I thought it would be fun to rank which movies I am personally most excited for, and hopefully allow you to keep these on your radar when they come out. Many of these movies you have probably already heard were coming out and are mostly sequels or part of an established franchise. There are definitely more movies I am excited for, but I tried to narrow it down to 10. 

 

10. Aquaman – December 21st

While he did not have the strongest introduction, Jason Momoa’s portrayal of Arthur Curry was certainly a highlight in Justice League. Now given the chance to take center stage, director James Wan, famously known for some horror movies, has the chance to make Aquaman relevant and cool and put an end to all the jokes about the character. There was a lot of backstory hinted at in Justice League, so I am intrigued to see how that all plays out in this film. However, I have to go in with more skepticism given DC Studios track record of rushing their movies. This is a solo movie, so I hope it is more like Wonder Woman with no forced team-up or subplots to worry about.

 

9. Mission Impossible 6 – July 27th 

The last two Mission Impossible movies have been some of the best action movies of their respective years. From changing up the formula to Tom Cruise performing his own jaw-dropping stunts, this franchise still has some fuel in it to entertain audiences. With Henry Cavill set to play the villain in the new movie, I am thrilled to see what this franchise brings next.

 

8. Deadpool 2 – June 1st 

The first Deadpool movie was a surprise that changed up the superhero movie franchise forever, and it’s a big task to follow-up such a unique film. Fortunately, the marketing campaign has still been top notch delivering the same wry humor and charismatic Ryan Reynolds proving that the sequel should be a treat. Not much actual footage from the movie has been shown yet, but as long as the comedy and charm of the first film is retained, there is no doubt that this film will be great. Just as long as they don’t sew his mouth shut…

 

7. Wreck-It Ralph 2 – November 21st

Movies based off video games rarely work, but if any studio can make the impossible happen it’s Disney. The movies is set to follow Ralph navigating through the internet and all the pop culture and media references that come with it. Disney Animation has been on a hot streak with Frozen, Zootopia, and Moana, providing movies that have more added depth than what is presented on the surface to deliver a full fledged family movie. Here’s to hoping that Disney can retain that same heart and humor it has delivered in the past.

 

6. Solo: A Star Wars Story – May 25th

There have been numerous production problems, but its still hard to not get excited for a Star Wars movie nowadays. Focusing on a younger Han Solo, this film has the opportunity to branch off from anything to do with The Resistance and showcase other aspects of a Galaxy Far Far Away. While I personally felt Rogue One needed more developed characters, Solo has a strength in which we are already familiar with the protagonist. This already has an impressive cast with Woody Harelson and Emilia Clarke set to appear as undisclosed characters. I am interested to see how this film plays out especially with a lot of familiar faces such as Chewbacca and a younger Lando due to make appearances.

 

5. Black Panther – February 16th 

After making his debut in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther/T’Challa must return back to his home in Wakanda to take on the mantle of king. Black Panther was one of my favorite parts of Civil War from his costume to the arc he went through in the film. Giving him his own solo movie now allows us to see the dichotomy of being both a king and a warrior which he had previously teased. The action and set pieces look phenomenal, the story appears engaging, and this is the first Marvel film to feature a primarily African-American cast which allows for some great cultural diversity to be showcased.

 

4. The Incredibles 2 – June 15th 

It has been over a decade since Pixar released the original Incredibles, and the hype has been burgeoning since then. With all of our favorite family members set to return, this is set to be one of Pixar’s most anticipated movies ever. While still not much is known about the actual story or how long after the original this film takes place, this is an event that has been building for a long time and I am excited to see if Pixar can deliver. Pixar has a weird way of working its magic on me, so I am hopeful they will deliver big.

 

3. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald – November 16th

Nobody asked for a Harry Potter prequel to be made, especially one based on a textbook, but the first film was such a fun adventure that was able to successfully bring back nostalgia that I can not wait to see what comes next. Planned to be a series of five movies, The Crimes of Grindewald is the second chapter which is set to showcase a younger Albus Dumbledore and his relationship with the evil wizard Gellert Grindewald. All of the original cast is set to return and hopefully bring the same fun and charm of the original Harry Potter movies. With J.K. Rowling continuing to pen the script and explore questions fans have had since the release of the last book, I am interested to see the direction they will take this new series.

2. The New Mutants – April 13th 

Fox Studios with the X-Men franchise has been one to take the most risks in the past few years. Making Deadpool and then an R-rated Wolverine movie were considerably risky and even some actors took pay cuts on them. But those risks have paid off for audiences and fans delivering great films in their own rights. The New Mutants is essentially a horror-esque superhero movie which has never been done before. This freshness is exciting to look forward to, showing that superhero movies do not have to go through the same rinse and repeat process and can change up the formula. I hope this works out in the same way the other risky movies have.

 

1. Avengers: Infinity War – May 4th 

Ten years have passed since the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it has all been building towards this. The Avengers team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to take on their biggest foe yet that has been teased since 2012: Thanos. The trailer looks amazing showcasing the true plight and hopelessness of their situation. It also appears that Thanos will be a formidable enough foe to take on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Everything Marvel Studios has been crafting is towards this culmination of their cinematic adventure. I am sure hoping that they go all in and deliver some full blown out consequences to resonate with this first part of the end of an era.

 

Be sure to keep your eyes out for these movies during the year!