand entrance for the revamped film series that Gunn is overseeing, similar to how Kevin Feige runs the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gunn has previously developed The Suicide Squad and its Peacemaker spin-off show and now will be heavily involved in Superman, again serving as both writer and director.

The cast of this movie is quickly coming together, with David Corenswet as the son of Krypton. This is unfortunate for DCEU fans who were fond of watching Henry Cavill fly around on the big screen. The other big parts filling in the story are Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult's Lex Luthor, and Nathan Fillion as the Guy Gardner version of Green Lantern. Fillion is a notable James Gunn regular, recently applying his straight-faced humor in Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

James Gunn decided to drop the subtitle “Legacy” and simply name the film Superman. This is a bold move as fans have been divided lately over the direction of DC films when few question their loyalty to the original Superman from 1978. Gunn has quite a challenge on his hands, having to differentiate his vision to stand out from, not just Richard Donner’s classic, but also Bryan Singer’s interpretation, as well as Zack Snyder’s version of the hero.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release Date: July 25, 2025
Director: Matt Shakman
Writers: Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer

Cast:
• Pedro Pascal – Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards
• Vanessa Kirby – Invisible Woman / Sue Storm
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Thing / Ben Grimm
• Joseph Quinn – Human Torch / Johnny Storm
• Ralph Ineson - Galactus
• Julia Garner – Silver Surfer / Shalla-Bal
• John Malkovich
• Paul Walter Hauser
• Natasha Lyonne

The Fantastic Four already had two cinematic endeavors this century. The most recent was directed by Josh Trank in 2015 and was a dismal affair. Despite Black Panther’s Michael B. Jordan standing in as the Human Torch, the film was a critical and commercial failure. Ten years prior, Tim Story helmed a Fantastic Four two-fer; a fun family friendly superhero series with Chris Evans portraying Johnny Storm not too long before suiting up as Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now it is the MCU’s turn to take a crack at the super family. Director of the Spider-Man “Home” trilogy, Jon Watts, was in early talks to lead the franchise but is taking a break from comic book adaptations, leaving an opening for WandaVision’s Matt Shakman to take over. Shakman directed all nine episodes of the near-perfect limited series. If he can lend a similar fervent idiosyncrasy to The Fantastic Four, this movie could stand out just like his Disney Plus series.

John Krasinki stunned fans when he played Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But that version of the character was in an alternate dimension, so pop culture icon Pedro Pascal will look to dominate yet another beloved universe. Ebon Moss-Bachrach has some experience in this genre after portraying Micro in Netflix’s The Punisher. And Joseph Quinn is no “stranger” to admired genre properties; he was fan-favorite Eddie Munson in Stranger Things. However, the cast member with perhaps the least invitations to comic-con is the finest actor of the quartet, Vanessa Kirby.

Blade

Release Date: November 7, 2025
Director: To be determined
Writers: Eric Pearson, Nic Pizzolatto, and Michael Starrbury

Cast:
• Mahershala Ali - Blade
• Mia Goth
• Delroy Lindo

Along the same vein as Marvel heroes Hulk and Spider-Man, Blade is a reintroduction of an already filmed story, reframed within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It isn’t stated enough that the original Blade was actually the first theatrical wide-release of a Marvel comics superhero adaptation; the only such cinematic experience of the 20th century. Wesley Snipes led the successful trilogy that paved the way for X-Men, Spider-Man, and eventually the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It was announced several years ago that the face of the Blade revival will be two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, and although he has yet to show himself in the MCU, fans could hear Ali voice the character in the final seconds of Eternals. He approaches Kit Harrington’s Dane Whitman on the verge of grasping the legendary Ebony Blade, on his way to become the Black Knight. Whitman is likely to make an appearance in Blade, but the biggest riddle Marvel will have to resolve is how vampires fit into the 30-film franchise. Could the multiverse be the answer?

Small-budget filmmaker Bassam Tariq was originally attached to Blade and then stepped down as director, making room for Yann Demange. Now Demange has exited the project, leaving Blade in an unfortunate state, that many in the industry have labeled “development hell”. If Marvel doesn’t hire a replacement soon, the release window will surely get pushed back.

Avengers: Doomsday

Release Date: May 1, 2026
Directors: The Russo Brothers
Writer: Stephen McFeely

Cast:
• Pedro Pascal - Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards
• Robert Downey Jr. - Doctor Doom / Victor von Doom
• Vanessa Kirby - Invisible Woman / Sue Storm
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Thing/ Ben Grimm
• Joseph Quinn – Human Torch / Johnny Storm

Ever since Marvel dropped Jonathan Majors, there has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the fifth Avengers, which was previously called The Kang Dynasty. Major’s behavior in his private life has led to him losing out on the role of a lifetime and the MCU has pivoted away from Kang-centric storylines. This giant hole will now be filled by Doctor Doom.

The biggest shocker coming out of San Diego Comic-Con is that Robert Downey Jr. will portray Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will be the major Avengers antagonist for the foreseeable future. Will Downey Jr. strictly be depicting the character as Victor von Doom or could his history as Iron Man factor into the narrative? With the multiverse still dominating the franchise, Doctor Doom as an Iron man variant from another universe would be a logical potential plot point.   

And of course, Doctor Doom will have to face off against actual heroes. And the only ones that have been name dropped so far are those that have not even hit the big screen yet – The Fantastic Four. Their “first steps" will be taken a year before Doomsday, so perhaps that story will lead into the Avengers team-up, with the possibility of Doom making a more comic book accurate debut; under the Fantastic Four tentpole. Although he has not yet been officially announced, Benedict Cumberbatch hinted that he was getting ready to reprise his Doctor Strange role for the upcoming Avenger epic.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

Release Date: June 26, 2026
Director: Craig Gillespie
Writer: Ana Nogueira

Cast:
• Milly Alcock – Supergirl/Kara Zor-El

James Gunn’s Superman is looking more and more like a launching pad for the DCU projects that will follow. After Nathan Fillion will portray Guy Gardner, other Green Lanterns will glow in the HBO Max series Lanterns. Other Superman heroes like Hawgkirl, Metamorpho, and Mister Terrific will likely resurface in future content. But a primary focus after Superman will be the Supergirl spinoff, Woman of Tomorrow.

Unlike James Gunn’s Superman, which will now share a name with the revered Richard Donner classic (after dropping “Legacy” from its title), the Woman of Tomorrow subtitle will differentiate this undertaking from the 1984 movie, as well as the Arrowverse television series, which were both called Supergirl. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is the name of a popular contemporary DC comics story.

House of the Dragon standout will debut as Supergirl in James Gunn’s Superman, before starring in Woman of Tomorrow. Even better news is the hiring of director Craig Gillespie, who has a solid track record – something some of the DCEU filmmakers lacked. Gillespie’s filmography is well-rounded, however the most pertinent connection worth formulating for Woman of Tomorrow is his incredible work directing phenomenal female performances, such as Margot Robbie in I Tonya and Emma Stone in Cruella.

The Batman - Part II

Release Date: October 2, 2026
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin

Cast:
• Robert Pattinson – Batman / Bruce Wayne
• Colin Farrell – The Penguin / Oswald Cobblepot
• Andy Serkis – Alfred Pennyworth
• Jeffrey Wright – Commissioner Gordon

While the DCU will be making a mark with James Gunn’s new trajectory, Warner Bros.’ DC division will still be producing unrelated DC superhero movies, that they have calculatingly called DC Elseworlds. The Joker and Batman franchises fall under the purview of this extrinsic universe.

The Batman was slightly divisive among hardcore DC fans, but in the end, it earned enough revenue to warrant a sequel for the studio. The strangest part about this Batman series is how Michael Keaton recently revived his Bruce Wayne role (he was in the cancelled Batgirl and plays a considerable role in The Flash), while Ben Affleck has also hung around for longer than expected, and someone new may even sign on for the DCU. One of Gunn’s projects in the pipeline is The Brave and the Bold with Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian. So, we will have four different actors playing Batman in DC films this decade.

There are still a lot of unknowns about The Batman Part II, however we can expect some clues due to the production of a spinoff show about the Penguin. The events of that HBO Max limited series are intended to lead into The Batman’s sequel, sort of bridging the gap between the two cinematic features. The Joker was teased (not Joaquin Phoenix’s version) at the end of the original, so perhaps Barry Keoghan’s Joker will be promoted to lead villain for Part II.

Avengers: Secret Wars

Release Date: May 7, 2027
Directors: The Russo Brothers
Writer: Stephen McFeely
Cast:
• Pedro Pascal - Mister Fantastic / Reed Richards
• Robert Downey Jr. - Doctor Doom / Victor von Doom
• Vanessa Kirby - Invisible Woman / Sue Storm
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Thing / Ben Grimm
• Joseph Quinn – Human Torch / Johnny Storm

“Secret Wars” was just as popular, if even more so, than the “Infinity Gauntlet” run of Marvel comics over 30 years ago. Preceding “Infinity Gauntlet” by several years, “Secret Wars” brought together a plethora of Marvel heroes and villains on a scale never seen before. While a lot takes place in its twelve issues, the plot simply follows the Beyonder transporting superpowered individuals to an inescapable planet so that they can battle each other for his entertainment.

With this kind of setup, there is the potential to include any (even every) active MCU superhero or villain throughout the Secret Wars storyline. This may even prove as an opportunity to introduce new characters, but with so many heroes already in play between the films and Disney Plus series, and with the Fantastic Four poised to make a mark in the MCU, it could be difficult to juggle any more characters.

The cinematic franchise takes liberties with their source material to better adapt the stories contemporarily, so Beyonder will likely be replaced by Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. As the release date approaches, we are sure to gather more evidence as to who the inciting players might be and how a Secret Wars-like event could come into play.

Be sure to keep checking back in for updates in the upcoming superhero movie schedule, as more release dates are revealed.

Be sure to keep checking back in for updates in the upcoming superhero movie schedule, as more release dates are revealed.