Whether you’re into it or not, comic books have now usurped traditional literature itself as the cornerstone of big studio blockbusters. With that in mind, we decided to look at the months and years ahead and compile a list of our 20 Most Anticipated Comic Book Movies, based on all the films we’ve seen our readers clamoring for over this past year.
While Marvel Studios will continue to dominate with at least three new releases a year, the DC Extended Universe continues to make headway into the marketplace, slowly building a fanbase that loves the characters and the actors playing them even if they’re not as into the films themselves. Hopefully DC can turn things around with their slate, which offers several previously unexploited characters (Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash) their day in the cinematic sun.
Meanwhile, there are a few indie comic and manga adaptations that will give Marvel and DC a run for their money, and offer audiences a respite from capes and cowls. We didn’t include certain superhero titles not based on comics (Power Rangers, The Incredibles 2), though that doesn’t mean we’re not looking forward to those as well! Whatever your preference, you’re bound to see lots of films you’re dying to see in our list, which you can check out in our galley below!
What are your most anticipated comic book movies? Let us know in the comments below!
The 20 Most Anticipated Comic Book Movies
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#1: Avengers: Infinity War
Release Date: May 4, 2018
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Directors: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Stars: No official cast list
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#1: Avengers: Infinity War
The Russos have their work cut out for them as they gather every previously-revealed superhero (and then some) for this Marvel Cinematic Universe capstone. Like its comic book namesake, it will revolve around Earth's Mightiest Heroes taking on the big bad Thanos (Josh Brolin), and will be followed by another Avengers film two years later that may or may not be a follow-up to this one.
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#2: Justice League
Release Date: November 17, 2017
Studio: Warner Bros./DC Films
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Ray Fisher, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, J.K. Simmons, Willem Dafoe, Jeremy Irons
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#2: Justice League
If the San Diego Comic-Con footage is any indication, we know that A) Zack Snyder is trying to right the glum, overly-dark wrongs of Batman v Superman by injecting some fun into the proceedings, and B) there is a definite appetite among fans for this movie. It will involve Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) forming a team of meta-humans to stop Steppenwolf, a minion of the DC Universe's big bad Darkseid.
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#3: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Release Date: May 5, 2017
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Director: James Gunn
Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Kurt Russell, Sylvester Stallone
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#3: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
One of the biggest hits of 2014 gets a follow-up from writer/director James Gunn, who promises to deliver a new sci-fi adventure with Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and co. This time around, the gang has been together for a few months and set out to discover Peter Quill's dad, who has already been officially revealed -- and it is not considered a spoiler -- as Ego the Living Planet (Kurt Russell).
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#4: Wonder Woman
Release Date: June 2, 2017
Studio: Warner Bros./DC Films
Director: Patty Jenkins
Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright, David Thewlis, Danny Huston, Elena Anaya, Ewen Bremner, Said Taghmaoui
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#4: Wonder Woman
When a pilot named Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crash lands on her mythical island, Amazonian princess Diana Prince decides to join him in the world of men to aid the forces of good during World War I. A lot is riding on this solo film to not only course correct the DC Extended Universe but to prove that a huge-budget superhero film directed by and starring women can be a viable enterprise.
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#5: Spider-Man: Homecoming
Release Date: July 7, 2017
Studio: Sony/Marvel Studios
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Robert Downey Jr., Kenneth Choi, Donald Glover, Michael Keaton, Logan Marshall Green, Martin Starr, Hannibal Buress, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., J.J. Totah, Abraham Attah, Michael Mando, Bokeem Woodbine, Angourie Rice, Martha Kelly, Tyron Woodley
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#5: Spider-Man: Homecoming
It's a literal homecoming for the web crawler as Tom Holland's Spider-Man swings in from his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War to his first solo picture under the Marvel Studios umbrella. Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man will be there to lend a hand as Peter Parker does battle with the vulture and learns to cope with his most deadly foe of all... High School!
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#6: Doctor Strange
Release Date: November 4, 2016
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Director: Scott Derrickson
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton, Scott Adkins, Amy Landecker, Benedict Wong
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#6: Doctor Strange
After decades in development, Marvel's Master of the Mystic Arts finally hits the big screen with Benedict Cumberbatch taking the journey from self-centered surgeon to all-powerful sorcerer. Along the way he'll get help from his master The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as they do battle with the merciless Kaecilius, who wants to bend reality to his own evil will.
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#7: Thor: Ragnarok
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Director: Taika Waititi
Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban
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#7: Thor: Ragnarok
When last we left Asgard in Thor: The Dark World, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) had secretly usurped the throne from Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Now Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must deal with the ramifications of his trickster bro's actions, which will involve an intergalactic road trip of sorts with The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) that takes some of its cues from the popular "Planet Hulk" comic book run. The brilliantly hilarious director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) will bring a lot of levity to the proceedings.
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#8: The LEGO Batman Movie
Release Date: February 10, 2017
Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Chris McKay
Stars: Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes
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#8: The LEGO Batman Movie
After making a splash in The LEGO Movie, Will Arnett's caped crusader finally gets a movie big enough to sustain his gigantic ego. This time around Batman has to learn the meaning of teamwork in order to defeat The Joker's (Zach Galifianakis) latest criminal scheme.
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#9: Black Panther
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Director: Ryan Coogler
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira
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#9: Black Panther
Besides Spider-Man, another character making the leap from Captain America: Civil War to his own solo outing is T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, the first mainstream black superhero in American comics. Chadwick Boseman will once again don his vibranium duds to deal with problems in his own backyard of Wakanda.
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#10: Ant-Man and the Wasp
Release Date: July 6, 2018
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Director: Peyton Reed
Stars: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly
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#10: Ant-Man and the Wasp
After a coda in the first Ant-Man that found Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne macking on Paul Rudd's Scott Lang AND getting her own Wasp suit, we're getting Marvel's first superhero flick with a female title character. Will we learn what happened to Hope's mom when she went subatomic all those years ago? We shall see...
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#11: Wolverine 3
Release Date: March 3, 2017
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: James Mangold
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Merchant, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Elizabeth Rodriguez
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#11: Wolverine 3
For Hugh Jackman's supposed swan song playing Logan, he will team up with Patrick Stewart's Professor X for what many are claiming is a story that takes some cues from Mark Millar's beloved "Old Man Logan" storyline. Recent photos of Jackman in old age make-up lend credence to this rumor.
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#12: Captain Marvel
Release Date: March 8, 2019
Studio: Disney/Marvel Studios
Director: No director announced
Stars: Brie Larson
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#12: Captain Marvel
Having gone through many permutations since the character's inception in 1967 (as a man), this MCU version will borrow the most recent Cap named Carol Danvers, who was previously known as Ms. Marvel. While little is known about the direction of the character, we know Oscar-winner Brie Larson is playing her and that her origin will be altered due to the similarities with the Green Lantern film.
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#13: Aquaman
Release Date: July 27, 2018
Studio: Warner Bros./DC Films
Director: James Wan
Stars: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe
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#13: Aquaman
After his cameo in Batman v Superman and larger role in Justice League, DC's Arthur Curry will get to strut his stuff as the King of Atlantis does battle with giant sea monsters and other underwater kingly pursuits. Jason Momoa will play the title role in his dreadlocked, grunged out, tatted up form, while Conjuring director James Wan conducts the oceanic mayhem.
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#14: Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Release Date: June 16, 2017
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore, Pedro Pascal, Channing Tatum, Sir Elton John, Jeff Bridges, Vinnie Jones
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#14: Kingsman: The Golden Circle
One of 2015's biggest sleeper hits was Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons' comic series "The Secret Service," which gave us a fresh, R-rated take on the superspy genre. Now Channing Tatum is in the mix as well as an American version of a Kingsman called a "Statesman," whom Eggsy (Taron Egerton) seeks out after Kingsman HQ is destroyed by a villain played by Julianne Moore.
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#15: The Flash
Release Date: 2018
Studio: Warner Bros./DC Films
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Stars: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons
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#15: The Flash
While original director Seth Graham-Smith departed the project, his screenplay will still be utilized by Dope filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa, who will bring Ezra Miller's Barry Allen into his first solo motion picture. With that combo of talent expect this to be one of the more upbeat and funny entries in the DC Extended Universe.
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#16: Ghost in the Shell
Release Date: March 31, 2017
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Rupert Sanders
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Beat Takeshi, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt Kaori Momoi, Chin Han, Danusia Samal, Yutaka Izumihara, Tuwanda Manyimo, Rila Fukushima
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#16: Ghost in the Shell
Masamune Shirow's beloved manga, as well as Mamoru Oshii's groundbreaking anime (a major inspiration on The Matrix), will finally make its way to the big screen with Scarlett Johansson as cyborg cop The Major. The plot will revolve around The Major and her human partner Batou (Pilou Asbæk) trying to stop a group of cyber terrorists from sabotaging Articficial Intelligence technology. While some early controversy about white-washed casting caused a stir, we hope the film will live up to the legacy set by this powerhouse Japanese franchise.
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#17: Animated Spider-Man
Release Date: July 21, 2018
Studio: Sony Pictures Animation
Director: Bob Persichetti
Stars: No official cast list
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#17: Animated Spider-Man
LEGO Movie directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were brought in to write this new animated take on the web head which will be separate from all previous filmic adaptations of the character and likely be more kid/humor-oriented. The style of animation Sony intends to utilize for this film is said to be "groundbreaking."
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#18: Valerian and the City of Thousand Planets
Release Date: July 21, 2017
Studio: EuropaCorp
Director: Luc Besson
Stars: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman, Herbie Hancock, Kristy Wu
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#18: Valerian and the City of Thousand Planets
Although not well-known to American readers, Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières' "Valerian" comics were incredibly popular in Europe, and inspired director Luc Besson's previous sci-fi outing The Fifth Element. Now he's going to the source and creating a MASSIVE intergalactic city called Alpha, littered with colorful aliens and crazy technology, at the center of which are special operatives Valérian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne). A footage reel shared at Comic-Con tore the roof off of Hall H last month.
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#19: Alita: Battle Angel
Release Date: July 20, 2018
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar
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#19: Alita: Battle Angel
In the years before Avatar, James Cameron was simultaneously developing a cinematic adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's sci-fi manga about an amnesiac cyborg who becomes a bounty hunter as she sets out to discover her real identity. He's since become far too occupied with the ever-expanding quadrilogy of Avatar sequels, and has handed the reigns to his pal Robert Rodriguez, who after years of homegrown franchises (Machete, Spy Kids) is finally stepping up to a major league studio film.
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#20: Green Lantern Corps
Release Date: June 19, 2020
Studio: Warner Bros./DC Films
Director: No director announced
Stars: No official cast list
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#20: Green Lantern Corps
Warner Bros. has been very skittish about re-introducing Hal Jordan and his Green Lantern pals since the embarrassment of the 2011 Ryan Reynolds bomb, to the point that they're waiting to introduce Lanterns into the DC Extended Universe until the second Justice League movie. We still think that audiences are aching for this property to be done right, because if it is then it will be stepping at the doorstep of Star Wars. If it's not, we'll wind up with the bland, middle-of-the-road goofiness of the last film.
