Every year, Marvel treats its fans to masterpiece after masterpiece. While the studio may not release too many movies each year, every one of their movies packs a bigger punch than the previous one.
What’s more, fans of the Marvel Comic Universe get to see their favorite characters return in two different universes, Marvel Entertainment’s Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
As is obvious, MCU consists of all characters from the comic books, while SSU exclusively consists of Spider-Man and his enemies – Doc Oc, Electro, and more.
The comic book gods seem to have blessed Marvel fans this year, as both production studios are set to release multiple films for their respective universes in 2023.
Ant-Man, Spider-Verse, and more: Marvel movies releasing in 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, MCU
Release date – February 17, 2023
The third movie in the Ant-Man trilogy, Quantumania sees the entire group – Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Cassie Lang – journey into the Quantum Realm, albeit involuntarily.
Cassie, who is all grown up after the Snap, invents a device to send signals into the Quantum Realm. Just as Janet Van Dyne, who is aware of the mysteries it holds, is about to turn it off, all five characters are sucked into the “world beneath” .
They then follow Janet as she unveils the truth about this world she had kept from everyone so far. Amongst other adversaries, they also encounter Kang The Conqueror, who was the central antagonist in Loki.
The cast of the film includes:
- Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man
- Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp
- Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne
- Jonathan Majors as Kang The Conqueror
- Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang
IMDb’s official synopsis of the film reads:
“Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne are dragged into the Quantum Realm, along with Hope’s parents and Scott’s daughter Cassie. Together they must find a way to escape, but what secrets is Hope’s mother hiding? And who is the mysterious Kang?”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, MCU
Release date – May 5, 2023
Another Marvel threequel on the slate this year is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, featuring everyone’s favorite band of misfits.
After Avengers: Endgame punches the Guardians hard, all of them settle down in Knowhere. However, just when they least expect it, Adam Warlock attempts to kidnap Rocket. While the former fails to kidnap him, Rocket gets fatally injured and ends up on life support.
Now, the Guardians must delve into Rocket’s past – and fight it too – to save their friend.
The cast of the film includes:
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord
- Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket (voice)
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis
- Dave Bautista as Drax
- Karen Gillan as Nebula
- Vin Diesel as Groot (voice)
IMDb’s official synopsis of the film reads:
“Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own – a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.”
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, SSU
Release date – June 2, 2023
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will be Sony’s second film exploring the Spider-Verse.
Miles, who is delighted that “things are going great”, is in for a surprise as he runs into the film’s central antagonist, Spot, at the grocery store. What unravels in a perfectly choreographed tussle as Spot uses his teleportation powers to trick Morales.
The teenage webslinger is then introduced to the Spider Society, which is exactly what it sounds like. A team of Spider-People from across the multiverse, they try to employ Morales to fight a multiversal threat their way, but he is insistent on “doing my own thing”.
The voice cast of the film includes:
- Shameik Moore as Miles Morales
- Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy
- Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara
- Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker
- Issa Rae as Jessica Drew
- Brian Tyree Henry as Jefferson Davis
IMDb’s official synopsis of the film reads:
“Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.”
Kraven The Hunter, SSU
Release date – October 6, 2023
Arguably one of the most anticipated Marvel projects this year, Kraven The Hunter follows a feral, you guessed it, hunter who is out to get Spider-Man.
However, he is nothing like Spider-Man’s other enemies – he likes to get his hands dirty. While nothing is known about the plot so far, it was reported that the trailer screened at CinemaCon 2023 featured Kraven going down on all fours to fight his enemies and even biting off someone’s nose.
As confirmed by lead actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson before the screening, Kraven The Hunter will be Sony’s first R-rated film.
The cast of the film includes:
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven The Hunter
- Russell Crowe
- Christopher Abbott as The Foreigner
- Ariana DeBose as Calypso
- Fred Hechinger as Dmitri Smerdyakov/Chameleon
- Alessandro Nivola as Aleksei Sytsevich aka ‘The Rhino’
IMDb’s official synopsis of the film reads:
“Russian immigrant Sergei Kravinoff is on a mission to prove that he is the greatest hunter in the world.”
The Marvels, MCU
Release date – November 10, 2023
A tale of three superheroes, The Marvels will follow Monica Rambeau, Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan, and Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers as they figure out why their powers are entangled and how to use this to their advantage.
While the trailer does not reveal much about the film’s plot, it shows the three superheroes ending up where they shouldn’t be, more than once. It also features them working as a team, much to Rambeau and Danvers’ dismay.
And fret not, everyone’s favorite cat(ish) Goose will also return in all her Flerken glory, complete with her tentacles!
The cast of the film includes:
- Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
- Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel
- Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
IMDb’s official synopsis of the film reads:
“Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.”
Other than these movies, Marvel is also set to release several shows this year, including Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Ironheart, Echo, and What If…? season 2.
