2026 has already been a fantastic year for the superhero genre, delivering critically acclaimed projects like Spider-Noir, Wonder Man, Daredevil: Born Again season 2, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, The Punisher: One Last Kill, X-Men '97 season 2, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Fortunately, the action is far from over.
There are plenty of exciting superhero shows, video games, and movies coming our way in the last third of the year. So now is the perfect time to break them all down and rank them based on their release dates.
1. Lanterns - Ongoing
Few superhero shows have adopted the murder-mystery format, and even less have managed to be as acclaimed as Lanterns. We're nearly at the halfway point of the latest DC project, and many questions remain unanswered—a promising sign that the best is yet to come. At the same time, we've been slowly but steadily learning more about John Stewart and Hal Jordan's past, helping us piece together exactly why they aren't on the best terms with each other. Their relationship is the major force pushing the plot forward, and it's been fascinating to watch unfold.
The DC Universe got off to a rocky start, going from a victory in the form of Superman to a missed step with Supergirl. As such, it is nice to see the franchise go back to its winning ways with some of the most iconic superhero characters ever created. Now that we know that John Stewart will appear in the Superman sequel, Man of Steel, it's clear that Lanterns is a major stepping stone for the DCU, and we can't wait to see whether its story ties into the upcoming Brainiac invasion.
2. Marvel's Wolverine - September 15
We're about to become the best at what we do, but what we'll do isn't very nice. After being announced all the way back in September 2021, Marvel's Wolverine is finally around the corner, and every trailer and gameplay deep dive showcasing Insomniac's upcoming title is nothing short of exhilarating. We're about to follow Logan as he tries to discover more about his past while saving as many mutants as possible along the way.
Marvel's Wolverine will take place in a world where the X-Men haven't assembled just yet. Most of the world is oblivious to the existence of mutants, and the few people who know about them (like Bolivar Trask) are actively hunting them. This will push Logan to join forces with iconic Marvel characters such as Jean Grey and Sabretooth to defeat antagonists such as the Reavers, Omega Red, and the Hand.
Insomniac has absolutely delivered with its Marvel's Spider-Man video game franchise, and we're just a few weeks away from discovering if the developer captured lightning in a bottle once more with a different hero.
3. VisionQuest - October 14
This heartbreaking tale began in 2021 during the events of WandaVision, when the Scarlet Witch created a magical world to live in with her family. The journey then continued in Agatha All Along, where one of Wanda's children came back to life and embarked on a journey to find his missing family. Now, we will watch the conclusion of the story with the release of VisionQuest.
The trilogy-capper will see White Vision come to terms with the memories gifted to him by his predecessor—a different version of himself created with the magic of the Scarlet Witch. White Vision will now have to learn to reconnect with who he once was, and this task will be all the more complicated when he eventually meets his son, Tommy Maximoff. Furthermore, multiple AIs from the wider MCU are about to make a comeback, including Dum-E, U, and, of course, Ultron—the murderous android who has been absent since 2015.
Rumor has it that VisionQuest will be instrumental in assembling the Young Avengers/Champions. Furthermore, it is the last project set to be released before Avengers: Doomsday, hinting that there's some direct connection between them. Fortunately, we'll get some much-needed answers in just one month.
4. Clayface - October 23
Clayface is the DCU's last movie of 2026 and its third overall film. While it would be easy to assume that a new superhero cinematic universe would open up with some of its biggest characters, that isn't the case here. Instead, Warner Bros. took a risky route that has every chance of having just as big a payoff.
Clayface is an R-rated, body-horror project that will shine the spotlight on Matt Hagen, a rising Hollywood star whose career comes to a tragic end when his face is horribly disfigured. In an attempt to recover what was lost, Hagen will undergo an experimental procedure meant to give him his face back, but which instead has the horrific side effect of turning his whole body into clay. Unfortunately, controlling these new abilities isn't easy, although they grant Hagen the opportunity to get revenge on those who derailed his life in the first place.
2026 has been huge for the horror genre thanks to releases like Obsession and Backrooms, so hopefully Clayface will keep the streak going.
5. Avengers: Doomsday - December 18
All roads lead to doom.
Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been absent from the big screen for seven years now, but the fabric of the multiverse has remained intact thanks to the likes of Loki, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. Unfortunately, these iconic characters have merely delayed the inevitable, and now we're about to witness how reality itself will fall apart. Fortunately, the Avengers will do everything in their power to try to hold it together.
For the first time in cinematic history, Earth's Mightiest Heroes will join forces with the X-Men, New Avengers, and Fantastic Four to fight against a very dangerous threat. Robert Downey Jr. will return to the MCU, but instead of playing the role of Tony Stark, he'll become the next bad guy to fear as he brings Victor von Doom to life. Furthermore, Chris Evans' Steve Rogers will also make his long-awaited comeback, and it's clear Marvel has many more surprises in store. On the bright side, it isn't long now before we get to watch one of the final projects in the Multiverse Saga.
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