Superhero movies have grown from a niche subgenre of action movies into a cornerstone of modern Hollywood. Since Marvel began “Phase One” of its “Cinematic Universe” in 2008, it has released 29 movies with at least 11 more slated for release in the next four years alone. They have also grown to dominate at the box office. “Avengers: Endgame” dethroned “Avatar” as the highest-grossing film of all time at the domestic box office, bringing in more than $850 million. (These are the best Marvel movies of all time)
Needless to say, superhero movies are likely to keep on coming for as long as they show a profit. To identify the 18 major superhero movies currently in post-production, production, or the planning stages,, 24/7 Tempo reviewed press coverage and announcements by Warner Bros, Marvel Entertainment, and other major studios. Directorial and (when available) cast information comes from IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon.
No other company has dominated the superhero sphere like Marvel Studios, but several others have created acclaimed hits as well. DC Comics’ “The Dark Knight,” for instance, remains the highest-rated superhero movie on IMDb, and is the third highest-rated movie across all genres.
Marvel and two other companies – DC Comics and Sony – virtually own the cinematic superhero world, and all the films on this list are from one of the three. The Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is still the largest aggregation of superhero films, and has the most new ones on this list. DC Comics has begun to build its own repertoire of movies with its DC Extended Universe, and Sony, thanks to some intricate licensing deals, now has its own Spider-Man Universe, involving not just Spider-Man but also other characters from Spider-Man comics. (Here are all the actors who have played Spider-Man, ranked.)
Obviously, none of these companies are hitting the brakes anytime soon and will continue to pump out superhero flicks at breakneck speed. For now, these are the ones that are headed our way in the foreseeable future.
Click here to see 18 upcoming superhero movies
Black Adam
> Release date: Oct. 21, 2022
> Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra
> Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Viola Davis
Antihero Black Adam has been imprisoned for nearly 5,000 years in Egypt. When he escapes, his brutal form of vigilante justice attracts the attention of other superheroes who try to set him straight. The title role is played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The character debuted in the DC Cinematic Universe in the animated “DC League of Super-Pets,” where he was voiced by Johnson.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
> Release date: Nov. 11, 2022
> Directed by: Ryan Coogler
> Starring: Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta
The sequel to 2018’s highly acclaimed “Black Panther,” the film continues the story of the futuristic and secretive African nation of Wakanda. The film was delayed and radically changed after the death of original star Chadwick Boseman. The new plot follows the leaders of Wakanda as they face rising threats in the wake of losing their leader King T’Challa, Boseman’s character.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
> Release date: Feb. 17, 2023
> Directed by: Peyton Reed
> Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
The third movie in Marvel’s Ant-Man franchise stars Paul Rudd as the Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp. Both use special technology to shrink to the size of insects. The heroes must travel into the Quantum Realm, a dimension that can only be entered by subatomic particles.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
> Release date: March 17, 2023
> Directed by: David Sandberg
> Starring: Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu
“Fury of the Gods” is the sequel to the 2019 superhero comedy “Shazam!” It continues the story of teenager Billy Batson after he is given special abilities by the ancient wizard Shazam. Whenever Batson (Asher Angel) utters the phrase “Shazam,” he gains superpowers and transforms into an adult, played by Zachary Levi.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
> Release date: May 5, 2023
> Directed by: James Gunn
> Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista
The original Guardians of the Galaxy made waves with its quirky crew of antiheroes, hit soundtrack and ensemble cast. In the third volume, space mercenary Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) must reunite the Guardians to save the universe. The film will almost definitely include another soundtrack of hit music from past decades.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)
> Release date: June 2, 2023
> Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
> Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Jake Johnson
The animated sequel to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” will continue the story of Miles Morales, a New York City kid turned into Spider-Man. However, Miles lives in a world with several parallel universes where many iterations of the spider hero exist. The original animated film is ranked higher on IMDb than any of the live-action Spider-Man films.
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The Flash
> Release date: June 23, 2023
> Directed by: Andy Muschietti
> Starring: Michael Shannon, Michael Keaton, Ezra Miller
In the first feature focused on this DC hero (who earlier appeared in 2017’s “Justice League,” among other films), The Flash (Miller) must travel back in time and meets several versions of Batman, played by original actors Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck. The film has been overshadowed by controversy around its star, Ezra Miller, who has faced a variety of legal charges, including harassment and burglary, and is being treated for mental health issues.
The Marvels
> Release date: Jul. 28, 2023
> Directed by: Nia DaCosta
> Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani
“The Marvels” is a sequel to “Captain Marvel” and a continuation of Disney+ series “Ms. Marvel.” It follows superheroes Carol Danvers (Larson), Kamala Khan (Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Parris) as they switch places every time they use their powers.
Kraven the Hunter
> Release date: Oct. 6, 2023
> Directed by: J. C. Chandor
> Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Alessandro Nivola
“Kraven the Hunter” will be the next live-action film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. The character Kraven first debuted in comic books as an adversary to Spider-Man. He is an obsessive big game hunter who prefers to use his bare hands rather than a firearm to take down his prey.
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Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
> Release date: Dec. 25, 2023
> Directed by: James Wan
> Starring: Jason Momoa, Ben Affleck, Nicole Kidman
The first “Aquaman” did not do great with critics but became the highest grossing film in the DC Extended Universe and Warner Bros.’ second-highest grossing film worldwide ever, behind only the last installment in the “Harry Potter” series. Jason Momoa will reprise his role as the King of Atlantis
El Muerto
> Release date: Jan. 12, 2024
> Directed by: Jonas Cuaron
> Starring: Bad Bunny
El Muerto is another character from the world of Spider-Man and the film will be considered an installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. El Muerto comes from a family of wrestlers who wear special magical masks, giving them superhuman strength, speed, and endurance. Not a lot is known about the film yet but reggaeton star Bad Bunny will star as the titular hero.
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Madam Web
> Release date: Feb. 16, 2024
> Directed by: S.J. Clarkson
> Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott
Madam Web will be the sixth film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, with the title character played by Dakota Johnson. Not a lot is known about the plot so far but in the original comics Madam Web, is an elderly blind woman with psychic abilities, who sometimes helps Spider-Man stop villains.
Captain America: New World Order
> Release date: May 3, 2024
> Directed by: Julius Onah
> Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson
“New World Order,” set to be the fourth movie in Marvel’s “Captain America” franchise, will star Anthony Mackie as the hero. Mackie took over as Captain America in the Disney+ series “The Falcon and the Winter Solider,” and the film will continue where the show ended. Harrison Ford is set to make his Marvel Universe debut as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.
Thunderbolts
> Release date: Jul. 26, 2024
> Directed by: Jake Schreier
> Starring: Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan
In the original Marvel comics, the Thunderbolts are a team of antiheros made up mostly of reformed supervillains. The characters played by Florence Pugh, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Sebastian Stan have already appeared in smaller roles in other Marvel movies and shows, but will now have a movie of their own.
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Blade
> Release date: Sept. 6, 2024
> Directed by: TBD
> Starring: Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo, Aaron Pierre
Marvel plans to reboot its “Blade” movie series, which concluded in 2004. The franchise follows Blade, a ruthless vampire hunter on a mission to protect humanity. The original films struck a darker tone than most superhero movies of their era but not a lot is known about the upcoming film’s plot and style. Mahershala Ali will replace Wesley Snipes as the star antihero.
Deadpool 3
> Release date: Nov. 8, 2024
> Directed by: Shawn Levy
> Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Leslie Uggams
Undying antihero Deadpool is slated to return for a third film in late 2024. This time he will unite with Wolverine from the X-Men. Hugh Jackman has decided to return to his role as Wolverine after previously saying he was done with the character following 2017’s “Logan.”
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Fantastic Four
> Release date: Feb. 14, 2025
> Directed by: Matt Shakman
> Starring: TBD
Studio execs appear to be on a mission to reboot the “Fantastic Four.” At least one film following the super group has been released every decade since the 1990s, none of which has done very well with critics. However, Marvel is ready to give it another go in 2025.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
> Release date: May 2, 2025
> Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton
> Starring: Jonathan Majors
Turns out “Avengers: Endgame” wasn’t actually the end – and who’s surprised, when the Avengers films absolutely clean up at the box office. Little is known about the movie so far but the director of “Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings,” Destin Daniel Cretton, will be directing, and Jonathan Majors will be playing Kang.
Avengers: Secret Wars
> Release date: May 1, 2026
> Directed by: TBD
> Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo
Even less is known about “Secret Wars,” but there are rumors that Robert Downey Jr. may reprise his iconic role as Iron Man. The other mainstay characters and actors of the “Avengers” series are also expected to return.
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