Upcoming Superhero Movies That'll Blow You Away

It's been over a decade since Marvel's "Iron Man" made comic book movie skeptics sit up and take notice, and despite the many comic-inspired films (some brilliant, others awful) that have come out in that time, the craze isn't going away any time soon — and to prove it, we've put together a comprehensive list of all the upcoming superhero movies that will blow you away.

There are a slew of superhero flicks scheduled to hit cinemas over the next few years, with studios gearing up to go head to head with their respective properties in the battle for dominance, which is only good news for us fans. But as franchises continue to grow and expand their rosters, it becomes hard to keep track of what (and when) everything is happening. Well, fear not, because all the information you need to keep ahead of the curve can be found right here. 

Updated on April 17, 2023: Whether we're talking about MCU installments or oddball indie flicks, these superhero films are sure to save your moviegoing experience.

Get out your Walkman (or Zune), and get ready to have a dance contest because "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is headed to theaters. Well ... actually ... maybe you won't want to dance. From everything we've heard, it looks like "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" will be the heaviest, darkest, most emotional installment in the series.

How so? Well, writer/director James Gunn has confirmed that this will be the last time we see this iteration of the team, one comprised of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Vin Diesel), Groot (Vin Diesel), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Yep, you read that right — Gamora will be back. According to the trailer that premiered at Comic-Con 2022 (via Collider), Gamora has teamed up with the Ravagers, but as this is the 2014 version of Gamora, she no longer has feelings for poor Peter Quill.

On top of that, Gunn has said we're going to delve into Rocket's backstory — like all the way back in his childhood, when the innocent baby raccoon was experimented on and traumatized. So yeah ... it's going to get rough. On top of all that, the Guardians will have to deal with the powerful Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), a being created specifically to destroy them, and the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), a deranged scientist who performs cruel experiments on lifeforms to "improve" them.

On a more lighthearted note, it's been revealed that Sylvester Stallone will return as Stakar Ogord, Elizabeth Debicki will reprise her part as the High Priestess Ayesha, Maria Bakalova of "Borat 2" fame will voice the telepathic Cosmo the space dog, and we can also expect to see Daniela Melchior ("The Suicide Squad") and Nico Santos ("Superstore").

The second "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" post-credits scene gave us a major clue about where the sequel was headed, introducing viewers to Miguel O'Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099. This future version of Spidey (Oscar Isaac) is given a watch that allows him to travel between dimensions. His goal is to gather as many Spider-People as possible for a mission that appears to be at the heart of the upcoming "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the second installment in a "Spider-Verse" trilogy.

Of course, Miles Morales is still the lead here, and as the official synopsis reveals, "After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must re-define what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most." We also know that the tale will be one of romance, with a relationship growing between Miles and Gwen.

The film will feature five new worlds across the multiverse and multiple styles of animation. "Every dimension looks and feels radically different from all the others," the writer-producer duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller told Entertainment Weekly. "They all look like they were drawn by a different artist." Lord and Miller went on to reveal that they realized they had a two-part project on their hands pretty early on. "Miles' story is an epic," they explained, and the film has drawn comparisons to "The Empire Strikes Back."

As for the cast, Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld are back as Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen. Jake Johnson has confirmed that he'll reprise the role of his out-of-shape Spider-Man Peter B. Parker while Issa Rae of HBO's "Insecure" has been cast as Jessica Drew, aka Spider-Woman, and Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya will voice Hobie Brown, aka Spider-Punk, who it seems will be competing with Miles for Gwen's affections. Plus, the aforementioned Oscar Isaac will voice Spider-Man 2099, who's on a collision course with Miles.

As for the bad guy, prepare to hear Jason Schwartzman voicing the Spot, a Spidey villain who can open up portals and travel both space and time. Jorma Taccone will voice the Vulture, Karan Soni will play Spider-Man India, and Brian Tyree Henry and Luna Lauren Valez will portray Miles' parents. Plus, we'll hear Rachel Dratch, Greta Lee, and Shea Wigham. The film is directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers.

Ezra Miller's long-gestating solo outing as Barry Allen has faced a lot of controversy, as the actor has repeatedly gotten themselves in all sorts of legal trouble. Nevertheless, "The Flash" is still speeding into theaters on June 16, 2023.

With director Andy Muschietti of "IT" at the helm, the upcoming "Flash" movie promises all sorts of time-travel drama. According to the official plot synopsis, "Worlds collide in 'The Flash' when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no superheroes to turn to."

Well, no active superheroes anyway. After running into an alternate version of himself, Barry #1 and Barry #2 decide to find a retired crimefighter and ask him for a helping hand — the Batman from the Tim Burton universe, as played by Michael Keaton. Along with a very powerful Supergirl, Barry must do everything in his power to defeat Zod and fix what he's broken, even if it means making huge sacrifices.

So who will be showing up alongside Miller and Keaton? Well, Sasha Calle of "The Young and the Restless" will play Supergirl, while Ben Affleck will appear as the DCU's Batman. Kiersey Clemons co-stars as Iris West while Maribel Verdú and Ron Livingston play Barry's mom and dad. Michael Shannon is also back, reprising the role of General Zod, the villainous Kryptonian he played in "Man of Steel."

Of course, "The Flash" comes at a very interesting time for DC movies, with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over the DCU and taking the franchise in a new direction. However, the two seem to be high on the film, with Gunn calling it "probably one of the greatest superhero movies ever made." He's also said the movie "resets the entire DCU," so it will be interesting to see how it impacts the DC world moving forward.

We got word that Warner Bros. was planning on making the first comic book movie starring a Latino superhero back in 2018, when TheWrap confirmed that Mexican-American scribe Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer ("Miss Bala") had been tasked with writing a film about El Paso teen Jaime Reyes, DC's third Blue Beetle. Things went quiet on the project following the announcement, but in 2021, the same outlet revealed that the wheels were once again in motion and that Angel Manuel Soto ("Charm City Kings") had been handed the reins. 

"It is an honor to direct 'Blue Beetle,' the first Latino superhero film for DC," Soto told TheWrap. "I want to sincerely thank everyone at Warner Bros. and DC for trusting me to bring Jaime Reyes to life. I can't wait to make history together." And as for who's playing the titular superhero, it was reported in August 2021 that Xolo Mariduena — the actor who plays Miguel Diaz in "Cobra Kai" — will be stepping into the lead role.

DC saw some much-needed success with 2019's "Shazam!" and it clearly intends on expanding that part of its on-screen world. As it happens, the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle has major ties to Shazam — not the hero played by Zachary Levi but the powerful wizard from whom he takes his name. Blue Beetle's abilities come from a Scarab (sentient parasites that were turned into bioweapons by an alien race in DC lore) that used to be kept at the Rock of Eternity, the wizard's lair. When the Rock was destroyed, the Scarab landed in a Texas parking lot, which is where Jaime Reyes would bond with it. We'll most likely see that origin story play out when the film makes its way to theaters. 

Joining Mariduena will be Bruna Marquezine as Jaime's love interest, Penny, as well as Belissa Escobedo as Jaime's sister, Milagros. Plus, Harvey Guillén of "What We Do in the Shadows" fame has joined the production, albeit in a secret role. And according to TheWrap, our hero will be facing off against Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, a baddie created specifically for the film. (Deadline notes, interestingly, that Victoria will possibly be the wife of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle in the comics.) She'll be joined by Raoul Max Trujillo of "Mayans M.C." fame, playing Blue Beetle enemy Carapax the Indestructible Man.

Sony will be hoping to replicate the box office success of "Venom" when it brings fellow Spidey villain Kraven the Hunter to the big screen in late 2023. Despite being an iconic Spider-Man name, Kraven (aka Sergei Kravinoff) has never popped up in any of the movies. Ryan Coogler wanted to use him in "Black Panther," but "contractual things" got in the way, the director told Yahoo! back in 2018. Sony clearly had bigger plans in place for the Kraven character, and we now know a lot more about them.

The studio has confirmed that former MCU actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played Pietro Maximoff (aka Quicksilver) in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," will take on the title role. According to Variety, "His performance in the recently wrapped production of David Leitch's 'Bullet Train' opposite Brad Pitt so impressed Sony execs that they signed the actor for multiple films as Kraven," so Taylor-Johnson will at least get time to establish himself in the role (his Quicksilver was killed off rather unceremoniously in "Age of Ultron").

Screenwriter Richard Wenk ("The Equalizer") began work on the script in 2018, and his screenplay was later tweaked by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, who worked on "Iron Man" together and also did some rewrites on the "Morbius" script. J.C. Chandor — who directed the critically acclaimed films "Margin Call," "All is Lost," "A Most Violent Year," and "Triple Frontier" — is helming the feature. The movie also boasts a killer cast, with Collider reporting that we'll see Ariana DeBose as Kraven love interest Calypso, Fred Hechinger as Kraven's brother Chameleon, Christopher Abbott as the film's villain (the Foreigner), and Russell Crowe, Levi Miller, and Alessandro Nivola in undisclosed roles.

Kevin Feige gave away nothing about "Captain Marvel 2" when he revealed his MCU Phase 4 plans in 2019, but we now know a whole lot more about the upcoming sequel. First off, it's not called "Captain Marvel 2" anymore. Instead, it's called "The Marvels," no doubt thank to its trio of headlining superheroes. Brie Larson will reprise the role of Carol Danvers, and she will be facing off against "Velvet Buzzsaw" star Zawe Ashton, who has been cast as a thus-far unidentified villain, according to Deadline. The same outlet has revealed that the aged-up version of Monica Rambeau will feature (Teyonah Parris debuted as the daughter of Carol's late bestie on "WandaVision," which laid the groundwork for her transformation into the superhero Photon), as well as Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, the hero of the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel." Plus, Samuel L. Jackson will be reprising his role of Nick Fury.

The coronavirus pandemic inevitably slowed the process, but production on "The Marvels" reportedly began in earnest in early January 2021, when Larson revealed that the sequel was "gearing up" in a video she shared on her YouTube channel. A few days later, she spoke to Lilly Singh about the hiring of director Nia DaCosta ("Candyman"), who is set to become the first Black woman to direct an MCU movie. "It's amazing, and I'm so excited that it's announced and I can talk about it," Larson said on "A Little Late with Lilly Singh." "Nia is amazing and she got the job because she is the best person for the job. She just gave an incredible presentation and I'm inspired by her." "WandaVision" scribe Megan McDonnell has provided the script.

A sequel to 2018's "Aquaman" seemed inevitable the moment James Wan's underwater epic passed the billion dollar mark at the box office. In January 2019, Deadline revealed that Warner Bros. wanted Wan to oversee development of "Aquaman 2" and had given the director permission to select his own writer. A few weeks later, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (who co-wrote "Aquaman" and worked with Wan on "The Conjuring 2") had been hired. We got to see some behind-the-scenes footage of the film, officially titled "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom," during DC FanDome 2021.

Wan promised that his follow-up will be "more mature yet still retain its fun," and Momoa revealed that he's proud of the sequel for "tackling important issues, environmentally." Patrick Wilson, who returns as Aquaman's half-brother Orm (aka Ocean Master), added that they were "having a blast" on the sequel, which will see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta step up to give the titular hero a fight he won't forget. (Johnson-McGoldrick has confirmed that "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" is inspired by Silver Age Black Manta comics).

Nicole Kidman, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, and Randall Park will also reprise their roles. In terms of new characters, Jani Zhao joins the cast as Stingray, Indya Moore plays telepathic shark Karshon, and Vincent Regan takes on the role of Atlan, ruler of Atlantis. Pilou Asbaek ("Game of Thrones") has also boarded the project in a mystery role. 

The Spider-World just keeps on growing. In addition to films like "Kraven the Hunter" and "Madame Web," Sony is now bringing another character from Peter Parker's world to the big screen. In April 2022, the movie studio went to CinemaCon and announced the arrival of "El Muerto," slated to hit theaters on January 12, 2024.

If you don't know, El Muerto (aka Juan-Carlos Estrada Sanchez) is a super-powered wrestler who gets his strength and speed from a magical mask passed down from his dad. Of course, keeping said mask involves doing battle with the supernatural luchador called El Dorado. It hasn't been confirmed that El Dorado will show up in the film, nor do we know if El Muerto will try to unmask Spider-Man, as he does in the comics.

However, it has been announced that Bad Bunny will be putting on the lucha libre mask in the upcoming film. As the rapper/actor explained to Deadline, he's a perfect fit for the part, as, "love wrestling. I grew up watching wrestling, and I'm a wrestler. I'm a former champion so this is why I love this character. I think it's the perfect role to me, and it will be epic." As for who's directing, Jonás Cuarón (the filmmaker behind 2015's "Desierto" and the son of the legendary Alfonso Cuarón) will helm the picture, working with a script from Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer ("Blue Beetle).

In 2019, Collider revealed that Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (the duo behind Sony's "Morbius") had been hired to pen a screenplay based on Marvel's Cassandra Webb, aka Madame Web. The clairvoyant character, who made her comic book debut in 1980's "Amazing Spider-Man" #210, was born blind, and suffers from myasthenia gravis. This neurological condition can make tasks like moving and even breathing extremely challenging — hence the spiderweb-shaped life support system she's constantly hooked up to. As her condition worsens, however, Webb finds herself developing powerful psychic abilities. She uses these newfound powers to become a medium. Though he's initially skeptical, Spider-Man himself comes to trust her predictions.

It appears as though the onscreen version of this character will be significantly younger than the original. According to Deadline, "Fifty Shades of Grey" star Dakota Johnson has been tapped to play the Marvel medium. The huge age gap between Johnson and the character created by Dennis O'Neil and John Romita Jr. became a hot topic on Twitter, with many fans questioning (and often poking fun at) the change in direction. The studio reportedly discussed the role with several major stars  — "X-Men" alum Jennifer Lawrence is rumored to have been in the mix. Deadline also revealed that Sony is allegedly angling for Madame Web to be their version of Doctor Strange.

As for Johnson's castmates, Sydney Sweeney of "Euphoria," Tahar Rahim of "The Serpent," Celeste O'Connor of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," Isabela Merced of "Sweet Girl," Emma Roberts of "American Horror Story," and Adam Scott of "Severance" have been cast in undisclosed roles. We also know that S.J. Clarkson — who's worked on TV shows such as "The Defenders" and "Jessica Jones" — is directing the project.

The final episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" aired on April 23, 2021. That same day, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Malcolm Spellman, the show's creator and head writer, was staying on at Marvel to develop a fourth "Captain America" movie, one that's now titled "New World Order." 

The film will follow the story of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), Steve Rogers' hand-picked successor for the star-spangled mantle. Spellman (a former executive producer on Fox's "Empire") is co-penning the screenplay with "The Falcon and the Winter Solder" staff writer Dalan Musson, a relative newcomer whose only previous feature-length writing credit is the 2019 sci-fi/action sequel "Iron Sky: The Coming Race." As for who's directing, Julius Onah — most famous for "The Cloverfield Paradox" — will be calling the shots.

Throughout "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Sam grappled with the historical and personal implications of picking up the shield — as well as dealing with John Walker (Wyatt Russell), the government's mentally unstable pick for the title of Cap. The show left us with a number of unanswered questions that could well be addressed in "Captain America 4," especially with the return of Carl Lumbly's Isaiah Bradley and Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres. 

We also expect to see Shira Haas as Israeli superhero Sabra and Tim Blake Nelson as the Leader, who was last seen in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk." Plus, Liv Tyler will return as the "Incredible Hulk" character Betty Ross, and Harrison Ford will step into the role of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, replacing the late William Hurt. Interestingly, at this point in the MCU, Ross will be showing up as the president of the United States, which is bound to make things interesting for our new Cap.

Everybody knows the Suicide Squad, DC's supervillain group that goes on dangerous missions on behalf of the U.S. government. Well, Marvel has their own bunch of baddies too, a team known as the Thunderbolts. Made up of reformed tough guys, the Thunderbolts solve problems with violent methods, and now, they're going to start cracking skulls in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In June 2022, Deadline announced that Jake Schreier would direct the upcoming "Thunderbolts" flick, set to start filming in summer 2023. Schreier has made a name for himself directing "Paper Towns" and "Robot & Frank." Here, he's teaming up with Lee Sung Jin, who created Netflix's road rage dramedy "Beef," who will pen the script — taking over duties from the previous screenwriter, Eric Pearson of "Black Widow." (Interestingly, Schreier directed multiple episodes of "Beef.")

As for who's joining this version of the team, it was revealed at 2022's D23 that we can expect to see Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian (David Harbour), U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). They'll be joined by Ayo Edebiri of "The Bear" in an undisclosed role, as well as Steven Yeun of "Nope" and "The Walking Dead" in an unknown part. However, Deadline reports that Yeun's character is significant and could play a part in the MCU moving forward. We'll get to see these antiheroes in action when "Thunderbolts" hits theaters in 2024.

Over 15 years have passed since Wesley Snipes last portrayed Marvel's half-human, half-vampire hunter of bloodsuckers, Blade. And now, the mantle is being passed to two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali. "He's the perfect Blade because he's one of the greatest actors working today, and because he's a huge fan of our universe and a fan of that character," Kevin Feige told Variety. "It's the kind of dream casting that you almost don't dare to dream that you can actually do it, but we had a couple of meetings with him and very quickly decided, 'Let's do this.'"

We won't see Ali in action until late 2024, but we've already heard from him. The voice of the new Blade spoke to Kit Harington's Dane Whitman in the second "Eternals" post credit scene, indicating that his story is going to be tied to Black Knight going forward. "Are you sure you're ready for that, Mr. Whitman?" comes Blade's voice as Dane looks upon the Ebony Blade, a weapon passed down through his family since the days of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. As for additional cast members, Delroy Lindo ("Da 5 Bloods") has been cast in the film, as has Aaron Pierre ("Krypton") and Mia Goth (the "X" trilogy).

Originally, Stacy Osei-Kuffour of "Watchmen" fame penned the script and Bassam Tariq of "Mogul Mowgli" was set to direct. However, Tariq left the film in September 2022, with Marvel telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of 'Blade' but will remain an executive producer on the film. We appreciate Bassam's talent and all the work he's done getting 'Blade' to where it is." 

As a result, "Blade" has been pushed back to September 6, 2024. And in Tariq's place, Marvel has picked Yann Demange (via Deadline) to helm the film. Demange has previously directed "'71" and "White Boy Rick," along with working on "Lovecraft Country." Plus, the script will now be written by Michael Starrbury, who previously worked on series like "When They See Us," "Colin in Black & White," and "Legends of Chamberlain Heights."

There were a lot of questions about the future of Deadpool when Disney took over Fox and handed control of its newly acquired Marvel characters to Kevin Feige. It was easy to imagine the X-Men and Fantastic Four in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Ryan Reynolds' foul-mouthed mercenary was a very different proposition. "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2" were both rated R, and fans of those films immediately began to worry about the Mouse House watering the Merc with a Mouth down for younger audiences. It seemed unthinkable that Disney would allow "Deadpool 3" to be R-rated and an MCU movie at the same time, but according to Feige, that's exactly what's happening.

"It will be rated R, and we are working on a script right now, and Ryan's overseeing a script," the Marvel Studios supremo told Collider, adding, "Ryan is a very busy, very successful actor. We've got a number of things we've already announced that we now have to make, but it's exciting for it to have begun. Again, a very different type of character in the MCU, and Ryan is a force of nature, which is just awesome to see him bring that character to life." 

As for who's behind the scenes, Emmy-winning sisters Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin (co-creators of the animated sitcom "The Great North") originally worked on the screenplay, but now Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick — both of whom wrote for the first two "Deadpool" films — have been brought onto the project. (And yes, they have confirmed that Deadpool is going to stay R-rated). And according to The Hollywood Reporter, Shawn Levy — who previously worked with Reynolds on "Free Guy" and "The Adam Project" — will calling the shots as director. 

Perhaps most importantly, Deadpool won't be the only major mutant making an appearance. In September 2022, Reynolds announced on his Instagram (via Variety) that Hugh Jackman would be showing up for "Deadpool 3." And yes, he'll be sporting those iconic claws, as he's coming back as the Wolverine. It'll be an absolute blast seeing these two trading barbs and beating up bad guys. And we actually know who'll play the big bad. Emma Corrin of "The Crown" will star as the film's lead villain, and Matthew Macfadyen of "Succession" fame will also be showing up. "Deadpool 3" opens on November 8, 2024.

When the first "Joker" hit theaters in 2019, it quickly turned into a pop cultural phenomenon — earning over $1 billion, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, and winning Oscars for Joaquin Phoenix's performance and its haunting score. With that kind of impact, it was only a matter of time before Arthur Fleck decided to cause a little more chaos ... and now it looks like he's getting back on stage for an encore performance.

In June 2022, director Todd Philipps announced on his Instagram that there was a script for "Joker 2," with the title "Joker: Folie à Deux." He also posted a photo of Phoenix reading the screenplay, confirming the actor would be reprising his Oscar-winning role. But where will a "Joker" sequel take us? Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it looks like things are going in a very surprising direction. Not only is Lady Gaga in talks to play Harley Quinn, but it appears that the "Joker" sequel is going to be a musical that takes place inside Arkham Asylum. Not only that, Deadline has reported that Zazie Beetz will be reprising her role from the original film, and Brendan Gleeson of "Harry Potter" and "Paddington 2" fame and Harry Lawtey of "Industry" have also joined the cast. Plus, Hildur Guðnadóttir is returning to compose the score after winning an Academy Award for her work on the first film (via Variety).

In other words, with Gaga as Harley and Phoenix — who earned an Oscar nomination playing Johnny Cash — as a crooning Clown Prince of Crime, we're totally psyched to see what happens with "Folie à Deux." And don't worry. Even with so many changes happening at DC headquarters, the new "Joker" film will remain separate from the rest of the DCU, in a little cinematic corner that James Gunn and Peter Safran are calling DC Elseworlds.

When Disney completed its acquisition of Fox in 2019, it seemed like only a matter of time until the Fantastic Four showed up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then, Kevin Feige confirmed that Mister Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing were indeed MCU-bound when he spoke to a Variety a few months later.

So what do we know about the film? Originally, Jon Watts — the filmmaker behind all three Tom Holland "Spider-Man" films — was set to direct before amicably pulling out. But in September 2022, it was confirmed that Matt Shakman of "WandaVision" fame would helm the project. Sadly, as of the time of this writing, there have been no casting updates. Granted, John Krasinski did play Reed Richards in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," but as director Sam Raimi explained (via Forbes), "The fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be. And because this is an alternate universe, I think Kevin [Feige] said, 'Let's make that dream come true.'"

In other words, it doesn't look like Jim Halpert will be reprising the stretchy superhero. But with Marvel's First Family showing up in Phase 6 — which will end with two "Avengers" movies — it seems they're going to play a pretty significant part in the unfolding "Multiverse Saga." We also know the film won't be a traditional origin story. After all, that tale has been told twice already (once in 2005 and again in 2015). Instead, according to The Hollywood Reporter, we'll be jumping into a world where our heroes already have their powers, similar to Peter Parker's introduction in "Captain America: Civil War."

When James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the DCU, the hierarchy of power changed forever — especially when it came to the legacy of the Last Son of Krypton. At one point, it looked like Henry Cavill was coming back as Superman, showing up for a brief moment in "Black Adam." But then, the Dwayne Johnson-film was a disappointment, Gunn and Safran became the Kevin Feiges of the DCU, and DC decided to part ways with the British Man of Steel.

"We didn't fire Henry," Gunn assured us at a January 2023 press conference where he unveiled the future of the DCU. (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Henry was never cast. For me, it's about, 'Who do I want to cast as Superman, and who do the filmmakers we have want to cast? And for me, for this story, it isn't Henry." So what is this new story exactly? Well, we know that it's titled "Superman: Legacy," that it'll be soaring into theaters on July 11, 2025, and it'll be kicking off a new chapter of the DCU that Gunn has titled "Gods and Monsters."

With plenty of superhero experience on films like "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Suicide Squad," Gunn has penned the script and will direct "Superman: Legacy." We also know that the movie will be a return to a more classic version of Clark Kent, with Peter Safran saying, "[Legacy] focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents 'truth, justice, and the American way.' He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned."

Do we know anything else about the project so far? Well, according to Variety, the film will focus on Clark Kent's early days as a reporter, getting scoops, breaking news, and meeting characters like Lois Lane. That hasn't been officially confirmed, but it sounds like a really fun idea. We don't know who will be playing this version of the character, but whatever happens, we'll be interested to see where this new super-project goes.

When "The Batman" hit theaters in 2022, fans walked away completely stunned and wondering one simple question: Was this the best Batman movie of all time? With its impressive box office and critical scores on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, it was definitely in the running, and it was only a matter of time before Robert Pattinson would don the bat-cowl yet again.

Well, shortly after the film became a massive success, Warner Bros. confirmed a sequel that would reunite the Bruce Wayne star with director Matt Reeves. As for the plot, we're still very much in the dark (knight). Will it be Barry Keoghan's Joker, who we briefly saw in the first film? Or will it be someone a little ... cooler? Speaking with Collider, Reeves mentioned the possibility of a "grounded" Mr. Freeze, while Pattinson suggested to Vanity Fair that he'd like to see the Caped Crusader face off against the Court of Owls.

While we don't know the villain, we do know when we'll see "The Batman Part II." As announced by James Gunn and Peter Safran, the sequel will hit theaters on October 3, 2025 (via /Film). And yes, it will continue to exist outside of the DC Universe proper. It will flourish in its own little corner of films meant for non-DCU DC movies, which Safran and Gunn are calling DC Elseworlds. 

Mark your calendars for 2025, Marvel fans, because that's when the Avengers will assemble again. At 2022's Comic-Con, it was announced that "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" and "Avengers: Secret Wars" will officially close out Phase 6 and end the sprawling "Multiverse Saga." At the moment, the cast and plot details for these films are under lock and key, although we do know that Destin Daniel Cretton ("Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings") will direct "The Kang Dynasty," penned by Jeff Loveness of "Quantumania," while it's rumored that a second director will take on "Secret Wars," which will be written by Michael Waldron of "Loki" and "Multiverse of Madness" fame.

After he was set up in "Loki," we all suspected that Jonathan Majors' Kang would most likely be a Thanos-level threat. After all, you don't earn a nickname like "the Conqueror" because you're a nice guy. However, we're not exactly sure how the two "Avengers" films will tie together as they're based on totally different, unconnected storylines. In the comics, "Kang Dynasty" sees the aforementioned big bad dominating Earth, while "Secret Wars" finds our favorite heroes fighting Doctor Doom on the planet Battleworld after a multiversal disaster.

So what's our best guess as to how this will all play out? Well, in the comics, we witness a major incursion — where universes collide and destroy one another — that allows Doctor Doom to basically stitch these broken realities together and create a realm he can rule with an iron fist. Since "Multiverse of Madness" introduced the concept of incursions to the MCU, chances are good we'll see the same thing play out in the films, only with Kang in the place of the classic Fantastic Four villain. Of course, we're just guessing at this point, and we can't wait to see how the two-part finale of Phase 6 will play out.

"Kang Dynasty" is scheduled to hit theaters on May 2, 2025, and "Secret Wars" will be released on May 1, 2026.

Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes has long been a supporting character in the MCU — Tony Stark's best friend and a key member of the Avengers. However, he's always taken a backseat to his more famous colleagues. But now, the War Machine is getting the spotlight with his own feature film: "Armor Wars."

While we don't 100% know the film's plot, we know that it will involve the Iron Man tech winding up in the wrong hands, and Rhodey — played by Don Cheadle — will have to deal with the fallout. Originally, "Armor Wars" was meant to be a Disney+ series, but in September 2022, The Hollywood Reporter announced it was instead heading to theaters.

As for who's involved, Yassir Lester — who was going to be the show's head writer — will be penning the screenplay. However, we don't know who's directing or when it will hit the big screen. There was also word (via Collider) that Dominique Thorn's Riri Williams/Ironheart would be showing up in the Disney+ series, so we'll be interested to see if she still plays a part in the feature. However, thanks to an interview Cheadle did with Total Film (via CBR.com), we do know that the events of the film will be set up in the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion," which stars Cheadle and involves a sinister Skrull invasion.

If there's one thing James Gunn loves, it's a scruffy band of misfits overcoming their differences and teaming up for some superhero action. For proof, just look at "Guardians of the Galaxy," "The Suicide Squad," and "Peacemaker." Now, Gunn is returning to that winning formula with "The Authority," but this time, the heroes are far more powerful and far more dangerous.

In January 2023, Gunn and co-DCU head Peter Safran announced a new film based on the comics of DC's Wildstorm imprint. Written by Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch, "The Authority" followed the titular group, which was composed of an eclectic bunch of super-people, such as the literally electric Jenny Sparks and the violent Batman parody Midnighter. Unlike other super-groups, a la the Avengers or the Justice League, the Authority will do whatever it takes to dispense their version of truth and justice. If that means assassinating someone or overthrowing a government, that's exactly what they're gonna do, and you better not get in their way.

"One of the things of the DCU is that it's not just a story of heroes and villains," Gunn said at a January 2023 press conference (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Not every film and TV show is going to be about good guys vs. bad guy. ... There are white hats, black hats, and gray hats." In the same press conference, Peter Safran went on to compare the Authority to Col. Nathan Jessup, Jack Nicholson's villainous character in "A Few Good Men" who justifies his barbaric methods by saying deep down, the world wants and needs him "on that wall" protecting civilization.

Yeah, when you think like that, you can pretty much justify any violent deed you have in mind, so long as it's for the greater good. We don't know who will be playing the various members of the Authority, who's writing, who's directing, or when we can expect to see the movie in theaters. But we're pretty psyched to watch these darker, more complicated superheroes doing whatever it takes to keep the world, um, a safer, better place?

Perhaps more so than any other superhero, Hollywood loves casting and recasting Batman. In live-action movies alone, we've seen seven different actors don the Bat-cowl and patrol the shadowy streets of Gotham City. And now, it looks like we're gearing up for #8 with "The Brave and the Bold," a movie that will introduce the new, official DCU version of the Caped Crusader. And no, this won't be Ben Affleck or Robert Pattinson (via DC.com). Although, don't worry — Pattinson will still play the Caped Crusader, just outside of the proper DCU timeline.

As for this new Bat-tale, it's based on Grant Morrison's run with the character, and it's going to be a tale of a truly dysfunctional father-son dynamic, with Gunn explaining in January 2023, "This is a story of Damian Wayne, who's Batman's actual son that he didn't know existed for the first eight to ten years of his life. He was raised as a little murderer and assassin. He's my favorite Robin." If you're wondering, little Damian's mom in the comics is Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul, which explains that whole assassin angle.

So yeah, that'll be quite the uncomfortable family reunion when Bruce Wayne reunites with his long-lost, murderous son. According to Peter Safran (via /Film), we can also expect to see other members of the extended Bat-family. "We feel like they've been left out of the Batman stories in the theater for far too long," he explained, although we don't know which family members and we also don't know who will be playing the new DCU Batman. Be sure to check back here — same Bat-site, same Bat-article — for future updates.

For a long time, Supergirl was holding down her corner of the Arrowverse, but DC fans had long wanted to see her on the big screen. Then it was announced in February 2021 that Sasha Calle had been cast as Kara Zor-El for Andy Muschietti's "The Flash." We all just assumed that after that, she'd get her own solo movie down the line, but while Supergirl will indeed swoop down into theaters, we're unsure if it'll be Calle wearing the cape.

At a January 2023 press conference, DCU heads James Gunn and Peter Safran announced the upcoming "Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow," based on the 2021-2022 series by Tom King. With King actually involved in the project, this Supergirl is a harder, more cynical version than previous incarnations. As Gunn explained (via The Hollywood Reporter), "We will see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he was an infant, versus Supergirl, raised on a rock, a chip off of Krypton, and who watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life and then come to Earth."

Yeah, that sounds like it'll certainly mess you up. Gunn has also promised that "Woman of Tomorrow" will be a major sci-fi epic. In the comic, we know that Supergirl is looking for vengeance for her father's death, and with its gorgeous, otherworldly illustrations, it's no wonder the comic has been said to have "'Sandman vibes'" (via Polygon). However, going back to the Sasha Calle of it all, we have no idea if she'll be playing this version of the character or if Gunn and Safran plan on hiring a brand new actor to fill Kara Zor-El's bright red boots.

With James Gunn and Peter Safran setting the DCU down a new path, they've also decided to divide their storytelling into chapter, similar to how Kevin Feige has been doing it with Marvel Studios. Their first chapter has been titled "Gods and Monsters," and with Swamp Thing lurking around in the bogs, this is where the monsters come into it.

Created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson and popularized by Alan Moore, Swamp Thing started out in his original run as scientist Alec Holland who — wouldn't you know it — was accidentally turned into a hideous vegetable monster. In Moore's reboot, the character got darker, more serious, and less human, with the comic leaning more into Swamp Thing's otherworldly side. In tune with nature and possessing the ability to control plant life, Swamp Thing became a major player in the more supernatural side of the DC mythos, along with characters like John Constantine and the Phantom Stranger.

After starring in Wes Craven's 1982 flick and a 2019 TV show, it now looks like the big green guy is set to get his own DCU movie. Gunn and Safran announced the project at their January 2023 press conference, reporting that their new "Swamp Thing" movie would be in the horror genre (via The Hollywood Reporter). Speaking about the project, Peter Safran explained (via /Film), "This is a film that will investigate the dark origins of Swamp Thing. ... It's important to point out that in these stories, although interconnected, they're not all tonally the same. Each set of filmmakers brings their own aesthetic to these films, and the fun is seeing how these tonally different works mash-up in the future."

And which filmmaker will bring their own aesthetic to "Swamp Thing?" Well, in February 2023, Deadline reported that James Mangold was in talks to helm the horror film. Nothing is for sure yet, but if it all pans out, Mangold is a solid director, having worked his magic on titles like "Logan," "3:10 to Yuma," "Ford v Ferrari," and the upcoming "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

News that a Black actor was being sought for the role of Superman in a new reboot broke in early 2021, when it was revealed that author, journalist, and comic book writer Ta-Nehisi Coates ("Black Panther," "Captain America") was teaming with producer J.J. Abrams on the project. "I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America's most iconic mythic hero," Coates told Shadow and Act. He expressed excitement at being invited into the DC Universe, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, his Superman film won't be part of the DCU. In fact, the goal is to strike a decidedly different tone. "Little will remain of the so-called Snyderverse vision," THR said, "which enjoyed its last hurrah with Snyder's four-hour 'Justice League.'"

Instead, new DCU heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have said the film will be released under the DC Elseworlds banner — a special title for non-DCU DC films, like Matt Reeves' "The Batman" and Todd Phillip's "Joker." The Hollywood Reporter also dropped some big details about the film, including the identity of the main character. It had been speculated that Coates' film could potentially feature the Barack Obama-inspired Superman, Calvin Ellis, but insiders told THR that we're going to see a Black Kal-El, the version of Superman audiences are most familiar with. The report also revealed that the film might be "a 20th-century period piece" and that J.J. Abrams definitely won't be directing. "Warners and DC are committed to hiring a Black director to tackle what will be the first cinematic incarnation of Superman featuring a Black actor." Michael B. Jordan, a longtime fan-favorite candidate for the first Black Superman, appeared to rule himself out.

The dust had barely settled on the epic "Spider-Man: No Way Home" when producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal jointly addressed the future of Tom Holland's Peter Parker. The Brit was joined on-screen by former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield (as well as a slew of villains from previous generations of "Spider-Man" movies) in his third solo outing as Marvel's wallcrawler, which smashed pandemic era box office records and received widespread critical acclaim. Speaking to The New York Times via video link days after the release of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," Pascal and Feige got candid about the future of the franchise.

"Amy and I and Disney and Sony are talking about — yes, we're actively beginning to develop where the story heads next, which I only say outright because I don't want fans to go through any separation trauma like what happened after 'Far From Home,'" Feige said. "That will not be occurring this time." Pascal added that the ending of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" gave them "a lot to work with for the next film," which tallied with comments that she had made earlier. "We are getting ready to make the next Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland and Marvel," Pascal told Fandango two weeks before "No Way Home" hit cinemas. "We're thinking of this as three films, and now we're going to go onto the next three. This is not the last of our MCU movies." Then in February 2023, Kevin Feige elaborated on the topic just a bit more, telling EW, "All I will say is that we have the story. We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now."

We've had three different live-action versions of Spider-Man in the last two decades, yet Spider-Woman remains a total unknown to most, having never appeared on the big screen. Marvel hastily created the character and called dibs on the name after it caught wind that Filmation was going to introduce a new female hero called Spider-Woman in 1977's "The Batman/Tarzan Adventure Hour," forcing the CBS show to use the name Web-Woman instead. The rush job worked out perfectly — a number of different characters have used the moniker at this point, but the original Spider-Woman (aka Jessica Drew) remains the definitive version, the version we'll likely see in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters.

According to Deadline, actress Olivia Wilde (who made her directorial debut with wildly popular coming-of-age comedy "Booksmart" in 2019) has been asked to "develop a secret Marvel film project revolving around a female character in the universe. While not confirmed, it is expected that the story will be centered on Spider-Woman." Wilde seemed to confirm the news when she retweeted the Deadline article, adding only a spider emoji to it. Of course, with all the events around "Don't Worry Darling" during 2022, there's been a bit of controversy surrounding Wilde. However, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that she's still attached to the Sony project.

There's no word on casting just yet and plot details are non-existent, but fans can expect Drew's backstory (her geneticist dad injected her with spider blood in an attempt to save her from Uranium poisoning) to be altered drastically — sources have told the Hollywood trade that the story will be "completely revamped."

It's been a long time coming, but He-Man is officially coming back to the big screen. Dolph Lundgren played the sword-wielding superhero in 1987's "Masters of the Universe," which, despite a game performance from Frank Langella as the villain Skeletor, was brutally slain by critics. That's all in the past, now: A new live-action movie is on the way to Netflix, with Kyle Allen (best known for his turn in Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story") set to play He-Man, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed. Little is known about the plot of the film at this early stage, but, as fans of the classic franchise know, "Masters of the Universe" follows an orphan boy who discovers he's actually a prince, destined to save the planet Eternia from Skeletor.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aaron and Adam Nee, the sibling duo behind the 2022 rom-com adventure flick "The Lost City," will co-helm this feature. They'll be working from a screenplay they co-wrote with David Callaham, who is best known for co-writing the hit Marvel movie "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." "Masters of the Universe" is set to be one of the first projects from the recently formed Mattel Films — the division behind the Margot Robbie-led "Barbie" movie — and it will start filming sometime in 2023.

One of the crazier-sounding superhero movies currently on the horizon, Legendary's upcoming reboot of '80s cult favorite "The Toxic Avenger" will star "Game of Thrones" alum Peter Dinklage and talented youngster Jacob Tremblay, most famous for his breakout performance in 2015's "Room." Legendary picked up the remake rights towards the end of 2018 and assigned it high-priority status, hiring Macon Blair ("I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore") to write and direct a few months later. 

Then in late 2020, it was confirmed that Dinklage would be taking on the lead role, and Tremblay joined the cast in April 2021, per a Deadline exclusive. As for the rest of the cast, expect to see Taylour Paige ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"), Julia Davis ("Hunderby"), Sarah Niles ("I May Destroy You"), and Jonny Coyne (another alum of "Ma Rainey"). As for who's playing the villain, it looks like Dinklage will be facing off against the one and only Kevin Bacon, and Elijah Wood has also been cast in an undisclosed role.

This updated version of the story is "steeped in environmental themes and subverts the superhero genre in the vein of 'Deadpool,'" the Hollywood trade revealed. What it won't do, however, is mess with the character's backstory. Like he does in Troma Entertainment's 1984 original (which spawned the sequels "The Toxic Avenger Part II," "The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie," and "Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV"), the titular character gets his unique looks and superhuman strength after he falls into a vat of toxic waste. "He is transformed into a mutant freak who must go from shunned outcast to underdog hero as he races to save his son, his friends, and his community from the forces of corruption and greed," Deadline said. Tremblay will presumably play the role of Dinklage's son.

You can also expect things to get very adult, as the movie is rated R for "strong violence and gore, language throughout, sexual references and brief graphic nudity" (via The Hollywood Reporter).

Whenever Eddie Brock and Venom team up, it's box office gold. Combined, the original "Venom" and the sequel, "Let There Be Carnage," earned a whopping $1.4 billion at the global box office. So it only makes sense that Sony would want Tom Hardy back on the big screen, arguing with his gooey BFF and chomping down bad guys.

In April 2022, the movie studio went to CinemaCon and announced that "Venom 3" was indeed coming (via Variety), although no further details were released about the plot. So what might we see in the third film of the wildly popular franchise? Will we get to witness Venom meet up with his fellow antiheroes from Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters, such as Dr. Michael Morbius? Will he finally cross paths with Spider-Man? At this point, it seems everything is on the table, and the possibilities are as endless as the multiverse itself. However, we do know that the woman overseeing all this Marvel madness will be Kelly Marcel. She wrote and produced the previous two "Venom" movies, and in addition to scripting and producing this third installment, she'll also be directing this time around (via Deadline).

Donald Glover is finally getting his time to shine in the world of Spider-Man. The incredibly talented multi-hyphenate campaigned to play Peter Parker in 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man," although Andrew Garfield snagged the part. And while he did play Aaron Davis in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and did voice Miles Morales in Disney XD's "Ultimate Spider-Man" series, he's never been the lead in a live-action Spidey film. But now, Glover is joining Sony's Spider-Man Universe — the franchise populated by villains like Venom and Morbius — and he's playing the one and only ... Hypno-Hustler?

That's right. Glover is starring as one of the most obscure Spidey bad guys of all time. Created in the '70s, Hypno-Hustler is the member of a band called the Mercy Killers. Wearing protective headphones whenever he steps on the stage, Hypno-Hustler hypnotizes his audience with his incredibly powerful guitar, allowing him to rob them afterwards. Obviously, Hypno-Hustler has never ascended to the villainous levels of Green Goblin or Doc Ock, but you've got to admit, it sounds like the perfect project for Glover.

After all, Glover is a musician himself, dropping albums like "Awaken, My Love!" and music videos like "This Is America" under the stage name Childish Gambino. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Glover was intrigued by Hypno-Hustler's musical abilities (and the fact that nobody is really going to get upset if Glover radically changes the character to suit his own ideas). We'll be interested to see what musical direction Glover will take the low-tier villain. We're also interested in the project because Myles Murphy, son of comedy legend Eddie Murphy, is penning the script.

Hollywood has long tried to make a successful, profitable "Hellboy" series. The first incarnation was overseen by Guillermo del Toro, and while it was a critical success, the trilogy-capper never got a green light. The second incarnation starred David Harbour as everybody's favorite demon, but that movie was absolutely roasted over the coals by everyone on the planet, immediately damning the reboot's future.

But now, the character is getting another go, with "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola penning the script himself, along with comic book author Chris Golden. They'll be adapting the "Hellboy" storyline known as "The Crooked Man," which tosses the big red hero and a young Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense agent back into 1950s Appalachia, where they find themselves up against a bunch of witches and a devil by the name of — you guessed it — the Crooked Man.

The film will be directed by Brian Taylor, who gave the action genre a jolt with his crazy "Crank" movies. As for who will be playing Hellboy, the job will go to Jack Kesy, who's previously played in projects like "Deadpool 2," "The Strain," and "Claws." He'll be joined by Jefferson White of "Yellowstone" fame and Adeline Rudolph of "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina." And yes, things will get very intense when the film is eventually released. As Taylor explained to Collider, "I pitched an R-rated folk horror movie, and the team here at [production studio Millennium Media] have been nothing but supportive. It's a great group of people, and they love horror."

"One Punch Man" started its life as a webcomic before becoming one of the very best anime series ever made. As for the plot, the show focuses an incredibly bored superhero named Saitama. Why's he bored, you ask? Because he's so powerful that he can defeat any villain with a single punch, and where's the challenge in that? In fact, as his creator, ONE, put it to ComicBook.com, "The only obstacles he faces are mundane things, like running short of money." Sick of easily beating up bad guys, Saitama is desperate to find a worthy challenge — someone who can take a shot and keep on coming.

Chances are good he'll meet his match in Sony's upcoming live-action adaptation. Deadline reported in June 2022 that the studio was hiring Justin Lin — most famous for his work on the "Fast & Furious" franchise — to direct, with a screenplay courtesy of Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, the brains behind "Jumanji: The Next Level" and "Venom." While American adaptations of anime have taken a lot of well-deserved criticism (we're looking at you "Ghost in the Shell" and "Last Airbender"), we have a lot of faith in Justin Lin. After all, he's the man who gave us one of the best "Star Trek" movies with "Star Trek Beyond" and one of the best "Fast & Furious" characters with Han Lue, so we think his "One Punch Man" will be a knock out.

When The Hollywood Reporter sat down with Disney CEO Bob Iger following his company's takeover of Fox in 2018, he made it clear the Kevin Feige was being given unfettered access to the newly acquired X-Men characters. "It only makes sense for Marvel to be supervised by one entity," Iger said. Feige revealed that Marvel was "developing a film around mutants" at Comic-Con the following year (via MovieWeb), and fans have been speculating about how and when X-Men might start showing up in the MCU ever since. 

In some ways it's already happened. A version of Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier appeared in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and Wade Wilson is returning to the X-Men world with the Wolverine himself in "Deadpool 3." It's also been revealed that Ms. Marvel and Namor are MCU mutants. On top of that, the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" introduced us to the crime-ridden island city of Madripoor, which has long been a hub of mutant activity in the comics. Marvel launched a tongue-in-cheek Madripoor tourism website during the show's run, which initially contained numerous X-Men Easter eggs, including a reference to Mystique. The nods were reportedly removed after fans noticed them and they started to gain attention.

However, we've yet to hear any plot details or release info about an actual "X-Men" movie. When Kevin Feige gave an update to Collider in early 2021, he said that the assimilation of the X-Men into the MCU is being "heavily discussed" and that the studio has "a good feeling of where it's going and when it's going, but that all remains to be seen."

DC's shapeshifting superhero team the Metal Men isn't particularly well known outside of comic book circles, but that's set to change in the not too distant future. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ron Clements and John Musker (who worked on classics like "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin" during a long stretch at Disney together) are spearheading an animated feature film based on the property. "Clements and Musker are producing and have written the treatment for the film, which they are eyeing to direct," the Hollywood trade's senior film writer Borys Kit revealed. "The duo have teamed up with Celeste Ballard, a writer who worked on 'Space Jam: A New Legacy.'"

The Metal Men were given a shiny upgrade in 2019 when they appeared in a 12-issue limited series, but the characters date back to the early 1960s, when Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru (two late DC legends most famous for their work on "Wonder Woman" titles) came up with the idea. In the comics, the Metal Men are the creations of William Magnus, a mercurial robotics engineer who's straddled the line between good and evil over the years. At one point, he was in love with Platinum, the only female member of the original group (a redhead named Copper was added in 2007's "Superman/Batman" #34). This isn't like Tony Stark falling for a member of his Iron Legion — the Metal Men are 100% sentient, each with a unique personality.

A movie based on Robert Kirkman's "Invincible" was first announced back in 2017, when The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Universal had tasked Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg with writing and directing an adaptation. The childhood friends and frequent collaborators entered into the superhero genre with "The Green Hornet" back in 2011, and that didn't end particularly well. They've had more success in recent years (both are executive producers on "The Boys"), and they apparently have some huge plans in store for "Invincible," the story of super-powered teenager Mark Grayson.

When Goldberg spoke to Mashable about "Invincible" in 2018, he said that he and Rogen had "been given a universe where we can really go nuts, and thanks to how Kirkman has written the comics we can kill off people, we can do insane things that you just would not be given the opportunity to do, I imagine, with a Marvel or a DC film." His clear enthusiasm for the project had everyone excited, but a couple of years would pass with no news on how it was progressing. Fans were starting to worry that the film had been replaced with the "Invincible" animated series, but in 2021, Kirkman confirmed that they will actually exist side by side. "Those two things are still very much happening concurrently," he told Entertainment Weekly. "There've been 'Spider-Man' animated series and 'Spider-Man' movies at the same time. So, I think we're in good company." 

But after that update, things were silent for quite some time, until Kirkman resurfaced in January 2023 to say that the movie was still in the works. Talking to ComicBook.com, he explained, "We're very much still working on that. Sometimes movies take a little bit longer. I think it's safe to say, if anything, the show has just helped that immensely. People are very excited about that movie potential at Universal. So we're riding that excitement and trying to push things forward as quickly as possible." Rogen and Goldberg remain attached.

In 2018, Capcom (via IGN) revealed that Fox was developing a live action movie based on "Mega Man," the classic video game franchise about robotic superheroes that dates back to the late '80s. The press release said that the upcoming "Mega Man" film would "appeal to a diverse audience, including not only game players but action movie fans as well, with an adaptation that maintains the world of the "Mega Man" games, while incorporating the grand production and entertainment value that Hollywood movies are known for."

The franchise has expanded significantly since that first side-scroller dropped for the NES back in 1987. Dozens of video game sequels have come and gone, and there was a short-lived animated "Mega Man" TV series that aired in the mid-'90s, so there's plenty to draw from. Hollywood has a terrible record when it comes to adapting video games, but fortunately for "Mega Man" fans, the film appears to be in safe hands. "'Mega Man' was the first Nintendo video game I ever played," Ariel Schulman (who will co-direct with his "Project Power" collaborator Henry Joost) told IGN during Comic-Con@Home in 2020, confirming that the film was still happening. "I like that he's an underdog hero. Both of us are deeply fascinated by robotics and the future of automation, for better and for worse."

"Project Power" scribe Mattson Tomlin is also penning the "Mega Man" screenplay, Joost confirmed. "We are super excited about it," the director said. "I can't say all that much right now, but it's a project very near and dear to our hearts and we're psyched." 

There are a number of different Millarworld properties in various stages of development at Netflix right now, but the one that Mark Millar himself is most excited about is "Prodigy." How do we know? Because the comic book scribe created the character after Netflix bought the rights to all of his works, with a live-action adaptation in firmly in mind. "The entire Millarworld library Netflix acquired when they bought our company last year has a crazy number of franchises, but I wanted to do one that genuinely topped them all," Millar told Deadline. "I wanted to create the character that outshines everything else I've ever done, and that's Edison Crane."

The star of the "Prodigy" series, Edison Crane is about as brilliant as you can get. CBR called him "a new kind of genius superhero" in its review of "Prodigy" #1, the kind of smarts you might get if you "blended the minds of Bruce Wayne, Reed Richards, Tony Stark and T'Challa." He's a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and an Olympic-level athlete to boot, but his true passion lies in the occult. The film will likely focus on Crane doing what he does best (solving problems for hapless governments), but don't be surprised to see some supernatural elements.

Michael B. Jordan has been linked to the lead role, but there's nothing official on casting just yet. According to a Discussing Film exclusive, "Eternals" writers Matthew and Ryan Firpo have been hired to pen the screenplay.

Tiffany Haddish signed a deal to produce content with Netflix in 2018, and it proved to be a mutually beneficial partnership, as she scooped her first ever Grammy Award for her stand-up comedy special "Black Mitzvah," released the following year. She also voiced Tuca in the streaming giant's popular animated sitcom "Tuca and Bertie," but her biggest Netflix project to date is still to come. In March 2021, Deadline exclusively revealed that the actress had agreed to star in an adaptation of Dark Horse comic "Mystery Girl," the story of an outcast "street psychic" by the name of Trine.

A resident of Los Angeles, Trine has a special gift that she can neither explain nor begin to understand. She instantly knows everything there is to know about a person the second she meets them, from the trivial things to the stuff they want to keep secret at all costs. It's made her extremely unpopular, but there's one LAPD officer who sees the value in her curse. The film will see her team up with said cop to help him solve a case he's been working on, but things don't go to plan — the unlikely duo is accused of murder and must prove that they've been framed. They set out to find the real killer and, in doing so, begin to unravel the truth about Trine's origins.

Haddish will co-produce the picture under her label She Ready Productions, and McG ("Terminator Salvation," "The Babysitter") will direct.

Writer Mark Millar described "Starlight" as "'Flash Gordon' meets 'The Dark Knight Returns'" and "Buzz Lightyear meets 'Unforgiven'" when he spoke to The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the comic's release in 2013, so that ought to give you some idea of what to expect when this cosmic hero comes to the big screen in the near future.

It's the tale of the fantastically named Duke McQueen, who saved an alien world from destruction but received no thanks for it when he arrived back on Earth. Nobody on his home planet believed his story, and he simply fell into a regular life. The plot picks up many years later, when McQueen's kids have flown the nest and his wife has passed on. Life has become a monotonous rut for old Duke when a boy from the alien planet he once saved shows up and offers him the chance to return to space. "That old, sparky, Buster Crabbe-era rocket ship comes back and needs him for one last adventure," Millar said.

According to Deadline, sought-after British filmmaker Joe Cornish has been tasked with writing and directing "Starlight," and it won't be the first picture he's pulled double duty on. Cornish burst onto the scene with gritty sci-fi action film "Attack the Block" back in 2011, and he's been slowly building a solid rep in Hollywood ever since, earning writing credits on the likes of "The Adventures of Tintin" and "Ant-Man" and directing the fantasy flick "The Kid Who Would Be King." Disney subsidiary 20th Century Studios is producing.

Created by former Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and released as part of Valiant's launch in 1992, the "Harbinger" series follows teenage hero Peter "Sting" Stanchek, the only harbinger (a race of evolved superhumans with psionic powers) with abilities equal to the story's big bad, a villainous tycoon named Toyo Harada. After many delays, including the film moving from Sony to Paramount, it now looks like the film is gaining momentum.

In February 2022, Deadline reported that Wes Ball of the "Maze Runner" series was set to direct, and that the script was being written by Andrew Lanham of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" (along with Ball and Josh Friedman). However, Ball eventually had to back out because he was too busy with 2023's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes." Then, in June 2022, Deadline reported that Paul Downs Colaizzo of "Brittany Runs a Marathon" was in talks to replace Ball. As for the cast, early on, there were rumors that Noah Centineo ("To All the Boys I've Loved Before") and Dylan O'Brien ("The Maze Runner") were circling the part of Stanchek, but Deadline says that no actors are being considered in the moment as "Harbinger" is still a work in progress.

When it comes to cinematic universes, Marvel is the unparalleled king, with DC trying its best. Is there room for a third player? Well, Valiant is certainly going to try. The publishing company has teamed up with Paramount to bring their plus-size superhero Faith Herbert to the theater screens.

Also known as Zephyr, Faith is a member of a team called Harbinger, where she has the power to fly and carry both people and objects along with her, thanks to a force field. Valiant is hoping for Faith to get a standalone movie and for the character to also feature in a proper Harbinger team-up flick. As for who's writing Zephyr's solo film, that falls to Emily Carmichael, who's previously penned scripts for "Jurassic World: Dominion" and "Pacific Rim: Uprising."

Not much else is known about "Faith," but we'll be sure to keep you updated with any future developments.

Classic crime fighting duo the Green Hornet and Kato are coming back to the big screen courtesy of Universal, which has partnered with Amasia Entertainment for a brand new reboot. Amasia was co-founded by Bradley Gallo and former Marvel Studios president Michael Helfant, who's a massive fan of the '60s TV series starring Van Williams as Britt Reid (aka the Green Hornet) and Bruce Lee as Kato, the masked superhero's loyal sidekick. "I loved everything about it," Helfant told Variety after his company won the film rights in early 2020. "The Green Hornet, Kato, and of course, the Black Beauty. They were the coolest!"

Helfant revealed that he tried to option the property when he was still at Marvel, but he's more than happy to be working with Universal on his adaptation, seeing as the studio was behind the "Green Hornet" movie serials of the 1940s. "With Universal, it feels like we are merging the past and the future, creating a contemporary version of the franchise that is fresh and exciting while respecting its long legacy and history," he said in a statement (via Variety). The 2011 reboot starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou was handled by Sony, and that didn't exactly work out well ⁠— the action comedy bored critics and disappointed big time at the domestic box office. No word yet on who will star in this latest version, which has been given the title "Green Hornet and Kato." However, we do know that David Koepp ("Jurassic Park," "Mission: Impossible") will be writing the screenplay. Deadline has also reported that Leigh Whannell ("The Invisible Man," "Upgrade") will be directing.

Felicia Hardy (aka Black Cat) has been a longtime favorite among Spider-Man fans, but the character is yet to be fully explored on film. Felicity Jones played her briefly in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," though she didn't get the chance to transform into Marvel's cat burglar during the Andrew Garfield-led sequel. There were plans to bring Black Cat to the big screen as part of a double act with mercenary Silver Sable in a film titled "Silver and Black," but Sony ultimately decided that they deserved their own standalone features. "We believe Black Cat is enough of her own character with a great backstory and a canon of material to draw from to justify her own film," executive Sanford Panitch told Variety.

Outside of some pretty cool fan-casting, there's been no word on who Sony might enlist to play Silver Sable, but Felicity Jones has been talking up the idea of returning as Black Cat. "[What] I always liked about that character was the physicality," she told Collider in a January 2021 interview. "I thought it would be amazing to explore that side of the character. Black Cat has that incredible way of moving and that's what made me really excited about it. I mean, I think it's a fab role and, yeah, it would be amazing to do." Director Gina Prince-Bythewood was set to helm "Silver and Black" before it was pulled, and she will remain aboard the individual projects as a producer.

Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris' Eisner Award-winning comic "Ex Machina" is finally coming to the big screen. New Line Cinema came to an agreement over a movie adaptation back in 2005, but it never got past the development stage. However, The Hollywood Reporter revealed in 2020 that the rights ultimately reverted back to the co-creators, who signed a new deal with Legendary Entertainment. The same outlet later confirmed that "Star Wars" actor Oscar Isaac had been tapped to star in the film, which is being released under the name "The Great Machine" to avoid confusion with Alex Garland's 2014 film "Ex Machina," which Isaac also starred in.

The decision to change the title was actually taken before Isaac came aboard, with execs opting to go with the name of the main character instead. "Great Machine" is the moniker used by Mitchell Hundred, whose powers allow him to communicate with all manner of mechanical devices. In the world of the comic, which debuted in 2004 via DC's WildStorm imprint, Hundred emerges as the world's first superhero during the 9/11 attacks, using his gifts to save countless lives. He's then elected mayor of New York City for his efforts. "The plot for the feature will revolve around Hundred dealing with a threatened political career when the source of his powers returns to claim its debt," The Hollywood Reporter said.

Isaac is a producer on the film, as is Vaughn. Anna Waterhouse and Joe Shrapnel ("Seberg") are writing the script. However, all this time later, the screenplay isn't yet complete. In October 2022, Isaac told The Hollywood Reporter, "We're still figuring it out. It's a huge, amazing story. Finding out how that translates [to the screen] is the question."

There have been whispers of a standalone "Nova" movie since 2019, with many suspecting that we'd eventually see Richard Rider show up in the MCU. However, there are two different versions of Nova, and it appears as though we'll see both of them pop up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some stage.

When Kevin Feige sat down with ComicBook.com in early 2021, the Marvel supremo was asked if it was Richard Rider or Sam Alexander (his newer successor) that he had in mind when it came to introducing Nova, and he answered, "Well, yes and yes." Whether Nova will debut in a feature film or be introduced via a Disney+ series remains unclear, but we know that Marvel has been trying to work at least one version of the character into the MCU for some time. According to Feige, he was in the "earliest drafts" of "Guardians of the Galaxy," and the powerful cosmic hero was almost a part of "Avengers: Infinity War," Christopher Markus told ComicBook.com. The screenwriter confirmed that it would've been the Richard Rider version of Nova. "In this conception, he would be the herald, not unlike the Hulk."

While we're still not sure of the format, we do know that Sabir Pirzada — who helped write "Moon Knight" — is penning a "Nova" script. Deadline reported the news in March 2022, and we're still waiting to see which cosmic hero will show up and whether he'll land on the big screen or the streaming screen.

Another hero who appears to be on her way to the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, Cassie St. Commons is better known by the name Dusk, a Spider-Man character with supernatural powers. "Our sources have told us that Sony Pictures is currently developing a "Dusk" movie, set within the SPUMC," The Illuminerdi reports. "There is no timeframe for release or any talent attached yet." There's also been no confirmation on which version of the Dusk character will be coming to the big screen (the suit and mantle have been handed down multiple times, including to Peter Parker, who wore the Dusk outfit briefly as he attempted to clear his name), but the smart money is on Cassie St. Commons.

In the comics, Cassie is a goth student who gets the chance to audition for the superhero team the Slingers. It doesn't go well — she's asked to leap from one building to the next as part of her training, and falls to her death. Luckily, she'd been given the Dusk suit for her try-out, so when she dies, it's not the end. Cassie gets resurrected as the new Dusk, neither living nor dead, operating in the space between. She's brought back with psychic and teleportation powers, and she's able to manipulate shadows, which ought to look pretty impressive on screen. With various other women heroes scheduled to join the Spidey party, it seems Sony is planning an all-female team up.

After coming to what seemed like a grinding halt, it appeared that Todd McFarlane's "Spawn" reboot was stuck forever in development hell. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it looks like the project is finally headed in the right direction.

According to the trade, the Blumhouse project has found three new writers to take a crack at the screenplay — Malcolm Spellman ("The Falcon and the Winter Soldier"), Scott Silver ("Joker"), and newcomer Matt Mixon. Jamie Foxx will star as the titular ex-mercenary who's killed, makes a deal with a demon, and returns to life as an antihero. At one point, Jeremy Renner was attached as Detective Twitch Williams, although it remains to be seen if he'll still be involved.

Blumhouse has been trying to get the "Spawn" formula right since 2017, and with these recent developments, it looks like McFarlane's iconic character may be headed to the big screen soon.