As DC Studios launches its renewed cinematic universe and Marvel focuses more on quality over quantity, it’s likely that there will be fewer superhero films coming in 2025 than one might expect . In all, only four new projects are planned for the year, three of which come from Marvel. This is largely due to schedule changes and an increased emphasis on television series.
A sequel to the film “The Batman” by Matt Reeves, initially planned for October 2025, has been postponed to 2027. At the same time, the two studios are planning numerous television series, with DC launching “Creature Commandos”, the first project in the universe by Gunn, on December 5.
Here’s a look at the superhero Movies coming out in 2025, with contributions from Marvel and DC.
Captain America : Brave New World
Release date: February 14, 2025
Distribution : Anthony Mackie, Tim Blake Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Lumbly, Danny Ramirez, Shiri Haas et Harrison Ford
In “Captain America: Brave New World”, Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson who takes up the mantle of Captain America following the events of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”.
Julius Onah (“Luce,” “The Cloverfield Paradox”) directs this film from a screenplay by Malcolm Spellman, the head writer of “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and Dalan Musson.
Tim Blake Nelson will reprise his role as villain The Leader, while Carl Lumbly and Danny Ramirez also return from “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” Harrison Ford, for his part, succeeds William Hurt in the role of Thaddeus Ross, and he will transform into Red Hulk. Giancarlo Esposito will play Seth Voelker, aka Sidewinder, the king of the Serpent Society.
Thunderbolts*
Release date: May 2, 2025
Distribution : Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus et Harrison Ford
The little asterisk is part of the official title of this film, but its meaning remains mysterious. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel, maintains the secret.
The Thunderbolts are a team of Marvel “villains,” perhaps calling them anti-heroes, brought together by the mysterious Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus).
Le casting inclut Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Alexei (David Harbour), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), U.S. Agent/John Walker (Wyatt Russell) et Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen).
Jake Schrier (“Paper Towns”) is directing the film from a screenplay by Eric Pearson (“Black Widow”). Work on the film barely began before the actors went on strike, hence its release date was pushed back from 2024 to 2025.
The first video for the film was also shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, which you can explore here.
Superman
Release date: July 11, 2025
Distribution : David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Anthony Carrigan, Isabela Merced, Sara Sampaio, Skyler Gisondo, Nathan Fillion and María Gabriela de Faría
The first major project announced by James Gunn and Peter Safran for their rebuilt DC cinematic universe is a new Superman movie, written and directed by Gunn.
“It’s not about an origin story, but about Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing,” Peter Safran clarified. “He embodies truth, justice and the American way of life. She is a figure of kindness in a world that considers kindness old-fashioned.”
David Corenswet will play the new Clark Kent, while Rachel Brosnahan will be Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult will play Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo will play Jimmy Olsen, and Isabela Merced will play Hawkgirl. The full cast of “Superman” can be viewed here, and the trailer is available below.
Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release date: July 25, 2025
Distribution : Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ralph Ineson, Julia Garner, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, Natasha Lyonne et Sarah Niles
According to the official synopsis, “In a retro-futuristic world inspired by the 1960s, ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ introduces Marvel’s First Family — Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Ben Grimm/The Thing, as they face their most formidable challenge.
“Forced to reconcile their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth against a greedy space god named Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’s plan to devour the entire planet wasn’t enough, this suddenly becomes very personal.”
Jon Watts, who directed all three “Spider-Man” films for the MCU, was initially attached to direct this new version of the Fantastic Four, but he dropped out of the project in April 2022. A few months later, Matt Shakman — known for “WandaVision” — has signed on to direct, stepping down from his role on the upcoming “Star Trek” film. Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were initially announced to write the script, followed by “Avatar 2” screenwriter Josh Friedman, who joined the project in March.
The film also debuted a teaser for fans at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, which you can delve deeper into here.
These upcoming releases lead us to reflect on the evolution of the genre and how screenwriters and directors find a balance between innovation and fidelity to known stories. In the age of streaming content, what role will diversity play in superhero narratives?
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