Marvel & DC Dominate Summer 2025's Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies List

Forget superhero fatigue; the votes are in, and Marvel and DC's upcoming slates are among the audience's most-see lists this summer.

According to Fandango ticket buyers, three Marvel and DC films rank among the ten most anticipated movies of Summer 2025, and among them is an MCU ensemble kicking off the summer box office: Thunderbolts*.

Set to release on May 2, Thunderbolts* will bring together a team of antiheroes, including Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, along with the mysterious Bob (hero, villain, or both?), Val, a renamed Avengers Tower, and more. 

Next on the Top 10 list is the long-awaited The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will introduce fans to the MCU's version of Marvel's First Family, along with a retro-1960s aesthetic (courtesy of WandaVision director Matt Shakman), Multiversal implications, and maybe Robert Downey Jr.

Rounding out the most-anticipated comic book movie trio is the new DC Studios' first live-action film: Superman. James Gunn's July 11 film has quite the to-do list, ranging from introducing a new Man of Steel, played by David Corenswet, to launching DCU's Chapter One: Gods and Monsters. 

Of course, this trifecta of comic book movies is far from the only films fans can't wait to see this summer, as seven other titles made the Top 10 list as well. 

Summer 2025's Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies Revealed

10.) Freakier Friday

After 22 years, Freakier Friday, a sequel to 2003's Freaky Friday starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan will arrive in theaters on August 8. 

Directed by Nisha Ganatra, Freakier Friday reunites Curtis and Lohan with other stars from the original film, along with a few new faces for a double body swap and multigenerational story.

9.) Lilo & Stich

Based on the 2002 animated film, 2025's Lilo & Stitch is Disney's next live-action remake which is generating positive buzz thanks to heart-warming and hilarious marketing. 

Releasing in theaters on May 23 for Memorial Day Weekend, Lilo & Stitch stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong as Nani Pelekai, and Zach Galifianakis as Jumba. In addition, Disney wisely brought back the original film's writer and director to reprise his role as the voice of Stitch. 

8.) How to Train Your Dragon 

Keeping with the trend of live-action redos, How to Train Your Dragon, which is based on the 2010 animated film of the same name, will premiere at CinemaCon on Wednesday, April 2 before releasing in theaters on June 13. 

DreamWorks Animation's first-ever live-action production stars Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, and Gerard Butler, reprising his role as Hiccup's father and Berk's chieftain from the animated films.

Potentially adding to audience interest and anticipation is the opening of How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk theme park land at Universal's new Epic Universe theme park. 

7.) 28 Years Later

Coming to theaters on June 20, 28 Years Later is a sequel to 28 Weeks Later and the third film in the post-apocalyptic horror franchise which began with 28 Days Later in 2002. 

Directed by Danny Boyle, the threequel stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes and follows a father and son who leave a protected island for the mainland. Interestingly enough, the film was shot back-to-back with Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, an upcoming sequel.

6.) From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and Chapter 4, Ballerina is the fifth film and a spin-off of the John Wick franchise headed to theaters on June 6. 

Starring Ana de Armas (who replaced Unity Phelan from Parabellum), Ballerina follows Eve Macarro, a ballerina/assassin who begins assassin training and seeks to avenge her father's death. The film also stars Anjelica Huston, Lance Reddick (in his final appearance), and, of course, Keanu Reeves.

Check out how Ana de Armas' spinoff differs from previous John Wick movies here!

5.) Thunderbolts*

As previously mentioned, Thunderbolts* is coming to the big screen on May 2 and will serve as the final film of Phase 5 of the MCU. 

Thanks to its marketing, hopes are on the rise for this gritty, Indie-like blockbuster with the question of whether this film will restore fan faith in the MCU ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. 

4.) Superman 

Flying into theaters on July 11, all eyes are on Superman this summer after its record-breaking trailer, possibly record-breaking runtime, and its extensive cast of humans, heroes, and villains (plus one heroic dog). 

Check out Superman's 14 main cast members here!

3.) Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

What may or may not be the conclusion of Tom Cruise's run as Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is Christopher McQuarrie's sequel to 2023's Dead Reckoning with Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Angela Basset, Pom Klementieff, and more reprising their roles.

After Dead Reckoning Part One didn't quite live up to box office expectations, all eyes will be on The Final Reckoning when it premieres May 23 for the Memorial Day Weekend box office haul.

2.) The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Kicking off Phase 6 of the MCU, The Fantastic Four: First Steps has all the benefits of MCU name recognition, an all-star cast, and the freedom of an alternative timeline, all coupled with the intrigue of its Multiversal ramifications. 

Fans can expect the future of the MCU to begin on July 25. 

1.) Jurassic World Rebirth

Superhero fatigue isn't the only Hollywood myth. Despite Jurassic World: Dominion's lackluster quality, apparently, audiences can't help but be curious about what Universal is cooking up in the lab. 

Starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, and directed by Gareth Edwards, Rebirth takes place five years after Dominion where the only surviving dinos occupy tropical islands. 

Johansson's Zora Bennett is recruited to infiltrate the original Jurassic Park for dino DNA where she and her team find a civilian family and a "failed clone-gone-wrong" dinosaur mutant.

With a July 2 release date, Jurassic World Rebirth is perfectly positioned to print money over 2025's Fourth of July weekend. 

Check out Fandango's full Top 10 most anticipated 2025 summer movies list below: 

Audiences should expect more details and trailers for these upcoming movies in the coming weeks.