Are you holding out for a hero? With so much going on in the world right now, audiences are in need of stories where the good guys triumph over evil.
Following our deep dive into the best villains of 2019, here are the heroic characters who’ll be swooping into theaters to save the day this year.
Release date: March 8
DC might have beaten Marvel to the punch with 2017’s Wonder Woman, but March brings us the first female-led superhero movie in the Marvel Comics Universe, and it promises to be worth the wait. Carol Danvers is one of the most powerful characters in the entire MCU, so it makes sense that Marvel has held off on introducing her in the movies. Her powers—super strength, flight and the ability to absorb and blast energy—are so immense they would solve pretty much any problem. Captain Marvel, which is set predominantly in the ’90s, will introduce the character to viewers as she was first written in the comics, as an Air Force pilot, and depict her first encounters with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and the alien Mar-Vell (Jude Law.)
Release date: April 5
DC is taking a step away from the grimdark adventures of Batman and Superman in its next cinematic adventure. Two years after the invasion in Justice League, a bullied 14-year-old orphan named Billy stumbles into the realm of a wizard who bestows upon him extraordinary abilities: He is able to transform from a regular kid into a superhero by saying “Shazam!” The Shazam character was originally named Captain Marvel in the comics, but legal issues with Marvel Comics soon put an end to that name, and the character was renamed after the magic word shazam, which stands for the six “immortal elders” Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. The superhero persona of Shazam will be played by Zachary Levi in the movie, with Asher Angel playing his teen self.
Release date: June 14
After having a blast together in Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson are reuniting for another action-and-alien-packed adventure. In this continuation of the MIB franchise, Hemsworth and Thompson star as agents H and M, a pair of suited, London-based operatives who become embroiled in an extraterrestrial invasion plot.
Release date: August 2
The latest batch of X-Men movies has had a mixed reception, to put it mildly, but anticipation is high for The New Mutants, which focuses on a separate group of characters and transposes its story from the usual superhero shenanigans into the horror genre. The New Mutants takes place in a creepy asylum, where five troubled teens are forced to reckon with their new powers. There’s Illyana aka Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy), who has sorcery-like abilities; Rahne aka Wolfsbane (Maisie Williams), a werewolf; Sam aka Cannonball (Charlie Heaton), who can propel himself into the air; Bobby aka Sunspot (Henry Zaga), who can absorb and channel the power of the sun; and Dani aka Mirage (Blu Hunt), who can conjure up fearsome illusions.
Release date: August 9
Based on the best-selling children’s books by Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl will follow the titular character, a precocious schoolboy and master criminal who seeks out the fairies with the intention of robbing them. Artemis isn’t a traditional family-film hero. Colfer describes him as a “mischievous mastermind” who is changed for the better by his adventures and the friends he makes along the way.
*No trailer available yet
Release date: November 1
The upcoming Charlie’s Angels will forget the short-lived TV reboot and instead work as a remake of the 2000 movie, with Kristen Stewart taking on the role originally played by Drew Barrymore, that of tomboy Dylan. Naomi Scott, aka the Pink Ranger in the recent Power Rangers reboot, will play Natalie, who Cameron Diaz made memorable as a loveable goof. And Ella Balinska will step into Lucy Liu’s shoes as Alex. Plot details are thin on the ground, but with everything going on in Hollywood, it feels like the perfect time for the Angels to return to the big screen. The story of three expertly trained women working together to solve crimes and save the day is exactly what’s needed.
*No trailer available yet
Release date: December 20
The as-yet-untitled third installment in the epic space opera’s sequel trilogy will reportedly take place one year after the events of 2017’s The Last Jedi and continue to follow the journey of Rey (Daisy Ridley) as she grapples with her Jedi powers and complicated relationship with the villainous Kylo Ren. Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran will also reprise their roles as the next generation of Rebels: Resistance fighter Poe Dameron, Stormtrooper-turned-hero Finn and plucky engineer Rose Tico.
Release date: April 26
The last time we saw Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor and Hawkeye, they were watching all their friends turn to dust as Thanos decimated half of all life in the universe. Endgame will pick up where Infinity War left off, with our heroes shaken to the core by what has happened. But it’s not all bad news. The trailer reveals Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) will be entering the fray and providing some much-needed levity as the newest Avenger.
