Superman already has a lot on his shoulders. It seems unfair to add the fate of the summer movie season to his list. But he's not alone 鈥 Marvel Studios is also returning to theaters in a big way with two movies this summer, 鈥淭hunderbolts鈥 and 鈥淭he Fantastic Four: First Steps.鈥
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the movie business , and two years after the strikes, the industry has yet to fully recover. Critics may have complained of superhero fatigue, but after several summers of depleted offerings, it鈥檚 clear that they鈥檙e a vital part of the mix.
Superheroes alone don't make for a healthy marketplace, however, and this year studios have for every kind of moviegoer, with over 40 wide releases spanning genres.
鈥淭his is the summer where all this product that we鈥檝e all been working on for the last few years is finally coming into the marketplace, so I鈥檓 very optimistic,鈥 says Joseph Kosinski, who directed 鈥淔1鈥 with Brad Pitt.
Key movies in the summer 2025 lineup
Summer begins early in Hollywood, on the first weekend in May and that kick-off can make or break that pivotal 123 day corridor that has historically accounted for around 40% of the annual box office.
After upended the 2024 summer calendar, this year Disney is back in that familiar first weekend spot with 鈥淭hunderbolts." Memorial Day weekend could also be a behemoth with the live action 鈥淟ilo & Stitch鈥 and 鈥淢ission: Impossible 鈥 The Final Reckoning." With a new 鈥淛urassic World,鈥 a live action 鈥淗ow to Train Your Dragon鈥 and the Formula One movie also on the schedule through June and July, the summer season has the potential to be the biggest in the post-COVID era.
There are also family pics (鈥淪murfs,鈥 鈥淓lio"); action and adventures (鈥淏allerina,鈥 鈥淭he Karate Kid: Legends鈥); horrors, thrillers and slashers (鈥28 Years Later,鈥 鈥淚 Know What You Did Last Summer,鈥 鈥淢3GAN 2.0"); romances (鈥淢aterialists,鈥 鈥淛ane Austen Wrecked My Life鈥); dramas (鈥淪orry, Baby,鈥 鈥淭he Life of Chuck鈥); a new Wes Anderson movie (鈥淭he Phonecian Scheme鈥); and comedies (鈥淔reakier Friday,鈥 鈥淏ride Hard,鈥 鈥淭he Naked Gun鈥).
鈥淒raw me a blueprint of a perfect summer lineup: 2025 is it," says Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
What this summer's big directors are saying
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun twist on what a movie like this could be,鈥 says 鈥淭hunderbolts鈥 director Jake Schreier.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a personal journey for Superman that鈥檚 entirely new,鈥 says 鈥淪uperman鈥 director James Gunn. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also about the robots and the flying dogs and all that stuff. It鈥檚 taking a very real person and putting them in the middle of this outrageous situation and outrageous world and playing with that. I think it鈥檚 a lot of fun because of that."
鈥淚t鈥檚 working on an incredibly large scale in terms of world building, but it鈥檚 also no different from all of the great comedies and dramas that I鈥檝e done,鈥 says 鈥淭he Fantastic Four: First Steps鈥 director Matt Shakman. 鈥淚n the end, it comes down to character, it comes down to relationships, it comes down to heart and humor.鈥
鈥淧eople say, like, do you feel pressure and the most pressure I feel is from myself as a fan and to Steven Spielberg, to not disappoint him," says 鈥淛urassic World Rebirth鈥 director Gareth Edwards. 鈥淲eirdly what鈥檚 great about doing a Jurassic movie is that everybody knows deep down that like half the reason they鈥檙e in this business is because of that film and Steven鈥檚 work.鈥
Why summer 2025 might be a big one for movies
Before the pandemic, all but one summer since 2007 broke the $4 billion mark. Since 2020, only one has: 2023, led by 鈥淏arbie.鈥
The unstable economy might work in the industry鈥檚 favor, at least when it comes to moviegoing. Even with increased ticket prices, theatrical movies remain the most affordable entertainment outside of the home and attendance tends to increase during recession years. The annual domestic box office crossed $10 billion for the first time in 2009.
鈥淏y the end of this summer, hopefully people aren鈥檛 talking about being in a funk anymore and it feels like we got our mojo back and we鈥檙e off to the races," Kosinski, who directed the pandemic-era hit 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick,鈥 says.
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