The last ten years have been a massive leap for superhero films. Superhero movies and TV shows have been around for decades, but they have recently become one of the most lucrative genres in existence.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is partly the reason why superhero movies and shared universes have become so popular, but DC has also been playing catch up with their own films, typically called the DC Extended Universe. Both DC and Marvel have been able to generate millions, sometimes billions of dollars with their films, turning their titles into some of the most profitable movies of the year.
2019 looks to have the most superhero movies ever in one year, but the genre will certainly continue for years to come. Looking forward to 2020, there are a handful of superhero movies that fans might have forgotten about, and even more that could possibly be released that year.
Both Marvel and DC have announced release dates for 2020, but they haven’t revealed which movies will actually be coming out. Disney, specifically, is being incredibly secretive by not revealing any titles with release dates past this year’s Avengers: Endgame. There has been news about different Marvel and DC movies that are supposedly in development, which could also end up being released in 2020. Here are 6 Superhero Movies Fans Forgot Were Confirmed for 2020 (And 19 Possibilities).
Confirmed: Birds Of Prey
So far, it looks like the first superhero movie coming out in 2020 will be Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). The film is currently set for a February 7, 2020 release date, with Margot Robbie returning to her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn.
She will be joined by actresses Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, and Ella Jay Basco, who are playing the characters The Huntress, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain respectively. Ewan McGregor will also be in the movie, playing the role of the villain Black Mask.
Possibility: The Eternals
One of the most likely movies coming out in 2020 is The Eternals. The Eternals will be set around immortal beings that helped shape history and civilization. Kevin Feige has confirmed that The Eternals is happening and has even compared the movie to Guardians of the Galaxy.
The movie doesn’t have a cast just yet, but Chloé Zhao will be directing the film. The Eternals hasn’t been given a release date either, but since the film is supposed to start filming in August, it is completely possible that the movie could be released in 2020.
Possibility: Black Widow
Another Marvel movie that could be released in 2020 is Black Widow. Natasha Romanoff has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since Iron Man 2, but it looks like she will be getting her own solo movie soon. Cate Shortland has been hired to direct the solo film, but nobody besides Scarlett Johansson has been cast so far.
Marvel is keeping the story a mystery as of right now, but it’s possible that Captain Marvel could have some connections to Black Widow. Filming for Black Widow is supposed to start in June and the film will not be rated-R as previously theorized.
Possibility: New Gods
Keeping with films that may not be a part of the DC Extended Universe, New Gods could potentially be released in 2020. Ava DuVernay was given the job of directing the film after she asked for the position and the script will be written by Kario Salem.
The film will be an adaptation of The New Gods comic book series by Jack Kirby. The story hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it is believed that Granny Goodness and the Female Furies will be the main villains of the film, while Mister Miracle and Big Barda are thought to be the heroes.
Possibility: Doctor Strange 2
A Doctor Strange sequel could take one of Marvel’s 2020 released dates, despite Doctor Strange not surviving the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Kevin Feige confirmed last year that Doctor Strange 2 will happen eventually, although it is hard to say exactly when that will be.
With the drama revolving around Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel could fill in the gap with Doctor Strange 2, especially now that it has been announced that Scott Derrickson will return to direct the sequel. The writer from the original film, Robert Cargill, also might return to write the script.
Confirmed: Gambit
Ever since Taylor Kitsch appeared in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, there have been rumors about a Gambit solo film. It’s been ten years since then and even with Channing Tatum attached to star as Gambit, the film still hasn’t been released. Despite Gambit going through multiple directors and being delayed several times, Fox has still given the film a release date of March 13, 2020.
With that in mind, it is completely possible the film will be delayed again, especially with Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox. X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner has even said that “It’s gonna be Disney’s call” on whether Gambit is made or not.
Possibility: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
With all of the scandals that surrounded James Gunn last year, it isn’t a big surprise that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was delayed. Gunn has moved on and jumped over to DC to direct The Suicide Squad, but Disney is still searching for a director.
Directors like Travis Knight, Adam McKay, and even Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi have all been rumored to be attached to the film, but all of them have said they are not directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Despite the delay, Gunn’s script is still being used and Chris Pratt seems confident that the movie will still happen; possibly in 2020?
Possibility: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2
With the massive success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it’s safe to assume that Sony is going to be fast-tracking a sequel. Not only did Into the Spider-Verse earn Sony a pretty penny, but it also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in this year’s Academy Awards.
Both a sequel and an all-female spin-off are said to be in the works, so it’s a huge possibility that one of these films could be released in 2020. There are even rumors that Sony might be developing a Spider-Ham spin-off, meaning there are plenty of more animated Spider-Man adventures coming to theaters soon.
Possibility: Supergirl
While The CW is seeing success with Melissa Benoist and her portrayal of Kara Danvers in Supergirl, it seems as if Warner Bros. is also making a Supergirl movie.
It was announced last year that Supergirl was in development and it’s also believed that Warner Bros. ceased development on Man of Steel 2 to focus on Kara Zor-El’s story. The Supergirl movie is said to be an origin story based in the 1970s and Brainiac is rumored to be the main villain of the movie as of right now.
Possibility: Deadpool 3
After Deadpool turned into a smash hit, Deadpool 2 was only inevitable. The sequel also did well at the box office, but Deadpool 3 is currently without a release date. The fate of Deadpool 3 had been a mystery, especially since Disney is acquiring 20th Century Fox, but Ryan Reynolds has said that Deadpool 3 is in development and will “go in a completely different direction”.
Even after Disney acquires Fox’s assets, they will supposedly remain open to making R-rated superhero movies, but probably wouldn’t include the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Confirmed: Morbius
With the success of films like Venom and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sony looks to be quickly expanding their Spider-Man universes. Morbius looks to be their next film in their live-action Spider-Man universe, as Sony has set a release date of July 31, 2020.
Jared Leto will be playing the role of the famous vampire and Matt Smith could possibly be playing the villain Loxias Crown, who is the best friend of Morbius in the comic books. Filming for Morbius is supposed to be finished by May of this year, making the July 2020 release date completely do-able.
Possibility: X-Force
Much like Deadpool 3, the fate of X-Force was put into question after word broke that Disney was indeed acquiring 20th Century Fox. When asked about X-Force, Deadpool and Deadpool 2 writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick explained that X-Force would happen before Deadpool 3, but that they weren’t involved with X-Force.
While X-Force stands a better chance of being released in 2020 than Deadpool 3 it’s possible that X-Force has been shelved for the time being. Disney could certainly decide to fast-track X-Force due to Deadpool’s popularity, but whether that will happen or not remains a mystery.
Possibility: Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four is one group of characters that movie studios just can’t seem to do justice. In 1994, New Horizons made an unreleased Fantastic Four movie, and fans got two more new films in 2005 and 2007. 20th Century Fox tried to reboot the characters in 2015 and failed miserably, but it’s possible a new Fantastic Four movie could come out in 2020.
Marvel Studios is said to be regainingX-Men and Fantastic Four rights early this year, but it’s unknown when they will join the MCU. With that in mind, there are rumors that the team could be introduced or teased in Spider-Man: Far From Home this year.
Possibility: Lobo
Lobo is one DC movie that has been in development for quite some time. There have been ideas on how to bring the character to the big screen for years, but Michael Bay is currently the director expected to helm the project.
Warner Bros has stated before that they are open to making R-rated DC films, so it’s possible that Lobo could end up being rated R. The film doesn’t have any concrete details just yet, but it’s believed that Warner Bros. is trying to get the film’s projected $200 million budget down in order to get things rolling.
Possibility: Venom 2
Sony has had some trouble with Spider-Man movies in the past, despite Sam Raimi’s trilogy making them a ton of money. That being said they have continued to make live-action Spider-Man movies, most recently Venom starring Tom Hardy. Despite receiving mixed reviews, Venom made a lot of money at the box office, which is the only thing that matters when it comes to sequels.
Venom 2 is moving forward with Kelly Marcel returning to write the script for Venom 2, so it’s possible that Venom 2 could snag one of Sony’s Marvel release dates spots for 2020.
Confirmed: Cyborg
Even though Cyborg was announced for an April 3, 2020 release date, things may have changed given the critical disappointment of films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. Actor Joe Morton (Silas Stone) has said that the solo movie is still happening and might even use a scrapped storyline from Justice League.
There haven’t been a lot of updates surrounding Cyborg lately, but actor Ray Fisher has remained positive and with no word from Warner Bros., fans can only assume that the film is still aiming to be released in 2020.
Possibility: Black Adam
Black Adam was a character that was originally supposed to square off against Shazam in the upcoming Shazam!. It was reported in 2017 that Black Adam would be getting his own solo movie instead and now it looks like Black Adam won’t even make a cameo in Shazam!.
Dwayne Johnson was cast as Black Adam back in 2014, but his solo film was left on the back burner while Warner Bros. focused on other projects. Johnson mentioned in 2018 that Black Adam would hopefully start filming this year and if that’s the case, the film could certainly make a 2020 release date.
Possibility: Shang-Chi
It’s fair to say that Shang-Chi is a Marvel character that not everyone is familiar with. The character has been around since the 70s and is known as the Master of Kung-Fu. Since Marvel is constantly looking to introduce new characters, it looks like a Shang-Chi solo movie is moving forward, with Marvel Studios looking to hire an Asian director.
It’s also rumored that Shang-Chi will be introduced in Spider-Man: Far From Home since actor Remy Hii’s character in the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel is still unknown at this time.
Possibility: The Flash
Since Flash is one of the original members of the Justice League, it only makes sense that he would get his own solo movie. The film has been delayed multiple times, but could possibly get released in 2020. Aquaman had a Flashpoint tease during the post-credits scene, however, The Flash likely won’t be based on the Flashpoint comic anymore.
That being said, Barry Allen actor Ezra Miller has recently teased The Flash introducing a “speedster multiverse” saying “DC is a multiverse – all these different stories with different realities, different characters and different versions of characters. And the speedsters are the ones who move through it all”.
Possibility: Batgirl
Several different actors have played Batman over the years, but not as many movies about Batgirl have been made. Batwoman is coming to The CW this year, but Warner Bros. is also developing a Batgirl movie. Joss Whedon was once thought to be tackling the project, but now the studio is looking for a female director.
So far, Warner Bros. hasn’t found a director or set a release date, but Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson will be writing the script for Batgirl. With very little information currently known about the film, it’s hard to guess when it will be released, but Batgirl still has a chance of coming out in 2020.
