Upcoming Film Releases Cinema Lovers are Looking Forward To

After the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home last December, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is set to be released on October 7, 2022. Photo courtesy of Gemma Ryles under Creative Commons License.

Gemma Ryles under Creative Commons License

After the success of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ last December, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ is set to be released on October 7, 2022. Photo courtesy of Gemma Ryles under Creative Commons License.

After a two-year lull, it seems like theaters are finally starting to return to form with releases like Spider-Man: No Way Home topping the charts. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated films set to release in the next few years.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Marvel is in a bit of a tricky spot. Avengers: Endgame was a wonderful send-off for heroes like Iron Man and Captain America that had been around for a decade now, but we were still left with a collection of B-listers to keep Marvel in relevance. After a collection of lackluster Disney+ series and three movies that had increasingly prominent success, Marvel looks to get their mojo back with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The film will be released on May 6, 2022.

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s last movie, Tenet left some viewers glad to have an exhilarating experience trying to follow an intricate plot, but most found it to be a confusing mess that was simply too difficult to enjoy. Now, Nolan will look to take a more serious topic into his hands, one that concerns the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer as portrayed by Cillian Murphy. The movie’s remaining cast includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Alden Ehrenreich, Kenneth Branagh, and David Dastmalchian, which is a remarkably star-studded cast even for Nolan. Oppenheimer is set to release on July 21, 2023.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse came out in 2018, audiences have been itching for a sequel. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse could not have a better time for release following the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home at the end of 2021. The film is set to be part one of a two-part film, and will feature Oscar Isaac, Hailee Steinfeld, Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, and Issa Rae. The film is set to release on October 7, 2022.

Top Gun: Maverick

Ever since Top Gun came out in 1986, people have been itching for a sequel. Now, after years of being teased, Top Gun: Maverick is just around the corner. Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Lt. Pete Maverick, and the film will also star Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller. The film is set to release on May 27, 2022.

Jurassic World: Dominion

The Jurassic World franchise has struggled to make an impact since its debut in 2015, and with the disappointment of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Dominion will hope to finish the series out on a strong note. Joining Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard on the stage are Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, all of whom were in the original Jurassic Park movie upon which this series is based. The film is set to be released on June 10, 2022.

Lightyear

Regardless of what you might think of Pixar, I believe it is fair to say that the franchise has not been doing so well lately. Onward and Soul were an extremely mixed bag and both struggled to leave a lasting impression on audiences.  Additionally, Luca and Turning Red’s aggressively political undertones have been difficult to watch, and pretty uniformly terrible in comparison to Pixar’s best films. Now, Pixar is hoping to give nostalgia fans a gratifying experience with Lightyear, where Chris Evans will voice the classic character Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise. Lightyear will be released on June 17, 2022.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Longtime director Martin Scorsese is once again working with Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio on the crime thriller, Killers of the Flower Moon. Scorsese’s last film, The Irishman, was a massive success in multiple respects. The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor. It also featured some incredible CGI de-aging technology on De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino. Needless to say, Killers of the Flower Moon has a tall order to live up to. It is expected to be released in November 2022.

Thor: Love and Thunder

On one side we get Christian Bale, and on the other side, we get Natalie Portman back. Thor: Love and Thunder will be the second Thor film with Taika Waititi at the director’s helm, and Marvel fans will be curious to see where we will find Thor following his departure as the leader of Asgard and his substantial weight gain. Thor 4 is set to release on July 8, 2022.

Avatar 2

It seemed like Avatar 2 was supposed to be coming out “in the next few years” for about five years now. However, James Cameron and 20th Century Studios finally settled on a 2022 release. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver will all reprise their roles from the original phenom film Avatar, whose stunning visual effects broke multiple box office records. Hopefully, Avatar 2 will be released on December 16, 2022.

John Wick 4

John Wick 4 is a movie that I happen to be particularly excited about. Keanu Reeves will once again reprise his role as John Wick, with appearances from Laurence Fishburne and Donnie Yen as well. Yen was also Chirrut Imwe, the blind swordsman from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, who if all Star Wars fans remember, was a fan favorite for a very long time. The John Wick series has always been a very strong action series, and I have no doubt that such a legacy will be reflected in  this film. John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release on March 24, 2023.

Quentin Tarantino’s Tenth Film

It’s been three years since Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and a sense of dread looms large over Tarantino fans. The promise of retirement following the making of a tenth film is a promise that brings great expectations out of whatever Tarantino decides to do next. The only truly teased idea at this point is that of a third Kill Bill movie, which in my opinion, would leave fans disappointed and wanting more. If Tarantino really wants to retire while still at the top of his game, he ought to deliver more than a sequel.

The Flash

It will certainly be a busy year for Ezra Miller, as the DC Superhero “The Flash,” will be getting his first solo film. DC has never been a superhero franchise that has received a lot of praise, and the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in particular, has been a huge mess. People who follow DC closely and myself are very hesitant about this film. This film is set to release on June 23, 2023.

Knock at the Cabin

Do you recall M. Night Shyamalan directing The Sixth Sense? Or Split? Maybe you remember Signs or Glass even if you didn’t like them that much? Well, from the director that brought you these reputable movies along with films such as Old, Lady in the Water, The Last Airbender, After Earth, and The Happening, which has been dubbed as one of the worst movies of all time, comes Knock at the Cabin. Little is known about the film other than its cast, which consists of Dave Bautista who we know from Guardians of the Galaxy, Jonathan Groff who starred in the latest Matrix movie, Nikki Amuka-Bird who worked with Shyamalan on Old, and astonishingly, Rupert Grint who portrayed Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter series and worked with Shyamalan on the Apple TV+ series, Servant. Knock at the Cabin will be released on February 3, 2023.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

How on Earth does Marvel plan to pull this off? After Chadwick Boseman’s tragic death due to cancer in August of 2020, Marvel fans have wondered how the Black Panther franchise plans to continue following their main star’s absence. All that we really know is that the cast features many of the same actors from the original movie. The film is set to release on November 11, 2022.

Dune: Part II

Many directors have tried and failed to turn the 1960s novel series Dune into a movie. It would seem that longtime director Denis Villeneuve, who also directed hit movies like Arrival and Prisoners, has finally made a movie that got fans excited. Dune: Part II is the follow-up to the first part of the Oscar-nominated Timothee Chalamet movie, and will be the second part of a three-part series. The film will be released on October 20, 2023.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

James Gunn will return to direct the third Guardians of the Galaxy film, which sees the return of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista in their classic roles, and features the addition of Sylvester Stallone and Will Poulter who people might remember from Rocky and Midsommar respectively. Guardians 3 is set to release on May 5, 2023.

The Killer

Remember The Social Network? The Zodiac? Or Fight Club? Well, the director of these great films is returning with his latest neo-noir mystery film The Killer which will star Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton. The film is based on the French graphic novel The Killer by Alexis Nolent. Little is known about its release date or other cast, but we do know that the film will be released as a Netflix exclusive.

Mission: Impossible 7

The Mission: Impossible series has been making bank since 1996, and it is slated to continue with Mission: Impossible 7, a film that will once again star Tom Cruise in the role of spy extraordinaire Ethan Hunt. Director Christopher McQuarrie is returning for his third and fourth movies of the series with Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 which is in filming. Movie seven also sees the return of Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames in its cast. Mission: Impossible 7 will be released on July 14, 2023.

James Bond 26

If you thought Mission Impossible had been around for a long time, what about the Bond franchise? Since the release of Dr. No in 1962, seven actors played Bond, and with Daniel Craig leaving the franchise, we are about to see the eighth. The identity of the next Bond is unknown, but Bond producers have confirmed that a 26th movie is in the works.

A Future Star Wars Movie

We’ve run through every series imaginable besides Star Wars, and for good reason. Since The Force Awakens originally broke the internet with a thirty second trailer, the franchise has slowly faded into the background by eventually being crushed by Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Even with the numerous Disney+ series that have been released to critical acclaim, Star Wars fans are still eager for a new film. Directors like Rian Johnson and Taika Waititi have been in the conversation as possible directors of trilogies or standalone films, but the only confirmed film is Rogue Squadron which follows starship pilots trying to earn their wings and will be directed by Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins.