Thanksgiving is upon us, and before you know it, Christmas and the New Year will be here. It's fair to say the past few years—if not longer—haven't been easy for superhero movies and TV shows, and we're in a time of change for Marvel and DC.
The latter is under new leadership and attempting to shrug off many missteps from another era. Marvel Studios, on the other hand, is trying to win back fans and casuals alike after former Disney CEO Bob Chapek pushed them to develop a seemingly endless stream of content for Disney+.
Comic book fans rarely agree on anything, but we're hoping that you'll also be thankful for everything listed below this Thanksgiving. The future looks bright for superhero movies and TV shows (even amid continued talk of "superhero fatigue"), and we have plenty to look forward to.
To learn more, you just need to click on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below...
5. James Gunn Is Taking A Break From Social Media
With Superman and Peacemaker in the rearview, DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn has taken a much-needed break from social media while he preps for Man of Tomorrow. For that, we're hugely grateful.
On the one hand, it's great that Gunn takes the time to debunk false rumours and provide fans with insights into the projects he's working on. However, he occasionally does more harm than good, whether it's hyping up Peacemaker Season 2 as being much bigger than it ultimately was—leading to a lot of disappointed fans—or squabbling with trolls.
There's not another studio head on the planet that's as chronically online as Gunn, and it's beginning to feel like his social media interactions are having too much influence on the DCU. Honestly, he needs to focus on casting Batman...
4. But, Seriously, DC Is In The Best Shape It's Been In For A While
Look, we may poke fun at Gunn's social media activity, but there's no denying that DC as a whole is in a much better place than it has been for many years.
It's not perfect (Peacemaker Season 2 was proof of that), but Superman was a huge win for DC Studios and a movie that delivered a pitch-perfect take on the hero. Now, we're less than two years away from seeing the Man of Steel squaring off with Brainiac, a dream battle that's only made all the more intriguing by the presence of a War Suit-clad Lex Luthor.
While Peacemaker didn't pan out as expected, it still added intriguing new ideas to the DCU, including Salvation, Checkmate, and Earth-X. Gunn is getting fans talking, and the future looks bright, thanks to upcoming projects like Supergirl, Lanterns, and Clayface.
3. Marvel Studios Is Back To Quality Over Quantity
2026 will be a busy year for Marvel Studios, as Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day are heading to theaters. Wonder Man, Daredevil: Born Again, and VisionQuest, meanwhile, are coming to Disney+.
On the Marvel Animation side, we have the second seasons of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and X-Men '97.
That's a lot of content, but it's also far less than elsewhere in the Multiverse Saga. In 2027, there's just Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 and Avengers: Secret Wars, a clear sign that Marvel Studios is focused on quality again, not just an endless stream of movies and TV shows.
We can all agree that this was necessary, especially with a fresh start for the franchise on the horizon in 2028 when the MCU is essentially rebooted (creating a new MCU inhabited by the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man). No, the future looks and feels much brighter than it once did. Thank f*** Feige for that.
2. It's Been A Great Year To Be A Marvel And DC Fan
Has 2025 been a perfect year? Not exactly. Captain America: Brave New World was a dud, seemingly ruined by reshoots. Aside from Mephisto's debut, Ironheart was largely forgettable, and as we've already pointed out, Peacemaker Season 2 was very hit-or-miss.
However, we've also seen The Fantastic Four and Superman franchises successfully relaunched. The Man Without Fear returned to our screens in Daredevil: Born Again, and despite a creative overhaul, the TV-MA series made for an awesome watch. And yes, while Thunderbolts* struggled at the box office, it was a phenomenal film.
When all is said and done, now does feel like a good time to be a fan of both Marvel and DC. Sure, there's still work to be done, but if you can't find anything to be thankful for right now, we feel for you!
1. The X-Men's Time To Shine
Looking to the future, X-Men fans are on the cusp of a long-awaited resurgence for the mutant superhero team. 2026 will see the release of X-Men '97 Season 2, while the original big screen versions of those characters will get an MCU makeover in Avengers: Doomsday.
Even further down the line, we have an X-Men reboot on the horizon. Filmmaker Jake Schreier will take the helm of that movie, and after Thunderbolts*, we can surely all agree that the heroes are in safe hands. Heck, there's a very good chance that the next Saga will be the "Mutant Saga," which speaks to their importance moving forward.
After 20th Century Fox disasters like Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants, the X-Men have been on the shelf for over half a decade. The tide is now changing, and if Deadpool & Wolverine was a taste of what's to come, we're in for a treat.