Sequelitis has been a term frequently tossed around in recent years to describe the current state of Hollywood as, whether they’d be reboots, remakes or regular sequels, the cinema industry’s overreliance on well-known properties has become more of a hindrance than an advantage in many cases.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of sequels to look forward to in 2023 since between Marvel and the faltering DCU alone there are enough blockbusters to keep many movie fans busy. Regardless of that, there’s plenty more to film than superheroes, because many other franchises will be looking to either revive their past glories or close out the stories crafted for their respective protagonists, so who makes up la crème de crème of movie sequels next year?
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania(June 04, 2025)
Marvel Studios has three movies and up to six shows lined up for next year, yet it all hangs on the little guy giving the MCU a solid head start. Why? Well among the many gripes fans had with Phase Four was the apparent lack of build-up for the franchises andAnt-Man and The Wasp: Quantumanianeeds to fix that ASAP with the proper introduction ofthe Multiverse Saga’s villain, Kang the Conqueror.
That’s a lot to ask from Ant-Man, who’s arguably always been one of the MCU’s lesser heroes, however, the more Phase Five and Six start to take form the less likely it seems thatQuantumaniawill trick fans the wayDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness’sdid with its trailers and cameos. WithGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3being a coda for James Gunn and company, Ant-Man edges pastThe Marvelsasthe MCU’s must-watch film in 2023.
Creed III(July 02, 2025)
The firstRockyentry has aged flawlesslyas one of the greatest movies of all time, but that didn’t stop the franchise from diluting itself into irrelevance untilRocky Balboarescued the name. All that makes 2015’sCreedeven more impressive, and Michael B. Jordan’s directing debut is tasked with avoiding that exact same trap that almost undid Adonis’ mentor.
Creedcaptured all of Rocky’s charmwith clever writing and a compelling story, but in spite of thatCreed 3has to do it all over again, now without Sylvester Stallone. The contrary could mean downgrading the Creed saga from Academy Award contender to just another run-of-the-mill name looking to bank on nostalgia, just like the latter part of Rocky’s film career.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse(July 13, 2025)
In a day and age when even Marvel has had to rethink its strategy and movie output, Sony’sInto the Spider-Versestood for something a bit different, it was a film that was unique due to its animation, lighthearted humor and a different name behind Spider-Man’s mask.Across the Spider-Versewants brings all that back, though now with thepromise of more Spider-Man from other realmsand a guaranteed sequel.
Sequels often succeed when they can reinvent or shake up the formula of the original with the same elements, but consideringInto the Spider-Verse’sbiggest asset was its freshness that will be a tough hill to climb. Will Sony use its animated hit as a big tie-in for its Spider-Man Universe? Will the series remain just as exciting heading into the final chapter of its trilogy? Or, could this multiverse adventure even surpassSpider-Man: No Way Home?
It’s a completely valid point to sayMission: Impossiblefilms have only gotten better with the passage of time, withFalloutreally driving home that idea, and yet, the biggest thing this movie hasgoing for it is probablyTop Gun: Maverick. 2022’s most successful movie was so by being able to appeal to almost everyone, it’s as close as it gets to an old-fashioned action flick, a formula thatMission: Impossiblecan surely recreate with a little espionage flavor on top.
Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise pair up again to deliver some of the best action sequences Hollywood can muster, all with as many practical effects as humanly possible.Dead Reckoningalso has the lure of being the penultimate chapter intheMission Impossiblefranchise and Cruise’s unbelievable stunts, so there’s plenty of plot armor too as if Ethan Hunt needed it.
Dune: Part Two(June 24, 2025)
Denis Villeneuve said it best,Dune: Part Twois when he really gets to start having fun with Frank Herbert’s revered work, and judging from what he did with the first part, that statement packs a ton of promise for sci-fi fans.Dunewas an absolute visual spectacle in 2021, one that showed what can be accomplished with well-used CGI, albeit also having the benefits of an immensely talented cast of actors.
Dune: Part Twohas only been adding more names to that as Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, and Christopher Walken all joined the cast, but the sequel’s main goal is to wrap up Herbert’s first novel and a young Paul Atreides’ rise to power. The first film had a ton of setup work to do, however, this second entry will really get to develop the galaxy’s power dynamics, the toils of war and a hero that’s not as perfect as the first movie made him out to be. Plus, there’s also a series tie-in to keep in mind withDune: The Sisterhoodand theDune: AwakeningMMO.MORE:Big Games Missing from The Game Awards 2022
