While 2021 already produced several worthwhile sci-fi movies, Dune, The Matrix 4, and more are still on the way before the end of the year. 2021 hasn't been the best year for new releases, but that's partly due to the continuing Coronavirus movie delays preventing Hollywood from truly getting back in full swing. Still, there have been a number of high-profile sci-fi efforts, such as Godzilla vs. Kong and A Quiet Place Part 2.
2021 has also played host to box office duds like Chaos Walking, and critically savaged disappointments like Infinite. That's no reason for sci-fi fans to feel down about 2021 though, as every year has its ups and downs for the genre, and there are still several notable movies to look forward to before in the final half of 2021. Some are straight-up sci-fi stories, while others are sci-fi adjacent, or dip their toes enough into the science-fiction realm that they're likely to draw in fans of the genre.
Without any further ado, here's a look at what movies remain to offer audiences a taste of sci-fi for the rest of 2021. There would be a few more on here, but some originally scheduled for a 2021 release were delayed to 2022, including the sure-to-be blockbuster Avatar 2.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (October 15, 2021)
2018's Venom surprised a lot of people with its massive worldwide box office haul of over $850 million, and after an extra year of waiting, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is set to bring back the titular antihero. The odd symbiotic relationship between Venom and Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock continues, with Venom still wanting to eat everyone in sight, while Eddie has to temper his friend's darker urges. Together though, they still make a formidable team, and they'll need to be, up against the threat of Woody Harrelson's Cletus Kassady, aka Carnage.
Dune (October 22, 2021)
37 years after David Lynch adapted Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel Dune into a movie that's gone on to divide audiences, and 21 years since Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel) adapted the tome into an acclaimed miniseries, director Denis Villeneuve will soon unleash his take on the esteemed material. With a big budget in his corner, a cast jam-packed full of recognizable stars, and a resume full of good movies, there's a good chance that Villeneuve will manage to craft a deserving and definitive Dune adaptation. Whether it will prove to have legs at the box office though, remains to be seen, after the financial failure of Blade Runner 2049.
Ron's Gone Wrong (October 22, 2021)
Releasing on the same day as Dune, animated sci-fi comedy Ron's Gone Wrong offers another option for younger audiences, and those uninterested in an adaptation of Herbert's epic tale. Zach Galifianakis voices the titular Ron, a digitally connected device called a B-bot, which also functions as a sort of surrogate friend for its new owner Barney, voiced by Jack Dylan Grazer from Shazam!. As the title implies though, Ron can't seem to do much right, even if he does manage to be oddly lovable along the way.
Eternals (November 5, 2021)
Every time the MCU has gone cosmic and spent time away from Earth in the past decade-plus has arguably led to this: the introduction of the Eternals into the MCU landscape. Eternals looks to be the most sci-fi-focused entry into the Marvel saga yet, focusing as it does on the titular race of ancient aliens that have secretly — and passively — lived among humans on Earth for centuries. The Avengers sure could've used the Eternals help against Thanos, but at least they're here now, and will presumably assist with such dire threats in the future.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (November 11, 2021)
Five years after director Paul Feig teamed up with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones to create an all-female Ghostbusters reboot, Jason Reitman is taking the reins of the franchise for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Afterlife will function as a sequel to the original movie, although how much it acknowledges of Ghostbusters 2's events remains unclear. The plot is still fairly vague, but it involves the estranged family of Egon Spengler moving into his old house and discovering his heroic past, just in time for a new supernatural threat. The surviving original cast, minus Rick Moranis, will all reprise their roles.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (November 24, 2021)
With the long-running movie franchise starring Milla Jovovich ended, Resident Evil will get a new lease on cinematic life with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. This movie attempts to start a new franchise, one which will more directly adapt the characters and events of the iconic video game series. Both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 are being adapted, which could be a bit much for one script, but fans are eager to find out if it works, and see Leon, Claire, Chris, and more grace the screen once again.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 17, 2021)
The onslaught of MCU movies in 2021 wraps up with another quite sci-fi-friendly entry in Spider-Man: No Way Home. After the "time heist" in Avengers: Endgame, and the multiverse teases in Spider-Man: Far From Home, No Way Home will serve as the proper introduction of the Marvel multiverse into the MCU. The first trailer for Peter Parker's third MCU adventure has already confirmed the return of Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, and there's even more big comebacks reportedly set to happen, including Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Jamie Foxx's Electro. Prior Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are also rumored to appear.
The Matrix: Resurrections (December 22, 2021)
Arriving just five days after Spider-Man: No Way Home is a belated sci-fi sequel that has the opportunity to reignite a classic franchise: The Matrix 4. Now subtitled Resurrections, the sequel's story is still mostly secret, but with Laurence Fishburne not returning, signs are pointing toward the emergence of a younger version of Morpheus. Keanu Reeves is back as Neo though, as is Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity, and while The Matrix Revolutions ended the original trilogy on a sour note for many, The Matrix: Resurrections could repair the Matrix brand name if director Lana Wachowski hits a home-run this time out.