Upcoming Superhero Movies: The Complete Release Schedule
We track every upcoming DC and Marvel superhero movies from now until 2020 (!!!) with this handy schedule.
| | For your reading pleasure and convenience, here’s a look at every superhero movie that Warner Bros., Marvel Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Sony have planned for about the next half decade or so. We hope your eyes are rested, because this is a long read. Seriously, by the time that you’re done this, that Martin scorsese-produced Joker Origin Story will be out.
We’ve got all of ’em, from Black Panther to Wonder Woman 2, as well as movies you probably never expected to see (we’re looking at you, Deadpool 2) and some that may never come to fruition (a Nightwing movie? What a time to be alive!).
Just by way of disclaimer, we’ve already gone into more detail about each of the respective studios’ superhero schedules in other articles. We’ve got some details here to be sure, but if you want a thorough breakdown of what Warner Bros and DC have to offer, click here.
For the full Marvel studios schedule with details click here.
And our slightly more speculative look at the Fox X-Men/Fantastic Four plans are here.
February 16th, 2018: Black Panther
Finally! T’Challa is coming to the big screen, and he’ll be played by Chadwick Boseman. He was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and we’ll see his first solo adventure in February of 2018.
The Black Panther is a fascinating character, whose exploits can be as high-tech as Iron Man’s or as high-adventure as Indiana Jones. We provided a few helpful suggestions for stories Marvel should take a look at for the movie right here.
March 8th, 2018: Jessica Jones Season 2
Yes, we know, this is a TV show and not a movie, but Marvel’s Neflix shows are just so cinematic, and the first season of Jessica Jones was so amazing, and you deserve something to get you through the wait between Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, that we just had to include this.
May 4th, 2018: Avengers: Infinity War
The Russo Bros. went directly from their directing duties on Captain America: Civil War into this one, which has wrapped production. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are wrote the script.
Watch The Avengers on Amazon
Have you seen that trailer?! Seriously, this looks absolutely amazing.
May 18th, 2018: Deadpool 2
Josh Brolin is Cable, John Wick‘s David Leitch is directing, and Drew Goddard is helping out with the script, too, which is a good thing. It’s currently in production, and Ryan Reynolds is promoting the Deadpool franchise as hard has he did in the first time around.
The first Deadpool movie did amazing business in February with an R-rating, so this should really cook with its new, prime May release date.
July 6th, 2018 – Ant-Man and The Wasp
Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne will return, marking the first female superhero to have her name in the title of a Marvel movie. Peyton Reed will return to direct. Best of all? Michelle Pfeiffer will play Janet Van Dyne! We should have a trailer for this soon.
Watch Ant-Man on Amazon
July 27th, 2018 – Teen Titans Go! To The Movies
This was formerly the date occupied by the Aquaman movie, but that was bumped to December. Instead, Warner Bros. has given the release date to the Teen Titans Go! animated film. While this isn’t part of the DCEU (obviously), we promised you all the DC movie releases, and this one counts!
October 5th, 2018: Venom
There are conflicting reports about whether or not this will have any ties at all to Spider-Man: Homecoming, let alone the MCU (this one is purely a Sony production). We’re only including it here to be on the safe side for now.
Tom Hardy will star as Eddie Brock, and Ruben Fleischer is directing, from a script by Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg.
November 2th, 2018: X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Little is known about this at the moment but the title sure reveals a lot, doesn’t it? This would be the proper X-Men 7 that New Mutants most certainly is not. Simon Kinberg is directing.
December 14th, 2018 – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
While this one isn’t technically part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we’re including it here for the completists among you. This one comes from the minds behind The LEGO Movie, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are writing and executive producing. Shameik Moore will voice Miles Morales, Liev Schrieber plays a villain, and Mahershala Ali is the voice of Miles’ uncle, The Prowler!
Here’s the official synopsis:
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.
December 21th, 2018: Aquaman
Jason Momoa is playing Aquaman. There’s no doubt that they studio has been taking Aquaman very seriously, and he’s a standout character in Justice League. Amber Heard will also appear as Queen Mera. Patrick Wilson is Ocean Master and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta.
James Wan (Furious 7) will direct from a script by Will Beall (Gangster Squad). Expect a big, high adventure style romp.
February 8th, 2019 – Silver and Black
Again, we’re not sure how Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff movies tie into the Marvel Universe, but based on Spider-Man: Homecoming, we’re just going to play it safe and include them here.
Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing from a script by Christopher Yost.
February 22nd, 2018: The New Mutants
Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) is directing the New Mutants movie. Boone co-wrote the film with Knate Gawley, Scott Neustadter, and Michael H. Weber.
The New Mutants were the first of Marvel’s X-Men spinoffs in the comics, dealing with a younger crop of gifted youngsters as the core X-Men cast expanded and aged. Danielle Moonstar, Wolfsbane, Sunspot, Cannonball, Magik, and Warlock will all be part of the team, making for a more racially diverse cast than we’ve seen in most X-Men movies so far. The film has been pushed back, but its likely in an effort to give Deadpool 2 more time to breathe overseas.
Learn more about the New Mutants right here!
March 8th, 2019: Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers’ origin story would make a fine superhero film. If you’re a studio looking to make the leap with a female-fronted superhero film, a character with a power set more impressive than Wonder Woman is just be the one to do it with. This one will take place in the 1990s and feature shape-shifting Marvel aliens the Skrulls as villains. Start your speculation engines!
Nicole Perlman, who famously helped develop Guardians of the Galaxy for the screen, is pairing with Meg LeFauve (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, Inside Out) to write the Captain Marvel movie. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are directing. Brie Larson stars as the titular hero.
April 5th, 2019 – Shazam
Lights Out director David F. Sandberg is directing Shazam, from a script by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Asher Angel will play Billy Batson, Zachary Levi is Shazam, and Mark Strong is the villainous Dr. Sivana. It star Jack Dylan Grazer is on board as Freddy Freeman, too!
The movie begins production in 2018, and it’s a safe bet to make this 2019 release date.
May 3rd, 2019, Avengers 4
This was originally known as Avengers: Infinity War – Part II, but that has changed. Not much else to report on this one at the moment, but we’ll keep you updated.
June 7th, 2019: Gambit
With Logan marking the last time Hugh Jackman will play Wolverine, the X-Men films are bound to find themselves in dire need of a new heroic “face of the franchise” some time in the next five years, and Channing Tatum as Gambit might just be the answer.
A proven box-office draw like Tatum playing a sly, shady X-Man might be the way to go. Gambit’s complex backstory should provide ample fodder for a solo movie, which will apparently focus less on traditional superheroics and more on his background as a thief. Everyone loves Deadpool, but clearly he (the character, not Ryan Reynolds) doesn’t have the leading man looks of a Channing Tatum. Lea Seydoux will likely play opposite Tatum as Bella Donna.
Gambit has gone through a parade of directors, with Gore Verbinski the latest to walk away, and there is continual chatter that they haven’t even gotten the script right yet. The movie has had its release date backed up yet again to this once unoccupied spot.
June 14th, 2019: Unknown D.C. Project
This was long ago announced as the Justice League 2 release date, but this is no longer the case. Director Zack Snyder would like to take on another project, and there are recent indications that Warner Bros is prioritizing The Batman solo movie over this, and that this could end up being that film’s date instead. The Batman solo movie has Matt Reeves as director but…probably won’t star Ben Affleck. We’re not sure what the status of that is at the moment.
It’s also possible that this could end up being David Ayer’s Gotham City Sirens movie. Or maybe it will end up being the new date for…something else?
July 5th, 2019: Spider-Man Sequel
Right after the release of the trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel and Sony wasted no time at all in announcing a sequel. We’re not complaining.
November 1st, 2019 – Wonder Woman 2
The most critically acclaimed DCEU movie is definitely getting a sequel. Patty Jenkins will return to direct Wonder Woman 2, which will move Diana’s story forward in time…but possibly not too far forward. Expect what might be another adventure set in the past.
November 22th, 2019: Unknown Fox Project
February 14th, 2020 – Untitled DC Film
We’re not quite sure what this one is just yet, but there are a couple of possibilities down below. Could this be Man of Steel 2 which is back in active development at the studio? It’s yet another potential landing date for Ben Affleck’s Batman solo movie, too. In fact, given that movie’s ongoing troubles, this is probably its most likely arrival date.
On the other hand, this could also be a good fit for Gotham City Sirens, Suicide Squad 2, or Nightwing (see below for details on those).
March 13th, 2020: Unknown Fox Marvel Movie
April 3rd, 2020 – Cyborg
Ray Fisher made his first (very brief) appearance as Vic Stone/Cyborg in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and has a crucial role to play in Justice League. At one point he was supposed to feature in The Flash solo movie, too, but it’s not clear if that’s still the case.
No other details are presently available, and there are also rumors that this one might be reworked into a movie that would introduce the Teen Titans to the big screen.
May 1st, 2020: Untitled Marvel Movie
June 5th, 2020: Unknown DC Movie
June 26th, 2020: Untitled Fox Marvel Movie
July 24th, 2020 – Green Lantern Corps
Fairly or unfairly, Green Lantern has the most working against him. The 2011 film failed to kickstart the DC Universe as planned, and received a lukewarm (at best) critical and box-office reception. There are, of course, ways around this.
One way is to simply not make Hal Jordan the central Green Lantern of the movie. Thisone may focus on as many as three Green Lanterns, with the main focus on a kind of buddy/cop movie with John Stewart and Hal Jordan. David Goyer and Justin Rhodes are writing the script, but there’s no director in place yet, although Rupert Wyatt’s name has been linked to the job.
August 7th, 2020: Untitled Marvel Movie
October 2nd, 2020: Unknown Fox Marvel Movie
November 6th, 2020: Untitled Marvel Movie
Any one of those MCU dates is a potential landing spot for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which is already confirmed) or Doctor Strange 2 (which is likely, but hasn’t been officially announced yet). We’ll update this as we get more information on all of these projects!
March 5th, 2021: Unknown Fox Marvel Movie
There are really only a few possibilities here (other than the inevitable Deadpool 3)…
Now, let’s get into the projects that are in the works, but don’t have release dates yet. We’ve grouped these roughly in the order we expect to see them based on how far along they are.
The Flash: Flashpoint
After losing two directors/writers in Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) this one needs some work, and potential directors now include Matthew Vaughn and Robert Zemeckis. The latest is that it’s being completely rewritten by Joby Harold and it will be based on the Flashpoint story from the comics.
Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Madame Bovary) is playing Barry Allen, but probably a very different Barry Allen than the one we currently love on TV. Kiersey Clemons is Iris West. It’s possible that we’ll get a guest appearance from Ray Fisher as Cyborg and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, as well.
Nightwing
The Lego Batman movie director Chris McKay has been tapped to direct a Nightwing movie. Bill Dubuque (The Accountant) is working on a script. No other details are currently available, and this one doesn’t have a release date yet, although there are rumors of a 2019 window.
Batgirl
Joss Whedon will write, direct, and produce a Batgirl movie, one that is reportedly based on Gail Simone’s recent New 52 take on the character. We have some more details here, but there’s no casting or release date to report yet. This is another one where there are rumors of 2019 in the wind, but don’t put any stock in that yet.
Suicide Squad 2
While the critical response to the first film wasn’t so hot, the box office was blazing, so Suicide Squad 2 is definitely happening. David Ayer going to be too busy with Gotham City Sirens until further notice, though, so Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant) is writing and directing this one.
Justice League 2
This isn’t terribly likely at the moment given how the first film underperformed at the box office, but don’t count it out yet!
Black Adam
Shazam doesn’t have a star to play its title character yet, but it sure does have a villain. And that villain, who will be played by Dwayne Johnson, is certainly strong enough to sustain his own movie.
There’s no release date set for the Black Adam movie, and this is the kind of thing that could work as a nifty prequel to set up the mystical world of Shazam if they choose to go that route. We’re currently on the lookout for more info. Adam Sztykiel (Due Date, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul) is writing.
Deathstroke
Joe Manganiello has been cast as Slade Wilson, known to DC fans as Deathstroke. Long rumored as the villain of The Batman solo movie (that is no longer the case), Deathstroke is now going to get a solo film, written and directed by The Raid‘s Gareth Evans. At the moment, there is no release date.
Joker Origin Story
Warner Bros. is developing a solo movie for The Joker, Batman’s greatest villain. Todd Phillips (The Hangover, War Dogs) will direct, and co-write a script with Scott Silver (8 Mile, The Fighter). Martin Scorsese is producing. This is to be a Joker origin story, told as “a gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-’80s Gotham City that isn’t meant to feel like a DC movie as much as one of Scorsese’s films from that era.”
This movie will feature a different actor (not Jared Leto) in the role, and it’s not completely clear whether or not this will officially tie in with the rest of the DCEU continuity. It sounds like the studio is pursuing a big screen version of DC Comics’ “Elseworlds” line.
Joker & Harley Quinn Movie
There’s another Joker-centric flick in the works this one, a Joker and Harley Quinn movie is absolutely part of the DCEU, and would pick up where Suicide Squad left off. There are currently on additional details available on this one, either.
Not to be confused with…
Harley Quinn
Yes, there’s also another Harley Quinn movie in development! Whether this is a solo project or something else remains to be seen.
Justice League Dark
At one time this was called Dark Universe, until Universal came along and ruined that name with their failed horror movie shared franchise. This one will feature the supernatural characters from the DC Universe. Characters like Swamp Thing, Demon, Deadman, Zatanna, and possibly even John Constantine.
Guillermo del Toro was attached to this one for quite some time, but had to leave the project. Then it was Doug Liman. Now it might be Daniel Espinosa or Gerard Johnstone. This will probably remain slow going.
Booster Gold (and maybe Blue Beetle)
Flash and Arrow executive producer Greg Berlanti is going to executive produce and possibly direct a Booster Gold movie. Zack Stentz (Thor, X-Men: First Class) will write the script.
Early reports described this as a “superhero buddy cop movie” that would involve Blue Beetle. We’ll get you more updates on this as they become available.
Guardians of the Galaxy 3
Director James Gunn has long said that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will complete the story of Peter Quill and the current team, so it’s possible that whatever comes after that film may include Sylvester Stallone and this new band of misfits. “I’m definitely interested in the direction that these characters are headed and their roles in the Marvel Universe,” Gunn told The Hollywood Reporter. Don’t expect the comic book canon to weigh to heavily on their portrayal, though. For one thing, as originally envisioned, these characters are from 1,000 years in the Marvel Universe’s future, and that’s not the case here. “That is not something that we’re dealing with. These are older characters and more criminal than our Guardians. So we’re focusing on that,” Gunn added. In any event, it doesn’t sound like we’ll be getting that new lineup until Guardians of the Galaxy 4.
Spider-Man: Homecoming 3
Tom Holland let it slip that his current Spider-Man run is a planned trilogy. After the first film, we want as much time with his version of Spidey as we can get.
Dr. Doom
After trusting him to help bring the obscure Marvel character Legion to FX, Fox has tapped Noah Hawley to develop a movie based on Fantastic Four main antagonist Dr. Doom.
The premiere villain in the Marvel pantheon, Dr. Doom was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962’s Fantastic Four#5 and has since gone on to serve as a villainous proving ground for almost every major Marvel superhero.
X-Force
Drew Goddard is writing and directing, which is awesome news. The above concept art is from a previous version of the project, so don’t get too excited.
We’re going to first meet Cable in Deadpool 2, which will also introduce Zazie Beetz as another X-Force member, Domino. It’s possible that X-Force could essentially function as Deadpool 3 if they decide to pursue the same tone, which seems likely. You can learn more about the weird history of X-Force right here!
Don’t expect this one until at least 2019. Hopefully it all still happens.
Deadshot
Warner Bros. knows they have one of the biggest stars in the world already in costume, so they’re reportedly considering a Deadshot solo movie, as well.
Lobo
Back on the schedule after years of being dormant, the Lobo movie may attempt to be the DCEU equivalent of Deadpool. Jason Fuchs must have impressed Warner Bros. with his work on Wonder Woman, because he’s on board to write the script for this one.
We’ll update this with more information as we get it, but it should be a fun ride.
Sandman
Sandman isn’t a superhero movie, so the fact that he wasn’t involved in an announcement that primarily focused on high-profile franchises (along with the superhero slate, Warner Bros. focused on Lego movies and Harry Potter spinoffs). It isn’t a DC Universe movie that will have any bearing on future Justice League films. But it is one of the most successful, enduring comics of all time.
The latest news on this isn’t encouraging, though. It appears to be a dead project.
[related article: Sandman – The Essential Horror Comic of the ’90s]
Legion of Super-Heroes
This one came as a big surprise when the rumor surfaced a couple of years ago. The word is that Warner Bros., perhaps inspired by the runaway success of Guardians of the Galaxy, is looking to put together their own superheroic space opera. Nobody has been hired. Warner Bros. have simply placed this one on the table as a DC property potentially worth developing, and are inviting writers to make pitches.
Don’t count on it any time soon, though, as the Legion are about to be prominently featured on Supergirl Season 3, which probably chills their cinematic prospects for awhile.
Metal Men
Perhaps the longest of the long-shots, the Metal Men movie is something that’s been in discussion as far back as 2007. It’s the most bizarre concept of the bunch, involving a mad scientist and his group of sentient elemental robots, but like Suicide Squad and Legion of Super-Heroes, perhaps that uniqueness is what makes this one so appealing. Warner Bros. can’t be seen to copy the Marvel model too closely, so veering away from solo outings for traditional heroes and into this kind of territory might be the very best thing they can do for the brand.
The Metal Men recently received a New 52 facelift at the hands of writer Geoff Johns, the co-chair of DC Films. If they’re a favorite of DC Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer, it would be wrong to count the Metal Men out, even if there’s been no public movement on this project in recent memory.
There are even more films rumored or gestating at all of these studios, but to read about those potential projects, you’ll have to head to each studio’s individual calendar. Happy reading!
We’ll keep updating this with new information as we get it!
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