I\u2019ve tried to include release dates where I can, but as we know, these things can change on a dime (or be canceled as tax write-offs\u2026), so everything below is subject to change until you are actually sitting down and watching it! And possibly even after that.<\/p>\n
I also want to note that this is a big year for me personally, as we\u2019re getting my two favorite Marvel properties (Fantastic Four<\/em> and Daredevil<\/em>) and one of my two favorite DC properties (Superman<\/em>). (My other favorite DC property is Green Arrow<\/em>, which has never been adapted<\/em>, and also, there is no war in Ba Sing Se.) I\u2019m cautiously optimistic, but emphasis on the \u201ccautious,\u201d so I thank you for your understanding in this trying time.<\/p>\n *Note: this roundup focuses on major U.S. releases<\/em>*<\/p>\n The Stack Newsletter<\/p>\n Sign up to The Stack to receive Book Riot Comic\u2019s best posts, picked for you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The fourth Captain America movie, starring Anthony Mackie as Cap\/Sam Wilson, has been the subject of controversy for some time since it includes the Israeli superhero Sabra, leading some to call for a boycott of all Marvel products. Further controversy arose a few months ago when it was revealed that the character is a product of Russia\u2019s Black Widow program, which may mean she isn\u2019t actually Israeli or Jewish in the movie (although her civilian name is still Ruth Bat-Seraph, and\u2026that\u2019s not a Russian name). It remains to be seen how the character will be handled and whether she\u2014or the lack of Chris Evans as Steve Rogers\u2014will affect the movie\u2019s box office performance. It\u2019s a shame because Mackie deserves a proper outing as Cap after the mediocre Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier<\/em> whiffed it. Happy Valentine\u2019s Day to us?<\/p>\n There is a sort of \u201cscraping the bottom of the barrel\u201d kind of creation in the 17th year of the MCU that I\u2019ve started calling Extruded MCU Product. There are movies and shows starring beloved characters or improving upon the MCU\u2019s diversity that people are genuinely excited for, and then there is \u201cHow can we keep squeezing money out of this?\u201d The Thunderbolts are a real Marvel Comics team\u2014usually villains either pretending or genuinely attempting to make good, not unlike DC\u2019s Suicide Squad\u2014but was anyone really clamoring for a Thunderbolts movie?<\/em> Still, I\u2019ve been wrong before. I dismissed Agatha All Along<\/em> as a shameless Product, and it was actually great. Plus, Sebastian Stan\u2019s Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh\u2019s Yelena Belova are always a delight. And the trailer<\/a> looks pretty fun, so I guess we\u2019ll see! (No, I don\u2019t know why the title has an asterisk in it.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Has any superhero fanbase suffered as much as Superman\u2019s when it comes to movie adaptations? From awkward Christopher Reeve sequels in the \u201980s to the creepy Superman Returns<\/em> to the many crimes of the DCEU, most of us have long since stopped believing that a man can fly. This reboot of the character\u2014and the first movie in the \u201csoft reboot\u201d of DC\u2019s cinematic universe\u2014stars David Corenswet as Superman and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and is written and directed by James Gunn. Gunn has made a number of successful superhero movies and clearly loves the DCU, as evidenced by the number of cameos he\u2019s cramming into this one (Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner, Metamorpho, and more), but I\u2019m unsure if his cynical sense of humor is going to be a good fit for Ma and Pa Kent\u2019s little boy. Then again, it\u2019s all uphill from Man of Steel<\/em>.<\/p>\n Okay, yes, Fantastic Four fans have<\/em> suffered more than Superman fans. At least Superman<\/em> fans got Reeve; the world has yet to see a good FF movie. This one stars Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the Thing, and the internet\u2019s boyfriend Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic. It seems to be set in a retro-futuristic 1960s (or \u201c1960s-inspired\u201d?) world, which is an interesting and potentially smart move, as the FF often feels like a very old-fashioned team. Matt Shakman as director also seems smart, since he produced and directed WandaVision<\/em>, which employed retro-pastiche to great success. However, it\u2019s unclear how they\u2019re going to shoehorn the FF into the history of the MCU, and there\u2019s always the risk that putting them in the past compounds the problem of them feeling irrelevant in the present. As with Superman, I\u2019m keeping my expectations low and my hopes high.<\/p>\n Despite the end of the long-running Arrowverse with the finale of Superman and Lois<\/em> in December, DC has a number of shows already kicking around, mostly on Max. Season 5 of Harley Quinn<\/em> is premiering on January 16, and season 2 of Peacemaker<\/em> sometime in August. We can also likely expect new seasons of My Adventures with Superman<\/em> and Batman: Caped Crusader<\/em>, though Creature Commandos<\/em> is a little bit more iffy since the first season premiered so late in 2024.<\/p>\n We will also probably get a second season of Sandman<\/em>, though it\u2019s unclear how involved Neil Gaiman has been in its production since the allegations about him<\/a> broke; unlike Amazon Prime\u2019s Good Omens<\/em>, he hasn\u2019t said anything about stepping away from the project.<\/p>\n On the non-DC-and-Marvel side of things (it does exist!), we may also see new seasons of One Piece<\/em> and Gen V<\/em>.<\/p>\n There are also six new shows coming to Disney+:<\/p>\n Too impatient to wait for more Spider-Verse? This animated show offers yet another alternate version of Spider-Man, this one a Peter Parker who was mentored by Norman Osborn rather than Tony Stark. Spidey will be voiced by Hudson Thames, reprising his role from Marvel\u2019s What If\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n This isn\u2019t really<\/em> a new show, so much as Netflix\u2019s Daredevil<\/em> being uncanceled and ported over to Disney+, presumably with somewhat less violence. Most of the major players from the original show are returning, including Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Vincent D\u2019Onofrio as Kingpin, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Jon Bernthal as Punisher, and Wilson Bethel as Bullseye. It\u2019s unclear how closely it will follow the comics storyline of the same name, but I would watch this cast do literally anything, so I am seated no matter what.<\/p>\n Dominique Thorne\u2019s Riri Williams, a genius inventor with a suit similar to Iron Man\u2019s, debuted in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever<\/em>. Her new show puts her on a collision course with the villain the Hood, played by Hamilton\u2019s<\/em> Anthony Ramos.<\/p>\n This animated series will star the Hatut Zaraze, Wakandan warriors, and was developed by Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed both Black Panther<\/em> movies. It seems to be mostly featuring new characters, expanding the Wakanda side of the MCU.<\/p>\nMovies<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Captain America: Brave New World<\/em> (February 14)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"official](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/thunderbolts_lob_crd_03.jpg.optimal.jpg\"\/)
![\"official](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/thunderbolts_lob_crd_03.jpg.optimal.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThunderbolts<\/em>* (May 2)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Superman<\/em> (July 11)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"movie](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/thefantasticfourfirststeps_lob_crd_02.jpg.optimal.jpg\"\/)
![\"movie](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/thefantasticfourfirststeps_lob_crd_02.jpg.optimal.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe Fantastic Four: First Steps<\/em> (July 25)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Television<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"poster](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/p_yourfriendlyneighborhoodspiderman_5c5ac0d4.jpeg.optimal.jpeg\"\/)
![\"poster](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/p_yourfriendlyneighborhoodspiderman_5c5ac0d4.jpeg.optimal.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man<\/em> (January 29)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Daredevil: Born Again<\/em> (March 4)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"poster](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/p_disneyplusoriginals_marvelstudios_ironheart_poster_v1_eee3d891.jpeg.optimal.jpeg\"\/)
![\"poster](\"https:\/\/s2982.pcdn.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/p_disneyplusoriginals_marvelstudios_ironheart_poster_v1_eee3d891.jpeg.optimal.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIronheart<\/em> (June 4)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Eyes of Wakanda<\/em> (August 6)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Marvel Zombies (October 3)<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n