Despite some big releases, 2025 wasn’t a great year Hollywood expected this to happen. Superman was a hit, but not as big as the DCU wanted. Avatar: Fire and Ash did not make the box office hit that Cameron had hoped for. But despite all this, the Hollywood box office boomed on the back of unexpected successes like Sinners and A Minecraft Movie. In 2026, beloved franchises are returning with their biggest offerings yet, while current superstars and maverick directors are also returning to the big screen in what is arguably the most packed release calendar in years.
Here’s a look at the 10 most anticipated Hollywood releases of 2026.
odyssey
Christopher Nolan goes back to ancient Greece to adapt Homer’s iconic tale of Odysseus of Ithaca. It is the first film to be shot entirely on IMAX cameras and stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway and Robert Pattinson. Given Nolan’s legacy and the scale of the film, it’s being called something to watch this year. The Odyssey will be released in theaters on July 14.
avengers doomsday
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in recession. The final stage was, to put it mildly, a little meh. Box office returns were not as great as Disney wanted. Enter Robert Downey Jr. again. The man who founded the MCU is being tasked with revitalizing it through the biggest movie ever. The Russos are returning to direct, and nearly everyone who has ever played a Marvel hero is featured in the film, including characters from the X-Men and the original Avengers. Doomsday, the MCU’s last hope, hits theaters on December 18th.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
We haven’t seen Peter Parker since he magically made everyone forget his existence Spider-Man: No Way Home concludes the Golden Age of the MCU – the Infinity Saga. But Tom Holland returns as the friendly neighbor Spider-Man this year with a movie that’s as important to the Sony-Marvel alliance as it is to the hype among fans. No Spider-Man has ever received a fourth movie, and fans are eager to see what Holland can do once the film is released on July 31.
dune part three
The Dune films were the cinema of Denis Villeneuve and the poetry of Frank Herbert. The sheer scale, spectacular visuals and performances ensured that Dune would be a memorable saga in the history of world cinema. But the story of the original novel ended with Dune Part Two. The third part takes the story beyond the sequel with the return of the cast. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson and Anya Taylor-Joy all return, while Robert Pattinson wins another franchise. Dune 3 will hit the screens on December 18, clashing with Avengers: Doomsday.
the devil wears prada 2
Miranda Priestly returns, providing a respite from superhero action and sci-fi extravaganza. Meryl Streep is back after 20 years in The Devil Wears Prada 2, with Anne Hathaway and Stanley Tucci also returning. The sequel, which sees Anne’s character climbing the fashion corporate ladder, will hit theaters on May 1.
miner
After helping Leonardo DiCaprio win his first Oscar, Alejandro G. Iñárritu returns to English-language cinema for the first time in a decade. This time, he is directing Tom Cruise in a dark comedy, described as an exploration of ‘the most powerful man in the world’. The combination of the poster and the logline is enough to build curiosity about this unique film, which will be releasing on October 2.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Hear more ‘Baby Yoda’ plush and the Star Wars theme song as Grogu arrives in movie theaters to conclude his arc this year. A spinoff of Disney’s popular TV series The Mandalorian, the feature film adventure will be the first standalone Star Wars film in years, starring an in-form Pedro Pascal and the adorable face of Grogu. It will be released on 22nd May.
super girl
Kara Zor-El brings her hard partying ways to the DC Universe, as James Gunn brings Millie Alcock (House of the Dragon) to the big screen as Supergirl. The film, a spinoff and sequel to Superman, is based on Gunn’s new DCU and also brings back the much-loved (and sometimes annoying) dog Krypto from the comics. The film, based on comic book mythology, will release on June 26.
Bride
One can never have too many Frankenstein movies. If Guillermo del Toro terrified us last year with his adaptation of the novel, Maggie Gyllenhaal arrives in 2026 with a story about Bride of Frankenstein. Filled with a cast of Oscar contenders and past winners like Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, this is a mouth-watering feature that will be released on March 6.
social calculation
17 years after The Social Network introduced audiences to the talents of Aaron Sorkin, the filmmaker will take them back into the life of Mark Zuckerberg with The Social Reckoning. The film, which features a new cast, is about the growth of Facebook as well as the life story of its founder. The film features the massive Facebook security leak scandal, and stars Jeremy Strong as Zuckerberg alongside Jeremy Allen White, Bill Burr, Wunmi Mosaku, Billy Magnussen and Betty Gilpin. It will be released on 9 October.