Theaters and streaming platforms will have their hands full of superheroes in 2026. Studios now plan months of audience activity around each one.
Interactive entertainment plays a huge role. These include studio-run fan participation during a release cycle, such as watch parties, polls, livestream reveals, and limited licensed game events.
Let’s look at the top Marvel and DC releases and the studio-planned entertainment around them.
Marvel’s 2026 runway
The release schedule can mean that studios want to introduce characters who will be featured in other films or confirm which corners of the universe interconnect.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases on July 31, 2026, and sets the pace for the middle of the calendar. Avengers: Doomsday lands on December 18, 2026, and closes the cycle. Everything before December exists to prepare you for that film, either by introducing characters or by showing which story threads matter.
Marvel has signaled a mix of groups and returning characters through casting reports and early marketing focus. Doctor Doom sits at the center of that setup. His role points to conflict between factions rather than a single group forming once and staying intact.
Key Marvel releases in 2026:
- Wonder Man (January 27, 2026): Disney series introducing Simon Williams, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, adding a new Avengers-linked character ahead of Marvel’s late-year ensemble film.
- Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (March 2026): Continuation of Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s conflict after Fisk becomes mayor of New York.
- X-Men ’97 Season 2 (Summer 2026): Animated continuation of the revived X-Men series using original voice actors to keep mutant characters active during Phase 6.
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 (Fall 2026): Animated Spider-Man series aimed at younger viewers, running alongside Marvel’s live-action Spider-Man releases.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026): Fourth live-action Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, anchoring Marvel’s mid-year release schedule.
- Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026): Phase 6 event film featuring Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr., bringing together Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men characters.
DC’s 2026 runway
DC Studios wants to finish rebooting its universe in 2026.
Crossovers move characters and story events between DC films and series within the same universe. The studio is rolling out a new DCU under a planned chapter structure, which means early films and series must show tone, genre range, and character rules clearly.
Supergirl releases on June 26, 2026, and presents a large-scale hero story led by a new face. Clayface follows on September 11, 2026, and centers on a villain inside a darker genre frame. DC uses this contrast to show that the universe can hold different styles without breaking continuity.
Key DC releases in 2026:
- Supergirl (June 26, 2026): DCU film starring Milly Alcock, based on Tom King’s comic, establishing a darker cosmic tone for the rebooted universe.
- Clayface (September 11, 2026): DCU standalone villain film written by Mike Flanagan, focused on body horror and tragedy, separate from Matt Reeves’ Batman universe.
- Lanterns (Early 2026): Live-action DCU television series centered on Green Lantern characters, expanding shared story threads beyond theatrical releases.
Any news about a Marvel and DC crossover?
Reports from San Diego Comic-Con 2025 point to early talks about a possible Marvel and DC crossover film.
Insider rumors say that discussions involve DC Studios co-head James Gunn and Marvel directors Joe and Anthony Russo. No studio has confirmed a project, but the claim aligns with renewed cooperation between the two companies at the publishing level.
These rumors gained more ground with the announcement of a Deadpool and Batman comic crossover and the reveal of a shared variant cover at Comic-Con. The comic brings together writers and artists from both publishers and signals that cross-brand coordination is active, at least in print.
James Gunn has publicly acknowledged the idea in past interviews, saying a film crossover would require strong creative intent and planning. He has stressed that scale alone would not justify the project, and any crossover would need a clear story reason before moving forward.
Where franchises meet interactivity
You can encounter Marvel and DC characters across platforms within the same release windows.
A trailer introduces the character, livestreams highlight scenes or casting, licensed games run timed events, and short clips keep the character visible between releases. Each format reinforces recognition without repeating the plot.
Licensed games stay common because they reduce learning time for players. A few examples:
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5, 2023): A big, recent win for licensed superhero games. Sony said it sold 2.5 million copies in 24 hours, which is huge for a single platform launch. Reviews were strong across major outlets, and it became the current benchmark for modern comic book action games.
- Batman: Arkham Knight (2015): Still the reference point for Batman combat, detective pacing, and Gotham atmosphere. It reviewed well overall and stayed a long-term seller through discounts and collections. Warner has not kept a clean, up-to-date public unit count that I can cite confidently, so I will not fake a number here.
While it’s still in its early stages, streaming platforms borrow interaction tools from games. Imagine fans voting, predicting, or reacting together during a streaming release. Studios, which already own streaming platforms, can design simple actions for these elements. This interactive trend extends to other platforms, like ETH casino games, where players make real-time bets and decisions in superhero-themed narratives.
Choice-based stories let the audience affect how a story unfolds instead of only observing it. In film and television, this usually means selecting actions or decisions that change scene order, character outcomes, or endings.
Video games show this model clearly. Dispatch, a recent narrative game, puts you in control of decisions that shape character relationships, pacing, and final outcomes. Choices alter outcomes and unlock different endings.
Netflix tested the same idea in television with Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. The episode let viewers choose actions for the main character using simple prompts on screen. Each choice shifted the story toward different endings, tones, and themes.
A side note
Release dates, confirmed casts, and official trailers tell you what is coming. But you should track the 2026 release calendar closely, as things may get delayed.