Every superhero movie coming to cinemas in 2018 and their release dates: From Avengers to Black Panther

Plus Aquaman, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Deadpool 2, The Incredibles, and more

Before X-Men and The Dark Knight resuscitated the superhero movie from a camp extinction, comic book fans could only dream of stories such as The Infinity Gauntlet ever reaching cinemas.

Yet, by some miracle, that story will finally be adapted later this year in Avengers: Infinity War — the culmination of 10 years of Marvel movies.

Fans are exceedingly ecstatic, but Infinity War won’t be the only superhero movie reaching cinemas this year. Despite only one DC Extended Universe outing — Aquaman — a total of nine superhero blockbusters will be released this year.

UPDATE: Fox has delayed The New Mutants from April until next year while Deadpool 2 has been brought forward.

So, what’s coming this year? Let’s have a closer look.

Black Panther, 16 February 2018 (Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU)

First up, there’s Black Panther. Introduced in Civil War, Chadwick Boseman's leads a star-studded cast — including Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, and Martin Freeman — all directed by one of the most exciting new filmmakers around, Creed’s Ryan Coogler.

Avengers: Infinity War, 4 May 2018 (MCU)

Almost exactly 10 years after Robert Downey Jr. appeared as Iron Man for the first time and the largest movie in the MCU to date will arrive in cinemas. Bringing together the Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and many more, Infinity War should be utterly mind-blowing for comic-book fans.

Deadpool 2, 18 May 2018 (FOX)

Deadpool was a surprise box-office sensation that managed to launch Ryan Reynolds to even greater heights. With John Wick director David Leitch helming the movie and Josh Brolin joining the cast alongside Zazie Beetz, we expect some great action pieces and more crude laughs.

The Incredibles 2, 2 June 2018 (Pixar)

Everyone’s favourite superhero family returns this summer. Having last appeared in cinemas in 2004, anticipation has only been increasingly building ever since.

Ant-Man and the Wasp, 6 July 2018 (MCU)

With the MCU in limbo following Infinity War but before the untitled 2019 sequel, Disney has decided to release the sequel to Ant-Man, which now features the Wasp in the title. There’s not much information regarding the plot — likely to protect Infinity War spoilers — but Michelle Pfeiffer will play the presumed dead Janet Van Dyne.

Venom, 5 October 2018 (Sony’s Marvel Universe)

And here begins the confusion. Will Sony’s Tom Hardy-starring Venom be related to the MCU similar to how Spider-Man is? Apparently not. Does that mean we’re dealing with another completely separate Spider-Man world without actual Spider-Man? Apparently so. But, then again, Sony is trying to make them seem linked, so what's up? Whatever the case, we’re intrigued by the planned R-Rated spin-off which will apparently have horror twists.

X-Men: Dark Phoenix, 2 November 2018 (FOX)

Returning to the main X-Men story, Dark Phoenix sees James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, and Michael Fassbender reprising their long-running roles as Professor X, Mystique, and Magneto. Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, and Evan Peters also return to their roles, the story focussing on Turner’s Jean Grey. Jessica Chastain is the most notable newcomer, playing the film’s villain.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 14 December 2018 (Sony animation)

With Phil Lord and Chris Miller having stepped away from the Han Solo spin-off, their next project is the animated Spider-Man movie, centring on the character Miles Morales. The duo have written the feature, while Bob Perschietti and Peter Ramsey are directing. The multi-dimension storyline looks set to be a lot of fun.

Aquaman, 21 December 2018 (DC Extended Universe)

The only DC movie to reach cinemas this year, and first since the relatively disastrous Justice League, Warner Bros. is hoping Aquaman will bring fans back on board their cinematic universe. James Wan — of Saw, The Conjuring, and Furious 7 fame — will be helming the blockbuster, hoping to bring some horror elements to the series.