Even though their flights don’t always reach the heights they used to, the superhero genre isn’t slowing down. As long as studios compete for box office and streaming supremacy and masked crusaders are reliable, recognizable IPs, theaters will remain as full of tights and fights as ever.
Whether you’re a die-hard DC fan or a Marvel fan, 2026 has something to look forward to: James Gunn’s DCU experience is in full swing; The Marvel Cinematic Universe fixes its multiverse with a compelling return of Robert Downey, Jr. as the villainous Doctor Doom. Exciting, certainly, but, from a commercial point of view, the challenges are Avengers: Endgame high. With Warner Bros.—Discovery up for sale, Gunn’s fate as co-CEO of DC Studios suddenly seems uncertain. Additionally, Marvel stifled its production for almost a decade. And so the Hollywood landscape is such that the next three years could either redefine superhero cinema or ultimately bring about its collapse. Take a deep dive into the calendar that carries the greatest power and responsibility below.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Launches DCU’s Super-Family Franchise
James Gunn digs deeper into his DCU with his 2026 list, starting with Supergirl: the woman of tomorrow. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Me, Tonya) and with Milly Alcock (Dragon House) like Kara Zor-El, the June 26, 2026 release is not a typical release Supergirl origin story. Her Superman cameo and the Supergirl: the woman of tomorrow Tom King’s comic source material alludes to this. Kara is a drinker, a traumatized lone wolf roaming the cosmos, overwhelmed by having witnessed the destruction of Krypton, and potentially its corruption.
Pairing Gillespie’s filmography, filled with complicated women, with Alcock’s courage makes for quite a promising duo to bring such a story to life. Gunn even claimed that Alcock as Kara “might be the best casting I’ve ever done in my entire life”, while also making an appearance in The Howard Stern Show. The cast also includes Jason Momoa as Lobo, a role that fans and Momoa have been clamoring to see since before his days as Aquaman. If everything comes together, this could be one of the sleeper hits of 2026 and a crucial indicator of the DCU’s ability to sustain multiple tones simultaneously.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Will Finally Deliver Spidey to the MCU’s Street Level
Tom Holland will embark on a solo Spider-Man film for the fourth time in Spider-Man: A Whole New Daythis time under the direction of Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher are confirmed to appear, but fans are still hoping that the July 31, 2026 release will allow Holland’s web-slinger to finally exist without the safety net of an MCU mentor looming in the background. After three films mentoring Tony Stark and Doctor Strange, this is the franchise’s opportunity to deliver its most comic-book-faithful Spider-Man yet, honoring the promise of Spider-Man: No Way HomeThe finale at street level.
With Cretton coming out of a murderous choreography in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringshopes are high for an unprecedented entry into the web-swinging and combat department. The biggest question looming Brand new day This is how it fits into larger MCU machines. Its release date has changed in and around Avengers: Apocalypse enough times to keep those following the trades perplexed as to how the film might end up tying into multiverse shenanigans. The title itself refers to a comedic story about new beginnings and new beginnings, but as it is the last entry in the MCU before doomsdayhow loose could his strap really be?
Clayface Brings Body Horror and Noir to the DCU Experience
Written by Mike Flanagan, the prodigy behind the spooky Netflix series (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass) and directed by James Watkins (Woman in black), clay face is the DCU’s most optimistic entry yet, a no-holds-barred thriller in the vein of beloved body horror, with a premise that seriously smacks of The bottom. This should excite all fans of the genre.
Additional distinction clay face from the rest of not only the DCU but all of superhero cinema, the September 11, 2026 release is also a period piece. New face Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen in a pretty tragic cast, set to portray Clayface’s Prohibition-era origins as an actor whose face is disfigured after the gang war. If DC can pull off a project like this – smaller character, smaller budget, niche conceit – then the sky could be the limit for James Gunn and company.
Avengers: Doomsday is all about Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
The Russo brothers return to directing Avengers: Apocalypsestarring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. The December 18, 2026 release brings Tony Stark into the role of Marvel’s greatest villain – the kind of meta-casting stunt that only works if the Russos buy in, treating Doom as a completely separate character rather than a multiverse variant excuse to bring back RDJ for nostalgia points.
The dominant theory is that doomsday ends with the destruction of the entire multiverse, giving audiences God Emperor Doom and Battleworld, setting up Secret Wars. The risk here is that of diminishing returns. Infinity War And End of game worked because they were the culmination of a decade-long journey. The Multiverse saga has been more complicated: COVID-related delays, behind-the-scenes shuffles, mixed reception for several projects in phases four and five. Can the Russos find this magic twice? Can RDJ pull off a post-Oscar miracle? People might buy a ticket just to find out.
doomsday will either reassert Kevin Feige’s control after a messy half-decade, or confirm that the brand’s ability to world-build and serve fans has been dusted off with Endgame, instant Thanos style. The Russos are proven Marvel masterminds, but their post-MCU efforts are objective failures. Nonetheless, if they manage to regain momentum through their trademark style featured in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Infinity War And End of game — offering tighter storytelling, sharper villains, and a well-balanced ensemble — doomsday could once again turn the MCU’s cynicism into support. Otherwise, this will make it official: Marvel will no longer lead the conversation; he will pursue him.
Club 2027 features anticipated Avengers, Spider-Man, Superman and Batman sequels
2027 could be the most super-sequel-filled year ever. Beyond the Spider-Verse it kicks everything off; THE Spider Worms the conclusion of the saga arrives on June 18, 2027. The trilogy is loved by all ages and will surely tie in well with Miles Morales’ coming-of-age story. But the big question is: will the film pass the baton to the MCU in one way or another? Kevin Feige enigmatically said that “Beyond the Spider-Verse must come first” when asked if Miles is joining the MCU. Since this is due before Avengers: Secret Wars, Could Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen and the animated Spider-Verse be part of the live-action Multiversal Saga? If Sony is smart, the trilogy gets the finale it deserves while leaving the door open for bigger crossovers down the line.
Elsewhere, James Gunn will write and direct his sequel to 2025 Superman, The man of tomorrowpairing David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, this time as co-protagonists. Gunn used Peacemaker Season 2 to trigger exciting events with a new behavioral Lex. But, according to his exclusive interview with CBR, the main concern of The man of tomorrow will be whether he has the stamina to achieve it.
“Man of Tomorrow was an idea that I had for a long time. Honestly, I think I know the next (movies) that I’m directing. … Because it’s part of the plan of the DCU. There’s a big story. I don’t want it… on the one hand, it’ll all be fine to watch on its own. But also, there’s a bigger story that involves, say, Salvation. And so this story – it involves Rick Flag. It involves Lex and Superman. There are these movies that I’m going to direct. That’s the plan for now, at least I might be so tired I can’t do it because I’m pretty tired, but we’ll at least see a few more.
Speaking of elsewhere, in what Gunn calls a DCU “Elseworld,‘Matt Reeves’ The Batman will finally have its sequel in the form of The Batman Part II. Due for release in October 2027, The Batman: Part 2 will bring back Robert Pattinson as the title character, with confirmation that Colin Farrell’s Penguin and Jeffrey Wright’s Commissioner Gordon are also joining the fray. Despite its prolonged pre-production and countless delays, little is known about the project. Rumors indicated that a storyline included Robin, but Reeves’ only comment on the matter was that there was “probably [wasn’t] any character we didn’t talk about” during the drafting process.
The biggest event of 2027 will be Avengers: Secret Wars. The culminating event of the post-End of game the era of Marvel, Ssecret wars has the impossible task of both justifying why audiences have been dealing with multiverse diversions for years and providing payoffs that prepare the MCU for a new future. It’s difficult to speculate on what exactly lies ahead, given how much the film hinges on the events of doomsday. Needless to say, this will be Marvel’s most important film yet.
What’s Still Simmering: Superhero Movies Without a Release Date or Uncertain Destiny
Between corporate turnover and public weariness, several potential pillars remain stuck in development, their future as vague as a post-credits teaser. Sgt. Rock was once one of the most fast-tracked DCU projects, with Colin Farrell attached as DC’s deep war hero. It failed and the actor recently spoke about the canceled project on the HappySadConfused podcastsaying, “My God, that was a fantastic script. I wonder what’s going on with that. I don’t know, bro. I was going to do it with Luca. [Guadagnino]and we talked a few times, had some really nice discussions, but I have no idea where that is now. But it should be done. It’s really very good. It contains wonderful things. » Likewise, a first phase DCU project, The Authority, has been put on the back burner – despite characters like Ultraman and The Engineer taking center stage in Superman. Another villain-centric DCU title, Bane and Deathstrokepads in pre-production with scribe Matthew Orton attached. Swamp Thingdirected by James Mangold, is currently waiting for the director to complete other commitments.
“[Sgt. Rock] should be done. It’s really very good. There are wonderful things in it. » –Colin Farrell
However, the DCU’s biggest question marks hang over Gotham City. Dynamic duo And Batman: The Brave and the Bold promising the deployment of the Bat-Family franchise. The first, an animated project following two of The Dark Knight’s Boy Wonders, appears to be on a faster track than Courageous and daringthe first live-action Batman in the DCU. Dynamic duo has a 2028 release date and already some concept art. Courageous and daring there may still be The lightning And He Director Andy Muschietti attached himself to direct, but fans are largely in disbelief at the lack of movement on the project. The hold-up? According to James Gunn, Reeves’ Elseworld detective saga had scripting problems, admitting to Rolling Stone that “Batman is my biggest problem in all of DC right now.”
On the MCU side, Blade was actually put aside. After years of development hell – losing directors Bassam Tariq and Yann Demange, burning several writers including Nic Pizzolatto, and missing several release dates – Mahershala Ali’s vampire hunter film has officially been removed from Marvel’s schedule. Disney removed the July 23, 2027 slot from the calendar in September 2025, meaning Blade won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest, if that happens.
The cinematic landscape has changed radically since the end of the Infinity Saga. James Gunn’s rebooted DCU challenges Marvel’s, with a clear six-year plan. Matt Reeves’ Elseworlds Batman story has Dark Knight fans hooked. The MCU is facing increasing pressure as the franchise frantically moves toward a likely reboot with Secret Wars. Meanwhile, DCU has the flexibility to offer direct options like animated Robins puppets. In a rapidly evolving sector, the fate of superhero cinema seems uncertain, except for one detail: the next three years will determine its fate.
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- First film
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Iron Man
- Latest movie
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The wonders
- Upcoming Movies
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Marvels, Deadpool and Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*
- First TV show
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WandaVision
- Latest TV show
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Echo
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Daredevil: Born Again
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel fight threats to Earth and the universe.
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- Created by
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James Gunn, Peter Safran
- First film
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Superman
- Upcoming Movies
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Superman, The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing (DCU)
- First TV show
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Creature Commandos
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Creature Commandos, Waller (DCU), Lanterns (DCU), Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, Peacemaker
- Cast
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David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Milly Alcock, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Anthony Carrigan, Viola Davis, John Cena, Xolo Mariduena
Get ready for a whole new DC experience! The DC Universe (DCU) is coming soon, bringing together familiar comic book heroes in a connected storyline across films, TV shows, animation, and even video games. It is an upcoming American media franchise and shared universe based on characters from DC Comics publications.
