It’s Officially the End of a 25-Year Era for Marvel & DC Movies

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For the first time in a quarter-century, there’s a significant gap between major superhero movie releases. Since 2008, fans have consistently had new Marvel, DC, or Spider-Man films to anticipate every few months, but that consistent stream has now stopped. This marks the longest period without a big-screen superhero adventure from these major franchises in the modern era.

Things are about to change, though. After Fantastic Four: First Steps, there will be a significant pause in superhero movie releases – the longest break since Iron Man debuted in 2008. It’s been 336 days since Fantastic Four, and the next comic book film, Supergirl, isn’t due until 2026.

It’s been over 25 years since there was such a long stretch between new live-action superhero movies from Marvel or DC. Currently, it’s been more than 300 days since the last one. To find a similar gap, you’d have to go back to the year 2000, when there was a 615-day break between the first X-Men movie and Blade II. However, the superhero movie landscape was different then – DC wasn’t consistently releasing new films based on its characters in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Simply put, this is the longest gap in over 25 years for major superhero movie releases – we’re facing almost a full year without a new one. While individual superhero series have sometimes had longer breaks between films, this is unprecedented for the genre as a whole.

The time between the upcoming Fantastic Four movie and the 2026 Spider-Man: Brand New Day film will be quite long – 371 days – but it won’t be the longest gap ever in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That record belongs to the wait between Spider-Man: Far From Home and Black Widow, which was 738 days. This extended delay was mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you consider all Marvel films together, the time between releases isn’t as long. The release of New Mutants between Far From Home and Black Widow reduced the gap to just 423 days.

When it comes to DC movies, the time between the releases of Superman and Supergirl was 332 days. Before that, the longest gap between DC films (since 2008) was 399 days, between Justice League and Aquaman.

Good news for superhero movie fans: the current lack of big-screen releases won’t last forever. While we wait for new films, streaming shows like Marvel Zombies, Batman: Caped Crusader, and Wonder Man will keep us entertained in these popular comic book worlds. And the movies will be back next year, with Supergirl scheduled for July 26, 2026, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day arriving on July 31, 2026.

The Comic Book Movie Break Might Be Good

Comic book movie fans might be disappointed to see a nearly year-long gap between major releases, but this break could actually be beneficial for the genre as a whole.

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about people getting tired of superhero movies, whether they’re from Marvel or DC. After years of huge success in the mid-2010s, these films haven’t been performing as well financially, leading some to believe audiences are losing interest in the genre.

Honestly, I’m starting to think it’s a good thing Marvel and DC are slowing down a bit. We’ve gotten so used to superhero movies that they just don’t feel special anymore. Remember when a new superhero film was a real event? That excitement just isn’t there like it used to be, and I think audiences have started taking them for granted.

The saying goes, “distance makes the heart grow fonder,” and that’s exactly what’s needed for comic book movies right now. After a long time without new releases, audiences will have a chance to step back, and hopefully start looking forward to them again.

Marvel and DC could really regain their momentum in the latter half of 2026 with major releases like Supergirl, Spider-Man 4, and, of course, Avengers: Doomsday.

If these three projects are successful, it will firmly reestablish the genre and pave the way for many more releases in the future.

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2026-01-11 05:05