6. Jurassic World: Rebirth – Planned Release: July 2025
You can’t go wrong with dinosaurs. Although Universal wrapped up the first Jurassic World trilogy with Dominion, they had no intention of abandoning this franchise, and understandably so— even the less popular third entry joined the billion-dollar club. Rebirth brings things back to basics in some ways, as the story takes place five years after Dominion when dinosaurs have once again been contained to an island. Scarlett Johansson’s character arrives to collect biological samples for a medical project, only to make a disturbing discovery. Directed by Gareth Edwards, known for his work on Godzilla and Rogue One, Rebirth promises epic visuals, as Edwards typically takes an active role in the VFX process. His recent film The Creator shows his unique visual style, which we hope will shine through in Rebirth. Dinosaurs remain a surefire crowd-pleaser, so we estimate this film will reach the billion-dollar mark globally.
7. Superman – Planned Release: July 2025
James Gunn has quite a spotlight on him as he reboots the DC cinematic universe from scratch as head of DC Studios. The first major milestone will be a film about the world’s greatest hero, Superman, played by relative newcomer David Corenswet. While details about the plot are scarce, it’s clear that this won’t be an origin story; Superman will be around 25 years old and newly employed at the Daily Planet. The production will feature its own Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult). True to Gunn’s style, several well-known and lesser-known characters are expected to appear. Superman remains one of the world’s most iconic superheroes and a pillar of Warner/DC, making this an ideal launchpad for the revamped DCU—and it’s no surprise that Gunn himself will direct. Early buzz suggests it will be fantastic, so we project an $800 million global box office.
8. The Fantastic Four: First Steps – Planned Release: July 2025
Two weeks after DC’s big 2025 release, Marvel will unveil its own major film. Kevin Feige has repeatedly emphasized that Fantastic Four is a top priority for Marvel Studios, so every announcement related to it generates much excitement. We know the cast and that Marvel’s “First Family” will face Galactus, the planet-devourer, with the Silver Surfer also making an appearance, portrayed by Julia Garner. First Steps is set in the 1960s, though perhaps not in our universe, as director Matt Shakman (WandaVision) hinted at a retro-futuristic 1960s setting, suggesting intriguing surprises. Rumors suggest that Doctor Doom may also appear, possibly in a post-credit scene, before taking center stage in Avengers: Doomsday in 2026. This film may also pave the way for Marvel’s next phase, with talk of Pedro Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic potentially leading the Avengers. With high expectations from Marvel and audiences alike, we anticipate a global box office of at least $800 million.
9. Zootopia 2 – Planned Release: November 2025
When Bob Iger resumed his role as Disney CEO, he made no secret that Disney would refocus on its established IPs, paving the way for Toy Story 5, The Incredibles 3, and now, Zootopia 2. A sequel to the 2016 crime-comedy set in an anthropomorphic animal city was discussed at the time of its release, but production teams soon took on other Disney projects. Now, however, the long-awaited follow-up is happening, with Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde going undercover to infiltrate a dangerous gang, only to find themselves targeted. If it follows the buddy-cop theme of the first film, we can expect a compelling mystery. Likely to be a hit during the fall and winter breaks, this film is poised for massive success, with a projected global box office of $1.2 billion.
10. Avatar: Fire and Ash – Planned Release: December 2025
The year’s biggest blockbuster is likely to be James Cameron’s third Avatar film, Fire and Ash. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait as long as we did for The Way of Water, even though this release has also been delayed. In Fire and Ash, Jake Sully and his family encounter new clans, including the fire tribe, who live in a volcanic environment, some of whom are allies and others enemies. As always, the visuals promise to be breathtaking. Cameron, however, has emphasized that the goal is to delve deeper into the characters rather than showcasing the best water effects, for example. We’re particularly interested to learn about Kiri’s connection to nature, a thread briefly explored in The Way of Water. Stephen Lang’s Quaritch will also return in avatar form, with further character development expected as he contends with his son, who joined Sully’s clan. Avatar: Fire and Ash is almost guaranteed to be the cinematic event of Christmas 2025 and the year’s highest-grossing film, which we estimate will bring in $1.9 billion globally.
