So far, 2018 has been an amazing year for superhero movies. Black Panther started the year by proving once and for all that diversity is something that Hollywood needs to be striving for and is actually a welcome change in a previously rather stale superhero world.
Marvel then released another record-breaking, game-changing movie with Avengers: Infinity War, which was a hilarious yet emotional movie. Not long after Thanos snapped his fingers, Josh Brolin was starring in another superhero property as Cable in the eagerly anticipated Deadpool 2.
Then came The Incredibles 2, which wasn’t just a great animated movie, but also a great superhero film. Shortly after this, we saw the appearance of the previously missing Ant-Man in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which offered a nice break from the soul-crushing end of Infinity War.
This year has already unleashed many superhero movies, but the year hasn’t even ended yet. While we’ve heard from Marvel, we are still waiting to hear from Sony and DC, as Venom and Aquaman are set to release later this year.
On the horizon, 2019 looks like one of the biggest years for superhero movies. We have one new M. Night Shyamalan superhero movie, two female-led superhero films, and three Marvel superhero movies - and that’s not even to mention DC’s Shazam! which has garnered the most interest from fans at Comic Con this year thanks to its bizarre and hilarious trailer.
Of course one of the movies that everyone has been talking about this year, and will be out next year, is Avengers 4. What lies in store for the MCU is anyone’s guess, but at least we know it’s going to be a good few year to be a superhero fan.
With that said, here are the 4 Superhero Movies Coming Out This Year (And 16 Coming Out In 2019).
Venom (2018)
This summer only saw the release two superhero movies, The Incredibles 2 and Ant-Man and the Wasp. While they may have lived up to the hype, the next superhero movie to hit our screens is a lot riskier.
Venom has the extremely talented Tom Hardy and a great supporting cast led by Michelle Williams and Riz Ahmed.
However, Sony has an extremely mixed track record regarding superhero movies. Look no further than the Spider-Man films, from Toby Maguire to Tom Holland, which have enjoyed tremendous highs and lows.
The first trailer has garnered mixed reactions from fans, with many pointing out Hardy’s "interesting"American accent and the lack of Venom. However, the second trailer learnt from its mistakes, as we were treated to more Venom and more action sequences.
Venom is set to release October 5th.
Glass (2019)
It’s no surprise that M. Night Shyamalan is creating a universe from his two most successful movies (excluding The Sixth Sense).
James McAvoy returns from the immensely successful Split and Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson will reprise their roles from Unbreakable.
Whether this will be an example of a premature extended universe which will flop hard (like the Dark Universe) or whether it will fuel a successful series of movies (like the MCU) remains to be seen.
While it does look like Shyamalan shoehorned the two movies together when Bruce Willis was introduced in the final few minutes of Split, this could be the start of something beautiful.
With the talents of Willis, Jackson, McAvoy and the rejuvenated Shyamalan this can only be a hit, surely?
Glass will be coming to theaters January 18, 2019.
Hellboy (2019)
It’s a brave move remaking Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy, which faithfully translated the comics and won over fans. While the original films did not set the box office on fire, they did prove that there was interest out there.
Considering del Toro’s recent Oscar win, seemingly a confirmation of his title as a "visionary director," the remake seems even braver.
However, this Hellboy remake does have strong talent behind and in front of the camera.
Moving from Game of Thrones to Hellboy seemed a natural move for director Neil Marshall, who proved himself worthy of handling big action sequences.
Considering that he was responsible for the episodes "Blackwater" and "The Watchers on the Wall", we can breathe a sigh of relief.
With the smart casting of Stranger Things’ David Harbour as the titular character and Ian McShane serving as his mentor, there is every chance that this could be a great movie.
Hellboy will be out on January 11th.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
The X-Men prequel movies have had a bumpy journey over the last few years. From the brilliance of First Class to the epic nature of Days of Future Past and the mediocrity of Apocalypse, the franchise seems to be on a downhill trajectory.
Tackling the Dark Phoenix story, one of the most beloved X-Men comics, could bury the X-Men movies. Fans have more than sufficient reason to fear this film considering the fact that many fans disliked the way The Last Stand handled its storyline in 2006.
We hope that director Simon Kinberg injects the movie with some originality, as Michael Vaughn did in First Class.
Despite the fact that this is his directorial debut, he has had his fingerprints over the X-Men movies since 2011. The odds are against him, but without another hit, the movies may face the same fate as the mutants: extinction.
X-Men: Dark Pheonix is set to be released February 14, 2019.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Captain Marvel has been hyped up as one of the most powerful superheroes in the MCU. With the new movie's 1990s setting and its focus on a previously unseen superhero, this film looks like it’ll be something different.
While the movie takes place before Avengers 4, it will most likely be an origin story that will explain Captain Marvel's absence in the MCU.
Despite the amount of secrecy around the movie, we have been treated to a few nuggets of information. Principally, with the use of CGI, Samuel L. Jackson will be de-aged to place him in the 1990s.
Alongside Brie Larson as the titular Captain Marvel, the supporting cast is strong with Jude Law and Ben Mendelsohn joining Jackson.
With a fantastic cast and Marvel’s first female lead, fans have high hopes.
Captain Marvel will be out on March 8, 2019.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
While most know Peter Parker as Spider-Man, many may not know that there is another version of the character hitting cinemas soon.
Miles Morales is an alternate web-slinger and is set to play the web-slinger in an animated movie that in the works for December 14th this year.
Audiences may also not know that this is the project that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller embarked on after they were fired from Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Hopefully this Spider-Man animated movie will be a return to form, particularly considering that this is a passion project for both Lord and Miller.
The film also boasts a cast of talented actors with Hailee Steinfield and Mahershala Ali.
While it will not make a record-breaking amount at the box office, hopefully it will garner enough support from fans.
Avengers 4 (2019)
It’s hard to see where they can go after Infinity War’s epic and shocking conclusion, but Avengers 4 will pick up the pieces and continue the story.
It speaks volumes about the amount of secrecy that we don’t even know the title of the movie yet.
While there has been nonstop speculation about the movie, one popular theory is that there will be a reliance on time travel.
Whether this will be able to save the lives of Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and all of the other characters who fell in Avengers: Infinity War is another matter, however.
Through withholding all information about the movie, Marvel has the audience in the palm of their hands.
To say that this film is the most anticipated superhero movie of 2019 would be false. It’s the most anticipated superhero movie of the decade.
Avengers 4 will hit theaters on May 3, 2019.
Shazam! (2019)
Shazam! looks like DC’s answer to Guardians of the Galaxy - it's a comedic movie from an obscure and bizarre comic.
As perhaps the biggest gamble from DC, this looks like a move away from the gritty realism of Man of Steel. Gone is the dark color palette and inexpressive delivery, which will be replaced by bright colors and a healthy dollop of humor.
The trailer may have won over most fans. It is certainly one of the most talked about. Whether this is due to people’s low expectations of DC or because the fun tone of the trailer is hard to say, but many fans are excited.
Shazam! might lead DC through a resurgence along with Wonder Woman 1984 . If the two movies do well, DC will surely give Marvel a run for its money.
Shazam! will be released on April 5th.
Gambit (2019)
Poor Gambit. After been passed from director to director for years, it looked like it would be in production hell for eternity. All the while, Channing Tatum has remained loyally attached to the project.
However, finally his patience may have paid off.
With a release date set for June 7, 2019, Gambit looks like it may hit cinemas next year after all.
Whether it will now be moved further back to 2020 or later remains to be seen. However, for the time being, there is hope.
One movie that can further inspire this project is Deadpool, as its Ryan Reynolds stared in X-Men: Origins Wolverine alongside Gambit. It could be argued that due to the failure of Origins Wolverine, Deadpool was determined to do the character justice.
Let us hope the same can be said for Gambit.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Since Spider-Man swooped in and stole Cap’s shield in Captain America: Civil War, the world has been obsessed with Tom Holland’s version of the web-slinger. So it is reassuring, despite seeing him disintegrate in Infinity War, to know that he will return in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The sequel seems to be making the assumption that "if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it," as seemingly everyone returns. Jon Watts is back to direct, along with the supporting cast of kids and Michael Keaton as Vulture.
One new and surprising addition to the sequel is Jake Gyllenhaal’s casting as Mysterio. Since Gyllenhall typically plays the protagonist in more modestly budgeted movies, Far From Home will be an anomaly on Gyllenhaal’s résumé.
It's safe to say that this will be one of the highlights of the superhero movie year.
Spider-Man: Far From Home will be swinging into theaters on July 5, 2019.
Aquaman (2018)
Remember the time when Aquaman was the butt of all jokes among superhero movie fans? DC took a chance by announcing this movie before audiences had a chance to see the character in Justice League.
However, to Jason Momoa’s credit, he proved that Aquaman, a character who audiences typically disregarded as lame, deserved a standalone movie.
DC seems to have learnt its lesson about making unnecessarily broody movies and, from the trailer, Aquaman looks like it might be a fun and bizarre ride for audiences.
Look no further than director James Wan’s track record of franchises and you’ll realize that Aquaman is in safe hands. Wan has overseen the Saw franchise, directed the first two Insidious films, turned The Conjuring movies and its spin-offs into a successful extended universe, and directed the highest grossing Fast and Furious movie.
Aquaman will be out on December 21st.
The New Mutants (2019)
The New Mutants is being marketed by Fox as a horror movie, and will be an unusually fresh addition to the superhero franchise. Seeing as this is the latest X-Men spin-off, the thirteenth to be exact, it makes sense to introduce variety.
However, there have been problems with filming, including major reshoots that required half of the movie to be reshot.
The studio also pushed the release date back from February 2019 to August 2019. While this doesn’t mean that we should lose faith, it most likely means that Fox made space for Dark Phoenix and wanted to allow time for the reshoots.
With the incredibly gifted young cast cherry picked from brilliant TV shows (Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams and Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton), there is massive potential for this movie to succeed.
The New Mutants is set to hit theaters on August 2, 2019.
Joker (2019)
When the news came out that Joaquin Phoenix would be playing the Joker in a DC movie, there was a mixture of confusion and joy.
On the one hand, this confuses the current DC timeline, which features Jared Leto as the Joker. However, Phoenix is an extremely talented actor who might lend some much needed gravitas to the film.
Talking of gravitas, the more bizarre news came when it was revealed that Martin Scorsese would be an executive producer for the movie.
The movie could either iron out some creases in the DC universe or it could backfire and confuse the audience even further.
Whatever comes of the simply titled Joker movie, it will be an interesting watch.
Joker will be hitting theaters on October 4, 2019.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2019)
Wonder Woman may have only been the fourth-highest-grossing superhero movie of 2017, but it was certainly the most talked about.
The first female led superhero movie sparked a global conversation about female empowerment and gender equality, so it is no surprise that DC was quick to green light a sequel to their most successful film.
Along with signing up Patty Jenkins to direct again and obviously bringing back Gal Godot, WW84 has resurrected Chris Pine. While it makes sense to recreate a winning formula, it does take away the emotional impact of Pine’s original passing in the first Wonder Woman movie.
Undoubtedly this movie will go on to make $500 million + at the box office, but whether it will recreate that original magic is another matter.
Wonder Woman 1984 is set to release on November 1, 2019.
Suicide Squad 2 (2019)
Suicide Squad should have been the jewel in DC’s crown, but instead it ended up being a totally confused mess. Considering that it starred Will Smith, featured a new Joker, and had an interesting premise, it felt like a bit of a waste to fans.
However, DC has a chance to redeem itself with Suicide Squad 2.
While director and writer David Ayer has ruled himself out of returning for the sequel, Gavin O’Connor will take his place. O’Connor was last seen directing another DC actor, Ben Affleck, in The Accountant to much critical and financial success, so hiring him to direct this follow up in 2019 seems a logical choice.
Hopefully this DC property will come out of the other side stronger than ever before.
Suicide Squad 2 doesn't yet have an official release date.
Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors (2018)
Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors is another animated movie that will probably slip under the radar of many fans. The movie is due to release at the end of the year on the Disney Channel.
It's a shame that there has been no hype for Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors because the movie features a strong ensemble of female superheroes including Spider-Gwen, Squirrel Girl, and Patriot.
We will have to wait until Captain Marvel to we see a Marvel movie on our big screens led by a female superhero.
Out of all of the projects set to release next year, this one may not have mainstream appeal, but that doesn’t mean that it should be discounted.
This could be the critical hit of the year.
Reign of the Supermen (2019)
Reign of the Supermen will definitely go down as the most obscure superhero movies of 2019, and with good reason.
While it may be a sequel to this year’s The Death of Superman, this by no means makes it any more popular. While its form as an animated superhero movie is a blessing, as it can be more extravagant and ignore CGI restraints, it is also a curse.
There is definitely not the same avid fan base for animated superhero movies as there is for live-action superhero flicks.
The reviews for The Death of Superman have been largely positive, but whether its sequel will be made remains to be seen.
If things pan out, Reign of the Supermen will be released sometime in 2019.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
You wouldn’t think at first glance that The Lego Movie 2 could be considered a superhero movie. However, upon second glance, with a cast including Batman, Superman, The Green Hornet, and Wonder Woman, it definitely is.
The Lego Movie is unique in how it can playfully mock all the aforementioned superheroes in a loving way.
While all of the superheroes from The Lego Movie will return for the sequel, minus Wonder Woman, there will also another addition.
Margot Robbie will reprise her role as Harley Quinn in Lego form, which will hopefully allow her a chance to both mock and develop her character from Suicide Squad.
In a rare movie that gets to play with superhero conventions and clichés, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part may go down as one of the best superhero movies of 2019.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is set to release on February 8, 2019.
John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)
Many have pointed out the similarities between John Wick and Bruce Wayne. Like Bruce, John Wick has no superpowers to speak of, but he uses his wealth, intelligence, and strength to battle his foes.
In the much anticipated third chapter of this superhero’s tale, we will see John Wick run and fight his way out of New York after a $14 million bounty is set on his head.
Whether Wick will make it to the end of his concluding chapter in one piece remains to be seen, but you can guarantee that he’ll put up a good fight.
John Wick also shares a connection with Deadpool 2, as its director was the uncredited director of the first movie in the John Wick franchise. With this in mind, surely it’s a matter of time before Wick joins the MCU, right?
John Wick 3: Parabellum will be hitting theaters on May 17, 2019.
Charlie's Angels (2019)
Like John Wick, these crime fighting women aren’t superheroes in the traditional sense, but they still manage to kick a lot of butt.
While many may remember the two movies from the early '00s, a new generation will come to know this reboot, which will be taking place in 2019.
Led by Kristen Stewart and relative newcomers Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska, this crime-fighting trio will give the current superheroes a run for their money.
Very little is known about the movie at this point, apart from the fact that it will be directed by Elizabeth Banks.
The biggest challenge will be balancing the tone of the flick, as it is admittedly a very campy and fun property. Because of this, it needs to be fairly grounded in order to be relatable.
However, with the stars attached in front of and behind the camera, this may be one to look out for.
Charlie's Angels is set to release on September 27, 2019.
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Which of these superhero movies are you most excited for? Sound off in the comments!