2026 may be the year to end superhero fatigue once and for all. After several turbulent years for the genre, next year will be a major turning point for superheroes in movies and on TV. Both Marvel and DC have incredibly exciting projects coming out over the next twelve months, many of which look incredibly promising.
There are projects of all shapes and sizes on the slate for next year, from smaller genre pieces that redefine what a superhero movie can be to massive crossover events. With over a dozen superhero projects set to release in 2026, these are the most exciting, innovative, and monumental offerings of the next twelve months.
VisionQuest Promises to be a Psychological Triumph
Paul Bettany’s White Vision looking at Wanda from WandavisionDisney+/Marvel Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection
One of the MCU’s upcoming 2026 offerings promises to be something completely different from previous projects. VisionQuest revisits Paul Bettany’s Vision four years after his mysterious disappearance at the end of WandaVision. As the reawakened synthezoid tries to piece through his fractured memories, he turns to other artificial intelligence units to help him, including his own maker, Ultron. As he tries to find his identity once more, Vision also must reckon with the family that he lost, including his twin sons, Tommy and Billy, who may not be forever gone.
As a sequel to WandaVision and Agatha All Along, two of the MCU’s best Disney+ shows, VisionQuest has everything working in its favor. Not only will it bring back James Spader’s Ultron more than a decade after his last appearance, but the show will also continue to set up the MCU’s Young Avengers with Tommy Maximoff’s long-awaited return. Audiences can also expect VisionQuest to get philosophical about identity and purpose, which may be a breath of fresh air from Marvel’s typical superhero endeavors.
Clayface Brings Body Horror to the DCU
By far the most unique superhero project slated to release in 2026 is Clayface. Based on the Batman villain of the same name, Clayface is DC’s first fully realized horror project. From a screenplay by horror legend Mike Flanagan, the upcoming film follows rising actor Matt Hagan, whose career is thrown off course when a vengeful gangster disfigures his face. As a last-ditch effort to save his career, Hagan turns to a scientist for help, only for her experiments to transform his body into malleable clay.
Clayface is exciting for many reasons, including that it will give fans their best look yet at the DCU’s Gotham City. Even more exciting, however, is what the film represents for the superhero genre. Clayface is unlike anything audiences have ever seen before as the superhero genre meets body horror. James Gunn seems particularly excited about the upcoming movie, which had a story good enough to survive the filmmaker’s takeover of DC Studios.
X-Men ’97 Continues the Mutant Saga With Season 2
X-Men: The Animated Series will forever remain one of the best superhero shows of all time, and its revival, X-Men ’97, is a rare example of a sequel being just as good as–if not better than–the original. The first season of X-Men ’97 premiered in 2024, picking up after the events of the original series and continuing the stories of its main mutants. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Gambit, Rogue, and more all return for more adventures in a world that still despises mutantkind.
After a stellar first season, X-Men ’97 returns for Season 2 in mid-2026, promising to raise the stakes even further in its next batch of episodes. A third season is already confirmed and in production, suggesting that X-Men ’97 will be a staple of Marvel’s slate for many more years to come. If the next seasons are as good as the first, X-Men fans are in for a treat.
The Boys Brings Its Evil Superhero Story to a Close in Season 5
One superhero saga will come to an end in 2026. The Boys has consistently been one of the best-written and most compelling superhero shows for the last half-decade. Based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s comic book series of the same name, The Boys takes a more pessimistic approach to a world of superheroes, depicting enhanced individuals who use their powers for fame and selfish gain. Next year, the fifth and final season aims to bring this bleak alternate reality’s story to an end.
The Boys‘ final season will depict an all-out war between Homelander and Billy Butcher, where only one will survive. After four stellar seasons that always deliver on their loftiest promises, The Boys needs to nail this final season to go down in history as one of the best superhero shows of all time.
The Punisher’s Special Presentation Unleashes Frank Castle Like Never Before
The Punisher is finally getting his own MCU project, with a new Special Presentation slated to hit Disney+ sometime in the summer of 2026. Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle, but also takes over as co-writer for the first time since he began playing the character in 2016. Very little has been revealed about the upcoming Special Presentation, other than that it will potentially act as a bridge between the events of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The prospect of a Punisher-led Special Presentation should be extremely exciting to superhero fans. With a TV-MA rating, the special will be allowed to let Frank Castle shine in all his brutal, bloody glory. Bernthal’s writing credit should be gratifying as well, given that no one understands the Punisher’s character better than the man who has been playing him for a decade. This project also brings back Marvel’s Special Presentation format, which has unfortunately been underutilized during the Multiverse Saga.
Lanterns Will Expand the DCU Into New Galaxies
John Stewart and Hal Jordan walking down the street in civilian cothes from Lanterns-1Image via DC Studios
Fifteen years after the first and only live-action Green Lantern project, DC finally works up the courage to try again with the new HBO Max series, Lanterns. After Guy Gardner’s role in Superman, the new series will delve deeper into Green Lantern lore and introduce several major players moving forward in the DCU. Among these is Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, a new Green Lantern with a bright future, and Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan, a seasoned hero with plenty to teach his young partner.
It’s a true shame that DC has avoided the Green Lanterns for so long, simply because one movie flopped more than a decade ago. James Gunn’s DCU now has the chance to prove that the Green Lanterns can be a compelling group of heroes. Moreover, Lanterns will make or break the DCU, as it establishes a universe much larger than Superman or Peacemaker.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Continues the MCU’s Best Rivalry
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 depicts the all-out war between Daredevil and his archnemesis, Wilson Fisk. Premiering in March, the upcoming season picks up after Mayor Fisk declares martial law in New York City, giving him inordinate powers and allowing him to abuse the system for his own criminal gain. No longer willing to take this lying down, Daredevil gathers a resistance that includes his old ally, Jessica Jones.
Born Again‘s first season was an epic return-to-form for the Daredevil character, finally letting him shine in the larger universe of the MCU. While not perfect, the revival of Netflix’s Daredevil is only getting better with each episode, leaving fans especially excited for the second season, which will include epic new guest stars like Krysten Ritter and Matthew Lillard. Also, Daredevil will get his signature black suit from the comics, complete with the “DD” insignia (something that viewers have been suggesting for over a decade).
Supergirl Unleashes the DCU’s Next Big Star
After Superman‘s massive success earlier this year, the world waits to see where the DCU will go next. Supergirl is the next film on the docket, set to hit theaters next June. The film stars Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El, Superman’s cousin, who was forced to watch the destruction of her home planet. Now forced to work through her trauma, she goes on a space-faring adventure alongside an unlikely companion, facing off against intergalactic bounty hunters like Jason Momoa’s Lobo.
The first trailer for Supergirl promises a fun, Guardians of the Galaxy-esque sci-fi adventure that will vastly expand the DCU sandbox. From what little the world has seen of the film, Milly Alcock already seems to be a perfect Supergirl, establishing yet another strong superhero whose adventures will be a core pillar of the DCU moving forward. If DC nails this second film, it will officially win fans over to this new cinematic universe that could one day rival Marvel.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Kicks Off a Fresh Start for the MCU’s Best Hero
A new Spider-Man movie is always a treat for the superhero fandom, and 2026 marks Tom Holland’s first MCU film in five years after the landmark events of No Way Home. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day kicks off a new era for the MCU’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as he takes on threats to his beloved city of New York. As criminals like the Scorpion and Tombstone rise, Spider-Man and other street-level vigilantes fight to keep innocent people safe.
Brand New Day will bring Spider-Man back to his roots as a street-level superhero, hopefully landing closer to resembling Tobey Maguire’s beloved trilogy. The film features the first-ever live-action team-up between Spider-Man and the Punisher, while also bringing back Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan nearly a decade after teasing his transformation into the Scorpion in Spider-Man: Homecoming. With a brand-new suit ripped straight from the comics, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of Marvel’s most exciting projects in years.
Avengers: Doomsday is the Biggest MCU Film in Years
Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark from Avengers EndgameImage via Marvel Studios
Seven years after the last Avengers film, Joe and Anthony Russo return for Avengers: Doomsday. The first in the two-part finale to the Multiverse Saga, Doomsday brings back Tony Stark actor Robert Downey Jr., this time in the role of Doctor Victor von Doom. As universes crash together and chaos destroys the multiverse, the Avengers get back together to face their most dangerous threat yet.
Doomsday has a lot riding on its success, with Marvel Studios desperately hoping that the crossover film will live up to the hype. Nevertheless, the film has enough working in its favor to put fans’ minds at ease. Several cast members from Fox’s X-Men franchise have been confirmed to return in the film, which will mark the first time that the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers have all appeared in the same movie together. With plenty of other surprises in store, Avengers: Doomsday should be the superhero movie event of 2026.
