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Marvel and DC have a lot riding on 2026. After a year that ranged from decent to disastrous, it\u2019s tough to argue that \u201cfatigue\u201d isn\u2019t a factor, but true believers are holding firm that next year will change everything. Spider-Man is going back to the streets, Supergirl is poised to build on Superman\u2019s momentum, and all eyes are on Avengers: Doomsday \u2013 the ultimate test of Marvel\u2019s remaining muscle.<\/p>\n
The stage is set for box office redemption and a new path forward for superhero cinema. It\u2019s the end of the post-post-pandemic era, a once-in-a-generation chance for a fresh start. If they mess this <\/em>up, the genre might be truly cooked; next year could be the last chance to save comic book movies and shows from their flop era. That\u2019s why we\u2019re looking forward to 2026, the make-or-break year for superhero media.<\/p>\nOne caveat before we begin: All dates are subject to change. Schedules can and likely will slip, but as far as we know, this is what\u2019s on deck for 2026. So, let\u2019s start with the main event\u2026<\/p>\n
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Marvel Cinematic Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Marvel Movies<\/strong><\/h2>\n2025 was not exactly the Marvel Cinematic Universe\u2019s finest hour. None of the three theatrical films released under the Marvel Studios banner were the breakout successes Disney hoped for, and two of them were borderline catastrophes. Captain America: Brave New World was plagued by strike-related delays and extensive reshoots, culminating in a box-office stumble that no one could spin as a win. Thunderbolts* was even worse: The movie was good, critics and fans loved it\u2026 and almost nobody else went to see it. That\u2019s a problem, considering that Thunderbolts* was designed to establish the New Avengers lineup that would lead us into Phase 6. Then there\u2019s the Fantastic Four, Marvel\u2019s flagship \u201cfirst family\u201d meant to kick off the new phase and pave the path to Doomsday.<\/p>\n
It did not. <\/p>\n
Fantastic Four\u2019s box office wasn\u2019t quite so dire, but it barely cracked half a billion and left fans mildly pleased and largely indifferent. Now Doomsday has twice the work to do to win them back, which is an uphill climb heading into 2026. Marvel and Disney need to get their act together, and next year is their best chance to do it. There are only two movies on the docket for the year, both of which could be bangers. First up…<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nTom Holland on set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Image Credit: MEGA\/GC Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: July 31, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nFace it tiger, Spidey is about to hit the jackpot! No one ever lost their shirt betting on the webhead at the box office, and the Tom Holland incarnation has only climbed higher with each solo outing; the last installment, No Way Home, scored the third highest gross of the entire MCU. Nostalgic blasts from the past were a key part of the film\u2019s success, a factor Disney definitely took note of for the future.<\/p>\n
The Spider-Man brand is massive right now. The last time Spidey was this popular, he turned the Pop Tarts purple. He\u2019s got two active critically-acclaimed movie franchises, an animated show for older kids, and an absolute behemoth of a preschool phenomenon rearing a vast new generation that will only know of Miles Morales as \u201cSpin.\u201d The people demand more pictures of Spider-Man, and their standards are refreshingly high.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nSony\u2019s long, embarrassing attempt to spin off their own universe, complete with the sickening acronym \u201cSSU,\u201d hasn\u2019t really hurt Spidey\u2019s image. Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven all became internet punchlines, but audiences expect more from the wall-crawler himself. There\u2019s a reason Holland isn\u2019t much involved in the streaming side of things; Marvel wouldn\u2019t dare Disney+-ify Spider-Man.<\/p>\n
Brand New Day has already banked a lot <\/em>of goodwill in the run-up to release. The production has been fairly open for a big-budget blockbuster, deftly flooding social media with set photos from the streets of Scotland as Holland bounces on a practical rig in front of thousands of adoring Glaswegians. There\u2019s a lot to be pumped about, including: Peter\u2019s exciting, depressing new status quo; Tombstone, Mr. Negative, and other street-level surprises; and an incredible new costume that has upended the tier lists of Spidey suit sickos everywhere. The Hulk is also involved, which seems kind of strange, but the MCU has earned the benefit of the doubt so far.<\/p>\n\n\nMore: <\/strong>Every Upcoming Marvel Movie and Show in 2026 and Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\nFans are genuinely rooting for this film to succeed, although Brand New Day\u2019s performance won\u2019t necessarily say much about the larger health of the MCU. Spider-Man has always been a thing unto himself \u2013 a box office draw regardless of his shared universe status. He\u2019s in his own Batman-esque bubble, and largely immune to franchise fatigue. The real<\/em> test of the MCU\u2019s durability will come later in the year, with\u2026<\/p>\nAvengers: Doomsday<\/strong><\/p>\nRelease date: December 18, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nAmid the vast discourse surrounding the stagnation of Marvel films, one refrain has remained constant among the franchise\u2019s defenders: \u201cJust wait until Doomsday, bro.\u201d The next Avengers movie will fix everything, they say, returning the MCU to its dominant place in pop culture and bringing back the days of dependable billion-dollar hauls. The dark days of Quantumania and The Marvels will be a distant memory as the comic book movie grows ascendant once more.<\/p>\n
Some call it prophecy; others call it \u2018cope.\u2019 Either way, we\u2019ll know soon enough. Doomsday is nigh, and it has to deliver. Much has changed in the seven years since Avengers: Endgame, and the cultural landscape looks nothing like the one Marvel once ruled. Tragedy, controversy, and mediocrity has shredded Disney\u2019s Kang-focused multiversal vision. Doomsday is a billion dollar audible, and it\u2019s coming in hot<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\nActors from across the Marvel multiverse have remarked on the strange, disconnected process of filming green-screened cameos in isolation, working with unfinished scripts that left them unsure with whom they were even sharing scenes. Everyone seems to be having a great time, but there\u2019s an undercurrent of chaos in the background that has been largely ignored. The script was written on the fly, and production only just wrapped in September 2025. Reshoots are already looming and VFX work will undoubtedly be a goliath undertaking. There just isn\u2019t that much runway before the end of 2026\u2026 but if anyone can land this beast, it\u2019s RDJ.<\/p>\n
Robert Downey Jr. and the Russos are back on board, fresh off an Oscar win and The Electric State, respectively. Going back to the well is a sensible if somewhat sweaty move on the part of Marvel, and the off-the-wall idea to recast Downey as Doom is at the very least intriguing. What are<\/em> they cooking?<\/p>\nFor the first time in a while there\u2019s a genuine sense of rumor and mystery about a Marvel movie; it really feels like anyone might show up, and unlike No Way Home, the studio has kept a decent lid on things. While there would certainly be more hype if Fantastic Four had successfully primed the pump, Doomsday has a very real buzz behind it.<\/p>\n
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The Most Surprising Avengers and Marvel Characters Not Announced for Doomsday<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Most Marvel movies open huge as die-hard fans pile into midnight showings, but what they\u2019ve lacked lately are legs<\/em> \u2013 that zeitgeist momentum that gets your co-workers into the theater. Since the new crop of heroes haven\u2019t become household names, Disney is pivoting to the past to secure its future. Deadpool and Wolverine proved there\u2019s still an appetite for an in memoriam-montage send-off of the Fox-era X-Men cast, though Marvel Studios would be wise not to linger in nostalgia for long.<\/p>\nThe Rise of Skywalker is a cautionary tale here; it was a bloated finale built on course corrections and callbacks that pathetically begged audiences to clap. Doomsday has all the ingredients to become a massive hit, but there\u2019s also lots of ways it could go wrong. The good news is, even if they utterly fail, Disney still has the nuclear option to start fresh with a universal shakeup in Secret Wars. That\u2019s more of a 2027 problem, however; we\u2019ve still got more to explore in 2026, including a pivotal moment for the Distinguished Competition. <\/p>\n
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DC Universe: Every Upcoming Movie and TV Show<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
DC Movies<\/strong><\/h2>\nJames Gunn\u2019s Superman was, by all metrics, a success. It sparked conversation, made most fans pretty happy, and sold a lot of Milk-Bones. The ticket sales weren\u2019t anything to write home and tell the folks about, but its relative trouncing of Fantastic Four left more than a few box office analysts with egg on their face. Corenswet and company had a huge task on their plate, but they pulled it off and delivered on the promise of a delightful new DC Universe with plenty of room to grow.<\/p>\n
2026 is a building year for the DCU. While Marvel unleashes its heaviest possible hitters, DC is adding to their solid foundation with two more films \u2013 including one that may be a bit out of left field \u2013 that both have the potential to surprise. First up…<\/p>\n
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Supergirl<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: June 26, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nMillie Alcock\u2019s 30-second cameo as a thoroughly sloshed Kara Zor-El was one of the most viral, crowd-pleasing moments in a movie already packed with them. It was just enough screen time to pique our interest in the drunken Kryptonian\u2019s cosmic odyssey.<\/p>\n
Based on the \u201cSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow\u201d hit comic book limited series from 2021-2022,Supergirl is shaping up to be an energetic space western in the vein of True Grit\u2026 which isn\u2019t really what you\u2019d expect for the sophomore effort of a start-up superhero franchise. Supergirl feels fresh, new, and genuinely exciting, and it has every chance of becoming a Barbie-style four-quadrant hit that breaks through the mainstream. If Superman could turn a Noah and the Whale ditty into the song of the summer, and make Lex Luthor shouting fighting game moves a meme, imagine what an army of obsessed fans could do for Supergirl!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThe kind of universal appeal we\u2019re talking about doesn\u2019t come from just recycling tropes, but the same genuine sincerity and sparkle that distinguished her cousin\u2019s film. If Supergirl can capture those vibes \u2013 and a character with her \u2019tude looks set to do just<\/em> that \u2013 then the DCU might have another hit on their hands.<\/p>\nDC also has a cinematic swing coming in the globby wet form of a horror film called\u2026<\/p>\n
Clayface<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: September 11, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nOne of the most common ways to market a new comic book movie is to claim it\u2019s a different genre: \u201cIt\u2019s actually a heist flick!\u201d \u201cThis one\u2019s like a Shaw Bros. martial arts movie!\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s not just a superhero film, it\u2019s a \u201970s paranoid conspiracy thriller!\u201d Spoilers: They all<\/em> wind up with people in costumes dodging colorful energy blasts. \u201cClayface\u201d could actually be different<\/em>.<\/p>\nJourneyman horror maestro Mike Flanagan first pitched a Clayface film back in the DCEU days, inspired by the Batman: The Animated Series episode about a Hollywood actor who melts into a muddy monstrosity. The concept was shortlisted as a Matt Reeves\u2019 Batman spinoff until Gunn gave Clayface the green light as a canonical entry in the new DCU. Flanagan was no longer attached at this point, so director James Watkins of Eden Lake and Speak No Evil fame stepped in to bring the project to life, promising to lean hard into goopy, psychological body horror.<\/p>\n
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Mondo Batman: The Animated Series Clayface Figure – Image Gallery<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Horror movies are more or less the only sure thing left at the box office, and the film\u2019s svelte $40 million budget gives it a legitimate shot at success. Watkins is a solid hand, but one wonders how much more enthusiasm there would be for Clayface if it was made by a more punk rock, buzzy horror director like Zach Cregger or Osgood Perkins.<\/p>\n
Before we move on to smaller screens, it\u2019s worth noting what\u2019s not<\/em> on the DCU\u2019s platter: The Batman: Part II was once scheduled for 2026 before another <\/em>delay pushed it forward an extra year. Matt Reeves\u2019s standalone movie is set to finally start filming next spring ahead of an extremely<\/em> tentative 2027 release date, at which point the \u201cyoung and inexperienced Batman\u201d Robert Pattinson will be 41 years old. <\/p>\n\n\nMore: <\/strong>Every Upcoming DC Movie and Show in 2026 and Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<\/section>\nSlow-burn production or not, it\u2019s almost fortunate that \u201cBattinson\u201d has quietly sidestepped a brutally crowded year. With Doomsday and Spidey sucking up all the box office oxygen, other DCU projects like Supergirl and Clayface have the room to breathe and succeed on their own without falling into the considerable shadow of the Dark Knight.<\/p>\n
Movie theaters aren\u2019t the only battlefield where the future of superhero media will be determined; on the homefront, several comic book-based streaming shows are on deck for 2026. Let\u2019s take a look!<\/p>\n
Marvel TV<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe deluge of disastrous Disney+ series has done serious damage to the MCU\u2019s reputation on the small screen. A parade of mediocre, forgettable shows trained audiences that Marvel\u2019s streaming output was neither special nor worthy of their time, even as they grew more essential to the movie storyline. Why watch when you could get caught up with a quick trip to your favorite entertainment news website\u2026 which, by the way, turns 30 in 2026.<\/p>\n
To their credit, Marvel and Disney have realized the error of their ways, and pivoted to a \u201cquality over quantity\u201d approach, but that\u2019s not happening in 2026. So far, it\u2019s shaping up to be another year with way too much to watch. Several of these projects have been gestating for years, delayed by strikes, rewrites, and corporate chaos as they finally limp toward release \u2013 a practice par for the course for modern Hollywood, which is the subject of one such cursed production\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nYahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Wonder Man (Disney+)<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: January 27, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nMarvel\u2019s love letter to the movie industry began development under Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton, envisioning Simon Williams as an actor gunning for the lead role in a superhero reboot only to find himself with powers of his own. This satire about the perils of modern filmmaking was itself swallowed by them: Wonder Man actually wrapped filming in April 2024, and has been sitting on the shelf ever since. It\u2019s been a production plagued by accidents and behind-the-scenes jockeying that left it on the verge of outright cancellation. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\nThe meta-premise is loaded with potential, especially if it\u2019s willing to poke fun at the Hollywood machine that Marvel helped create, but it also might be a little too soon for navel-gazing irony. It\u2019s hard to satirize an empire when you\u2019re still living inside it and unable to really sink your teeth into its slow decline, far removed from the glory days of mainstream hits like WandaVision.<\/p>\n
Speaking of which\u2026<\/p>\n
VisionQuest (Disney+)<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: Fall 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nWandaVision was lightning in a bottle that became appointment viewing. Five years and several streaming flops later, its followup, VisionQuest, faces a very different world.<\/p>\n
Starring Paul Bettany as the reborn White Vision, the series will follow his search for identity in what\u2019s sure to be a pleasingly trippy journey through his messed-up clanker brain. Original WandaVision writer Jac Schaeffer departed the project during its drawn-out development and was replaced by Terry Matalas, the man behind the 12 Monkeys TV series and the fan-favorite third season of Picard.<\/p>\n
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WandaVision thrived on its very novel premise and approach \u2013 the kind of creativity Marvel hasn\u2019t had in large supply these days. Instead, much like Picard, VisionQuest appears to be focused on yesterday\u2019s enterprise, exploring the various AI assistants introduced throughout the MCU, including a returning James Spader as Ultron. And it\u2019s not the only show that\u2019s bringing back old favorites in a bid to recapture its former glory. There\u2019s also:<\/p>\n
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (Disney+)<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: March 4, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nThe first season of Daredevil: Born Again was torn between a fresh start in the MCU and a beloved old continuity that fans refused to let go. For Season 2, Marvel has wisely decided to fully embrace its roots in their beloved 2015 Netflix venture, complete with the return of Krysten Ritter\u2019s Jessica Jones, a standout character from an earlier time when Marvel streaming series actually mattered.<\/p>\n
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Every IGN Daredevil: Born Again Review<\/h3>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Another relic of the peak Defenders era still going strong is Jon Bernthal\u2019s Frank Castle, who\u2019s getting his own Punisher Special Presentation, presumably to bolster his appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s about it for the canonical MCU experience in 2026, and we\u2019re not going to lie: It\u2019s kind of a lot! And we\u2019re not even finished going through Marvel\u2019s larger TV output. Did you remember that they made a show about Spider-Man: Noir?<\/p>\n
Spider-Noir (MGM+)<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nSomehow, Sony managed to convince Nicolas Cage to reprise his Spider-Verse voiceover role in a live-action twist on the monochromatic vigilante. Divorced from the MCU and set in a unique Depression-era universe, Cage\u2019s take on the wall-crawler as washed-up private eye Ben Reilly could wind up as the weirdest comic book experiment of the year.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nNicolas Cage plays yet another Marvel hero… Spider-Noir!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/output><\/p>\n
Developed for MGM+ and Amazon Prime, Spider-Noir hasn\u2019t exactly received the red carpet marketing rollout of a Disney+ tentpole, which may not be the worst thing in the world. Giving Cage free reign to mug and chew the scenery in a standalone side project could give Spider-Noir the juice it needs to become a cult classic\u2026 or it\u2019ll be another Sonyverse embarrassment that fades into streaming obscurity faster than you can say \u201che was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s one more Marvel series worth talking about for 2026, and it\u2019s probably going to be the best of them all:<\/p>\n
X-Men ’97 Season 2 (Disney+)<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: Summer 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nX-Men \u201997 returns for its second season in 2026 with the same cast and crew that made the first so special, minus controversial creator Beau DeMayo, who was dismissed by Disney before the show even premiered.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nAnimated shows rarely dominate headlines or drive watercooler chatter the way prestigious live-action series do, but X-Men \u201997 has proven to be an excellent exception. The all-growed-up revival of the classic Saturday morning series is a bright spot in a pretty bleak landscape of Marvel TV shows \u2013 smart, emotional, and mature in ways that slop like Secret Invasion could only dream of.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the smartest possible way to capitalize on nostalgia: Instead of de-aging old actors and green-screening them in from their home offices, X-Men \u201997 brings the future to the past, and it might be the best thing Marvel has going right now.<\/p>\n
Despite the stigma, Marvel\u2019s animated efforts feel more exciting than anything in the live-action pipeline, and quality stuff like X-Men \u201997 and 2027\u2019s Beyond the Spider-Verse might be the key to cementing superhero staying power. It\u2019s the closest thing Marvel has to the breakout success of Invincible, which brings us to\u2026<\/p>\n
DC TV<\/strong><\/h2>\nDC only has one show in the works for next year, but it\u2019s gonna be a big one. <\/p>\n
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Lanterns (HBO)<\/strong><\/h3>\nRelease date: 2026<\/strong><\/p>\nLanterns is the first live-action series developed from the ground up as a DCU joint, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as two space cops who find themselves shining light on a murder in Nebraska. It\u2019s a grounded, gritty, \u201cprestige TV\u201d take on an inherently goofy space opera concept with some serious talent behind it, including Watchmen\u2019s Damon Lindelof, comic writer Tom King, and Ozark producer Chris Mundy.<\/p>\n
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