2018 has been a banner year for superhero movies so far.  From “Black Panther” to “Deadpool 2,” the year was full of costumed heroes with plenty more to come.  In fact, 2018 already had four theatrically released superhero films and has four more on the way with “Teen Titans GO! to the Movies,” “Venom,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse,” and “Aquaman.”  That’s eight total, which seems like a ton until you consider the number of superhero films that are releasing in 2019.  There are anywhere from nine to eleven of these movies currently slated for a 2019 release coming from various production companies.  Here’s the rundown ordered by date:

“Hellboy” – January 11, 2019

Source: Lionsgate

I love Guillermo Del Toro’s “Hellboy” films.  It was the perfect franchise for him to take on with its wacky creatures and pure fantasy action.  This reboot from director Neil Marshall stars David Harbour as the titular Hellboy.  I’ve always liked Hellboy’s sarcastic sense of humor, and David Harbour was one of the best aspects of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”  Marshall previously directed a fantastic “Game of Thrones” episode, “The Watchers on the Wall” (Season 4, Episode 9) so I have no doubt that he can pull this off.

“X-Men: Dark Phoenix” – February 14, 2019

Source: 20th Century Fox

By the time this movie releases, it will have been three years since the release of “X-Men: Apocalypse.”  Thankfully, Bryan Singer is gone from the franchise, and instead, producer Simon Kinberg will direct.  This would be Kinberg’s directorial debut, but he’s been managing the X-Men movies for a very long time so he’s probably the most in-tune with the film franchise.  “Dark Phoenix” sees the return of the cast we last saw in “Apocalypse” with the major addition of Jessica Chastain as a mysterious character named Smith.  Personally, I think she’s going to end up being a female version of Mr. Sinister, but we’ll see.  The film will adapt one of my favorite comic book stories ever, the Dark Phoenix saga, in which Jean Grey unlocks her full potential.

“Captain Marvel” – March 8, 2019

Out of all the films on this list, this is the one I’m probably the most curious about.  I think Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel is set to become the new leader of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so this movie has to work on both a critical and commercial level for Marvel to do this.  “Captain Marvel” will take place in the 1990’s and will serve as sort of a prequel for the MCU with younger versions of Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.  The film is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, a husband/wife duo who directed “Half Nelson,” which I really liked.  I think these two are going to nail it out of the park.

Shazam! – April 5, 2019

I just saw the trailer for this last weekend, and it looks amazing.  This was my favorite trailer of Comic Con because it told me that the DCEU (or “Worlds of DC” as it’s now officially called) can lean into the lighter aspects of their comics and make a fun wish-fulfillment movie.  It looks like “Big” meets “Superman” with a heavy dose of humor.  Zachary Levi looks awesome in the costume, and I think he’s going to be the lighthearted hero the studio desperately needs right now.  The film’s concept is inherently funny so I hope that director David Sandberg (“Lights Out,” “Annabelle: Creation”) leans in on it.

Avengers 4 – May 3, 2019

We don’t know what this movie is called yet, but I’ve read rumors that it could be “Avengers: End Game.”  Either way, I have no doubt this movie is going to be incredible.  After the heartbreaking end of “Infinity War,” it’ll be a true spectacle to see these fallen heroes rise up to defeat the seemingly impossible enemy, Thanos.  I wrote an article explaining how the Russo brothers deconstructed the superhero myth with their three Marvel entries so if you would like to read that, here you go!  Considering “Infinity War” had the biggest opening of all time, I’m wondering if the untitled “Avengers 4” can somehow manage to one-up the rest.

Spider-Man: Far From Home – July 5, 2019

I’d hate to spoil “Infinity War” so if you’ve seen it, you know why this movie is a little problematic.  I’m curious to see how they market this movie considering there’s only a two month window between “Avengers 4” and this (assuming that “Avengers 4” fixes a certain something that happened in “Infinity War” of course).  I really like Tom Holland’s genuine style of acting.  I never really think of him acting since he just looks so happy to be in these movies.  Jon Watts did an amazing job with the last movie, and with recent rumors that Jake Gyllenhall is set to play the villanous Mysterio, this movie is shaping up to be another surefire winner for Marvel.

“Joker” – October 4, 2019

I personally won’t believe this movie is even happening until I see confirmed set pictures.  The whole Worlds of DC thing could mean that DC is taking on the multiverse concept in the comics, which means director Todd Philip’s “Joker” could be separate from the rest of the DC movies.  The Clown Prince of Crime will be played by none other than Joaquin Phoenix.  I think this is a huge step forward for superhero movies.  If this works out, it might even open up superhero films to the Academy Awards.  I feel like every year we get closer to one of these winning a major Oscar (last year, it was “Logan” and this year, it could be “Black Panther”).  It’s a topic for another day, so I might write about that sometime.

“The New Mutants” – August 2, 2019

This movie’s production has been a roller coaster.  They filmed this back in 2017 for an April 13, 2018 release.  They even had a trailer release in theaters that got me hyped.  Then why did they push it back by over a year?  There had to have been something fundamentally wrong with this movie, but then again, it could all be for the better.  Josh Boone is directing it, and if he brings any of the teen drama that he showcased in “The Fault in Our Stars,” I’m definitely on board.

“Wonder Woman 1984” – November 1, 2019

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures

I have yet to meet someone who didn’t like last year’s “Wonder Woman.”  I don’t just think it’s the best movie in the Worlds of DC, I think it’s one of the best superhero movies of all time.  Even if you take away the fact that it’s a huge step forward culturally to have a powerful female superhero front and center, it’s a great story about the morally grey aspects of war.  Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince and Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor had fantastic chemistry in the first film so it’s awesome to see them back.  Patty Jenkins returns to direct this sequel set in 1984, but there’s a lot of mystery surrounding how these Steve Trevor comes back after his supposed death in the first movie.  I hope the movie leans into the fun 1980’s aspect much like comic books did in that decade.

Untitled Fox/Marvel – November 22, 2019

I don’t know what this could be, but it’s probably not one of the main X-Men movies.  I actually think this movie will be scrapped due to the Disney/Fox merger, but for now, my bets are on something to do with Deadpool.  It could be X-Force, we’ll see.  What do you think it could be?

Bonus: “Gambit” – TBA

The Gambit movie has been in development since 2015.  Channing Tatum even showed up for 2015’s San Diego Comic Con for the film’s initial announcement with him in the lead role.  Since then, the movie has gone through a revolving door of directors from Rupert Wyatt to Gore Verbinski.  Producer Simon Kinberg keeps saying they’re going to film it soon, but they never go forward with it.  Like “Joker,” I won’t believe this movie even exists until I see some set pictures.  The movie is currently set for a June 7, 2019 release, but if the past is any indication, this might be further delayed.

Okay, so those are all the superhero movies coming out in 2019!  What do you think about this slate?  What are you most excited about in this list?  Please feel free to let me know in the comments section!

If you liked this article, be sure to check out my ranking of all 10 Star Wars films!  Thanks 🙂

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