Moviegoers all across the world should prepare to be dazzled and wowed in the upcoming year, as Hollywood has a slew of sensational sequels set to premiere on the big screen in 2025. From highly-anticipated superhero flicks like Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts to long-awaited zombie extravaganzas such as 28 Years Later, there will be no shortage of thrilling big-budget sequels to enjoy.
Whether audiences enjoy sci-fi spectacles, brutal video game adaptations, or exhilarating heist films, 2025 is shaping up to be a truly transcending cinema experience for viewers as they will be reunited with some of the silver screen’s most beloved characters including Daniel LaRusso, Kevin Flynn, and the gravity-defying daredevil Ethan Hunt himself. Let’s check out all the fun and highly buzzed-about sequels fans have to look forward to next year.
10 ‘Captain America: Brave New World’
February 14, 2025
Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titled New World Order) marks Sam Wilson’s first MCU big-screen appearance as Steve Rogers’ successor after receiving the suit and shield in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Anthony Mackie returns as the titular Avenger alongside Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Carl Lumby as Isaiah Bradley, and Tim Blake Nelson as The Incredible Hulk’s former ally Samuel Sterns. Harrison Ford makes his MCU debut replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross.
Director Julius Onah
Rating
Cast Harrison Ford , Liv Tyler , Giancarlo Esposito , Rosa Salazar , Takehiro Hira , Anthony Mackie , Tim Blake Nelson , Shira Haas , Carl Lumbly , Danny Ramirez , Rachael Markarian , Jacqueline Loucks , Tony Mareno , Zo’Anne Mckinstry , Phuong Kubacki , Colby Lopez , Xosha Roquemore
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What better way to celebrate the day of love than go to the theater and watch Anthony Mackie kick butt and take names as the newly-appointed Captain America? After starring alongside Sebastian Stan in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Mackie is ready to fully step into his role as the world’s ultimate protector in Captain America: Brave New World. Sam Wilson will face countless adversaries and struggles as he attempts to navigate his monumental new role, all the while trying to prevent a potentially devastating global plot by a mastermind.
The MCU’s Latest Superhero Spectacle
Mackie will be joined in the highly-anticipated sequel by stars like Tim Blake Nelson, Liv Tyler, and Harrison Ford, with the legendary actor taking on the exciting character Red Hulk in the big screen extravaganza. With a reported budget of a whopping $350 million, devoted MCU fans can expect the Phase Five installment to be jam-packed full of larger-than-life action sequences and jaw-dropping special effects, and the box office performance of the sequel will ultimately reveal whether or not Captain America can live on without Steve Rogers/Chris Evans.
9 ‘Thunderbolts*’
May 2, 2025
Thunderbolts*
The lovable misfits of the MCU are begrudgingly joining forces to headline the star-studded superhero extravaganza Thunderbolts*, with big names like Sebastian Stan, Florence Pugh, and David Harbour reprising their respective roles from former installments to portray the temperamental group of antiheroes. The titular team will feature popular characters like Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, and Alexei Shostakov A.K.A Red Guardian as they are recruited by the American government to carry out dangerous missions.
The MCU’s Most Famous Misfits Assemble
Wyatt Russell will be reprising his role of John Walker/U.S. Agent from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as will Olga Kurylenko, who appeared as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster from Black Widow. Thunderbolts* will be the final film in Phase Five and will further highlight the famous antiheroes and allow them to have redemption arcs after their past misdeeds. When describing what was unique about the film, Harbour described it as “a bunch of misfits and outcasts and losers and people who don’t really live up to the super in superhero.”
Related Everything We Know About Marvel’s Phase 6
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8 ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’
May 23, 2025
The 8th entry in the long running Mission Impossible franchise. Starring Tom Cruise and Vanessa Kirby.
Release Date May 23, 2025
Cast Tom Cruise , Pom Klementieff , Rebecca Ferguson , Vanessa Kirby , Hayley Atwell , Hannah Waddingham , Simon Pegg , Ving Rhames , Esai Morales , Henry Czerny , Holt McCallany , Nick Offerman , Angela Bassett , Shea Whigham , Charles Parnell
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Action icon Tom Cruise will once again defy the laws of gravity and showcase his jaw-dropping physical prowess in the upcoming action spy film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which will pick up after the epic cliffhanger in Part One and follow the resilient and relentless Ethan Hunt as he fiercely fights to stop a global catastrophe with the help of his loyal team and friends. Filmed back-to-back with Dead Reckoning Part One, the sequel will also feature familiar faces like Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg.
Cruise Is Back to Defying Gravity
The Mission: Impossible series is known for its gigantic production budget as well as its electrifying stunts and action sequences, and The Final Reckoning has a budget approaching nearly $400 million, almost double its predecessor’s. Part One grossed $570.6 million worldwide and scored a fantastic 96% Rotten Tomatoes score, while also earning two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe nomination. The fan-favorite action franchise is considered one of the greatest of all time and its seven films have amassed $4.14 billion.
7 ‘Karate Kid: Legends’
May 30, 2025
Karate Kid: Legends
Release Date May 30, 2025
Director Jonathan Entwistle
The beloved and transcending martial arts franchise is finally getting a new addition with Karate Kid: Legends, the sixth film in the enduring series that will feature Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles from previous installments. Legends will focus on Daniel LaRusso as he travels to Beijing to help Mr. Han instruct his new protege Li Fong (Ben Wang), though the two martial arts masters will have to see if their conflicting teaching methods will be able to mesh with one another’s.
Martial Arts Universes Collide
Deemed “the return of the original Karate Kid franchise,” Legends confirms that the original films, 2010 remake, and Cobra Kai TV series are all set in the same universe, and fans are ecstatic that Daniel and Mr. Han will finally come face-to-face and show off their dazzling kung fu skills after years of the studio trying to develop a follow-up. Joshua Jackson, Ming-Na Wen, and Danny McBride will also be appearing in the long-awaited sequel, which will surely become a blockbuster hit when it premieres in the summer of 2025.
6 ’28 Years Later’
June 20, 2025
Release Date June 20, 2025
After a long and grueling fourteen years, zombie lovers all across the world rejoiced when it was revealed that Danny Boyle would be returning to direct the third entry in his critically-lauded post-apocalyptic horror series 28 Days Later, with lead star and Academy Award-winner Cillian Murphy also reprising his role as Jim from the previous installments. The resilient survivor must once again navigate a world ravaged by the undead after the Rage Virus comes back and decimates the world, with flesh-craving hordes plaguing the lands.
The Zombie Classic’s Dazzling Trio Reunite
Talks of a potential third film had been circulating since 2007 shortly after the release of 28 Weeks Later, though throughout the years there had been great uncertainty whether or not the project would ever materialize. In January 2024, 28 Years Later was officially greenlit and will mark the first of a brand new trilogy of sequels, with the project reuniting Boyle, Murphy, and screenwriter Alex Garland. Murphy will appear alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes in the highly-anticipated spine-tingling flick.
Related The 10 Best Zombie Movies from the 2000s, Ranked
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5 ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’
July 2, 2025
Jurassic World Rebirth
Release Date July 2, 2025
Cast Scarlett Johansson , Mahershala Ali , Jonathan Bailey , Rupert Friend , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Luna Blaise , David Iacono , Audrina Miranda , Philippine Velge , Bechir Sylvain , Ed Skrein
Set five years after the epic events of Jurassic World Dominion, the latest addition to Michael Crichton’s revered sci-fi series will center on savvy overt operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) as she is tapped to head a highly-skilled team to gather crucial genetic material from three of the planet’s most colossal dinosaurs. Zora finds her dangerous mission complicated after the team finds themselves stranded on an island with a civilian family, where they discover a shocking, hidden secret.
The Beginning of a New Era
Jurassic World Rebirth will premiere hot off the billion-dollar success of 2022’s Dominion and along with Johansson’s Zora Bennett will introduce new characters to the exciting franchise like Jonathan Bailey’s Dr. Henry Loomis and Mahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid. The sequel will pull from the plot of its predecessor in which humans are forced to co-exist with dinosaurs, with producer Frank Marshall declaring that it would mark “the start of a new era” in the pulse-pounding sci-fi series.
4 ‘Tron: Ares’
October 10, 2025
The third entry in the engrossing sci-fi action series, Tron: Ares will serve as a standalone sequel to 2010’s Tron: Legacy and tells the story of the massively intelligent program Ares (Jared Leto) as the digital force embarks upon a dangerous mission into the real world where it interacts with the film’s colorful protagonists, marking the first time A.I. beings roam freely amongst humankind. The sequel will delve into the ethics behind and ramifications of AI, as society and technology spectacularly clash.
A Transportive Cinematic Experience
Jeff Bridges was confirmed to be reprising his role of Kevin Flynn in the thrilling sequel, having starred in the ’80s cult classic and its subsequent follow-up, and he will be joined by actors like Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Greta Lee. Tron: Ares is sure to include stunning digital landscapes and show-stopping visual effects and transport audiences to the wondrous world of artificial intelligence, and fans will also be elated that franchise staple Bridges will also have a prominent role in the sequel.
3 ‘Mortal Kombat 2’
October 24, 2025
Based on the delightfully gory video game series of the same name and the 2021 hit adaptation, Mortal Kombat 2 will continue fearless fighter Cole Young’s (Lewis Tan) dangerous journey as he and his fierce fellow warriors battle it out in the brutal and bloody fighting tournament to protect Earthrealm from Outworld’s nefarious monsters and deadly assassins. Assisting Cole on his noble quest are unforgettable characters like Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and Jackson “Jax” Briggs.
Sequel Will Embrace the Weird & Zany
Joining the wonderfully over-the-time film series is The Boys star Karl Urban, who will be notably tackling the role of the charismatic action movie star-turned-fighter Johnny Cage. Writer Jeremy Slater set out to “embrace some of [the] weirdness” that was synonymous with the fighting series in the $68 million sequel, while also keeping moviegoers on their toes and making the experience unpredictable. Slater also said that the follow-up will tackle the positive and negative fan reactions from its predecessor and defy their expectations.
2 ‘Now You See Me 3’
November 14, 2025
Featuring a star-studded cast led by Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, and Woody Harrelson, the spellbinding heist thriller Now You See Me 3 is the latest entry in the exhilarating film series and will mark the epic return of The Four Horsemen as they use their dazzling skills of deception and illusion to carry-out their most bold and dangerous scheme yet. Isla Fisher is also set to return as escapist and stage magician Henley Reeves after sitting out the second installment, only adding to the overall excitement of devoted fans.
Audiences Are Likely in For a Treat
While the storyline for the third entry is being kept under wraps, audiences can expect the sensational sequel to deliver plenty of gorgeous visual spectacles and a high-stakes operation carried out by the savvy team. While the captivating franchise has garnered a mixed-bag response from critics, it has left quite an impression on moviegoers and has grossed $686.6 million at the box office against a $165 million budget, with each installment earning a stellar A- CinemaScore from viewers.
1 ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
December 19, 2025
After previously waiting 13 years for James Cameron to release Avatar: The Way of Water, the record-shattering sequel to his 2009 groundbreaking masterpiece, fans of the epic sci-fi series should prepare to be spoiled as the third installment Avatar: Fire and Ash will be landing in theaters just in time for Christmas 2025. Cameron will once again transport audiences to the breathtaking world of Pandora where Jake Sully, Neytiri, and the Na’vi must protect their beloved land from human colonizers while coping with internal tension and conflicts.
A Lucrative & Electrifying Franchise
The Avatar franchise is one of the most expensive film franchises of all time, with the combined budget of the original cinema triumph as well as its four subsequent sequels costing an estimated $1 billion to produce. Avatar is the highest-grossing movie of all time (earning over $2.9 billion) and its follow-up is the third highest-grossing with a worldwide gross of $2.32 billion. Fire and Ash will likely follow in its acclaimed predecessors’ footsteps, which will help combat its $250 price tag.
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