Upcoming superhero movies to watch in 2023 ranked by excitement

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By

Robert Lee III

Published May 7, 2026, 7:21 PM EDT

Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years.

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While the genre isn't as overwhelmingly dominant in wider pop culture as it once was in the 2010s, the superhero genre still has its select share of great releases and films that draw up excitement and hype better than any other genre. Entire superhero franchises have lived and died on the hype and excitement that the build-up, with playing into the excitement of die-hard fans being a cornerstone of their impact and effectiveness in the months and years leading up to their release.

These levels of excitement persist in upcoming superhero films, as many audiences are eager to see their favorite characters return to the big screen or be adapted for the first time. Between the sequels, spin-offs, and long-awaited returns of legendary superhero icons, these superhero movies stand out as the most exciting and anticipated releases to keep an eye on over the next few years. Several of these films are arguably among the most anticipated releases across every genre, not just within the superhero genre.

8

'Clayface'

Release Date: October 23rd, 2026

Image via DC

There has been a massive fluctuation of quality when it comes to the various supervillain origin stories in recent memory, as they can range from highly celebrated Best Picture-nominated films like Joker_ to notorious critical and box-office failures like Kraven the Hunter. However, the third film in the new DC Universe, Clayface, seems to have all the potential and pieces to be an all-time villain origin story. Directed by James Watkins and with a screenplay written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, Clayface is shaping up to be a powerful and deeply impactful look at the toxicity of show business through a body horror lens.

On one hand, a horror film following the origin of a C-Tier Batman villain seems a little strange to include in a cinematic universe before even introducing Batman himself. However, there is a clear passion for this story and character, finding inspiration from the legendary Batman: The Animated Series episode "Feat of Clay" and looking to tap into the tragic nature of the character as a whole. In a world where every other superhero movie seems content to play to mass audiences, Clayface could be the type of wild, experimental film that the genre truly needs.

7

'Man of Tomorrow'

Release Date: July 9th, 2027

_ David Corenswet in James Gunn's SupermanImage via DC Studios

James Gunn's Superman_ was easily one of the most invigorating and exciting superhero movies of recent memory, single-handedly justifying the existence of a new DC cinematic universe and creating newfound excitement and passion for Superman as a character. Following the success of the film, it makes sense that a sequel would already be in production, with Man of Tomorrow looking to deliver on a lot of the same strengths that made the original film such a hit. The film is set to follow Superman and Lex Luthor having to team up in order to face a larger threat together, presumed to be Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger.

Considering just how comic-accurate and electrifying on-screen that David Corenswet and Nicholas Hoult's iterations of Superman and Lex were in the previous film, the prospect of seeing them team up makes for a wildly exciting blockbuster concept. The film will certainly have an appeal even if it has only a fraction of the appeal of the original film, yet with a lot of the same production team and cast returning, it's hard to envision this film as anything other than another exceptional Superman adventure for the modern age.

6

'Incredibles 3'

Release Date: June 16th, 2028

_ Violet using her powers to protect her family in The Incredibles 2Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

While not being adapted from a comic book like many of the other highly anticipated superhero films of the modern era, Pixar's iconic superhero family has stood as one of the most successful and beloved franchises, with the original film standing as one of the all-time greatest superhero movies. Now, set to release a decade after the previous film, Incredibles 3_ is set up to deliver a lot of the same joyous, superhero family fun that made the previous films icons of the genre. However, while this third in the trilogy still has Brad Bird writing the script, it has a brand-new director in Peter Sohn, who previously directed Elemental and The Good Dinosaur for the studio.

Both the animation landscape and Pixar's repertoire as a whole are completely different in the 2020s than they were when Incredibles 2 released back in 2018, with recent releases like Hoppers, Soul, and Elemental showing the studio's willingness to be creative and take risks with their films. While there is certainly potential and excitement in delivering on the same classic charms of the previous entries, there is also a lot of excitement towards tapping into this experimental era for the studio and delivering a dynamic, one-of-a-kind sequel that elevates the characters to new heights.

5

'Supergirl'

Release Date: June 26th, 2026

_ Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The next major superhero film to be released that is only a month and a half away, Supergirl_ is delivering the next major step in the new DC Universe and following in the footsteps of last year's Superman. However, under the directing vision of Craig Gillespie and focusing much more on the wild, crash-out energy of the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow run of comics, this iteration of Supergirl is looking to be a chaotic, fun time that is distinguishing itself from being just a Superman copy. The film sees Milly Alcock returning as Supergirl, following her traveling across the galaxy with her dog Krypto as she celebrates her 23rd birthday and goes on an unlikely quest of murder and revenge.

The film is showing a lot of promise, not just as a fun blockbuster event of the year, but also in helping further build the world of the DCU beyond Earth and into the cosmos. Characters like Jason Momoa as Lobo and Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll are sure to add a lot of fun energy to the film, while various backstories will be sure to delve into the mythos and pain of the destruction of Krypton. The film will certainly have some fierce competition in releasing a week after Toy Story 5, but hopes are high that it can deliver on the same highs that the DCU has been providing so far.

4

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'

Release Date: July 31st, 2026

_ Spider-Man (Tom Holland) swinging across New York City away from Boomerang in 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'Images via Sony Pictures Releasing

Continuing the hot streak of Tom Holland's major successes playing the legendary wall-crawler in the MCU, Spider-Man: Brand New Day_ will deliver on the legendary ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home that left audiences in awe and clamoring for more. However, the film is also much more about the rebirth and next stage of Spider-Man in the MCU, with him almost feeling like a completely new character as he's without his Tony Stark technology and more in touch with the other prominent New York street-level characters in the MCU.

The film will see Peter now living as a lonesome adult in a New York that no longer knows his name, but the intensity of being Spider-Man full-time places physical pressures on him that threaten his existence. A lot of the finer details surrounding the film are still shrouded in mystery, such as the identity and importance of characters played by Sadie Sink and Tramell Tillman. However, with fan-favorites like Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner and Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle returning, as well as the long-awaited cliffhanger of Michael Mando's Scorpion entering the fray, Brand New Day seems like it has all the pieces to be the Spider-Man film fans have wanted for a long time.

3

'The Batman: Part II'

Release Date: October 1st, 2027

_ Robert Pattinson in 'The Batman'Image via DC Studios

Few superhero movies were as overwhelmingly praised and appreciated upon release as Matt Reeves' strikingly brilliant take on Gotham City and Bruce Wayne in 2022's The Batman_. This has made the long-awaited sequel to the film, The Batman: Part II, one of the most highly anticipated sequels, superhero movie or otherwise, ever since it was announced. However, as the film has been delayed multiple times while Reeves has been working on the script, the film's production finally seems to be underway with filming set to start in a few months.

With more news coming out about the film now than ever before, such as the casting of icons like Scarlett Johansson as Gilda Dent and Sebastian Stan as Harvey Dent, the excitement for the film is at a more heightened state than ever before. Even with the film still being 17 months away, that initial film was simply so memorable and entertaining that it has had audiences waiting and on edge with bated breath ever since. If it could achieve anything close to either the original film, or the other exceptional Batman Part Two, The Dark Knight, then this film has the potential to be one of the all-time greatest Batman movies.

2

'Avengers: Doomsday'

Release Date: December 18th, 2026

_ Patrick Stewart in Avengers DoomsdayImage via Marvel

It's been 7 years and an seemingly infinite number of different movies and television series since Avengers: Endgame_ rocked the world and delivered upon all the build-up and weight of the Infinity Saga. It was a cinematic event that simply couldn't be matched, although that isn't stopping Marvel Studios from bringing everyone back for another Avengers film in Avengers: Doomsday. The film is sporting one of the biggest casts in superhero movie history, bringing together all sorts of Marvel icons from their 2020s films, the return various other classic characters, and even the cast of X-Men returning to portray their characters once again.

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