2026 has a pretty generational run for highly anticipated movies, with big titles and bigger names behind them. A lot of these movies are some that I’ve personally been waiting on for years now, and the outlook for cinema this year just keeps getting better and better. So, let’s take a look at the ones I’m most excited about.
To preface, I’ll list off some honorable mentions. The Super Mario Galaxy movie, the Star Wars™ movie Mandalorian & Grogu, and brand-new He-Man adaptation Masters of the Universe are all some that I’m pretty excited about. Not as much as the following ones, of course. Now, let’s take a look at my picks.
Starting off, we have The Odyssey. This upcoming Christopher Nolan film is a live-action adaptation of Homer’s ancient epic of the same name. Now, if Nolan being the director for this movie wasn’t enough to get you hyped, the cast is pretty stacked too, with big-name actors like Tom Holland, Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway all playing key roles. Definitely something to look forward to, releasing on July 17.
Next up is Avengers: Doomsday. Now, this was likely a staple for a list like this, especially with pretty much every movie around and after the 2019 film Avengers: Endgame in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). Set to release December 18, This film has a lot leading up to it, and the way the past phases of Marvel have been, I’m really hoping the Russo brothers can live up to the hype as the directors.
The next movie on our list is Project Hail Mary, a space movie starring Ryan Gosling based on the book by Andy Weir of the same name. Now, I’m not gonna say too much for spoiler reasons (because I’ve read the book), but if it’s adapted correctly, this movie could be better than Interstellar. It comes out on March 20, and I’m definitely seeing it day one.
Next, we have “Michael”, or more commonly known as the Michael Jackson biopic. It stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, and from the look of the trailers, this biopic could surpass the likes of “A Complete Unknown” (the 2024 Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet) and Elvis (the 2022 biopic starring Austin Butler). I’ll most definitely be watching this when it comes out on April 24.
The second-to-last one we have on our list is “Supergirl”, the second movie in James Gunn’s DCU (DC Universe), despite not being directed by Gunn. The movie, starring Milly Alcock, springs off of last year’s Superman, also in the DCU. From the look of the trailers, this movie will definitely be one to check out when it releases on June 26.
Finally, we have “Spiderman: Brand New Day”. This is the fourth MCU Spider-Man movie, and I’ve been waiting for it since “No Way Home” back in 2021. Now, a couple leaks and sources remind me of older Spider-Man comics, and if they stick to source material like that, we could get a slew of new characters and villains introduced. I’m pretty excited to see it, and I definitely will be when it comes out on July 31.
Regardless, we definitely have a great docket for upcoming movies. I myself will definitely be checking most of these out.
Now, for the honorable mentions. I’ll be focusing on the ones I brought up before, and giving a semi-detailed review for each.
To start off, we have “Super Mario: Galaxy”. I honestly loved the first movie, and from the look of the trailers (and having played some of the Mario games), this movie could probably be better than the last one. Plus, we could get some more iconic music on par with “Peaches” from the first movie. This one will definitely be on my radar when it releases on April 1.
Next for honorable mentions we have “Mandalorian & Grogu”, the movie meant to be the end for the hit Disney+ Mandalorian series. Now, with Lucasfilm having new management, I’m not entirely sure what to expect for this movie, but regardless, if it follows the quality of the show, it’ll have to be good. I’ll likely be checking this out on May 22.
Finally for honorable mentions, we have the new He-Man adaptation “Masters of the Universe” starring Nicholas Galatzine and Jared Leto. Now, the last time He-Man was adapted into a movie or TV show was back in 1983, so we have a lot to expect from this movie. I enjoyed the original TV show, and this live-action adaptation could be better. Plus, it has Idris Elba in it. Not much they could do wrong here. Definitely on my radar for its June 5 release.
Overall, 2026 has a huge docket of hit movies to watch. This year may be the revival for cinema, but we’ll just have to see how each of these movies turn out. And yes, I’ll definitely be seeing each and every one of these in theaters on their respective releases.
