Most Anticipated Movies of 2026: Avengers Doomsday, Spider-Man 4, Toy Story 5, The Odyssey & 20+ Major Blockbusters
Discover 20+ most anticipated movies of 2026! From Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day to Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Pixar's Toy Story 5, and Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three. Complete 2026 movie release calendar with dates.
Welcome to 2026! The new year brings one of the most spectacular movie lineups in cinematic history—from Robert Downey Jr.'s shocking return to the MCU as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, to Christopher Nolan's epic adaptation of Homer's The Odyssey shot entirely on IMAX, to Pixar's emotional return with Toy Story 5. This comprehensive guide features 20+ blockbuster films releasing in 2026 across every major studio, including Marvel's Phase Six spectacles, Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three, live-action Disney reimaginings, franchise sequels, and visionary director projects. Whether you're a superhero fanatic, sci-fi devotee, animation lover, or prestige cinema enthusiast, 2026 offers unmissable theatrical experiences every month. Here's your complete calendar of the year's most anticipated films with release dates, cast information, and what makes each one essential viewing.
February-March 2026: Romance & Action Kick Off the Year
2026 begins with an eclectic mix of romantic period drama and superhero thrills setting the stage for cinema's biggest year yet.
Wuthering Heights
Emerald Fennell directs Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in this passionate adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic exploring the tumultuous romance between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff against the Yorkshire moors.
TheatersWuthering Heights marks Valentine's Day weekend with Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman, Saltburn) tackling Emily Brontë's gothic romance. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi headline as literature's most destructive lovers in this 2-hour-16-minute prestige drama that promises to bring fresh intensity to the classic tale of obsession, revenge, and doomed passion on the English moors.
May 2026: Blockbuster Summer Begins with Marvel & Mortal Kombat
May launches blockbuster season with franchise favorites and Star Wars spectacle delivering non-stop action and adventure.
Mortal Kombat II
Fan-favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage—face the ultimate no-holds-barred battle against Shao Kahn threatening Earthrealm's existence. Warner Bros.' R-rated martial arts spectacle returns bigger and bloodier.
Theaters
The Mandalorian & Grogu
Pedro Pascal brings the beloved Disney+ series to the big screen in Jon Favreau's Star Wars feature following the bounty hunter and his Force-sensitive companion on a theatrical adventure. Featuring Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White.
TheatersMortal Kombat II escalates the video game franchise with Johnny Cage joining the roster for fatality-filled combat against Shao Kahn's forces—Warner Bros. promises even more brutal martial arts choreography and iconic character moments from the beloved fighting game series. The Mandalorian & Grogu makes Star Wars history as Jon Favreau expands his Disney+ phenomenon into a theatrical event with Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, and Jeremy Allen White embarking on a big-screen adventure that promises IMAX spectacle worthy of the galaxy far, far away.
June-July 2026: Pixar Magic & Nolan's Epic Meet Marvel Mania
Summer's heart delivers animation's emotional return, Christopher Nolan's mythological masterpiece, and Marvel's next web-slinging chapter.
Toy Story 5
Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the gang confront technology's threat to playtime when Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return with Greta Lee joining the legendary Pixar franchise tackling modern childhood challenges.
Theaters
Moana (Live-Action)
Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui alongside Catherine Laga'aia as Moana in Thomas Kail's live-action reimagining of Disney's Polynesian adventure. The beloved animated classic sails to photorealistic life with stunning ocean cinematography.
Theaters
The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's ancient Greek epic shot entirely on IMAX cameras. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus with Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, and Charlize Theron in the legendary warrior's decade-long journey home after the Trojan War.
Theaters - IMAX
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Tom Holland returns for his fourth MCU Spider-Man film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Featuring Zendaya, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Sadie Sink, this Phase Six entry promises street-level heroics with cosmic stakes.
Theaters - IMAXToy Story 5 reunites audiences with Woody, Buzz, and Bonnie's toys as Pixar explores how modern technology challenges traditional play—directors McKenna Harris and Andrew Stanton tackle tablet addiction and screen time with the franchise's signature emotional intelligence and humor. Moana transforms Disney's 2016 animated hit into live-action spectacle with Dwayne Johnson reprising Maui and Catherine Laga'aia taking on the titular heroine's oceanic adventure with state-of-the-art visual effects bringing Polynesian mythology to photorealistic life. The Odyssey represents Christopher Nolan's most ambitious project yet—the first blockbuster shot completely on IMAX cameras, adapting Homer's epic poem with Matt Damon leading an all-star ensemble through Odysseus's decade-long journey filled with sirens, cyclops, gods, and the ultimate homecoming. Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings Tom Holland into his fourth solo outing under director Destin Daniel Cretton, promising street-level action mixed with multiverse consequences as Phase Six builds toward Avengers: Doomsday.
November 2026: The Hunger Games Returns & Fantasy Arrives
Fall delivers franchise revivals and epic fantasy adaptations building anticipation for the year's grand finale.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
Returning to Panem 24 years before Katniss Everdeen's games, this prequel chronicles the 50th Hunger Games—the Second Quarter Quell. Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, and Maya Hawke star in Francis Lawrence's dark origin story.
Theaters - IMAX
Narnia: The Magician's Nephew
Greta Gerwig directs C.S. Lewis's Narnia origin story for Netflix, exploring the magical land's creation. Releasing in IMAX theaters before streaming Christmas Day, this marks a major event strategy for the fantasy franchise reboot.
IMAX / NetflixThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping explores Panem's darkest chapter—the Second Quarter Quell forcing tributes from existing victors—24 years before Katniss's rebellion. Director Francis Lawrence returns with Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning, Kieran Culkin, Maya Hawke, and Glenn Close delivering the franchise's signature dystopian brutality and political commentary in IMAX presentation. Narnia: The Magician's Nephew represents Greta Gerwig's post-Barbie fantasy epic, adapting C.S. Lewis's origin tale about Narnia's creation—Netflix's theatrical-streaming hybrid strategy premieres it in IMAX Thanksgiving weekend before global Christmas Day streaming availability.
December 2026: Marvel & Denis Villeneuve's Double-Header Finale
2026 concludes with two of cinema's most anticipated blockbusters releasing the same day in an unprecedented box office showdown.
Avengers: Doomsday
Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU—not as Iron Man, but as the villainous Doctor Doom. The Russo Brothers reunite the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Wakandans, and Thunderbolts for Marvel's biggest crossover event yet. Featuring Pedro Pascal, Chris Hemsworth, and Vanessa Kirby.
Theaters - IMAX
Dune: Part Three
Denis Villeneuve concludes his Dune trilogy adapting Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah. Timothée Chalamet returns as Emperor Paul Atreides alongside Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa, and Robert Pattinson in the saga's climactic chapter.
Theaters - IMAXAvengers: Doomsday marks Robert Downey Jr.'s shocking MCU return as Doctor Doom—the multiverse-spanning villain uniting Marvel heroes across franchises in directors Anthony and Joe Russo's mega-crossover featuring the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Wakandans, and Thunderbolts battling for reality's survival. Pedro Pascal, Chris Hemsworth, and Vanessa Kirby lead the ensemble in Marvel's most ambitious Phase Six event building on Kang Dynasty's foundation. Dune: Part Three completes Denis Villeneuve's trilogy adapting Dune Messiah, following Emperor Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) grappling with his terrible purpose while Chani (Zendaya), Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy), and new threats including Robert Pattinson's Scytale challenge his messianic reign—Villeneuve promises his most visually stunning and thematically complex Dune chapter. The December 18 double release creates 2026's ultimate box office battle between Marvel's superhero spectacle and Villeneuve's sci-fi masterpiece.
More 2026 Must-See Movies: Complete Release Calendar
Beyond these marquee titles, 2026 delivers dozens of additional anticipated films: **Additional Major Releases:** • **Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow** - DC's Kryptonian heroine gets her cinematic debut • **Masters of the Universe** - He-Man's live-action adventure directed by Travis Knight • **Scary Movie 6** - The horror parody franchise returns with the Wayans Brothers • **Minions 3** - Illumination's yellow henchmen return for more mayhem • **The Devil Wears Prada 2** - Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway reportedly returning • **Clayface** - Mike Flanagan's horror-tinged DC villain origin film • **Project Hail Mary** - Ryan Gosling stars in the Interstellar meets The Martian sci-fi thriller • **Hoppers** - Original Pixar film directed by Daniel Chong • **The Bride** - Latest Frankenstein adaptation releasing March 6 • **Flowervale Street** - August 14 mysterious thriller 2026 represents a watershed moment for cinema—Marvel expands Phase Six with multiverse-shattering events, Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve deliver competing IMAX epics, Pixar returns to beloved franchises while exploring new worlds, Disney transforms animated classics into live-action spectacles, and visionary filmmakers from Emerald Fennell to Greta Gerwig bring literary adaptations to life. From romantic period dramas to brutal video game adaptations, mythological adventures to dystopian prequels, superhero team-ups to sci-fi conclusions, 2026 offers theatrical experiences spanning every genre and budget level.
Why 2026 Will Be Cinema's Biggest Year
Several factors make 2026 unprecedented in film history: **Marvel's Mega-Crossover Phase:** Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day escalate Phase Six stakes with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom and multiverse consequences setting up Secret Wars. **Visionary Directors at Peak Powers:** Christopher Nolan (The Odyssey), Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Three), Greta Gerwig (Narnia), and Emerald Fennell (Wuthering Heights) all deliver passion projects with massive budgets. **Franchise Conclusions & Returns:** Dune trilogy concludes, Toy Story returns after perceived finale, and The Hunger Games revisits Panem's origins with a dark prequel exploring the Second Quarter Quell. **IMAX Revolution:** The Odyssey shot entirely on IMAX cameras represents technological milestone, while Dune: Part Three, Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man 4, The Hunger Games prequel, and Mandalorian all utilize premium large format. **Theatrical-Streaming Hybrid Experiments:** Narnia's IMAX theatrical window before Netflix streaming tests new distribution models for major franchises. **Diverse Genre Offerings:** From prestige literary adaptations to R-rated martial arts spectacles, animated family films to sci-fi epics, romantic period pieces to superhero crossovers—2026 delivers something for every audience. The year promises box office records, Oscar contention across categories, technological breakthroughs in cinematography and visual effects, and cultural conversations spanning Marvel's multiverse to Homer's ancient mythology. Whether you're a theatrical purist seeking IMAX spectacle or a casual viewer waiting for streaming, 2026's lineup demands attention as Hollywood's biggest studios, most acclaimed directors, and brightest stars unite for cinema's most ambitious year. Mark your calendars, book your IMAX tickets early, and prepare for twelve months of unmissable theatrical experiences. From New Year's Day through Christmas, 2026 celebrates cinema's past, present, and future with blockbusters, prestige dramas, animated masterpieces, and franchise events that will define this decade of filmmaking. The future of movies starts now—and 2026 proves theatrical cinema remains more vital, spectacular, and essential than ever.