We began 2025 by assessing Hollywood’s release schedule, at least as far as comic book films were concerned, and had fairly high hopes.
But six months later, you probably feel like 2025 has been a mixed bag. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man took viewers to an alternate timeline in which Peter Parker was mentored by Norman Osborn (his greatest villain in the comics). Some fans thought the show was primarily targeted towards children.
Others thought it was a breath of fresh air. Like many diehard comic book readers, they think the Spider-Man franchise is strongest when Peter Parker is a high school kid struggling to juggle school, friends, romance, and his duties as a superhero.
After a disappointing second season, Invincible season 3 seemingly redeemed the franchise by taking Mark Grayson back to his roots. Captain America: Brave New World was a critical and financial failure that spent so much time following up on the events of The Incredible Hulk 2008 that it forgot to tell Anthony Mackie’s story as the new Captain America.
Also, Giancarlo Esposito was wasted in a forgettable role. Daredevil: Born Again recreated the complexity of the original Netflix show whilst somehow elevating the action and the violence.
The season followed Wilson Fisk’s attempts to prove to everyone that he is a changed man. Thunderbolts is probably the biggest surprise of the year. No one expected the movie’s collection of C-list sidekicks from previous Marvel movies and shows to tell such a heart-rending story about loneliness and depression.
Lewis Pullman’s Sentry is easily Marvel’s best villain since Thanos. Thunderbolts showed us that Marvel is not dead and buried as the naysayers claim. Iron Heart divided the internet. Some people refused to watch it because Riri’s introduction in Wakanda Forever was so poor.
Others watched it and loved it, praising Marvel for telling an intimate story of love and loss in which the titular character fights magic with technology. You also have a fair number of viewers who hated Iron Heart, so 2025 is indeed a mixed bag.
Thunderbolts and Daredevil: Born Again are the only two releases audiences wholeheartedly loved. The rest have become a source of controversy online. I suppose I should add Superman 2025 to that list because critics and audiences alike continue to praise the film as a complete triumph.
I don’t get the hype of Superman 2025; I was far from impressed. That brings us to the second half of 2025. The Fantastic Four: First Steps comes out in a few days, and the trailers have been mediocre. After winning with Thunderbolts and failing with Brave New World, Marvel needs another cinematic hit this year to prove to everyone that the MCU is back.
I have high hopes for Peacemaker season 2. Season 1 was such a triumph. By the time it ended, I was ready to stand and applaud. Eyes of Wakanda has my interest. The animated show follows the Hatut Zaraze (War Dogs), a unit of spies that Wakanda deploys on secret missions abroad.
That synopsis does not do anything for me, but the animation looks amazing. Marvel Zombies explores that What If… Season 1 episode in which a zombified Thanos gets the infinity gauntlet.
Since I hate the entire ‘Marvel Zombies’ concept in the comics, I have no intention of watching this show. That brings us to Wonder Man, a live-action show about a superpowered actor/ stuntman that I would have ignored if not for the involvement of Destin Daniel Cretton (director of Shang-Chi).
I’m intrigued because I know nothing about this character. The year has nothing else to offer in this genre, which is a shame because I had such high hopes. Now it looks like 2025 might go down in history as one of the weakest years for the comic book genre.
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