Marvel and DC will release a few major movies over the next few years, and there are some that are just unmissable events that are worth watching in theaters. With ticket prices increasing, a greater number of films have struggled at the box office. 2025’s MCU movies faced that reality, with The Fantastic Four: First Steps leading at $522 million.
James Gunn’s DC Universe only released one movie in 2025, Superman, which failed to outgross Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, though it finished its box office run with a respectable $616 million. It is clear that fans are becoming more careful with what movies they choose to watch in theaters. With that in mind, here are 10 unmissable upcoming superhero movies:
10
Supergirl
DC’s Supergirl movie will fly into theaters on June 26, 2026. Milly Alcock’s Girl of Steel made her DCU debut at the end of Superman. While Supergirl had little screen time, her party girl persona, which greatly differs from Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl from the Arrowverse, made an impression. Supergirl’s drinking problem has a darker reason behind it.
That is explored in the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow comics, which follow Supergirl as we learn of the years she spent on a floating piece of Krypton as Kara watched everyone around her die. In the present, she helps a young girl, Ruthye, on a revenge mission across the cosmos. Space adventures and Jason Momoa as Lobo help make this one a must-see.
9
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man return is a long-awaited event. The wall-crawler’s franchise is home to some of the best MCU movies. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on July 31, 2026. The film marks the start of a new era for Peter Parker. Out of high school, Peter will meet a mostly new supporting cast.
The MCU’s next Spider-Man movie will also feature at least two more Marvel heroes. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will make his theatrical debut, with Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk also returning, and set photos tease a Savage Hulk return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Confirmed villains include Scorpion and Tombstone. A bona fide street-level Spider-Man event film is worth watching in theaters.
8
Avengers: Doomsday
One of the biggest problems with the MCU’s Multiverse Saga is the lack of an Avengers film. The MCU needs these franchise-wide crossovers, as the fun aspect of the universe is seeing how different heroes interact and band together to save the world. With Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom, the Avengers movie is highly-anticipated.
Avengers: Doomsday‘s cast features stars from Fox’s X-Men franchise, MCU veterans, and Multiverse Saga newcomers. More names are being kept under wraps, with Chris Evans reportedly back as Captain America. Every Avengers movie proved itself an exciting crossover, and Doomsday could rival the franchise’s very best offerings. It gives the MCU a goal again, with RDJ leading the action. Avengers: Doomsday releases on December 18, 2026.
7
Man Of Tomorrow
Superman was a success as the DCU’s first movie. Due to that, DC will keep the ball rolling, with Man of Tomorrow arriving on July 9, 2027. A few details from the Superman movie sequel have already been revealed, as the plot of the film will revolve around David Corenswet’s Superman and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor teaming up.
The rivals will have to work together against a bigger threat, who is rumored to be Brainiac, though no official announcement on the villain has been made yet. Superman revitalized the character and introduced many heroes for the new DCU. As such, the sequel should do the same, pushing forward the Salvation plotline set up in the Peacemaker season 2 finale.
6
The Batman 2
2027 will be a historical year for DC, as we will have live-action Batman and Superman movies in theaters for the first time. After a series of delays, Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne suits up once again in The Batman 2 on October 1, 2027. DC has yet to reveal any story details, who will be the villain, and more casting announcements.
Still, The Batman is easily one of the Dark Knight’s best movies. Matt Reeves succeeded in making what is the most compelling live-action portrayal of Gotham City. Given that Pattinson’s Batman is still early in his career, the potential is through the roof in terms of new characters who could be added and developed in the Elseworlds franchise, separate from Gunn’s DCU.
5
Avengers: Secret Wars
When Avengers: Secret Wars releases on December 17, 2027, it will serve as the finale of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. With Doctor Doom likely to win in Avengers: Doomsday, the follow-up is expected to bring in heroes from all over Marvel’s live-action legacy in order to save the multiverse. The Avengers movie should mark the end of the road for many characters.
That is because, like in the comics, Avengers: Secret Wars will lead to a reboot of the MCU. While many stars will remain, multiple veterans should be recast, making way for important heroes to be around for the next decade alongside the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Avengers: Secret Wars ends a chapter for the MCU, thus being unmissable in theaters.
4
Black Panther 3
Starting with Black Panther 3, all remaining movies on the list are confirmed to be happening, but have no release dates set at the time of writing. Interestingly, Black Panther 3 was confirmed by Denzel Washington, who revealed that he will join the MCU through the film. That alone is reason enough to make the film worth watching in theaters.
Adding to it is the fact that Letitia Wright’s Shuri did a great job of making up for the absence of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The franchise is in good hands, though rumors of a T’Challa being recast for the upcoming Avengers movies remain. As such, Black Panther 3 could bring back the fan-favorite hero.
3
MCU X-Men
The MCU’s X-Men movie is being written by Michael Lesslie, known for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It will be directed by none other than Thunderbolts*‘s Jake Schreier. Given how Thunderbolts* did a phenomenal job of crafting complex heroes and having them bounce off each other so well, the X-Men are in good hands.
The film will mark the first time that Marvel Studios assembles its X-Men. The mutants will play a key role in the MCU after the Multiverse Saga, making their debut film a must-see theatrical event. Deadpool & Wolverine and X-Men ’97 have shown that Marvel understands the mutants, so I expect the X-Men MCU movie to deliver.
2
The Brave And The Bold
Batman’s The Brave and the Bold movie is one of my most anticipated announced projects for the DCU. James Gunn has revealed that the story centers on Bruce Wayne finding out that he has a son, Damian, who makes his live-action debut. More Bat-Family members are also confirmed to appear.
As a Bat-Family fan, the DCU Batman movie sounds like a dream come true. With Robert Pattinson’s The Batman franchise remaining separate from the DC Universe, this new version of the Dark Knight can have more fantastical elements, truly feeling like he jumped straight out of the comics. Batman will be one of the DCU’s main characters, making his debut worth a theatrical trip.
1
DCU Wonder Woman
Finally, Gunn has also confirmed that the DCU Wonder Woman movie is in development. It is being written by Supergirl scribe Ana Nogueira. Gal Gadot will not return as Wonder Woman, with the new franchise recasting the role. Given that the old DCEU barely did anything with Diana Prince’s Greek history, I’m excited to see the DCU tap into that.
With the DCU’s Chapter One being titled “Gods and Monsters,” my Wonder Woman wishes become more likely. A new version of Wonder Woman will always be worth watching in theaters. With major characters, fan-favorite teams, and intriguing concepts, these are the 10 upcoming Marvel and DC movies that fans need to watch in theaters.
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- Created by
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Kevin Feige
- First Film
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Iron Man
- Upcoming Films
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Blade, Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Avengers: Secret Wars
- First TV Show
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Upcoming TV Shows
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Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Vision Quest
- Cast
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Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
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- Created by
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Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson
- First Film
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Man of Steel
- First TV Show
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Peacemaker
- Cast
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Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Cara Delevingne, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Zachary Levi, Dwayne Johnson, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Strong, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Djimon Hounsou, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor, Idris Elba, John Cena, Michael Keaton, George Clooney, Xolo Mariduena
- Movie(s)
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Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Shazam! The Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, Superman, The Brave and the Bold
- Character(s)
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Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash, Cyborg, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Shazam, Darkseid, Amanda Waller, Lex Luthor, Doomsday, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Black Canary, Black Adam
The DC Universe is one of the biggest comic book franchises and often competes with Marvel. DC Comics started as National Allied Publications, founded by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in 1935. Since then, the franchise has exploded with thousands of comic books, movies, TV shows, and video games. 2013 marked the beginning of the most recent iteration of the superheroes, with Zack Snyder introducing Henry Cavill as Superman. After several movies with mixed reviews, DC underwent a soft reboot under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
