2021 has finally arrived and that has a lot of people looking forward to an eventual return to at least some activities we took for granted before 2020. One of those is definitely getting to see movies again. While a few major releases did hit theaters or streaming services at various times in 2020, they were few and far between. The new year brings with it a much larger list of movies (and some great TV shows that we’ll touch on in a future article) for viewers to get excited about. Things are still going to be a bit different for many of these releases since every Warner Bros. release will hit theaters and streaming service HBO Max simultaneously, which kicked off on December 25, with Wonder Woman 1984. But, the main thing is that movies are going to start coming out again!
Here is just a partial list of some of the bigger movies that are scheduled for release in 2021.
Raya and the Last Dragon (March 5)
Disney gets things rolling in March with their first animated feature of 2021 that will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus.
Coming 2 America (March 5)
This long-awaited sequel brings back Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall as they try to recapture the comedy magic that made the first movie such a hit.
Morbius (March 19)
The first Marvel superhero (or villain) movie of the year features Jared Leto in the role of a doctor who turns himself into a vampire while attempting to find a cure for a rare blood disorder. The character has a long history in the Spider-Man story, so future appearances in the Marvel franchise are certainly on the table.
No Time to Die (April 2)
James Bond is back for the 25th movie in the long-running franchise, with Daniel Craig making perhaps his last appearance as the iconic British spy.
Black Widow (May 7)
But wait, Black Widow did not make it out of Avengers Endgame, so what gives? This film reportedly takes place after the events of an early Marvel movie – Captain America: Civil War, but before the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Godzilla vs. Kong (May 21)
This Warner Bros. release sets up a match between perhaps the two most iconic giant monsters in movie history.
Fast & Furious 9 (May 28)
Can things get any faster or furious…er? We’ll find out in May, when the 9th installment in the franchise hits theaters.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (June 11)
In the vein of making sequels from 1980s movies, we get this next installment in the Ghostbusters franchise, which picks up 30 years after Ghostbusters II. Reports are that all the major players from the original movies will return for the latest movie – Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (June 25)
Tom Hardy returns in the role of the fan-favorite Spider-Man villain. Reports are we won’t see any other Marvel heroes like Spider-Man in this film, but we will get to watch super-villain Carnage make his appearance.
Top Gun: Maverick (July 2)
Are you sensing a theme here? Another classic 1980’s movie gets a sequel, with the return of Tom Cruise as Naval aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchel. Will the years have mellowed the headstrong hero of the first film? We’ll find out in July.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (July 9)
Marvel is coming back strong after taking a year off, with yet another new hero in the form of Shang-Chi. It’s still to be determined how this character will fit into the larger Marvel-verse, but we’ll get our first look at a brand new entrant into the Marvel franchise this summer.
The Suicide Squad (August 6)
Another Warner Bros. release that will have simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max, we catch up with Harley Quinn and her gang of supervillains/superheroes in a standalone sequel to the original 2016 Suicide Squad movie.
Dune (October 1)
This will be the second film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic novel, Dune and the first since the 1980s (not counting at least one TV miniseries). We’ll see if director Denis Villeneuve can successfully turn the complex story into a cohesive feature film.
Mission: Impossible 7 (November 4)
Did anyone realize there were already 6 installments in this franchise? I certainly didn’t, although I’ve seen them all. Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt, no doubt saving the world from an extreme threat again, although no details have been released on the plot.
Spider-Man 3 (December 17)
Marvel saves their biggest release for the end of 2021, with the return of Spider-Man. We still don’t have too many details on the plot, beyond the fact that Doctor Strange will likely play a major role.
The Matrix 4 (December 22)
Another long-awaited franchise entry, following 2003’s The Matrix 3. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss return in their seminal roles in this groundbreaking series. Not a bad early Christmas present for 2021!
