This year was a massive bummer for entertainment fans. Nearly every major film and TV show that made 2020 look so exciting was delayed as coronavirus played havoc on release schedules. It meant having to exercise patience and staying tuned to every new announcement, delay and tidbit.
Luckily, things are calming down in the world of film and TV releases as we head towards management of the coronavirus pandemic. The good news amongst all the gloom is these delays mean 2021 is looking incredible for genre fans.
There’s set to be plenty of fantastic fantasy, sci-fi and horror properties releasing this year from Marvel hits to Netflix’s increasingly hearty genre slate.
Here’s every major film and TV show releasing in 2021 you should absolutely keep an eye on.
Marvel: Black Widow, Loki, WandaVision & More
Way back in March, Black Widow was set to light the box office on fire as Marvel finally gave Natasha Romanoff the spin-off movie she deserved. Unfortunately, coronavirus scuppered those plans — but the film is still very much on the way. In Australia, it’ll release on April 29.
Despite Marvel’s history, the majority of its offerings this year will actually come in the form of TV shows on Disney+.
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The first show on the way is WandaVision, starring the Scarlet Witch and Vision, but there’s also spin-offs spotlighting Loki, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson. Here’s when you can catch every show:
- WandaVision — January 15
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier — March 19
- Loki — May 2021
Mid-year, we’ll also see the release of Shang-Chi in cinemas. It was one of the few films to continue production throughout the coronavirus pandemic because it was located in Australia. For this reason, it should meet its planned release of July 8.
Also on the way from Marvel is two major blockbusters that have largely slipped under the radar: Venom: Let There Be Carnage (June 24) and Morbius (March 18). Both are technically in the MCU due to their loose connection with the Spider-Man films.
Eternals, the mystery film about god-like beings living on Earth, is also currently set for a tentative October 23 release, but stay tuned for more news on this release.
DC: The Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn & More
The Suicide Squad is set to be the biggest release for DC in 2021. In Australia, it’s coming to cinemas on August 5, but it’ll receive a simultaneous theatre and HBO Max release in the U.S. It’s set to expand on the original Suicide Squad by injecting it with a dash of Guardians of the Galaxy madness. Given early trailers, it just might work.
The rest of DC’s offerings are mostly relegated to the CW’s DC TV universe (which we’ll talk about more below), but there are a handful of other properties launching in 2021, too.
Doom Patrol season three is coming to HBO Max in 2021, as is the next season of the incredible animated Harley Quinn TV show and likely the third season of Titans, too.
Expect to hear more about the suspiciously absent next season of Young Justice and Vertigo’s Y: The Last Man adaptation on Hulu as we enter the new year.
The CW: Superman & Lois, The Flash, Legacies & More
The CW is once again entering 2021 with a phenomenal genre slate. Between its fantasy offerings and entire DC TV slate, there’s plenty on offer including new shows and some shows that are ending this year.
Superman & Lois (February 24) is the latest DC TV spin-off, and probably the most exciting. It’s set to follow Lois and Clark as they deal with balancing their stressful day jobs with Clark’s secret superheroic identity. Tyler Hoechlin was excellent as Superman in the DC TV crossovers, so it’ll be exciting to see how he manages on his own.
Black Lightning (February 9) will come to an end this season, but it’ll celebrate its run with a game-changing final season. Also returning are Batwoman (January 18), The Flash (February 24), Supergirl (February, final season), Stargirl (Autumn) and Legends of Tomorrow (Winter).
Outside of DC TV offerings, The CW will also play host to the return of Charmed (January 25), Legacies (January 22) and more.
Netflix: The Witcher, Shadow and Bone, Lucifer & More
Netflix will continue to roll out genre content into 2021 despite various cancellations over the 2020 season.
The second half of Lucifer‘s fifth season is currently undated, but expected to air in the early parts of the year. It will also likely be followed later in the year by the beginning of the sixth season (although this may be pushed into 2022 given the current difficulties with filming.)
One exciting new debut will come in the form of Shadow and Bone, the highly anticipated adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse series of YA novels. The first teaser has already been released by Netflix, and it’s set for release in April 2021.
Also on the way is the next season of The Witcher and its animated prequel, The Witcher: Blood Origin. Filming is currently underway for The Witcher‘s second season and we can expect it later in 2021. Blood Origin is undated, but expected for late 2021 or early 2022.
Rounding out the line-up is several live-action adaptations of beloved anime, comic and cartoon properties. The gentleman thief Arsène Lupin will make his debut in Netflix’s Lupin on January 8, while other live action adaptations of Cowboy Bebop, The Sandman and Resident Evil are also expected in 2021.
Another show to keep an eye on is Fate: The Winx Saga (January 22), a “gritty” live-action adaptation of the classic cartoon, Winx Club. Whether it’ll stay true to the original is currently up in the air, but it looks intriguing.
Amazon Prime Video: The Stand, Invincible, The Boys & More
Amazon doesn’t have quite as much skin in the genre game compared to rival Netflix, but there’s still plenty of exciting projects set to release on Amazon Prime Video in 2021.
The return of The Boys is perhaps the most anticipated of everything coming. It finished off an excellent second season in October this year, and there’s plenty more madness on the way when its third season arrives in late 2021. This go around there’s dangerous new threats and the appearance of Supernatural‘s Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy.
Also on the Amazon Prime Video slate is the debut season of Invincible, a cartoon adaptation of the comics series of the same name. It follows the story of a superheroic teen living up to the shadow of his father and attempting to protect the world from danger.
Joining this lineup will be the third season of American Gods, coming on January 11.
You can also look out for more episodes of The Stand which will air on Amazon Prime Video in Australia through January and February 2021.
While there hasn’t been a lot of news from Amazon on their new production front, we can expect more news on the Lord of the Rings spin-off shortly, as well as updates on new seasons of Carnival Row, Upload and Star Trek: Picard.
Every Other Big Movie Coming In 2021
Nearly every film scheduled for release in 2020 ended up being pushed back, some a full year to 2021. While it meant a massive gap in content over the last twelve months, it does mean 2021 is not absolutely stacked for nerdy film entertainment.
Here’s every other major sci-fi, fantasy and horror flick releasing in 2021:
- Antlers — 18 February, 2021
- Ghostbusters: Afterlife — 25 March, 2021
- Raya and the Last Dragon — 25 March, 2021
- Rumble — 1 April, 2021
- A Quiet Place Part II — 22 April, 2021
- Godzilla vs. Kong — 20 May, 2021
- Spiral: From the Book of Saw — 20 May, 2021
- The Conjuring 3 — 3 June, 2021
- Uncharted — 15 July, 2021
- Jungle Cruise — 29 July, 2021
- Space Jam: A New Legacy — 9 September, 2021
- Dune — 30 September , 2021
- Halloween Kills — 14 October, 2021
For a full list, check out the Gizmodo Australia movie release schedule.
There’s plenty to keep genre fans happy in 2021. After a truncated year that saw several delays hit film and TV productions and many others being hit with cancellations, 2021 looks set to right the ship. Prepare to be entertained.
Stay tuned to Gizmodo Australia for all the latest entertainment, tech and gadget news.