If you felt like 2025 was a bit of a grind—a year of "surviving" rather than thriving—you certainly aren't alone. The entertainment industry was still finding its footing after strikes and delays, leaving us with a calendar that felt sparse. But looking at the slate for the next 12 months, the drought is officially over. 2026 is shaping up to be the most saturated, massive year for content we have seen since 2019.
We are talking about a year so stacked that a new Star Wars movie—the first one in theaters in seven years—might not even crack the top five most anticipated summer releases. That is the level of competition we are dealing with. From the return of the Avengers and the X-Men to Christopher Nolan’s latest IMAX spectacle and a streaming lineup that will keep us glued to our screens, we are eating good this year.
This isn't just a list of dates; it's a roadmap for your entire year. Here is your complete, expanded guide to everything coming in 2026, month by month. Get your calendars ready, because the "content cave" is open for business.
January: A Blockbuster Start
Usually, January is a "dump month" for Hollywood—a quiet time where studios offload movies they don't have faith in. Not this year. 2026 is kicking off with an intensity we rarely see in the winter, driven largely by streaming platforms looking to hook subscribers immediately.
The Big Streaming Hits
Spider-Noir (MGM+/Prime Video):
The Vibe: This series might have the most "swing potential" of any show this year. Set in 1930s New York, it features Nicolas Cage reprising his voice role as the gritty, hard-boiled Spider-Man—but in live-action.
Why Watch: It could be the coolest stylistic experiment we see all year or a total misfire, but with Terry Matalas (Star Trek: Picard) as showrunner, hopes are incredibly high. It feels like it could be the WandaVision or Agatha All Along of 2026—a weird, wonderful corner of the Marvel universe that dominates the conversation.
The Pitt Season 2 (HBO/Max):
Returning: January 8th (Thursdays).
The Scoop: After a breakout first season that revitalized the medical drama genre, the series returns weekly. Expect high-stakes ER drama that rivals the golden age of ER, blending personal chaos with professional intensity.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO/Max):
Premiering: January 18th (Sundays).
The Context: The Game of Thrones universe expands, but this isn't about dragons burning cities. Based on George R.R. Martin's "Dunk and Egg" novellas, this series follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg.
Expectation: Expect a lighter, more intimate tone compared to House of the Dragon. It’s a "hangout show" in Westeros, offering a different flavor of the fantasy world we love.
Wonder Man (Disney+):
Premiering: Tuesday, January 27th.
The Release Strategy: Marvel is trying something bold here with a full binge drop—all eight episodes at once. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, an actor/stuntman who gains superpowers, the show is expected to be a Hollywood satire.
Why The Binge? Releasing it all at once suggests Disney wants to create a singular "event" moment rather than dragging it out. Clear your Tuesday evening; this one is going to be a quick, fun burn.
In Theaters
Greenland: Migration (Jan 9):
The sequel to the surprise 2020 hit Greenland. Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin return for a survival story that looks surprisingly grounded. The plot reportedly involves the family leaving the safety of the bunker to traverse a decimated Europe. It’s gritty, emotional, and surprisingly high-budget for a sequel.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Jan 16):
The long-awaited return to the rage-virus universe created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. This film kicks off a new trilogy, picking up nearly three decades after the original outbreak. Expect terrifying infected and a bleak look at a Britain that has been isolated from the world for a generation.
Note: Keep an eye out for Avengers: Doomsday teasers playing in front of Avatar: Fire and Ash screenings (which will likely still be dominating box offices from its late 2025 release).
February: The Super Bowl & Survival
As Fallout Season 2 wraps up its run in early February, the marketing machine for the summer blockbusters will officially kick off. This is the calm before the March storm.
Super Bowl 60 (Feb 8):
This is a milestone Super Bowl, and the ad rates reflect that. Expect the "real" trailers for the summer heavy hitters here. We anticipate our first proper looks at Superman, The Odyssey, and perhaps a full narrative trailer for Toy Story 5. If Marvel wants to break the internet, this is where they drop the full Doomsday trailer.
Paradise Season 2 (Hulu/FX):
Premiering: Monday, February 23rd.
Dan Fogelman (This Is Us) returns with his thriller anthology. After a twisty first season, the second season promises a new mystery. Given Fogelman's track record, have tissues and a notepad ready to track the clues.
Scream 7 (Feb 27):
The franchise returns to theaters with Neve Campbell reclaiming her spotlight as Sidney Prescott. The "whole gang" is rumored to be back, suggesting a legacy sequel that ties up loose ends from the past two decades. In a horror landscape dominated by supernatural entities, the grounded (but meta) slasher vibes of Scream are always welcome.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 (Apple TV+):
Premiering: February 27th.
The MonsterVerse series is back for a long run through the spring. With the films focusing on massive battles, this show continues to do the heavy lifting of building the human world on the ground level. Expect more Titan sightings and more unraveling of the secret organization.
March: The Month of Overlap
March is where things get chaotic. We are going to have multiple massive shows airing simultaneously, leading to a "streaming war" for your attention span.
TV Overload: The Battle for Your Evenings
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (Disney+):
Expected Tuesdays in March. Following the massive success of Season 1, Matt Murdock continues his war for the soul of New York. Rumors point to the "Mayor Fisk" storyline heating up, making the stakes political as well as physical.
Invincible Season 4 (Prime Video):
Expected Wednesdays. The animated superhero saga continues to escalate. If you thought the violence was intense before, the Viltrumite War arcs are on the horizon.
The Boys Season 5 (Prime Video):
The Final Season begins in late March or early April. This is it—the endgame. Homelander vs. Butcher. The show has been building to a catastrophic confrontation, and knowing showrunner Eric Kripke, nobody is safe.
Monarch (Fridays) and Paradise (Mondays) will still be airing new episodes, meaning there is a flagship show on almost every night of the week.
Theatrical Releases
Hoppers (Pixar) & The Bride (March 6):
A potential "Barbenheimer" style double feature? Pixar brings the family fun with Hoppers (a body-swap comedy involving a beaver), while Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers a gothic Frankenstein reimagining in The Bride, starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley. The contrast couldn't be starker.
One Piece (Netflix):
Season 2 is expected to drop Friday, March 13th. The live-action anime adaptation defied the odds to become a hit. Season 2 introduces fan-favorite characters like Chopper and heads toward the Alabasta Saga.
Project Hail Mary (March 20):
The Dark Horse Hit: Based on the Andy Weir (The Martian) book, starring Ryan Gosling, and directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller.
The Plot: Gosling plays Ryland Grace, a teacher-turned-astronaut who wakes up on a spaceship with no memory, only to realize he is humanity's last hope against an extinction-level event.
Why It Matters: This has "breakout film of the year" written all over it. The combination of Gosling's charm and Lord & Miller's visual creativity could make this the smartest sci-fi blockbuster in years.
Super Mario Galaxy (April 3 - kicking off Spring):
The plumber returns to the big screen. After the billion-dollar success of the first film, this sequel takes things into space (Rosalina confirmed?). It is the safest bet for the highest-grossing animated film of the year.
April: Finales and Festivals
Euphoria Season 3 (HBO):
Premiering: Sunday, April 12th.
It’s been a long wait (and many delays), but Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney, and Jacob Elordi are finally back. The show reportedly features a time jump, taking the characters out of high school and into early adulthood. This shift might save the show from feeling repetitive, but it will certainly dominate the cultural conversation (and TikTok feeds) for weeks.
Michael (April 24):
The Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua. Starring Jaafar Jackson (Michael's nephew), the film promises to cover the "whole" life of the King of Pop. This is guaranteed to be controversial and massively discussed.
CinemaCon (Las Vegas):
taking place in mid-April. This industry-only event is where we will get the first concrete details on the Holiday 2026 and 2027 slate. Expect huge announcements from Warner Bros. and Disney.
May: The Blockbuster Warm-Up
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (May 1):
The sequel we didn't know we needed until now. Meryl Streep returns as Miranda Priestly, who is reportedly navigating the decline of traditional magazine publishing while facing off against Emily (Emily Blunt), now a high-powered executive at a luxury group. The fashion, the barbs, and the nostalgia will drive massive ticket sales.
Mortal Kombat 2 (May 8):
Karl Urban joins the cast as Johnny Cage. The first reboot was a streaming hit; the sequel aims to fix the lore issues and deliver the tournament fans actually wanted to see.
The Mandalorian & Grogu (May 22):
Star Wars Returns: This is the first theatrical Star Wars release since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker.
The Stakes: Directed by Jon Favreau, this film essentially acts as a massive season finale for the TV show. It faces a tough battle at the box office—will general audiences tune in for a movie based on a show that arguably peaked two seasons ago? Still, seeing Grogu on the big screen is an "event" Disney is banking on.
Summer 2026: The "Goon Cave" Season
From June to August, the release schedule is so packed you might need to just stay indoors to catch it all. This is the "Goon Cave" era of content consumption.
June
X-Men '97 Season 2: Expected to run this summer, possibly Tuesdays. Season 1 was a masterpiece of animation and storytelling; Season 2 has a high bar to clear.
Masters of the Universe (June 5): A live-action He-Man movie. Nicholas Galitzine wields the power sword. Directed by Travis Knight (Bumblebee), this could finally be the good adaptation fans have waited 40 years for.
The Disclosure Day (June 12):
Director: Steven Spielberg.
Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor.
The Hook: Spielberg returns to the UFO/sci-fi genre for the first time since War of the Worlds. The trailer suggests a global event where the truth about alien life is revealed to 7 billion people simultaneously. It looks terrifying, awe-inspiring, and distinctly Spielbergian.
Scary Movie 6 (June 12): Regina Hall and Anna Faris are back. The Wayans brothers return to the franchise they created to spoof modern horror (think M3GAN, Smile, Talk to Me).
Toy Story 5 (June 19): Pixar’s juggernaut. Do we need it? Maybe not. Will it make a billion dollars? Absolutely.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (June 26): The James Gunn DCU expands with a space-faring adventure starring Milly Alcock. Based on the acclaimed Tom King comic, this looks less like a superhero movie and more like a sci-fi epic.
July
Minions 3 (July 1): The box office guarantee. Resistance is futile.
Moana (Live Action) (July 10): The Rock returns as Maui. Seeing the animated classic translated to live-action so soon is a choice, but the star power here is undeniable.
The Odyssey (July 17):
The Big One: Christopher Nolan's next film.
The Tech: Rumored to be filmed 100% in IMAX cameras.
The Premise: A futuristic or period-accurate adaptation of Homer’s epic poem? Details are secretive, but the cast includes Matt Damon, Tom Holland, and Anne Hathaway. This is arguably the most anticipated film for cinephiles—a massive scale adventure from the master of practical effects.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31):
The MCU Spider-Man 4. Starring Tom Holland. The title suggests a soft reboot of Peter's life—no Stark tech, no Avengers backup. Rumors point to a street-level story featuring Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Daredevil, finally giving us the grounded Spidey story fans have craved.
August
Lanterns (HBO):
The Green Lantern detective series. Think True Detective in space. Kyle Chandler plays the veteran Hal Jordan, with Aaron Pierre as the rookie John Stewart. This is a gritty, terrestrial investigation into a murder in the American heartland that has galactic implications.
Ahsoka Season 2: Expect this to be the heavy hitter for Star Wars this year. With Thrawn now a major threat to the galaxy, the scale of this show will likely eclipse The Mandalorian movie.
Fall: The Road to Doomsday
September
Vision Quest (Disney+): The final part of the WandaVision trilogy. It follows White Vision as he searches for his humanity (and perhaps creates a synthetic family?).
Marvel's Wolverine (Game - Sept 4): Insomniac’s PS5 exclusive drops. After the success of Spider-Man 2, expectations are sky-high for this darker, M-rated game.
Clayface (Sept 11): A DC Studios horror/thriller. Mike Flanagan (Haunting of Hill House) has been rumored to be involved, pitching Clayface as a tragic horror figure rather than a cackling villain.
October
The Social Reckoning (Oct 9):
The Wild Card: Aaron Sorkin returns to write and direct this sequel to The Social Network.
The Cast: Jeremy Strong (Succession) plays an older, beleaguered Mark Zuckerberg.
The Plot: The film reportedly dramatizes the "Facebook Files" leaks and the platform's role in the January 6th events. It is a bold, controversial companion piece that promises to be just as dialogue-heavy and intense as the first.
Street Fighter (Oct 16): Another video game adaptation hits the screen, hoping to ride the wave of Sonic and Mario success.
New Inarritu / Tom Cruise Project: A mystery film that brings Tom Cruise back to "serious" auteur filmmaking. No stunts, just acting.
November
Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (Nov 20): We return to Panem for the story of Haymitch Abernathy's games. It’s a guaranteed hit for the YA crowd.
Chronicles of Narnia (Netflix): Greta Gerwig’s adaptation. Netflix has promised a limited IMAX run before it hits the streamer, ensuring Gerwig's vision is seen on the biggest screen possible.
December: The End Game
Jumanji 3 (Dec 11): The Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan reunite for one last game. It’s the perfect holiday counter-programming.
Avengers: Doomsday (Dec 18):
The Main Event: The year ends with the biggest movie of the decade so far.
The Players: The Russo Brothers return to direct. Robert Downey Jr. shocks the world as Doctor Doom. The Fantastic Four make their crossover debut.
The Stakes: This is the beginning of the end for the Multiverse Saga. We expect Incursions, massive cameos, and a cliffhanger that leads directly into Secret Wars in 2027. If you see one movie this year, this is it.
The Verdict: What To Watch?
With so much content, prioritization is key. Here are the top 5 projects that seem to have the most potential to be truly special:
Lanterns (HBO): It’s a bold swing for DC. If they nail the "True Detective with power rings" vibe, it could be the surprise hit of the year.
The Odyssey: Never bet against Christopher Nolan. A 100% IMAX adaptation of a Greek epic? That is cinema.
Spider-Noir: In a world of superhero fatigue, a black-and-white, 1930s detective story starring Nic Cage feels fresh and exciting.
Avengers: Doomsday: It’s the Avengers. The curiosity factor alone regarding RDJ's return as a villain makes this essential viewing.
Project Hail Mary: The dark horse candidate. If it captures the heart of the book, it could be the E.T. or Arrival of 2026.
2026 is going to be exhausting in the best way possible. Clear your schedules, upgrade your TVs, and get your movie passes ready.
Let us know in the comments—what is your #1 most anticipated release?
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