It’s no secret that superhero movies are the biggest thing right now, and the bubble shows no signs of bursting anytime soon. Whether it’s the meticulous and ambitious setup of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the occasional hit and miss but full-of-potential DC Cinematic Universe, you’ll find it challenging to find someone who has not seen at least one superhero movie in their lifetime.
The dust may have settled following Endgame’s finale, and now it’s time for the next generation of superhero movies to capture the imagination. While the likes of Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America are expected to be absent (but who knows with Marvel), and Jared Leto’s Joker has been cast aside, it allows others to take the spotlight.
Many of the heroes are familiar, whereas others are only known to dedicated comic book fans, so here are ten superhero movies to look forward to over the next few years.
Thor: Love and Thunder
One of the most exciting things about the fourth installment of the Thor franchise is that Natalie Portman will return as Jane Foster, who hasn’t been seen properly since The Dark World, although she did have a sort-of appearance in Endgame.
Besides this, fans of Thunderstruck 2 slots and all things Vikings are likely to get on board with one of the most popular Marvel characters ever to hit the screen. Taika Watiti returns as director, as will Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, now ruling as the King of Asgard. It’s also been suggested that Christian Bale will return to superhero movies, only this time appearing as an as-yet-unnamed villain.
Likewise, considering we saw Thor take off with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Endgame, with Starlord planning a search for Gamora, they should be involved in some capacity, which has been confirmed by Vin Diesel. However, we still don’t know how, or even for how long.
The Batman
The idea seems to be that when in doubt, turn to the most iconic superhero of all time (sorry Superman). Batman is a character that feels like he has had more incarnations than even The Doctor, but it’s the timelessness of the character that always brings the fans back.
After Baleman and Batfleck, we now have R-Battz (or Battinson, depending on your preference). Although many people will associate him with the Twilight series, they ignore his many triumphs in other roles, The Lighthouse included.
The recent trailer gave us an idea of what to expect, with many commenters claiming they got some severe Se7en vibes from it all, and that can only be a good thing. Paul Dano stars in The Riddler, the first time this villain has appeared since Jim Carrey portrayed him, while Zoe Kravitz and Jeffrey Wright star as Catwoman and Commissioner Gordon, respectively.
Wonder Woman 1984
Sticking with the DC theme, Wonder Woman 1984 hopes to continue to build on the positive response to the first Wonder Woman movie. Director Patty Jenkins returns, as does Gal Gadot (of course), while Kristen Wiig comes into the fold to portray Cheetah.
Set against a Cold War backdrop, it’s an exciting departure from previous DC movies, which seemed very much in our time, even if there were discrepancies. Other than this, however, we don’t know an awful lot about it aside from what has been hinted at in the trailer, but even that isn’t much.
Still, it looks bold, colorful, and although the whole USA vs. the Soviet Union thing feels a little tired, putting Wonder Woman at the forefront seems like a fantastic way to inject new life into an old trope.
Black Adam
Black Adam, starring Dwayne Johnson as the title character, has been in the works for years. Initially, Johnson was supposed to make an appearance in the first Shazam!, but the decision was made to give this antagonist/anti-hero a movie all to himself.
Adam Sztykiel has been brought in to write the screenplay, and Jaume Collet-Serra is tasked with directing it. Johnson recently worked alongside Collet-Serra on Jungle Cruise, so they are at least familiar with one another, and that could make the filming process a little more straightforward.
Besides this, though, we still don’t have a trailer, and as filming is yet to get into full swing, it will be at least a year before the release, although this is plenty of time to catch up on other DC movies.
The Suicide Squad
Not a sequel, not really a reboot, but also kind of a reboot, The Suicide Squad tries to make-right what the original failed at miserably. There will be no Will Smith, and James Gunn (yes, of Guardians of the Galaxy) takes over from David Ayer following an odd-yssey of frustrations through several writers and directors.
Margot Robbie should return, as should Jai Courtney and Viola Davis, while Idris Elba is coming in to portray a new character, although we have no idea who that is yet.
Furthermore, former WWE Champion John Cena follows further in Dwayne Johnson’s footsteps. He is portraying Peacekeeper, and Nathan Fillion and Taika Waititi will also appear, although we still don’t know who they are portraying.
Venom 2 (Probably)
We say probably because, at the minute, it is not exactly confirmed that this Untitled Sony-slash-Marvel sequel will be Venom 2, but using powers of deduction, it seems to make sense.
With Tom Hardy reprising his role and Woody Harrelson expected to play a significant role as Carnage, especially considering the post-credit scene from the first movie, there are high expectations. With $800 million to live up to, that seems like a big ask.
Still, anything with Tom Hardy is usually enjoyable, and with Andy Serkis on director duties, there should be plenty to entertain audiences for the 120-or-so minutes when it comes out.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Sequel
It’s safe to say that Into the Spider-Verse vastly exceeded expectations upon release, so much so that it even won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, something that is usually set aside for whatever Pixar brings out that year.
Because of this, the sequel, of which the release date is still unconfirmed, is something you must look forward to, even if the creative team is a little different. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are still part of it, but the director has changed to Joaquim Dos Santos, who you may recognize from The Legend of Korra. What’s more, the script was penned by David Callaham, who was also responsible for Wonder Woman 1984, which is definitely enough to get excited about.
The Flash
We’ve heard mumblings about The Flash standalone movie for years. First appearing in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ezra Miller was supposed to begin starring back in 2017, but as Hollywood can be a fickle place, directors and producers left for other things, so the project stalled.
And this continued for several years and saw an array of different filmmakers agree to take over, while Miller even wrote a new script himself with comic book legend Grant Morrison. However, Warner Bros were not a fan, so everything is, yet again, up in the air.
So while we are looking forward to a standalone Flash movie, we don’t know when, or indeed if we will ever see it, but some rumors mutter about a July 2022 release.
Black Widow
It seems weird that ten years since Scarlett Johansson first appeared as Black Widow, she only just got a solo film, and even this comes after her death in Endgame.
However, Black Widow explores a time before all of this and includes Florence Pugh as Yelena (who eventually takes on the Black Widow mantle in the comics). David Harbour appears as Red Guardian, the USSR’s answer to Captain America.
Considering it is a movie that fans have been requesting and clamoring for since she first appeared, it’s expected to open with big audiences, and hopefully, it lives up to the hype.
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness
Sam Raimi directs, and Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Doctor Strange, while Elizabeth Olsen will appear as Scarlet Witch, with something happening that ties into WandaVision, which should be interesting.
Other than this, however, not much else is known. Still, anyone who enjoyed the original Doctor Strange, as well as the part he played in Infinity War, should look forward to it. The idea of the Multiverse means there is plenty of potential to play around with the story, meaning you can never be entirely sure if what you are watching is as it seems.
Coming Up
It doesn’t matter what side of the battle line you stand; any superhero movies are good for comic book fans all over. Sure, they can miss the mark, and there may be character interpretations that you don’t entirely agree with, but that’s all part of why we love seeing our favorite heroes on the big screen. Whether bombastic capers that are fun for the whole family or more dark and gritty films that dig deep into the human psyche, with a little bit of comic book campiness sprinkled sparingly, there is a reason that visitors flock to theaters every time a new movie opens.