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The biggest movies of 2026 [Future Fest]

Two MCU movies, one horror flick, and the kind of film they write prophecies about - here's what we think will hit cinemas the hardest come next year

Features by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Fri Sep 19 2025

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And everything happening this week for Future Fest!

Popverse is taking a couple of days to gaze into the unknown as we celebrate Future Fest, a first-time event where we talk about what's to come across the spectrum of entertainment. We've already talked a bit about the TV shows that we think will be biggest next year, and no, we figured it was about time to put together a list of what's coming to the big screen - that is, the biggest movies of 2026.

A quick heads up here, remember that we're just talking about the biggest movies of next year, not necessarily your favorites. For example, I will certainly be there opening night once Ready or Not 2: Here I Come drops, but I won't kid myself and pretend that that will rake in more bucks than, say, either of the two MCU movies coming out. Make sense? Great, then let's get predictin'.

Big 2026 movies - Spider-Man: Brand New Day

The first time a Spider-Man movie franchise has reached a fourth film, we expect Brand New Day to live up to its name in so many, many ways. It's the beginning of a different kind of story for Tom Holland's Peter Parker, as the cats of friends who so defined his earlier adventures currently don't remember who he is. It'll also reportedly be the first time that Spidey is working at The Daily Bugle, a fact which we think will drive longtime wallcrawlers into theaters.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters July 31, 2026.

Big 2026 movies - The Mandalorian & Grogu

Despite all the awards Andor scored over the past couple of years, there's kind of been a lack of Star Wars at the front of everyone's pop culture brains. At least, when it comes to movies. That all will change, though, when certified golden boy Pedro Pascal returns to the role that put him on the map for the conclusion of a story that began all the way back in 2019. We, for one, can't wait for the resurgence of "Baby Yoda Mms" on Facebook.

The Mandalorian & Grogu blasts into theaters May 22, 2026.

Big 2026 movies - 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

As Popverse's resident horror hound, I admit to a slight bias when it comes to adding Nia DeCosta's zombified sequel to this list, but if there's one trend from 2025 that I think will continue into the next year, it's horror movies outperforming expectations. This will especially be the case, I'd argue, since fans now have the confirmation that beloved Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy will feature in this movie. Oh, and the well-endowed zombie's confirmed return probably won't hurt either.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple rages into theaters January 16, 2026.

Big 2026 movies - Project Hail Mary

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have the Midas touch when it comes to A-lister-led, heartwarming, and humor-filled blockbusters, and I can't imagine that won't be the case with the upcoming Project Hail Mary. I don't know about you, but years of watching his appearances on Saturday Night Live make Ryan Gosling the ideal candidate for making first contact with aliens in my mind, and getting to watch that on the. big screen seems like an offer audiences won't refuse.

Project Hail Mary launches into theaters on March 20, 2026.

Big 2026 movies - Avengers: Doomsday

Well, you knew this guy would be on here, right? The only film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe catalogue to have the same amount of buzz as Avengers: Endgame (so far, at least), Doomsday will not only see the debut of the newly villainous Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, but the return of so many X-Men favorites of decades past. There's something for everyone, and we think that pretty much everyone will be checking it out.

Avengers: Doomsday conquers theaters on December 18, 2026.

Big 2026 movies - Supergirl

That said, and this may be a controversial opinion here, I think the superhero movie of 2026 will actually be Supergirl. This past summer's Superman proved that James Gunn's DCU has legs (er, capes?), and that it's coming to theaters with a sense of hope and optimism that perhaps viewers haven't quite been getting from the House of Ideas. Maybe that's just me, though.

Supergirl soars into theaters June 26, 2026.

Big 2026 movies - Dune: Messiah

Last and exactly the opposite of least, I think that Dune: Messiah will be the absolute biggest film to come out in 2026. First of all, that's probably a literal statement - of every huge movie on this list, Dune: Messiah is the most likely to be shot majorly in IMAX. But even more than that, Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies have taken a franchise that some called unfilmable and turned it into an absolute wonder for both original readers of the book series and complete newbies. Seeing the cap to his groundbreaking trilogy will be an absolute must for global moviegoers in the next year, you just watch.

Dune: Messiah spices up theaters on December 18, 2026.

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.