The superhero genre seems nowhere near losing its powers at the box office. Here’s a list of comic book heroes headed for the big screen in 2018.
Black Panther—Feb. 16
Starring Chadwick Boseman in the title role, along with Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman and Angela Bassett, Marvel’s Black Panther takes audiences to the fictional kingdom of Wakanda for a battle between good and evil that ties into the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU).
New Mutants—April 13
The comic book genre’s first foray into the world of horror, 20th Century Fox’s New Mutants is an X-Men spinoff starring Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton and Anya Taylor-Jay. If the trailer is any indication, the “horror” tag is more than a gimmick.
Avengers: Infinity War—May 4
Marvel’s massively successful superhero team-up continues with Infinity War, which mashes together characters across the entire MCU. The movie follows the events of Civil War with the Avengers being forced back together to stop Thanos from amassing enough power to destroy Earth.
Deadpool 2—June 1
The Merc with a Mouth returns for a sequel following what ended up being the highest grossing R-rated movie in film history, thanks to an irreverent script and inventive set pieces. Ryan Reynolds is back as the anti-hero and is joined by Josh Brolin, who takes on the role of Cable.
The Incredibles 2—June 15
The long-awaited sequel to the 2004 Pixar animated movie finally has a release date—though not much is known about the plot, aside from how family dynamics play into the world of superheros.
Ant-Man and the Wasp—July 6
The original Ant-Man movie was lauded for its ability to lead the MCU in new, unexplored territory with humor, heist-movie aesthetics and the always likable Paul Rudd in the title role. Evangeline Lilly’s role will expand as the Wasp, making her the top-billed female Marvel superhero before Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel lands in 2019.
Venom—Oct. 5
Sony’s announcement of a standalone Venom movie came as a bit of a surprise, with many having a hard time believing the villain can be successful without Spider-Man making an appearance. But with the always engaging Tom Hardy in the title role, it’s hard to imagine Venom landing with a thud.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix—Nov. 2
Fox disappointed many X-Men fans with 2016’s Apocalypse and the studio will look to make things right by delving into the fan-cherished “Dark Phoenix” storyline from the comics, which sees Jean Grey struggling with some dire powers.
Aquaman—Dec. 21
Warner Bros. plucks Aquaman from the Justice League for the character’s first solo film. A far cry from the bright orange, blonde-haired, much maligned comic book version, Jason Momoa’s take on the character seems like the perfect re-imagining of the ocean hero.
