The Avengers reunite, Jason Momoa’s solo Aquaman film swims into theaters, and the Merc with a Mouth returns for a Deadpool sequel. 2018’s comic book inspired films also include the much-anticipated animated Spider-Man film from directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller as well as an action film that puts Venom (played by Tom Hardy) front and center.
2018 will also serve up sequels to Ant-Man, Pacific Rim, and the blockbuster animated film, The Incredibles. The X-Men will be well represented with The New Mutants and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, with Game of Thrones‘ Sophie Turner taking on the titular role as Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix. And the first film to feature a single character from the Star Wars universe, Solo: A Star Wars Story, is also opening in theaters in 2018.
Here’s a preview of the major comic book-inspired films set to hit theaters in 2018, listed alphabetically.
2018’s Comic Book-Inspired Movies
Ant-Man and the Wasp starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Michael Douglas, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip T.I. Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, and Randall Park
The Plot: From the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes a new chapter featuring heroes with the astonishing ability to shrink: Ant-Man and The Wasp. In the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Rudd) grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne (Lilly) and Dr. Hank Pym (Douglas) with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past.
Aquaman starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Temuera Morrison, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Patrick Wilson, and Nicole Kidman
The Plot: The King of the Seven Seas and ruler of Atlantis is caught between those who live on land and pollute the sea and his people who are prepared to attack the land dwellers who’ve ravaged the sea.
Avengers: Infinity War starring Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Tessa Thompson, Karen Gillian, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Jeremy Renner, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, and Josh Brolin
The Plot: An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Black Panther starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis
The Plot: Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.
Deadpool 2 starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Josh Brolin, Brianna Hildebrand, and TJ Miller
Fox’s Goofy Plot Description That’s Most Definitely Not the Actual Plot: After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.
Incredibles 2 featuring the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, and Samuel L. Jackson
The Plot: Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in Incredibles 2 – but this time Helen (Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (Nelson) at home with Violet (Vowell) and Dash (Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.
The New Mutants starring Alice Braga, Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Blu Hunt
The Plot: The story of the New Mutants, a team of mutant heroes comprised of the first graduates from Charles Xavier’s school.
Pacific Rim Uprising starring John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Spaeny, Rinko Kikuchi, Burn Gorman, Adria Arjona, and Charlie Day
The Plot: John Boyega stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Kikuchi), who is leading a brave new generation of pilots who have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.
Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.
Solo: A Star Wars Story starring Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Joonas Suotamo
The Plot: Solo: A Star Wars Story takes place before the original Star Wars trilogy and explains what Han Solo was like as a young man.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse featuring the voice of Shameik Moore
The Plot: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the creative minds behind The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street, bring their unique talents to a fresh vision of a different Spider-Man Universe, with a groundbreaking visual style that’s the first of its kind. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduces Brooklyn teen Miles Morales, and the limitless possibilities of the Spider-Verse, where more than one can wear the mask.
Venom starring Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Reid Scott, and Jenny Slate
The Plot: Venom is based on two Venom comic book storylines: Lethal Protector and Planet of the Symbiotes.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix starring Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Alexandra Shipp, Michael Fassbender, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Tye Sheridan
The Plot: According to EW, the film’s set in 1992 and opens with the X-Men, including Mystique (Lawrence), Beast (Hoult), Storm (Shipp), Nightcrawler Smit-McPhee), and Quicksilver (Peters), “in a new, unexpected role: national heroes. Charles Xavier (McAvoy) even lands on the cover of Time magazine. But his growing ego puts the team at risk. […]After they’re dispatched to space for a rescue mission, a solar flare hits the X-Jet and the surge of energy ignites a malevolent, power-hungry new force within Jean (Turner) — the Phoenix.”
