Over the past decade or so, comic book movies have proved to be the most bankable. The critics may not love them all, but there have been very few instances when CBMs have bombed at the box office. Not all are behemoths, but almost all make a profit.
So it’s no wonder that there are now three shared universes – the MCU, the DCEU, and the X-Men Universe – and Sony's SpiderVerse and The Valiant Universe are expected to arrive soon. This is exciting news, because the studios will work hard to provide audiences with the most exciting and compelling stories.
So which Marvel Comics and DC Comics characters will be featured in upcoming movies? You’ll find all the info you need right here!
1. Thor: Ragnarok (November 3, 2017)
Thor: Ragnarok is Thor's chance to really shine in a solo movie, but it’s also Hulk's turn to be in the spotlight! Ragnarok will be more than just a story about Thor, Hela, Loki, and the (presumed) fall of Asgard; it will also adapt the beloved Planet Hulk storyline.
Taika Waititi’s movie is the shortest Marvel Cinematic Universe flick to date. Nevertheless, it looks good, although some naysayers feel that there are too many characters and stories to condense into around 100 minutes.
Cate Blanchett (Hela), Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Karl Urban (Skurge), and even Sam Neill (in a still-undisclosed role) will join the returning cast members.
Although Doctor Strange will have just a brief cameo, his role will be essential to Thor's story, as he’ll help the God of Thunder find Odin and also send Thor to where Hulk is on Sakaar.
Thor: Ragnarok is the most anticipated movie in a year that’s already seen Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming released. And that says a lot!
2. The Justice League (November 17, 2017)
Initially titled The Justice League: Part One, the Zack Snyder-directed ensemble movie will provide us with our first opportunity to see nearly the entire Justice League unite on the big screen. We saw Wonder Woman, Batman, Superman, Aquaman, and Flash in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, and Suicide Squad. In this movie, they’ll all have full roles. Cyborg’s role will be central to the movie, since he was created using a Mother Box.
Cyborg was introduced at the end of Batman v Superman, and he’s Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds). A set visit by a group of journalists revealed that the Justice League will fight his army of Parademons throughout the flick.
We've mentioned that Zack Snyder directed the movie, but Joss Whedon is reshooting some segments. A number of sources have reported that the final product will be markedly different from what Snyder had in mind. The same reports said that Joss Whedon is also changing the tone of the flick.
After the tremendous success of Wonder Woman, it’s understandable that Warner Bros. might want to play it safe with Justice League. But these drawn-out reshoots are making us anxious.
3. Black Panther (February 16, 2018)
After his debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther will be featured in his first solo movie in 2018. The film represents an opportunity for Marvel to introduce new mythologies into the MCU. With his high-tech background (rivaling Iron Man’s) and his mystical origins, Black Panther could change the shared universe.
If the studio decides to explore the latter aspect of T'Challa's rise to power, Black Panther could be the most important film of Phase III, since it will lead directly into the Infinity War. What does that mean? We don't know yet, but Kevin Feige emphasized the movie's importance, and we can only believe him.
Black Panther is directed by Ryan Coogler (Creed, Fruitvale Station) and stars Chadwick Boseman as the lead character. He’s joined by Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger), Andy Serkis (Klaw), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Forest Whitaker (Zuri), and Martin Freeman (Everett K. Ross), among others.
4. X-Men: The New Mutants (April 13, 2018)
X-Men: Apocalypse may have been disappointing, but 20th Century Fox scored big with Deadpool, which left them with the feeling that they could further expand the X-Men Shared Universe. So, New Mutants has received a release date and has already started shooting.
And that means that the cast is in place! Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) will direct Maisie Williams (Wolfsbane), Anya-Taylor Joy (Magik), Charlie Heaton (Cannonball), Blu Hunt (Mirage), Henry Zaga (Sunspot), and Alice Braga (Dr. Cecilia Reyes) in a movie that was announced as a blend of the work of Stephen King and John Hughes.
We don’t know much about the film, except that it opens with the young mutants held against their will at a secret facility. Moreover, Josh Boone teased the Demon Bear Saga some time ago, so who knows?
With shooting already under way, we expect to hear some official news about the plot anytime now.
5. Avengers: Infinity War (May 4, 2018)
Marvel originally announced that the third Avengers flick would be the first segment of the culmination of all of the MCU Phases. Since that time, though, it’s become Avengers: Infinity War, the movie that will finally show us the extent of Thanos' power and his purpose in gathering all of the Infinity Stones.
It will be big! Very big!
All of the MCU superhero movies lead up to this first showdown between all of the superheroes and the Mad Titan. So far, this is the mammoth of all mammoth movies, so we can expect a major spectacle!
The Russo Brothers, who nailed it with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and then again with Captain America: Civil War, are directing.
Plot wise, we can’t tell you anything, other than that Thanos will be joined by four of his other children (aka the Black Order), and that he already has the Infinity Gauntlet (but is it real?).
The clip shown at the D23 Expo and the San Diego Comic Con revealed Thanos’ tremendous power as he hurled an entire planet at the Avengers. How will they survive? We don't know, but we do know that we to see the teaser officially released online ASAP!
Who’s in it? Everyone!
6. Deadpool 2 (June 1, 2018)
Following Deadpool’s tremendous (and unexpected) success, it was quickly announced that Deadpool 2 was set for a June 1, 2018 release. Star Ryan Reynolds said that things had changed, so any potential box office monster should steer clear of that date!
The movie will introduce Cable (Josh Brolin) and Domino (Zazie Beetz). The returning cast includes Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Stefan Kapicic as Colossus, and Leslie Uggams as Blind Al.
Recently released pics of the new characters teased some changes. Rumor has it that Jack Kesy will portray Black Bob, the film’s main antagonist.
David Leitch (Atomic Blonde) is directing.
We have no more information about the plot, although it’s rumored that Cable will enter Deadpool's timeline to save the future of Mutantkind (providing a connection to Logan). Time will tell if this is the case.
7. Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6, 2018)
After the success of Ant-Man, there was little to no doubt that there would be a sequel. Marvel announced some time ago that there would indeed be one, titled Ant-Man and the Wasp. And, like the first flick, Ant-Man and the Wasp will be the first to follow the next Avengers movie. Will there be a connection, given Thanos' arrival? We wouldn't bet on it.
Peyton Reed returned to the director’s chair for the sequel, and began shooting in August 2017. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Michael Peña (Luis), and Judy Greer (Maggie Lang) will all reprise their roles from the first installment.
New cast members include Michelle Pfeiffer (Janet van Dyne), Laurence Fishburne (Bill Foster/Goliath), and Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost).
With shooting already under way, a couple of pics have emerged online. Apparently, Scott Lang is again on the run from the police. Is this a new heist movie, or is he running because of the events that took place in Captain America: Civil War?
It remains to be seen.
8. Venom (October 5, 2018)
Sony is moving forward with its Venom movie more quickly than anybody would have expected. According to Tom Holland, there will be no connection between Sony's Venom and the MCU, although the statements made by Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige caused fans to have the worst headaches.
We were even more surprised to hear that none other than Tom Hardy will star in the movie. He appeared in The Dark Knight Rises, and was in talks to star in Suicide Squad.
We don’t know much about the film. Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) is directing, Carnage will appear, Riz Ahmed may play the main antagonist.
Venom will reportedly be rated R, which is excellent news! Shooting is expected to begin this September.
9. X-Men: Dark Phoenix (November 2, 2018)
As X-Men: Apocalypse teased, Jean Grey will transform into the Dark Phoenix in the next installment of the core X-Men franchise. Titled X-Men: Dark Phoenix, the movie will see the team split between saving Grey and saving the entire world.
In this movie, the X-Men will finally go cosmic with the introduction of the Shi'ar Empire. Jessica Chastain will portray Empress Lilandra, the leader of the Shi'ar. It remains to be seen whether or not other notable Shi'ar characters will be introduced.
All of the main X-Men who were introduced in the previous films will return for the new one. The only one that remains unconfirmed is Olivia Munn's Psylocke. Summer Fontana has been signed to play a younger Jean Grey, which we’ll take as an indication that the film will feature some flashback scenes.
Simon Kinberg will make his directorial debut with X-Men: Dark Phoenix, after producing 20th Century Fox Marvel flicks since X-Men: First Class.
10. Aquaman (December 21, 2018)
Jason Momoa will play Aquaman in the superhero’s first solo outing, which will hit theaters in 2018. His version of the character made his debut in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (in a cameo nobody really liked or wanted), and he’ll pop up in Justice League, too. Speaking of Justice League, he’s already a fan-favorite, so most fans should warm up to the idea of an Aquaman flick by the time the movie’s released.
We don’t have much information about the movie’s plot, although cast members have made some revelations. We’ve learned that Arthur Curry will be pitted against his brother Orm/Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson), who is currently the King of Atlantis.
The Aquaman cast includes Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Nicole Kidman as Queen Atlanna, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, Temuera Morrison as Arthur's father Thomas, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the second villain Black Manta.
James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) is directing, and is apparently fully invested in the movie.
11. Silver and Black (February 8, 2019)
Sony has big plans for its own SpiderVerse, even though it appears that there’s been no evidence that Spider-Man will actually appear in it. So, once Venom is released, Sony will treat the fans to Silver and Black, a team-up movie featuring Spider-Man characters Silver Sable and Black Cat.
Like Venom, Silver and Black will be more adult-oriented than the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Also, it will be set in the same reality as the MCU, without any overlap. So make of this what you will.
The studio is already seeking cast members, including actresses in their mid-twenties for the lead roles. Gina Prince-Bythewood (who directed the first Cloak and Dagger episode) will take the helm.
Various reports have teased that the movie’s plot will mark the beginning of an all-female team in the SpiderVerse, or that it will follow Silver Sable as she tracks Black Cat to find one of the film’s villains. But these are just rumors.
As soon as anything official is announced, we’ll post it here.
12. Captain Marvel (March 8, 2019)
After the Avengers’ Infinity War defeat (there’s no way the third Avengers movie could have a different outcome), Captain Marvel will come to their aid. At least, this is our idea of how it will happen. As the studio did with Doctor Strange, Kevin Feige teased this fan-favorite superhero some time before making an official announcement. Of course, Captain Marvel will be an origin story.
Brie Larson will bring the main character to life, but Samuel L. Jackson's announcement that Nick Fury will pop up in Captain Marvel was the major surprise, although he’ll skip both upcoming Avengers flicks.
Additionally, it was revealed at SDCC 2017 that Captain Marvel will face the Skrulls in her first solo flick, which will take place in the 1990s! But why hasn't she appeared in any of the previous MCU movies? The most likely answer is that she wasn't on Earth!
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck will direct Captain Marvel.
13. Shazam! (April 5, 2019)
Shazam! was announced as the next movie to shoot after Aquaman. Our curiosity was piqued even further, because the announcement was accompanied by another big surprise! Until that point, we knew that Shazam was going to face Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), but we’ve since learned that the supervillain/anti-hero/hero (as the wrestler-turned-actor described him) won't be anywhere to be seen in 2019.
So far, we’ve seen no cast information for the movie. David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) will direct, and he’s already said that there are plenty of other stories to be told in Black Adam’s absence.
Shooting for Shazam! is expected take place in January or February 2018.
14. Untitled Avengers Movie (May 3, 2019)
We have no idea know what the untitled Avengers Movie will be about, but we assume that it will continue the Avengers: Infinity War story. We expect that Thanos will be stronger than ever, that the Avengers roster will almost completely change, and that a myriad of other things will happen.
But we’re not certain about any of this.
We can be certain that the movie will be important, and that it will be closely connected with Avengers: Infinity War. Kevin Feige has said on several occasions that he can’t disclose the title of the fourth Avengers film because it will spoil the Infinity War.
The Russo Brothers will return to the MCU for the fourth time to direct this movie.
15. Untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming Sequel (July 5, 2019)
Before the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and after Amy Pascal's confusing reveals, Kevin Feige said that Peter Parker would have his own MCU story arc for the time being. According to the Marvel boss, the plan is for the arc to span five movies, to include the untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel.
Does this mean that it will be the last time the web-crawler will appear in the MCU? We don't know, and we don't know anything about the sequel! Jon Watts is expected to return as director, and we expect to see the main cast return, as well.
16. Wonder Woman 2 (December 13, 2019)
Despite the rumors, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman broke critical and financial records in 2017. Although Jenkins hasn't signed on to direct yet, a sequel has already been announced for a 2019 release. Obviously, we know nothing about the film’s plot, besides a tease from the director that she'd like to tell a post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Wonder Woman story.
Jenkins is currently working with Geoff Johns on the script for the sequel. Gal Gadot has extended her contract, which was supposed to end with Justice League. No casting announcements have been made so far, but the rumor is that Steve Trevor will return.
17. Cyborg (April 3, 2020)
Cyborg was among the movies that Warner Bros. originally announced for the DC Extended Universe, but the deal seemed to become less certain following the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. At that time, after seeing the response of both critics and audience, Deborah Snyder said that the character would be tested with audiences in Justice League. The studio would decide his fate after that.
Since then, actor Joe Morton (Dr. Silas Stone) has said that he signed a three-picture deal with the studio, implying that the Cyborg solo flick is going to happen. He added that Cyborg will feel some bitterness toward his father, given his own origin story.
Other than that, everything else is speculation. So now we wait to see how moviegoers respond to the character in 2017's Justice League.
18. Green Lantern Corps (July 24, 2020)
As far back as 2014, this movie was originally titled Green Lantern, an obvious hint that it would focus on just one of the Earth-based superheroes. Since then, though, the movie has become Green Lantern Corps. It was announced that it will be a buddy-cop film set in space, centered on multiple Earth-based Lanterns. Hal Jordan and John Stewart will star.
David Goyer and Geoff Johns are writing the story. Goyer will also be tasked with writing the screenplay, along with Justin Rhodes. So far, no other details have been revealed.
19. Other Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies
Everything’s connected. Marvel previously announced entire phases in one shot, but we still don't know what will happen when Phase III ends. This has something to do with the outcome of the third and fourth Avengers flicks. We do know that a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel will drop in 2019.
Other than that, James Gunn has already confirmed that he has started working on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will introduce Adam Warlock. The movie will follow Avengers 4, but we don’t have a specific date.
Marvel plans to release at least three movies on May 1, August 7, and November 6, 2020. One of them has to be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. But what about the other two? We have no idea! Given the secrecy surrounding upcoming projects, we doubt that we'll find out anytime soon.
20. Other DC Extended Universe Movies
Marvel’s schedule has been almost airtight, but we can’t say the same about Warner Bros. and the DC Extended Universe. The studio has announced a number of projects since their 2014 slate announcement, but some movies from that original list have been inexplicably delayed.
For example, The Flash is now Flashpoint, and this may be teasing a soft (or hard?) reboot of the shared universe. Justice League Dark was announced as a priority project, but it’s lost two directors, leaving the studio to search for a third. The Justice League sequel is now up in the air, especially since Zack Snyder's role in the shared universe has reportedly diminished to a minimum.
Man of Steel 2 is also said to be a priority for the studio, but we have no information on the plot or the release date.
Then there are all of projects with Batman connections. The Batman, Gotham City Sirens, Nightwing, Suicide Squad 2, Batgirl, and even Deadshot have all been teased in one way or another, and some of them have even entered pre-production. Of course, we have no details about any of the movies, other than that the studio wants to make them (Geoff Johns even said that he wants to create a Batman universe within the DC Extended Universe).
Throw in Black Adam, which may be the most confusing project in this shared universe. Dwayne Johnson has said that Black Adam is a hero. He’s also more recently said that the character isn’t a villain or anti-hero, either.
To add to these, we should also mention the Elseworlds plans Warner Bros has for the DCEU. In this way, Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) is keen on making Superman: Red Son, while Todd Phillips (The Hangover) is attached to direct a Joker origin story set in the ’80’s (with none other than Martin Scorsese reported to produce).
21. Other X-Men Movies
Two additional X-Men Universe projects have been announced, but neither has received a release date. The first, Gambit, was scheduled for a 2016 release. That obviously didn’t happen. But Channing Tatum, who is still set to star in the movie, has mentioned that the delay is actually a blessing, as Deadpool and Logan have since paved the way for R-rated superhero flicks.
The second movie, X-Force, is rumored to feature both Cable and Deadpool. Reportedly, Cable will assemble a team that will prevent a dark future.
