Usually around this time of year, we'd start sharing our lists with the best moments, characters, and more from 2020's superhero movies. However, thanks to the ongoing pandemic, we'd only really have Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey and Sonic the Hedgehog to choose from, so there wouldn't be much point!
On the plus side, things are definitely looking up for 2021. Even though some movies have slipped down the calendar into 2022, there are still a lot of great comic book adaptations heading our way.
In this feature, we're taking a look at all of the CBMs coming our way next year and ranking them from least to most anticipated.
We definitely think you'll be surprised with what ends up where on this list, especially with movies like Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Black Widow, and The Suicide Squad on the way. To check out the ranking, all you guys are going to need to do is click on the "Next" button down below.
Honourable Mention: Wonder Woman 1984
Wonder Woman 1984 is, of course, coming to select international theaters on December 16th and hits HBO Max in the U.S. on Christmas Day. However, depending on where you live, the DC Comics sequel might not be available to watch until 2021. As it's only on that streaming service for a month, chances are it won't be widely available to view well into next year regardless.
While it's unranked on this list, it would probably place somewhere in the middle; based on the leaked plot that's been doing the rounds for a while, the Wonder Woman follow-up sounds...okay.
It certainly doesn't sound like it's bringing much new to the genre, but it could still be an entertaining couple of hours. However, the fact it's being offloaded to HBO Max (rather than waiting until next summer) makes us wonder whether Warner Bros. is well-aware this is actually a stinker...
9. Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
Meant to serve as a loose prequel to the first G.I. Joe movie, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is set to serve as an origin story for the title character. However, this isn't really a character who needs his backstory to be told, and it's a little surprising that an actor as talented as Henry Golding is being put beneath a mask and not speaking (and if he does speak, that goes against the character's roots).
With Red's Robert Schwentke at the helm, it doesn't feel like Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins really stands a chance of being anything other than another forgettable, generic action movie.
It's possible it will surprise us, of course, but we're not banking on it being anything special when it does finally arrive in theaters next year...in fact, it might just end up heading to streaming...
8. Morbius
Jared Leto returning to the world of comic books for Morbius is an undeniably intriguing prospect, but we're really struggling to get excited for this one. For the most part, that trailer was pretty lousy, though it was admittedly hard not to be intrigued by the surprise appearance of Michael Keaton's Vulture!
Whether that means it's set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or just a world that's similar to it remains to be seen, but the lines between the MCU and "SPUMC" are definitely being blurred.
Going back to the Living Vampire himself, though, and everything from leaked plot details to what little footage has been revealed makes this sound like 2018's Venom, only worse.
7. Black Widow
This is a Marvel Studios movie and, usually, that alone is enough to get us excited. However, no matter how much is revealed about Black Widow, it just doesn't sound entirely necessary!
Set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, the spinoff promises to fill in some gaps in Natasha Romanoff's history, but how essential learning more about those actually is remains to be seen, especially when we know how her story ends thanks to Avengers: Endgame.
Still, if those theories about the Thunderbolts pan out, then perhaps Black Widow will be a more important movie than first thought and not just a stopgap before more exciting Phase 4 releases.
6. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
It feels wrong not placing this one higher, especially when there are a lot of reasons to be excited for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. After all, we're getting the big screen debut of the real Mandarin, and that alone makes this one well worth keeping an eye on next summer.
The problem is, we've not seen so much as a single piece of concept art from the movie, never mind stills or footage. As a result, we simply don't know what to expect, and while Marvel Studios has never made casting mistakes in the past, Simu Liu is definitely a newcomer to blockbusters.
Despite all that, don't let Shang-Chi's place on this list fool you; it could prove to be 2021's best comic book adaptations, and it wouldn't surprise us if this is major sleeper hit next year.
5. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Honestly, we didn't expect this one to rank above not one, but two Marvel Studios movies either. After all, 2018's Venom was a total mess, and while it was entertaining, it certainly wasn't good.
This time, though, Andy Serkis is stepping into the director's chair, and that alone is enough to get us excited. The filmmaker has worked with some of the greatest directors on the planet as an actor, so if he brings even a little of that magic to Venom: Let There Be Carnage, it's good news.
The prospect of Eddie Brock's Venom squaring off with Woody Harrelson's Carnage is an intriguing one, and should make this worth watching even if you have no faith in it being any better than Venom!
4. Eternals
Eternals was supposed to arrive in theaters earlier this month, but like Black Widow, it's been delayed by an entire year. That's heartbreaking, especially when we know the movie is pretty much done (in fact, you have to believe Marvel Studios has been sitting on that trailer since the Spring).
Concept art, leaked promo art, and even set photos have got us massively hyped for this Marvel Studios movie, though, and with it set to explore the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's clearly going to end up being something special. It also sounds a lot like Eternals will be used to lay the groundwork for a new era of storytelling, including the introduction of mutants.
Time will tell on that front, of course, but Celestials coming to Earth and the Eternals stepping out of the shadows is going to be huge, and adds a lot of great characters to this shared world.
3. The Suicide Squad
James Gunn's "break" from the Marvel Cinematic Universe means he's had time to make The Suicide Squad and a companion TV series, Peacemaker, which is coming to HBO Max at some point.
A traditional trailer hasn't been revealed for the former just yet, but the sizzle reel and character reveal teaser from DC FanDome is more than enough to safely say this is going to be something special. Between the phenomenal cast and Gunn's trademark humour/visuals, how can you not be psyched?
The prevailing theory right now is that Task Force X will be taking on Starro, but with Gunn sticking closely to the comic books and willing to kill these "villains," August can't get here soon enough.
2. Zack Snyder's Justice League
Yes, it's being presented as a miniseries, but Zack Snyder's Justice League is still very much a movie. Now, those of you who hate the filmmaker's vision for the DC Extended Universe probably aren't remotely excited for this one, but for everyone else, it's going to be a lot of fun seeing what Snyder originally had planned for this superhero team (and how it compares to Joss Whedon's vision).
This is going to be a completely separate movie, with characters like Darkseid, Desaad, and The Joker all set to make an impact alongside a redesigned Steppenwolf. Between that and more "Knightmare" scenes, the similarities between the two versions of Justice League will likely be minimal.
As a result, it's hard not to get excited. There's every chance it will be a disappointment, of course, but it can't really be any worse than the last time the League assembled on the big screen. However, we have an inkling that this could blow everyone away and prove Warner Bros. was wrong to doubt Snyder (we're even going to see Martian Manhunter in a movie for the first time ever).
1. Spider-Man 3
At this point, there are more rumours and theories about Spider-Man 3 than there are actual plot details. It certainly has all the makings of a "Spider-Verse" movie (especially with Doctor Strange's confirmed involvement), but there's every chance it won't be quite as ambitious or far-reaching as that.
Even if Peter Parker doesn't come face-to-face with alternate versions of himself - and Miles Morales, who is long overdue for a live-action debut - how can you not be counting down the days?
Spider-Man: Far From Home ended on a massive cliffhanger when Mysterio outed Spider-Man's secret identity to the world and framed Peter for his "murder." That's going to completely change how Spidey fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with Sony Pictures keen to start using the web-slinger in their movies too, Spider-Man 3 could be a game-changer in more ways than one.