2026 is already shaping up to be huge year for pop culture! There’s so much to be excited for, and this is just based on stuff we already know about!
So, I’m here to start the year with a breakdown of everything I’m hyped for! Let’s get right into it!
Most Anticipated Movies of 2026 =
Crime 101 – February 13th
I have solid interest in this one. I like the actors, and Mark Ruffalo in crime fiction always works well (Zodiac, Task). Plus, crime fiction has become one of my favorite genres lately. I hope it turns out a solid final product!
Hoppers – March 6th
Gotta support original animated films, and this one comes from Daniel Chong, who made the awesome slice of life show We Bare Bears (check it out, it’s a great comfort watch).
Project Hail Mary – March 20th
Optimistic sci-fi is something I think we can all use right now, and with a combo of Gosling and Lord/Miller, I think we’re in good hands. Hoping to read the book before this, but we’ll see. 🙂
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – April 3rd
The Mario Movie from 2023 was a lot of fun, full of great references and easter eggs, but now that we’ve established the universe, we can truly dive into more unique Mario locales and characters, like those found in the Galaxy games. Hoping to play Galaxy 1 and 2 before this comes out!
The Mandalorian and Grogu – May 22nd
I’m not necessarily a hardcore Star Wars fan (I sort of pick and choose what I get into), but The Mandalorian is a show I’ve enjoyed a lot, and it’s become a show I enjoy with my dad, adding an extra layer of enjoyment. I’m excited to see where they go with this story in a feature!
Disclosure Day – June 12th
Spielberg is still doing his thing! Amazing to see a master of the craft still at work! Loved the trailer, keeping things mysterious! Intrigued and seated!
Toy Story 5 – June 19th
Toy Story is one of the consistent franchises to touch me emotionally and comedically. I’m excited to see Jessie’s increased role, how Woody comes back, and how the film will tackle the commentary on children and tech.
Supergirl – June 26th
Loving how DC Studios has been going so far, and this looks like no exception. Milly Alcock is amazing in the role from what we’ve seen already, and space travel and Jason Mamoa as Lobo are icing on the cake. Plus, it’s based on one of her best stories: Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow, by Tom King and Bilquis Evely!
Minions 3 – July 1st
Unfortunately, there’s no poster for this one yet. Despicable Me and the Minions films are like a comfort watch for me, having grown up in the exact age range for them (The 1st one came out when I was 7). I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but there always a fun time for me.
The Odyssey – July 17th
Another master of his craft with a new film out! Once again, loving how this looks from the trailer. Excited to see how Nolan adapts this story!
Spider-Man: Brand New Day – July 31st
This is easily top 5 for the year for me. I’m a HUGE Spidey fan, and I’ve been waiting to see where Holland’s wall-crawler goes next. The promise of a more street-level and down on his luck Peter Parker sounds like a dream come true, and all of the cool villains that only comics fans would care about getting on the big screen: Scorpion, Tombstone, potentially Mr. Negative. And him meeting and interacting w/Punisher, Hulk, etc?! Cannot wait!
Coyote vs. Acme – August 28th
So glad this got saved along with The Day the Earth Blew Up (definitely give that a watch, it’s fantastic!). Looney Tunes deserves way more respect and content, and this idea was too good to let it pass. Wile E. Coyote suing the ACME Corp for all their faulty work is just a hilarious idea, and I can’t wait to check this one out!
Clayface – September 11th
DC Studios other release for the year. It’s no surprise, but still interesting, how James Gunn loves to use characters not often in the limelight, and a body horror about Clayface sounds like a really cool interpretation of this villain!
Hexed – November 25th
Disney’s major animated release for the year, and it’s an original, so make sure you support it! We don’t know really anything about it yet, but I’m excited and interested.
Jumanji 4 – December 11th
The previous Jumanji films: Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level were some of my favorite comedies in recent years, and I’m excited for this one!
Avengers: Doomsday – December 18th
Possibly the most anticipated movie of the year for a lot of people. I’m not one of those people who thought the MCU “died”, as I’ve enjoyed a lot of the projects post-Endgame. This film already, just based of the teasers, is going to be huge! The potential interactions, storylines, characters, etc. are unreal, and to end the year with this for a huge Marvel fan like me is an amazing Christmas gift 🙂 Needless to say, I’m hyped and will be seated opening weekend!
Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2026 =
Wonder Man – January 27th
I love when Marvel gets experimental and changes things up just as much as usual superhero shenanigans. This show looks to be a fun send-up to Hollywood and it’s always fun to see Trevor Slattery (so funny that he’s become a recurring character).
Rooster – March 2026
We don’t know much about this show, but the creative team behind it has me interested. Bill Lawrence, who worked on Clone High, Shrinking, and Ted Lasso, and Steve Carell stars, and he’s great! Interested to find out more!
Lanterns – Mid 2026
I’m excited for the DCU take on the Green Lanterns, and love that my boy John Stewart is starring in it. I’m also loving the “True Detective” vibes the show is supposed to have. The investigation elements are right up my alley!
VisionQuest – Late 2026
As the conclusion to one of Marvel’s most unique trilogies, and one we didn’t expect – WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and now this. I’m excited to see how it ends. I’m also intrigued by the return of Ultron, and how that plays into Vision’s story.
Spider-Noir – 2026
Nicholas Cage was extremely funny and engaging playing this role in animation, and I can only imagine what it’ll be like in live-action. I hope he says more weird old-timey one liners 🙂
The Muppet Show – February 4th
The Muppets are the kind of joy I think we can all use right now, and a return to the variety show format is great! Plus, if this does well, we might get a full series out of it. Please watch it and tell other people to do so too!
Invincible Season 4 – March 18th
Full disclosure, I haven’t watched or read Invincible yet, but it’s on both my to be read and to be watched list (which feels neverending), but I’m still hyped for this!
Daredevil: Born Again – March 24th
I’ve become a huge Daredevil fan over the last year. He has some of the best runs in the comics, and the show is probably one of Marvel’s best adaptations of a character from panel to screen. Season 1 was great, and disturbingly accurate to our current landscape, and I imagine Season 2 will do the same. Plus, the return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones?! Can’t wait! (I hope Luke Cage and Iron Fist come back as well)
Punisher TV Special – Mid 2026
After where we left him at the end of Daredevil Season 1, I’m interested to see where Frank ends up, especially since he’s also supposed to be in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Do I sense some street-level crossover – please?!
X-Men ‘97 Season 2 – Mid 2026
Even as someone born past the point of the original X-Men The Animated Series, I could tell this revival/continuation was a big deal. Season 1 was excellent, with some truly insane twists and plot developments, and next-level action scenes. I can’t wait to see where the mutant crew goes next, especially after the cliffhanger!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 – Late 2026
Another great animated Marvel show! I loved Season 1 – the Lee/Ditko influence, the cool animation style, the risks taken with changing the origin and supporting cast. I’m interested to see where Season 2 take us, especially with another interesting cliffhanger!
Most Anticipated Video Games of 2026 =
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integrade – January 22nd
I’ve heard great praise for this one, but with the backlog and time I never got around to it. With it now being available on Switch 2, it’s portable, giving me more time to play!
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined – February 5th
Dragon Quest has been getting a lot of love lately with various HD remakes, but this one is a from the ground-up restructuring of a game that was hailed as great, but somewhat uneven and with pacing issues. Excited for this to be my first Dragon Quest!
Mario Tennis Fever – February 12th
The Mario sports games have been lacking for a while now with not much content. This game looks to solve that – so many modes, characters, options, etc. I’m excited to check it out!
007 First Light – May 27th
The team behind the popular Hitman series brings us an origin story for a young James Bond. I’m excited to see a developer who’s well known for stealth and espionage elements take on this iconic character. It seems like a perfect match!
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight – May 29th
The Arkham game people have been waiting for is here, just in a form you didn’t expect haha. I’m excited for this one – loved the LEGO games growing up, and this takes it to a whole new level in terms of presentation and scope. Plus all of the easter eggs and references make it seem like a true celebration of Batman as a whole!
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave – 2026
I’ve never played a Fire Emblem game before, but I’m looking to explore new franchises I haven’t delved into before. I like the tactical RPG gameplay, and the world looks very interesting!
Marvel’s Wolverine – Fall 2026
This is probably my most anticipated game for the year (that’s been announced so far). Insomniac are one of my favorite developers in the industry right now, and they’re just coming off an incredible trilogy of Spider-Man games. I’m excited to see what they do with Wolverine in terms of story and gameplay! The first trailer alone was so hype-inducing!
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls – 2026
I’m loving the combination of Marvel and anime found here. The cool designs of the characters and world. The 4 v4 style should make for some hectic matches as well!
Sonic’s 35th Anniversary – 2026
Sonic is my favorite gaming franchise, and I’m so excited to see what SEGA has in store for the Blue Blur’s 35th! I’m hoping for the next mainline game, but we’ll see…
Most Anticipated Comics of 2026 =
X-Men Shadows of Tomorrow – Early 2026
Coming out of the X-Men Event of the Fall, we have a new status quo, and exicting new books like Magik & Colossus, Rogue, Cyclops, and the promise of a new school for mutants run by Emma Frost in X-Men United. I’m excited to see the school make a return, and seeing how many mutants will be a part of it!
DC Next Level – 2026
DC has been killing it for the last couple of years. Since the start of their All-In initiative, the entire line is cooking with great runs on the mainline books, and of course the sweep of the Absolute stuff. This initiative is in many ways what got me into DC, as I was, and still am, a Marvel guy, but I definitely got into DC more than ever in the last couple of years. With new books from all-star creative teams on characters that don’t always get the spotlight such as: Batwoman, Zatanna, Lobo, Firestorm, Deathstroke, Barbara Gordon, and more, I can’t wait to see the DC universe get even more expansive, and introduce me to characters I’ve never really been into before!
Armageddon – June 2026
The major Marvel Event for this year is written by one of my favs Chip Zdarsky, and picks up after last year’s status quo One World Under Doom, which was also cool! It also ties into the ending of the Ultimate Universe, and is supposed to revamp the Avengers. I’m excited to see where this goes!
DC Vertigo Return – 2026
For those that don’t know, DC Vertigo is an imprint where creators basically have free reign to tell strange and different stories – usually not superhero related. It was around for a while, then went away, and it’s back this year! With all star creatives like James Tynion IV, Deniz Camp, Chris Condon, Ram V, and more on the line, it’s looking to be a really creative space!
Energon Universe G.I. Joe/Transformers Crossover – February 2026
The Energon Universe has been one of the most unexpected things in recent comics, both in terms of getting me into properties I didn’t have much interest in beforehand, like G.I. Joe and Transformers, and with how amazing they’ve been. Up until now, there hasn’t been much interaction between the books. But with this storyline, Duke, leader of G.I. Joe, who’s been looking to take down the robots that killed a soldier, meets them in-person. I’m excited for this confrontation!
Iron Man by Joshua Williamson – January 28th
Williamson has become one of the major architects of the DC Universe, and the writer of Superman, Flash, Batman and Robin, etc. But while he’s doing that, he’ll also be taking over Iron Man, exploring what would happen if someone tried to create the next tony Stark! Instead of just stealing the armors, why not create someone who can outdo Tony? That’s such a cool pitch, and Williamson is great, so I’m excited for this new run!
Superman/Spider-Man Crossovers – March/April 2026
Coming off last year’s Deadpool and Batman crossovers, Marvel and DC are back at it with their two biggest icons: Supes and Spidey! This is going to be one of, if not the biggest books of the year, and I’m excited for all the mashups and creative teams involved! Collector’s item, to say the least 🙂
Spider-Man/Venom Death Spiral – Early 2026
This year starts off with a major Spider-Man/Venom crossover story that then leads into Amazing Spider-Man #1000, which is insane! It’s going to have major plot developments for Peter, MJ, Eddie Brock, and more, and I can’t wait to see what happens with the new villain Torment!
Comics! The Magazine – March 2026
Big supporter of physical media, and also nostalgic for magazines that told you all about the thing you love, and what’s going on in the industry. This looks to check all those boxes, and hopefully fill that void!
Daredevil by Stephanie Phillips – April 2026
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the previous Daredevil run by Saladin Ahmed, but this looks to closer to what I want. Street level crime, noir sensibilities, etc. Plus, it’ll be fun to see Matt working as a law professor. Stephanie Phillips has really risen up the ranks with great books like Phoenix, Planet She-Hulk, and Spider-Gwen, so I’m sure she’ll do great here. Garbett’s art also looks great, just from previews!
Conclusion
Phew! Alright, that’s everything for now, and we’re just starting 2026! There’s still so much we don’t know about, so I’ll probably make another post later in the year about this. In the meantime, comment or email me! Let me know what you’re excited for, if I inspired you to get into anything you didn’t before, etc. Have a great one guys, and I’ll see you in the next post!
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