2025 was undoubtedly an abundant year for superhero movies, with the likes of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, Superman, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, all arriving in movie theaters. Now we have several highly anticipated films heading our way in 2026 and some scheduled for the following year as well.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is evolving their strategy while planning to develop content for many years to come. Sony Marvel movies have also been supplementing the genre with Spider-Man-adjacent protagonists all the way up until 2024, however Sony is now solely focused on definitive Spider-Man content. On the contrary, DC has successfully relaunched their Justice League franchise, with big promises ahead from studio overseers James Gunn and Peter Safran.
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.
Masters of the Universe
Release Date: June 5, 2026
Director: Travis Knight
Writers: Chris Butler and David Callaham
Cast:
• Nicholas Galitzine – He-Man/Adam Glenn
• Camila Mendes – Teela
• Jared Leto – Skeletor
• Idris Elba – Man-at-Arms/Duncan
• Alison Brie – Evil-Lyn/Evelyn Powers
• Morena Baccarin – Sorceress
• James Purefoy – King Randor
To claim Masters of the Universe has had trouble getting off the ground would be a huge understatement. The rights have been passed around for decades with various directors circling the project. In fact, Masters of the Universe appeared on versions of this superhero movie schedule in the late 2010s, with the Nee brothers set to direct, Noah Centineo cast as He-Man, and a March 2021 release date. Then Netflix, backers of the contemporary animated run, developed the movie before abandoning it. Now, Amazon MGM has resurrected the superhuman prince – barring some kind of catastrophe, Masters of the Universe will finally hit theaters this summer.
There may be an appetite for a Masters of the Universe remake, as DC comics has been publishing the title for many years. The 1980s original starred Dolph Lundgren, then in his prime, battling the evil Skeletor, who was played by Frank Langella. Again, a lesser star will take the lead this time around, with a more established actor playing the villain. Oscar winner Jared Leto clearly enjoys these nefarious parts, since he has already embodied The Joker in Suicide Squad and the titular Morbius in the Sony Marvel Universe.
A potential problem is that the 1980s Masters of the Universe was not very well received and not too fondly remembered outside of its core cult followers. The 1980s cartoon is perhaps even more well-known than the live-action film. Another hurdle is that Travis Knight almost exclusively works on animated movies, with the exception being a lone Transformers offshoot. Could this $200 million movie defy odds and become a success story?
Supergirl
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Director: Craig Gillespie
Writer: Ana Nogueira
Cast:
• Milly Alcock – Supergirl/Kara Zor-El
• Matthias Schoenaerts – Krem
• David Krumholtz – Zor-El
• Emily Beecham – Alura In-Ze
• Jason Momoa – Lobo
• David Corenswet – Superman/Clark Kent
James Gunn’s Superman is looking more and more like a launching pad for the DCU projects that will follow. After Nathan Fillion portrayed Guy Gardner in the inaugural event film, other Green Lanterns will glow in the HBO Max series Lanterns. Superman supporting heroes like Mister Terrific and Metamorpho will certainly resurface in future content. But a primary focus after Superman will be the Supergirl spinoff.
Just like the original title for the Superman movie dropped its subtitle before coming to theaters (it was first announced as Superman: Legacy), James Gunn and Craig Gillespie have decided to ditch Woman of Tomorrow from Supergirl. The purpose of the secondary titles seemed to be to differentiate from Richard Donner’s groundbreaking 1978 Superman and the 1984 version of Supergirl – even the recent Arrowverse series starring Melissa Benoist was named Supergirl. Clearly, DC has quashed their concern for unique titles and is allowing Gunn to pump all the originality into the content.
House of the Dragon standout, Milly Alcock, cameoed as Kara toward the end of James Gunn’s Superman and revealed that she is the actual owner of Krypto. And even though Gunn is not directing Supergirl, Craig Gillespie has a pretty good track record. His recent filmography is well-rounded, however the most pertinent connection worth formulating for Supergirl is his commendable work directing phenomenal female performances, such as Margot Robbie in I Tonya and Emma Stone in Cruella.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Release Date: July 31, 2026
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writers: Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers
Cast:
• Tom Holland – Spider-Man/Peter Parker
• Zendaya – MJ
• Michael Mando – Scorpion/Mac Gargan
• Jon Bernthal – Punisher/Frank Castle
• Mark Ruffalo – Hulk/Bruce Banner
• Marvin Jones III – Tombstone/Lonnie Lincoln
• Jacob Batalon – Ned
• Sadie Sink
• Liza Colon-Zayas
• Tramell Tillman
The last time we saw Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, not only did no one know he was Spider-Man, everyone’s memory of Peter had been erased entirely. The Spider-Man: No Way Home climax culminated in Doctor Strange casting this spell as a way to end the multiversal mayhem. This leaves Peter all on his own to navigate whatever trouble awaits in Brand New Day.
However, casting news does suggest that Spider-Man will again have a mentor in Brand New Day. Following in the footsteps of Iron Man, Nick Fury/Talos, and Doctor Strange for the first three Spidey flicks, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk will make his first MCU appearance since She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Plus, it will be his only post-Endgame cinematic portrayal of the giant green hero, save for a cameo, as Bruce, in Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings. An even deeper connection between that movie and Brand New Day is that both are directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
Aside from the addition of Hulk in a solo Spidey flick, other exciting inclusions are the villain Scorpion and the anti-hero Punisher. Michael Mando’s Scorpion had a quick run-in with Peter in Homecoming, landing the criminal behind bars. After he started planning revenge against Spider-Man, Scorpion has not been seen since that 2017 summer blockbuster. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher featured in the Marvel-Netflix universe in the late 2010s and reprised the role for the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again series. This year, he will star in his own Disney Plus special, while also making his first theatrical appearance as Frank Castle in Brand New Day.
Clayface
Release Date: October 23, 2026
Director: James Watkins
Writers: Hossein Amini and Mike Flanagan
Cast:
• Tom Rhys Harries – Clayface
• Naomi Ackie – Dr. Bates
• Max Minghella
• Eddie Marsan
Clayface is the most unsuspecting piece in James Gunn’s DCU puzzle. Although the shapeshifter is a distinguished Batman villain, he will not be a part of Matt Reeves’ Batman catalog and will not fall under the DC Elseworlds brand, like the Joker movies. Clayface will live in the collective DC Universe, however, given the differences in disposition, the amount of crossover with heroes like Superman or Green Lantern may be extremely limited.
DC has options when it comes to the direction they want to take with this villain/anti-hero. Clayface could resemble the Venom trilogy, which has an inherent comic relief element built into its tone (some would say it is too light for the quintessential Spider-Man antagonist). Alternatively, it can follow in the footsteps of a fellow DC headliner, Joker; bleak from beginning to end. Given the writer and directors’ proclivity for heavier horror, Clayface may lean toward the latter.
The cast and filmmakers are looking to break out with a hit on this modestly budgeted project. British actor Tom Rhys Harries has been gaining in popularity in recent years and will now take center stage in Clayface. His co-star, Naomi Ackie, is known for embodying Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody, and gave standout performances in Blink Twice, Mickey 17, and Sorry Baby. Director James Watkins can advance his career with a well-received horror movie that is not a remake. And screenwriter Mike Flanagan has achieved critical acclaim adapting Stephen King works Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck, but has yet to find success at the box office.
Avengers: Doomsday
Release Date: December 18, 2026
Directors: The Russo Brothers
Writers: Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron
Cast:
• Chris Hemsworth – Thor
• Robert Downey Jr. – Doctor Doom/Victor von Doom
• Chris Evans – Captain America/Steve Rogers
• Pedro Pascal – Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards
• Vanessa Kirby – Invisible Woman/Sue Storm
• Anthony Mackie – Captain America/Sam Wilson
• Sebastian Stan – Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes
• Letitia Wright – Black Panther/Shuri
• Paul Rudd – Ant-Man/Scott Lang
• Wyatt Russell – U.S. Agent/John Walker
• Tenoch Huerta – Namor
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach – Thing/Ben Grimm
• Simu Liu – Shang-Chi
• Florence Pugh – Black Widow/Yelena Belova
• Kelsey Grammer – Beast/Hank McCoy
• Lewis Pullman – Sentry/Bob Reynolds
• Danny Ramirez – Falcon/Joaquin Torres
• Joseph Quinn – Human Torch/Johnny Storm
• David Harbour – Red Guardian/Alexei
• Winston Duke – M’Baku
• Hannah John-Kamen – Ghost/Ava Starr
• Tom Hiddleston – Loki
• Patrick Stewart – Professor X/Charles Xavier
• Ian McKellen – Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr
• Alan Cumming – Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner
• Rebecca Romijn – Mystique/Raven Darkholme
• James Marsden – Cyclops/Scott Summers
• Channing Tatum – Gambit/Remy LeBeau
• Mabel Cadena – Namora
• India Rose Hemsworth – Love
Ever since Marvel dropped Jonathan Majors, there has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the fifth Avengers movie, which was previously called The Kang Dynasty. Majors' 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.
Unlike Thanos, who was teased with several cameos, as well as an extended sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy, before devastating the Avengers in Infinity War, Doctor Doom was singularly introduced in the most recent MCU film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Victor’s face was not even shown, only his infamous metal mask. After the foursome barely escaped without casualties while preventing Galactus from devouring Earth and claiming baby Franklin for himself, Doom is continuing to threaten Marvel’s favorite family by setting his sights on their youngest member.
Aside from the Fantastic Four returning for Avengers: Doomsday, many more heroes will team up to face Doom’s threat. Currently, there are two factions of “New Avengers” – one led by Sam Wilson’s Captain America, with the other being the Thunderbolts team. The Russo Brothers will also juggle a few Wakandans and a pair of Asgardians. The X-Men will make up a significant percentage of the heroes in Doomsday, while the biggest surprise return will be Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers. Could other unannounced cast members show up for this massive collaboration?
Man of Tomorrow
Release Date: July 9, 2027
Director: James Gunn
Writer: James Gunn
Cast:
• David Corenswet – Superman/Clark Kent
• Rachel Brosnahan – Lois Lane
• Nicholas Hoult – Lex Luthor
• Lars Eidinger – Brainiac
James Gunn finally got around to using an alternate title, rather than simply the name of the primary superhero. His Superman movie was first called Superman: Legacy, before dropping the “Legacy”. Then there is Supergirl, which originally included the subtitle “Woman of Tomorrow”, and now is also just referred to as Supergirl. Both “Man of Tomorrow” and “Woman of Tomorrow” were popular comic book runs at DC.
Gunn states that his Man of Tomorrow will be the next story in his Superman saga, specifying that this is not a direct Superman sequel, hence the lack of the hero’s moniker in the title. Now it is expected that both Superman and Lex Luthor will somehow share a dual protagonist spotlight. Nicholas Hoult recently reprised his role for a scene in Peacemaker, where Luthor remained in prison, on the other side of the glass opposite Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr.
The big bad for Man of Tomorrow will be the uber-calculating android Brainiac. After closing in on about a dozen movies with the last son of Krypton, Superman fans are likely to celebrate the first live-action movie to present this major DC foe. Aside from decades of key comic book storylines, Brainiac has had popular animated versions, and even small-screen live-action portrayals, most prevalent in the Syfy series, Krypton. Now, German actor Lars Eidinger, will get his chance to show off Brainiac’s more cinematic appeal.
The Batman Part II
Release Date: October 1, 2027
Director: Matt Reeves
Writers: Matt Reeves and Mattson Tomlin
Cast:
• Robert Pattinson – Batman/Bruce Wayne
• Colin Farrell – Penguin/Oswald Cobb
• Sebastian Stan – Two-Face/Harvey Dent
• Andy Serkis – Alfred Pennyworth
• Jeffrey Wright – Commissioner Gordon
• Scarlett Johansson
Most of DC’s focus surrounds James Gunn’s DCU, which is undeniably charging full steam ahead and across various mediums. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ DC division will still be producing unrelated 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’s Bruce Wayne revival in The Flash was only a few years ago, while Ben Affleck ended up hanging 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 could have as many as four different actors playing Bruce Wayne in DC films this decade.
Audiences returned to Matt Reeves' universe in the spinoff show The Penguin. While that HBO Max limited series bridges the gap between the two cinematic features, the show is more of a deep character study for Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb. Aside from Penguin, Two-Face will be terrorizing Gotham in the form of Marvel veteran Sebastian Stan; his Winter Soldier is still operating as a member of the New Avengers. Scarlett Johansson, on the other hand, has moved on from Marvel, and will also appear in the second Batman.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date: December 17, 2027
Directors: The Russo Brothers
Writers: Stephen McFeely and Michael Waldron
Cast:
• Pedro Pascal – Mister Fantastic/Reed Richards
• Robert Downey Jr. – Doctor Doom/Victor von Doom
• Vanessa Kirby – Invisible Woman/Sue Storm
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach – 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) Marvel superhero or villain throughout the Secret Wars storyline. This is clearly being explored by Kevin Feige and The Russo Brothers, as the X-Men characters from an alternate reality are being brought over to the MCU for Doomsday. Secret Wars will continue the trend of crossing over with other franchises. Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine have proven this tactic could yield massive success.
In Avengers: Secret Wars, Beyonder will likely be replaced by Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. The rest will start coming together for the sixth Avengers epic after Avengers: Doomsday comes out. 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.