2026 Release Calendar
| Date | Title | Studio | Platform | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 27 | Wonder Man | MCU | Disney+ | TV Series |
| Mar 24 | Daredevil: Born Again S2 | MCU | Disney+ | TV Series |
| May 12 | Punisher: One Last Kill | MCU | Disney+ | Special |
| Jun 26 | Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | DC Studios | Theaters | Film |
| Jul 25 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | MCU | Theaters | Film |
| Aug 16 | Lanterns | DC Studios | HBO | TV Series |
| Sep 11 | Clayface | DC Studios | Theaters | Film (R-Rated) |
| Summer 2026 | X-Men ’97 Season 2 | Marvel | Disney+ | Animated Series |
| Fall 2026 | YFNS Spider-Man Season 2 | Marvel | Disney+ | Animated Series |
| TBA | VisionQuest | MCU | Disney+ | TV Series |
| Dec 18 | Avengers: Doomsday | MCU | Theaters | Film |
| 2026 | Batman: Caped Crusader S2 | DC Studios | Prime Video | Animated Series |
| 2026 | My Adventures With Superman S3 | DC Studios | HBO Max | Animated Series |
| 2026 | Batman: Knightfall | DC Studios | TBA | Animated Film |
Marvel Cinematic Universe 2026
Phase 6 kicks off with a vengeance — street-level heroes, a new Spider-Man, and the biggest Avengers film ever made.
Wonder Man
Disney+ | January 27, 2026
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley, Demi Moore | Creator: Andrew Guest
Simon Williams is a washed-up actor who becomes an Avenger whether he wants to or not. This Hollywood-set MCU series blends superhero action with showbiz satire, with Ben Kingsley reprising the beloved Trevor Slattery from Iron Man 3. A smaller-scale but potentially charming entry into Phase 6.
Daredevil: Born Again — Season 2
Disney+ | March 24, 2026
Cast: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Krysten Ritter | Creator: Dario Scardapane
The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is back, and he’s bringing Jessica Jones with him. Krysten Ritter reprises her role as the hard-drinking private investigator in what promises to be a vastly improved season. Kingpin’s political grip on New York tightens, and the bodies are piling up.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Theaters | July 25, 2026
Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo | Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Named after one of the most divisive — and important — Spider-Man comic runs ever written, this fourth MCU Spider-Man film sees Peter Parker’s world change dramatically after No Way Home. The Punisher and the Hulk enter his orbit, and Sadie Sink joins as a mystery character that has comic fans speculating wildly.
Avengers: Doomsday
Theaters | December 18, 2026
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal | Directors: Anthony & Joe Russo
The one we have been waiting for. Robert Downey Jr. returns not as Tony Stark but as the armored tyrant Doctor Doom, and the Russo Brothers are back with the full MCU roster. This is the culmination of the entire Multiverse Saga. Endgame will feel like a warm-up by comparison.
Also Coming From Marvel in 2026
- Punisher: One Last Kill (Disney+ Special, May 12) — Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle returns for one final chapter. A Disney+ special that promises to be exactly as dark and brutal as the character demands.
- VisionQuest (Disney+, TBA) — Paul Bettany returns as Vision, continuing threads from WandaVision and exploring the nature of his own consciousness and humanity.
- X-Men ’97 Season 2 (Disney+, Summer 2026) — Following the Emmy-winning Season 1, the beloved animated revival continues with Magneto, Gambit’s legacy, and more dimensional chaos.
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 (Disney+, Fall 2026) — The alternate-timeline animated series continues, with Norman Osborn’s mentorship of Peter Parker taking increasingly dark turns.
DC Studios 2026
James Gunn’s DCU takes flight with theatrical blockbusters, HBO prestige drama, and R-rated horror.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
Theaters | June 26, 2026
Cast: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa (Lobo), Eve Ridley | Director: Craig Gillespie
The first major DCU theatrical release, and it arrives with serious heat. Milly Alcock’s Kara Zor-El is harder and more world-weary than any previous Supergirl. Jason Momoa plays Lobo — the galaxy’s most dangerous bounty hunter — in a performance already generating enormous buzz. Adapted from Tom King’s celebrated comic run.
Lanterns
HBO | August 16, 2026
Cast: Aaron Pierre (John Stewart), Kyle Chandler (Hal Jordan) | Creators: Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, Tom King
The prestige drama of the DCU. Two Green Lanterns — veteran Hal Jordan and newly-recruited John Stewart — investigate a dark mystery on Earth tied to ancient cosmic secrets. Think True Detective meets Green Lantern, produced by HBO with a creative team that includes Damon Lindelof. This could be the best superhero TV ever made.
Clayface
Theaters | September 11, 2026 — Rated R
Cast: Tom Rhys Harries, Naomi Ackie | Writer and Director: Mike Flanagan
Horror maestro Mike Flanagan writes and directs a Clayface origin story — the shapeshifting Batman villain reimagined as a body-horror nightmare. Flanagan is the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass. This is DC going full R-rated horror, and it could be unlike anything the genre has produced. The wildest card of 2026.
Also Coming From DC in 2026
- Batman: Caped Crusader Season 2 (Prime Video, 2026) — The noir-animated Batman series from J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, and Bruce Timm continues its critically acclaimed run.
- My Adventures With Superman Season 3 (HBO Max, 2026) — The anime-inspired Superman series returns with Clark Kent and Lois Lane facing threats as the wider DCU begins to emerge around them.
- Batman: Knightfall (Animated, 2026) — DC adapts the iconic storyline where Bane breaks the Bat in a new animated film expected to be a definitive take on the most famous Batman arc ever written.
NerdSnack Hype Rankings
Our countdown of the 2026 releases by pure anticipation — not a prediction of quality, just raw excitement.
| # | Title | Hype Level | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers: Doomsday | ★★★★★ MAXIMUM | RDJ as Doom + Russo Brothers = event of the decade |
| 2 | Spider-Man: Brand New Day | ★★★★★ MASSIVE | Tom Holland + Punisher + Hulk = absolute chaos on screen |
| 3 | Clayface | ★★★★★ WILD CARD | Mike Flanagan doing R-rated DC horror is a dream pairing |
| 4 | Lanterns | ★★★★☆ VERY HIGH | HBO quality + Lindelof mystery writing = prestige gold |
| 5 | Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow | ★★★★☆ HIGH | Milly Alcock + Jason Momoa as Lobo = potential all-timer |
| 6 | Daredevil: Born Again S2 | ★★★★☆ HIGH | Jessica Jones returns and a stronger showrunner |
| 7 | Wonder Man | ★★★☆☆ SOLID | Fun Hollywood premise but a smaller-scale entry |
| 8 | X-Men ’97 Season 2 | ★★★☆☆ SOLID | Season 1 was stunning — the bar is sky-high |
NerdSnack Verdict
2026 is genuinely unprecedented for superhero entertainment. We have the biggest Marvel event film since Endgame, two DC theatrical releases that could redefine the universe, an HBO prestige drama with Damon Lindelof that might be the best superhero TV ever made, and a horror film from Mike Flanagan doing things with a DC villain that nobody saw coming. Whether you are a Marvel loyalist, a DC devotee, or just a fan of exceptional cinema, 2026 delivers something that will make your jaw drop.
The multiverse is colliding. Block your calendars. 2026 is the year superhero entertainment grows up and explodes at the same time.
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