This year, films that the general public have highly anticipated for quite some years will be released. However, many of them are sequels to great movies and live-action sagas, playing with the hearts of millennials and those nostalgic for the cinema of that time. Here are the top six films that every cinephile is waiting to see with high expectations in 2025.

Captain America: Brave New World

Release Date: Feb. 14, 2025

Director: Julius Onah

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Tim Blake Nelson, Harrison Ford, Carl Lumbly, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas

In the movie Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson (played by Anthony Mackie) becomes Captain America for the first time. The film, co-written by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman and directed by Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox), follows Sam on a high-stakes adventure to unravel a global conspiracy. He is in a race against time to stop the mastermind behind the plot from causing chaos worldwide. Harrison Ford will step in to replace the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, who will be the President of the United States. The movie will feature Tim Blake Nelson reprising his role as a super-intelligent character from The Incredible Hulk, along with the return of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross and the introduction of new characters such as the new Falcon, played by Danny Ramirez and Israeli superheroine Sabra, portrayed by Shira Haas. Furthermore, Rosa Salazar from Alita: Battle Angel will also make an appearance.

Snow White

Release Date: March 21, 2025

Director: Marc Webb

Starring: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, Andrew Burnap

After the live-action adaptations of Disney princesses Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine and Ariel, it’s finally Snow White’s turn. Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man) and written by Greta Gerwig (Barbie) and Erin Cressida Wilson (The Girl on the Train), this new version of Snow White will star Rachel Zegler, the breakout star of Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, in the title role. But of course, every Snow White needs an evil queen, and for that honour, Webb and company turned to Wonder Woman herself, Gal Gadot.

Minecraft

Release Date: April 4, 2025

Director: Jared Hess

Starring: Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, Matt Berry, Sebastian Eugene Hansen

Minecraft is based on the famous video game of the same name, first released in 2011 by Mojang Studios. Since then, the game has expanded throughout pop culture to become a media empire. But one thing is still missing: a movie of its own. We still need to figure out what the movie will be about or how it will work with the game’s established lore and iconography, but we know who will star. Directed by Jared Hess, who brought us Napoleon Dynamite, the film will feature Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa, who will take the lead, and Jack Black reportedly star as Steve. You can also expect to see Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Kate McKinnon (Barbie), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), Emma Mayers (Wednesday) and Danielle Brooks (The Colour Purple), who will sing with Black in the film.

Michael

Release Date: April 18, 2025

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Jafaar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller

This biopic will attempt to tell the story of the icon that is Michael Jackson. Jafaar Jackson, the late Michael’s nephew, will depict his uncle in the film, directed by Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua is best known for collaborating with Denzel Washington on Training Day and The Equalizer. Still, he has also directed documentaries such as What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali and American Dream / American Knightmare. The script is the work of John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, and Skyfall) and is expected to cover the King of Pop’s entire life, including the sexual abuse allegations against Jackson. Colman Domingo (Rustin) will play Jackson’s infamous father, Joe, while Nia Long (Boyz N the Hood) will play Jackson’s mother, Katherine. Top Gun: Maverick’s Miles Teller, meanwhile, will play lawyer, Juan Branca.

Thunderbolts

Release Date: May 5, 2025

Director: Jake Schreier

Starring: David Harbour, Hannah John-Karmen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Florence Pugh, Harrison Ford

Thunderbolts is the culmination of years of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) stories. In 2025, we will finally see if all that work turns into something exciting. Based on the comic book team of the same name, Thunderbolts will star a group of anti-heroes and former villains from across the MCU, including Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Red Guardian (David Harbour), and more, all under the watchful eye of Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Think Suicide Squad for the MCU, with many characters and lots of action.

Elio

Release Date: June 13, 2025

Director: Adrian Molina

Starring: America Ferrera, Yonas Kibreab, Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett

Pixar Animation Studios is one of the few that takes risks in original films and gives the opportunity to emerging talents in the industry. Elio is written and directed by Adrián Molina, screenwriter of Coco, and tells the story of a boy who teleports from Earth to an intergalactic Senate, where representatives from countless worlds meet to discuss the well-being of the universe. Elio, mistaken for the representative of Earth, must learn to speak on behalf of the entire planet while he makes new friends. This promising film features a voice cast that includes notable actors such as America Ferrera, Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett.