While there are so many shows and movies coming out in 2026, here are the nine that I think are most worth your time.
- “The Boys:” May 20, 2026
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“The Boys” is a satirical superhero TV show on Amazon Prime based on a comic book series. I’ve been hooked since season one came out, and saw every episode of season five (the last season), the second it was released.
The finale of the show released on May 20, and I loved it. The show features:
- superhero satire
- political commentary
- a lot of violence
The story mainly centers around two opposing groups: The Seven, a corrupt corporate superhero team, and The Boys, the deeply dysfunctional group trying to take them down. Unlike the polished optimism of Marvel movies, “The Boys” is intentionally dark, gritty, cynical and often genuinely horrifying.
What makes the show so interesting, though, is that beneath all the chaos and gore, it’s really about celebrity culture, capitalism, branding, power and how easily audiences excuse terrible people if they’re charismatic enough.
The final season also sets up a spin-off called “Vought Rising,” so even though the main story is ending, the universe itself clearly is not disappearing anytime soon.
I could spend hours talking about the premise of the show, why nobody will top Homelander’s level of pure villainy anytime soon, and how underrated Chace Crawford’s performance as The Deep really is, but that would probably push me past my word count. So I’ll save that spiral for another article.
- “Euphoria:” May 31, 2026
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The final episode of “Euphoria’s” season three (I hope it is the finale of “Euphoria”) airing in 2026 honestly feels surreal because this show has existed for years in a constant state of discourse, glitter eyeliner, edits, leaks, think pieces, delays and collective emotional instability.
At its best, “Euphoria” captured the specific intensity of being young in a way that felt almost suffocating. Every emotion was catastrophic. Every relationship felt life-ruining. Every party looked simultaneously beautiful and deeply concerning.
But beyond the cinematography and aesthetics, the show became such a phenomenon because of the soundtrack, standout performances by Zendaya, Alexa Demie, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, Sydney Sweeney (I wish I could add every single actor on the show) and the shock factor.
Regardless of how people currently feel about the show, the final episode will absolutely dominate the internet for months. There will be edits. There will be conversations. There will be YouTube essays. There will, unfortunately, be people defending characters who absolutely should not be defended. It’s simply the natural lifecycle of “Euphoria.”
- “Michael:” April 24, 2026
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As a long-time fan of Michael Jackson, I adored this film. My mother saw it twice. I could be convinced to watch it again.
The movie follows Michael Jackson’s life up until 1988, ending around the beginning of his first solo tour. It feels like more of a concert film (I loved that). The performance sequences, choreography and music were easily the strongest parts of the film. I loved watching Michael Jackson’s spirit possess his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, because Jaafar played the role almost perfectly.
It also touches on several important parts of his life, including his relationship with his father, the Pepsi commercial accident and his struggles with body dysmorphia and appearance.
At the same time, because the film stops in 1988, there’s very obvious potential for a sequel that could address the later and far more controversial parts of his life, including the allegations against him and his vitiligo diagnosis.
Regardless of where people stand on Michael Jackson himself, it’s almost impossible to deny how influential he was to music, performance, celebrity culture and pop culture as a whole.
- “Obsession:” May 15, 2026
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“Obsession” introduces audiences to two relatively unknown actors, which immediately pulls you into their world of a psychological supernatural horror film.
The story follows Bear, an awkward music store employee who has a crush on his best friend and coworker Nikki. Instead of simply asking her out like a normal person, he buys a supernatural toy called a One Wish Willow and wishes for Nikki to “love him more than anyone else in the entire world.”
What makes the movie especially interesting is that beneath all the horror and violence, it’s a commentary on modern dating, “nice guy” entitlement, emotional manipulation and consent. Which honestly makes the concept even scarier because it feels uncomfortably plausible underneath the supernatural elements.
The movie does have a lot of moments where your blood runs cold, but it’s the symbolism that will keep you awake at night.
- “Supergirl:” June 26, 2026
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I loved James Gunn’s 2025 “Superman” film.
It felt hopeful, optimistic, and refreshingly sincere compared to the darker tone audiences had gotten used to with Henry Cavill’s version of Superman. I did not expect to enjoy the 2025 film as much as I did, but it completely won me over.
That being said, I don’t think “Supergirl” will follow the same slightly punk rock path that “Superman” did. Fans are expecting a version of “Supergirl” that feels much closer to how she’s portrayed in the comics: more emotionally volatile, more complex and a lot less polished.
As someone who spent years almost exclusively reading Superman and Spider-Man comics growing up, I’m genuinely excited to see where this goes.
However, like most female-led superhero films, this movie will probably face an unbearable amount of scrutiny both before and after its release, which will make me root for it even more out of spite.
- “The Odyssey:” July 17, 2026
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Christopher Nolan directing The Odyssey feels so absurdly ambitious. The audience will either love it or hate it. There will be no middle ground.
So far, with the casting announcements and trailer releases, not everyone seems completely sold on the film. But regardless of online talk, every single cinema hall will probably still be packed during the opening week. I’d like to thank my lucky stars that I took CAMS 25 and have a rough idea what the actual Odyssey is about.
Regardless of any advance press, I will absolutely be seated for the score, performances, cinematography and whatever emotionally devastating three-hour existential spiral Nolan decides to put everyone through this time.
People also need to remember that The Odyssey itself is an ancient Greek epic attributed to Homer. None of this actually happened. Which somehow feels like an important reminder, considering how aggressively people online argue about mythological adaptations every single time one gets released.
- “Spider-Man:Brand New Day:” July 31, 2026
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Spider-Man fans have collectively suffered enough.
After the emotional terrorism of “No Way Home,” Peter Parker deserves one uninterrupted good day. Unfortunately, knowing Marvel, that will probably not happen.
What makes Spider-Man continuously work as a character with each iteration is that, beneath the CGI destruction and multiverse chaos, he still fundamentally feels like an anxious person trying their best while their life collapses around them. Which is maybe why everyone projects onto him so aggressively.
Also, the title “Brand New Day” already sounds suspiciously optimistic, and that concerns me.
- “Ted Lasso:” Aug 5, 2026
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“Ted Lasso” is a sports comedy drama TV series on Apple TV+. I’ve rewatched the show a billion times and go through the same emotions a billion times. It is a feel-good TV show about an American college football coach getting recruited to coach a fictional English Premier League football (American soccer) team.
I’ve laughed, I’ve cried and I begged everyone around me to watch “Ted Lasso” as well. The TV show somehow became revolutionary for simply allowing people to be kind and optimistic without making it feel corny.
When season four premieres on Aug. 5, I will be watching.
- “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins:” Jan 18, 2026
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“The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” is an NBC sports mockumentary comedy series created by the team behind “30 Rock.”
The show follows Reggie Dinkins, a disgraced former NFL star played by Tracy Morgan, who was banned from the league decades earlier because of a massive gambling scandal. In a desperate attempt to finally make it into the Hall of Fame, he hires an award-winning documentary filmmaker, Arthur Tobin, played by Daniel Radcliffe, to help rehabilitate his public image.
Seeing Daniel Radcliffe randomly appear in a sports mockumentary was honestly surprising, but his chemistry with Tracy Morgan is ridiculously funny. The entire dynamic works because Radcliffe plays Arthur with this constant high-strung seriousness, while Tracy Morgan’s Reggie exists in complete delusional chaos.
2026 is stacked with a lot of really exciting new arrivals. Every month has some new release threatening to dominate timelines and spark hours of online discourse. Unfortunately for my productivity, I will be participating in all of it.