2024 wasn’t the most generous year in terms of original blockbusters, but films like Inside Out 2, Gladiator II, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Despicable Me 4 still carried the year. However, 2025 holds the promise of being an even better year for theatres and streaming services as timeless masterpieces are lined up for release throughout the year.
Marvel and DC studios are already ahead of the queue, but fan interest is also high in new independent films and some iconic remakes. While surprises are still expected in the theatres as the year rolls on, these 10 upcoming films have seen the highest fan engagement on social media and IMDB going into 2025 suggesting that they are the year’s most eagerly awaited films.
11Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Initially set for release in May 2022, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning is probably the longest-awaited blockbuster coming out in 2025. Plot details are still scarce, but it is a direct sequel to Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.
Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt alongside most of his Dead Reckoning Part One co-stars, including Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg. Photos of Tom Cruise clinging to the cockpit of an airborne biplane while filming emerged in July 2024, leading to heightened fan interest in the action-packed film.
It is the eighth Mission impossible, initially intended to be filmed back to back with its predecessor, but the plan changed in 2022. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023 also led to a halt in production leading to a further delay of its release date. However, fan interest in the film has only increased, especially after rumors that it could be Tom Cruise’s last appearance in a Mission Impossible film.
10A Minecraft Movie
This is one of the most interesting original films of 2025 that is set to continue the positive trend of video game adaptations seen in recent years. Minecraft has only gotten better since Microsoft purchased it for $2.5 billion in 2014. Having sold over 300 million copies, and retaining over 170 million active players monthly, it is arguably one of (if not the most) popular video games in the world. Plans for a film adaptation started in 2014 but were only actualized in 2022 when Mojang Studios, who own Minecraft, teamed up with Warner Bros to develop the film.
For its storyline, A Minecraft Movie follows a group of misfits who are teleported into a strange cubic world where anything they imagine can be created as long as it can be made out of blocks. The misfits are tasked with saving the Minecraft world (the Overworld) from a group of Piglins and zombies before they make it back home. Directed by Jared Hess, the film features a star-studded cast including Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Emma Myers.
It will be released in April 2025, but the numbers alsredy prove that it is eagerly awaited by millions. Its two first trailers released by Warner Bros garnered over 100 million views across YouTube, Instagram, and X.
9Jurassic World 4: Rebirth
2025 is set to witness the return of Sci-fi glory with the seventh film in the Jurassic Park series, which has maintained a huge fan base since 1993. Jurassic World 4: Rebirth is a sequel to the 2022 film Jurassic World: Dominion, although its storyline is largely independent of its predecessor.
The film is set five years after the events in Dominion, on a planet where the environment has proved largely hostile to dinosaurs, limiting their existence to a few tropical regions. The lead character, Zora Bennet (Scarlett Johansson) is a spy on a top-secret mission to save humanity who gets trapped on an island full of dinosaurs alongside a family whose boat capsizes while on holiday.
Rebirth sees the return of David Koepp, the writer of the original Jurassic Park film as well as the first sequel. Koepp seems set to return the franchise closer to the original film, with fans now looking forward to the return of the terror of the claustrophobic setting. The film also features a whole new cast, including Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, and Luna Blaise.
The film, set to be released in July 2025, was only announced in early 2024, but the promise of a return to the franchise’s former glory has immensely boosted fan interest despite the short notice confirmation.
8Snow White
This one still made the list in spite of the immense controversy surrounding its development. It was supposed to be a simple remake of the 1937 animated film Snow White And The Seven Dwarves. However, behind-the-scenes drama began as early as the casting stage when Disney and director, Marc Webb, were heavily condemned for their colorblind casting that saw a latino actress, Rachel Ziegler, win the lead role of Snow White.
Ziegler would later face heavy criticism after saying she hated the original film. She faced further controversy for her political comments against Donald Trump supporters which forced her and Disney to make public apologies.
The creators also replaced the titular seven dwarves in the original animated film with animated versions of the little people, another decision that has caused an outburst.
Despite the controversy, Snow White is still one of the most famous Disney Princess stories of all time and millions of people eagerly await its release in the theatres on March 21, 2025.
7Captain America: Brave New World
This is the fourth Captain America film, but the first one featuring Anthony Mackie in the titular role after completely aced it in the MCU miniseries The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Despite featuring a revamped cast, Brave New World is expected to continue the franchise’s long history of the shield-bearing superhero standing up to dark forces at the heart of power in America. This time, Mackie’s character faces the ultimate villain in Harrison Ford’s Red Hulk. Ford took up the role after the death of William Hurt in 2022.
According to the synopsis, Sam Wilson finds himself at the center of an international incident and must take down a nefarious syndicate with global reach known as the Serpent Society. The film sees Ford’s character, Thadeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross at the heart of power, having just won the US election, possibly with the help of the dreaded group.
The formidable team of villains led by Giancarlo Esposito, is set to pose the toughest threat that Captain America has ever faced in the franchise’s history hence the increased fan interest. The ultimate battle between Captain America and Red Hulk is by far the most anticipated fight in the film.
6Wicked: For Good
This is the second part of Wicked, the Broadway musical adaptation that earned over half a billion in 2024. The film is part of the Wizard of Oz origin story that explains the development of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) into the dreaded Evil witch of the West and Glinda (Ariana Grande) into Glinda the good witch as seen in The Wizard of Oz. The film had its fair share of criticism and controversy in 2024 but still went on to become the highest grossing Broadway adaptation of all time.
Wicked: For Good will be released in November 2025, exactly a year after the first film. The first film leaves a lot for fans to look forward to, including a possible romance between the two lead characters.
There is also a looming love triangle with Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) at the center. With so much uncertainty, millions of World of Oz fans around the world would love to know what happened to Elphaba to darken her heart.
Read more about at Filmdb.co.uk
5Avatar: Fire and Ash
James Cameron’s Avatar franchise proved more resilient than expected in 2022 when its second film, Avatar: The Way of the Water, joined its predecessor on the list of top five highest grossing films of all time. However, according to Cameron, fans are yet to see the best of the Pandora planet yet, as there is more to see in the third installment. The film is set to be released in December 2025, deep into the festive season.
While plot details are still scarce, Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington are set to reprise their roles of Neytiri and Jake Sully respectively. The film will also introduce the franchise’s deadliest villains yet, a tribe of the Na’vi people known as the Ash People which lives in a volcano.
After crashing records with its two first films, the third Avatar film holds the promise of being the highest-grossing film of 2025 even before its release, which explains the huge anticipation.
4The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The MCU hasn’t had much commercial success since Avengers: Endgame. However, after Deadpool & Wolverine hit the $1 billion mark, the studio seems set to go again with three blockbusters lined up for 2025. After Captain America: Brave New World in February and Thunderbolts in May, The Fantastic 4: First Steps will be released in July. Despite being the second Fantastic Four film, First Steps will be unlike any other Marvel film as it is set in the 1960s.
In The Fantastic Four: First Steps the team of superheroes, led by Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Invisible Woman (Venessa Kirby), take on the evil force of Galactus (Ralph Ineson) who plans to suck the life force out of their planet. The film will feature one of Marvel’s most star-studded casts ever including Julia Garner, John Malkovich, Joseph Quinn, Sarah Niles, and Natasha Lyonne.
Directed by Matt Shakman, First Steps will launch Phase Six of the MCU, and its revamped script holds more promise than its 2015 predecessor, and fans are eagerly waiting to see what the new phase will look like.
328 Years Later
After its trailer became the second most viewed horror film trailer of all time, at over 150 million views, fan interest around 28 Years Later has shocked the franchise back to life, even prompting Sony to re-release the original film for rental. It will be the third film in the 28 horror franchise whose original film, 28 Days Later, starring Cillian Murphy, was released in 2002. In the original film, a group of animal rights activists unleashed a zombie apocalypse on Earth after releasing a group of infected chimpanzees, a storyline that resonated with lots of people.
Danny Boyle, the director of the original film, has signed on to direct 28 Years Later another reason why fans are so eager to watch the film. In the sequel, a survivor of the apocalypse (Aaron Taylor Johnson) leaves the safety of an isolated island to venture onto the mainland swarmed by the zombies.
The original film as well as its first sequel 28 Weeks Later grossed a combined $150 million globally. 28 Years Later could beat both of them though as the reception of the trailer alone puts it on par with some of the highest-grossing films of all time. The film will hit the theatres on June 20, 2025.
2Superman
Superman will officially start James Gunn’s DCU in the reboot of DC Studios after the end of DCEU under Zack Snyder. It features David Corenswet as Clark Kent (Superman) in his 30s, having operated as a superhero in Metropolis for some years. According to the official synopsis, the film centers around Superman trying to reconcile his Kryptonian roots and his humanity.
It will hit the theatres in July 2025, although the first images and teaser video have been positively received. A motion picture showing Superman flying from the darkness into the light with the message “Look up” has caught the attention of many fans. The Superman trailer also set its own record after garnering over 250 million views across Youtube, Instagram, and X to become the most viewed trailer of 2024.
Fans have been especially positive towards Gunn’s 1978-themed Superman, which suggests the DCU is going back to the popular upbeat version of the superhero played by Christopher Reeve.
1Conclusion
Other films such as How To Train Your Dragon and Thunderbolts have also witnessed extensive fan engagement on social media. With so many blockbusters lin up, 2025 is holds the promise of hitting the magical prepandemic Box office numbers. These 10 films are only a glimpse of the many films likely to break viewership records throughout the year.
With theatres opening and big studios willing to risk on independent films once again, surprises cannot be ruled out in 2025 either.
Written by Billy Oduory
