There’s no denying that the most popular genre around these days is the superhero movie.
’s
Dark Knight Trilogy proved that comic book adaptations could be just as
dramatic and heavy as non-genre films, Marvel Studios jumpstarted a
massive interconnected series of superhero movies that were
significantly more colorful and humorous, and audiences have been
turning out to both kinds of superhero films in droves. With nearly
every major studio now working to turn its own comic book properties
into the next big thing, and with Marvel Studios and Warner Bros.
plotting out half a decade’s worth of material, it’s sometimes tough to
keep track of what’s coming out when, who’s in it, and how it fits into
the overall picture. Not to worry, though, because we here at Collider
have you covered.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide of superhero movie release
dates for every major comic book adaptation on the calendar, going all
the way up to the year 2020. Moreover, we’ll be updating this guide
regularly with the most current information, so if you’re ever at a loss
for when exactly
is supposed to be in theaters, you can come right back here for a quick refresher.
Captain America: Civil War
Release Date: May 6, 2016
Directors: Joe Russo and Anthony Russo
Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Bruhl, Paul Rudd, Martin Freeman, Paul Bettany, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, William Hurt, and Leslie Bibb.
What We Know So Far: Robert Downey Jr. is poised to co-star in the third Captain America entry as the film will be delving into the Civil War storyline
of the comic books, which sees Cap and Iron Man become enemies after
disagreeing about a new form of legislation that would require any and
all beings with superhuman abilities to register with the government.
Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t have secret identities,
their main point of contention in the film will be whether superheroes
need government oversight. The film is also said to continue the Winter Soldier storyline from the previous Captain America installment with Bruhl playing Baron Zemo, and Boseman will also make his first appearance as Black Panther. Throw in the entire new Avengers team, the debut of Tom Holland
as Spider-Man, and a few other MCU characters we haven’t seen in a
while, and you’ve got yourself quite possibly the biggest Marvel movie
yet.
X-Men: Apocalypse
Release Date: May 27, 2016
Director: Bryan Singer
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Evan Peters, Olivia Munn, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Rose Byrne, Ben Hardy, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Alexandra Shipp.
What We Know So Far: Described as an “extinction-level event”, the disaster sequel takes place in 1983 and will focus primarily on the X-Men: First Class castmembers, wrapping up the trilogy arc that began with the Matthew Vaughn-directed
prequel. The mutants must join forces in order to battle the titular
Apocalypse (played by Isaac), a mutant who has been around since the
days of Ancient Egypt and was treated as a god at that time. Apocalypse
assembles his four horsemen, Magneto (Fassbender), Angel (Hardy), Storm
(Shipp), and Psylocke (Munn), which once again pits mutants versus
mutants as Singer also introduces the young versions of more familiar X-Men.
Suicide Squad
Release Date: August 5, 2016
Director:
David Ayer
Cast:
Will Smith,
Margot Robbie,
Jared Leto,
Jai Courtney,
Joel Kinnaman,
Cara Delevingne,
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,
Jay Hernandez,
Adam Beach,
Jim Parrack,
Scott Eastwood,
Ike Barinholtz,
Karen Fukuhara,
and
Viola Davis
What We Know So Far: The DC comic revolves around a group of
anti-heroes who take on dangerous missions for the government in
exchange for commuted sentences. Smith is Deadshot, Robbie is Harley
Quinn, Leto is The Joker, Courtney is Captain Boomerang, Kinnaman is
Rick Flagg, Delevingne is Enchantress, and Davis plays Amanda Waller,
who is essentially DC’s Nick Fury. This is Warner Bros.’ first
non-Superman film in its new DC Movie Universe, and Ayer appears to be
striking a much darker yet playful tone judging by
the film’s terrific trailer.
Doctor Strange
Release Date: November 4, 2016
Director:
Scott Derrickson
Cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch,
Tilda Swinton,
Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Rachel McAdams,
Mads Mikkelsen,
Michael Stuhlbarg,
Benedict Wong.
What We Know So Far: Marvel initially courted
Joaquin Phoenix for
the lead role in this new franchise, but as the time came to finally
sign the contract Phoenix opted to walk away. Cumberbatch eventually
signed on, to be joined by Swinton as eventual mentor The Ancient One
and Ejiofor as the villainous Baron Mordo.
The comic adaptation will bring mysticism into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (described as
Marvel’s Fantasia) as
it tells the origin story of Stephen Strange, a former neurosurgeon and
narcissist who is granted magical powers by a hermit called the Ancient
One after his hands are seemingly irreparably damaged in a car
accident.
The LEGO Batman Movie
Release Date: February 20, 2017
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, and Mariah Carey
What We Know So Far: The first of Warner Bros.’ series of sequels and spinoffs to The LEGO Movie is an animated Batman film with Arnett’s sad, dark caped crusader leading the way and LEGO Movie co-director Chris McKay taking the helm. Arnett will be joined by Arrested Development
co-star Michael Cera as Robin and Zach Galifianakis as Joker, making
this one of the most promising superhero movies on the slate.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Director:
James Gunn
Cast:
Chris Pratt,
Zoe Saldana,
Dave Bautista,
Kurt Russell,
Pom Klementieff,
Elizabeth Debicki,
Chris Sullivan,
Tom Flanagan,
Sean Gunn,
Michael Rooker,
and the voices of
Bradley Cooper and
Vin Diesel.
What We Know So Far: Not much as the film is firmly under wraps, but Gunn has
previously said that
Thanos may or may not appear, but he is most certainly “not the most
important character”. The main crux of the story will involve the
parentage of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, with the iconic Kurt Russell
filling the mysterious role of Peter’s birth father.
Wonder Woman
Release Date: June 2, 2017
Director:
Patty Jenkins
Cast:
Gal Gadot,
Chris Pine,
Robin Wright,
Danny Huston,
David Thewlis,
Ewen Bremner,
Saïd Taghmaoui,
Elena Anaya, and
Lucy Davis.
What We Know So Far: Gadot made her first appearance as the character in
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will appear in
Justice League Part One and
Justice League Part Two,
but not before she gets her own standalone film, and a World War I one
at that. This marks the first female-led superhero movie of the modern
era, and it will fittingly be directed by a woman. However, while
Breaking Bad and
Game of Thrones veteran
Michelle MacLaren was previously attached to direct, she
departed over creative differences and Warner Bros. subsequently enlisted
Monster helmer Jenkins, who herself was previously attached to Marvel’s
Thor 2.
Cast-wise, Pine is onboard to play Wonder Woman’s love interest Steve
Trevor in what will hopefully be some fun gender reversal.
Untitled Spider-Man Reboot
Release Date: July 7, 2017
Director:
Jon Watts
Cast:
Tom Holland,
Marisa Tomei, and
Zendaya
What We Know So Far: Few thought it would ever happen, but
Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios came to an agreement in which they will
be sharing the character of Spider-Man, with the webslinger first
appearing in an MCU movie (
Civil War) before getting his own rebooted film. Marvel’s
Kevin Feige is producing the picture, which is said to bring forth a younger Spidey who is still in high school.
The Cabin in the Woods co-writer/director Drew Goddard was
first rumored to take the helm, but Marvel eventually settled on
Cop Car helmer Watts with
Jonathan Goldstein and
John Francis Daley (
Vacation) writing the script. And no, there
will not be another original
Untitled Fox/Marvel Film
Release Date: October 6, 2017
Director: TBA
Cast: TBA
What We Know So Far: Nothing, since this is a mysterious untitled
film. There are a few possibilities, though. This could be the new
release date for Gambit, given that that film was originally slated for October 2016, or this could be the release date Fox is holding for Deadpool 2.
Or it could be a different Fox/Marvel movie altogether. But given that
it’s not terribly far away, odds are it’s for a film already in
development, meaning it’s probably Gambit or Deadpool 2.
Thor: Ragnarok
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Director:
Taika Waititi
Cast:
Chris Hemsworth,
Tom Hiddleston,
Mark Ruffalo,
Cate Blanchett
What We Know So Far: The title most likely refers to the
event from Nordic mythology in which catastrophic destruction comes to
Asgard, submerging the entire world underwater and killing nearly every
god. Or it could also refer to
a cloned version of Thor
that Tony Stark creates after Thor is presumed killed during the
Ragnarok event. Either way, Marvel says the “Norse End of Days” is
coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the studio plans to have
filming underway by June 2016. They’ve tapped
What We Do in the Shadows director
Taika Waititi to take the helm, making for a very curious hire given his background in comedy.
Untitled Fox/Marvel Film
Release Date: January 12, 2018
Director: TBA
Cast: TBA
What We Know So Far: If the Untitled Fox/Marvel film dated for October 2017 is either Deadpool 2 or Gambit, then this is probably the other of the two. Or it’s possible this is a placeholder for an X-Force movie, although that would be a terribly quick turnaround given that Ryan Reynolds is likely due to focus on a Deadpool sequel first and foremost. Whatever the case, between X-Men and Deadpool Fox’s
Marvel universe has been well established, and these dates for untitled
Fox/Marvel films signal the studio is bullish on expanding the
universe as quickly as possible.
Justice League Part One
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Director:
Zack Snyder
Cast:
Henry Cavill,
Ben Affleck, and
Amy Adams.
What We Know So Far: Warner Bros.’
Justice League
film is so big that they’re releasing it in two parts, two years apart.
Thus far the only confirmed castmembers are Cavill as Superman, Affleck
as Batman, and Adams as Lois Lane, but expect to see
Jason Momoa’s Aquaman,
Ezra Miller’s The Flash,
Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and
Ray Fisher’s Cyborg. The
rumored villain for the two-part
Justice League adventure is Brainiac, who apparently is summoned to Earth by the distress beacon that Superman set off during
Man of Steel, but more curious will be to see how/if Snyder and Warner Bros. course correct after the response to
Batman v Superman.
Black Panther
Release Date: February 16, 2018
Director:
Ryan Coogler
Cast:
Chadwick Boseman
What We Know So Far: The comics character will make his first appearance in
Captain America: Civil War, but he gets his own feature film not long after.
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star Chadwick Boseman will be filling the role of the powerful native
of Wakanda, an African nation that is isolated from the rest of the
world. Marvel says the crux of the film will be how this isolationist
nation meets the world, so expect some friction.
Selma director
Ava DuVernay came close to signing on, but ultimately
opted not to helm the film over concerns her artistic voice would be lost in the final product. Subsequently, Marvel hired
Joe Robert Cole—who came up through the Marvel Studios writing program—
to pen the script, and finally nabbed
Creed and
Fruitvale Station helmer
Ryan Coogler to fill the director’s chair.
The Flash
Release Date: March 16, 2018
Director:
Seth Grahame-Smith
Cast:
Ezra Miller
What We Know So Far: Miller
will first make an appearance in
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will likely be part of the
Justice League Part One ensemble. And after tasking
Phil Lord and
Chris Miller with penning a treatment only to see them head off to direct the Han Solo
Star Wars film, the studio subsequently tapped
Seth Grahame-Smith to make his directorial debut on the superhero picture. Grahame-Smith penned the novels
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as the screenplays for
Vampire Hunter and
Dark Shadows,
but he’s only directed a couple of episodes of an MTV series before.
Warner Bros. was no doubt impressed with his work as a producer on the
LEGO Batman film, but landing the job of writer and director
The Flash is a huge vote of confidence.
Avengers: Infinity War - Part 1
Release Date: May 4, 2018
Directors:
Joe and
Anthony Russo
Cast: TBD
What We Know So Far: Marvel is finally tackling
the Infinity War storyline, and it’ll take two films to tell it. The main antagonist will be Thanos (played by
Josh Brolin), and the movie will no doubt unite many, many characters from the MCU. Moreover, Marvel adds that
Avengers: Infinity War Part I is the beginning of the culmination of everything that has come before.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier and
Captain America: Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo have been tapped
to direct both parts of Infinity War,
which will be shot at the same time during one long production
beginning in late 2016. Moreover, they’ll shoot the entire movie
using IMAX’s brand new digital cameras, meaning the whole film will be shot in IMAX. This two-part epic has been described as
“the end of the Avengers team as we know it,” acting as a culmination of everything Marvel Studios had done since
Iron Man. No pressure.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Release Date: July 6, 2018
Director:
Peyton Reed
Cast:
Paul Rudd,
Evangeline Lily, and
Michael Douglas.
What We Know So Far: Nothing, beyond a title and release
date. But the title suggests that Evangeline Lily’s Wasp will be the
co-star of this film and not just the “female lead”, making this Marvel
Studios’ first release in which the heroine is in the title.
Untitled Fox/Marvel Film
Release Date: July 13, 2018
Director: TBD
Cast: TBD
What We Know So Far: 20th Century Fox hasn’t confirmed what this film is just yet, but it’s probably the
X-Men spinoff
New Mutants that
Josh Boone (
The Fault in Our Stars) is attached to write and direct after he completes
The Stand.
Simon Kinberg and
Lauren Schuler Donner are producing.
Aquaman
Release Date: July 27, 2018
Director:
James Wan
Cast:
Jason Momoa
What We Know So Far: Momoa will first make an appearance in
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and will likely be part of the
Justice League Part One ensemble. Warner Bros. has enlisted
Furious 7 and
The Conjuring helmer James Wan to direct.
Untitled DC Film
Release Date: October 5, 2018
Director: TBA
Cast: TBA
What We Know So Far: Nothing at all, but it’s possible that this is either a new release date for an existing DC film or a sequel to Suicide Squad or Batman v Superman. Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder are keen on having Ben Affleck
direct and star in a Batman standalone, and with Affleck having
reportedly penned a script, that seems like an inevitability at this
point. But which will come first, Suicide Squad 2 or Batman?
Captain Marvel
Release Date: March 8, 2019
Director: TBD
Cast: TBD
What We Know So Far: Marvel’s first female-led superhero
film will revolve around the most powerful character in the entire
Marvel Cinematic Universe. This iteration of
Captain Marvel will focus on the character of
Carol Danvers, whose adventures are earthbound but whose powers are based in the cosmic realm.
Joss Whedon wanted to introduced the character at the end of
Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Marvel didn’t want to bring Captain Marvel into the MCU fully formed without first telling her origin story.
Meg LeFauve (
Inside Out) and
Nicole Perlman (
Guardians of the Galaxy) are writing the screenplay.
Shazam
Release Date: April 5, 2019
Director: TBD
Cast:
Dwayne Johnson
What We Know So Far: Making his superhero movie debut, Dwayne Johnson
opted to take on the role of the villainous Black Adam in this DC comics adaptation.
Avengers: Infinity War - Part 2
Release Date: May 3, 2019
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Cast: TBD
What We Know So Far: The conclusion to the epic Infinity War storyline will close out Marvel’s ambitious Phase Three with a bang.
Justice League Part Two
Release Date: June 14, 2019
Director: Zack Snyder
Cast: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Amy Adams.
What We Know So Far: As with Part One, the only
confirmed castmembers are Cavill, Affleck, and Adams, but we can expect
to see the rest of the DC ensemble appear in the second half of Justice League. Brainiac is rumored to be the villain, but it’s unclear if his reign of terror will continue through Part Two or if he’ll be vanquished in Part One.
Rumor has it that Warner Bros. plans to introduce Darkseid as the Big
Bad after Brainiac, with Green Lantern popping up to warn the Justice
League team of his existence. This will likely happen either at the end
of Part One as a teaser for Part Two, or at the end of Part Two as a teaser for some future Justice League film.
Inhumans
Release Date: July 12, 2019
Director: TBD
Cast: TBD
What We Know So Far: Another comic property that will push the reach of the Marvel Cinematic Universe further outward, Inhumans will
introduce dozens of new characters to the MCU. In the comics, they are
a race of superhumans whose origins lie in the war between the alien
Skrull and Kree races. The existence of Inhumans has been first
introduced on ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Untitled DC Film
Release Date: November 1, 2019
Director: TBA
Cast: TBA
What We Know So Far: Nothing at all, but it’s possible that this is either a new release date for an existing DC film or a sequel to Suicide Squad or Batman v Superman. Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder are keen on having Ben Affleck
direct and star in a Batman standalone, and with Affleck having
reportedly penned a script, that seems like an inevitability at this
point. But which will come first, Suicide Squad 2 or Batman?
Cyborg
Release Date: April 3, 2020
Director: TBD
Cast: Ray Fisher
What We Know So Far: Fisher will first be introduced in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and then will play a role in the two Justice League films.
Green Lantern Corps.
Release Date: June 19, 2020
Director: TBD
Cast: TBD
What We Know So Far: This
will be a reboot of the Warner Bros. franchise so
Ryan Reynolds
is not expected to reprise his role—plus he’s also busy being Deadpool
for Marvel. Green Lantern is rumored to make his first appearance at the
end of either
Justice League Part One or
Justice League Part Two
when he warns the team that Darkseid is on his way to bring destruction
to Earth. But the title of the reboot suggests this will be a team-up
film featuring two Green Lanterns.
Tyrese Gibson has been
openly campaigning for one of the roles.
Gambit
Release Date: TBD
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Channing Tatum
What We Know So Far: Tatum has been keen on playing the X-Men
mutant for a while now, and 20th Century Fox finally pulled the trigger
on a standalone movie for the fan-favorite Cajun. Production had
initially been slated to begin Fall 2015, but when it was pushed back to
early 2016, director Rupert Wyatt abruptly dropped out due to personal reasons. Doug Liman (Edge of Tomorrow) is set to direct, and while producer Simon Kinberg told us the film will be a heist picture and a “sexy thriller”, the film was pulled from its October 2016 release date and is now listed as TBD
