These days, intellectual property rules the movies. Just look at the action genre. Of Esquire’s 11 most anticipated action films of 2023, nine are sequels. One movie on this list is even pushing its seventh entry. For some viewers, this may seem a little daunting. So, I’m supposed watch four movies before I can understand this one?! You know, I’d say the answer is: “not really.” These are blockbuster action films, not trigonometry equations. Studios want people to see these things. So, they pack ‘em with explosions, crazy stunts, and just enough exposition to make it feel worth it that you did your movie homework. And if homework is watching movies, how bad can that really be?
Though 2022 had some major hits in Top Gun: Maverick and RRR, the new year looks to keep the momentum moving. We’ll get Keanu Reeves back as John Wick and superhero sequels galore. Paramount will take a leap of faith with the first official Dungeons and Dragons movie, starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez. If that wasn’t enough, Harrison Ford will make his final appearance as Indiana Jones in The Dial of Destiny, which will see the legendary action star cracking his whip and fighting Nazis. Classic. Below, we’ve assembled the most anticipated films of 2023.
Like Sylvester Stallone before him, Michael B. Jordan realized that to go all out for Creed III, he might just have to direct it himself. Technically the ninth film in the Rocky series, Creed III will see Jordan’s Adonis Creed face off against a former childhood friend, played by Jonathan Majors. Not to get the hype train rolling too early, but judging from the trailer alone? It looks like Creed III could be one of the best Rocky entries yet.
Premieres in theaters on March 3, 2023.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Yet another film to feature the rising talent of Jonathan Majors, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will have the tiny heroes face off against Majors’s Thanos-level enemy, Kang. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly will be back to complete the trilogy as well, kicking off Marvel’s Phase 5 with a romp through the mysterious (and scientifically questionable) Quantum Realm.
Premieres in theaters on February 17, 2023.
It remains unclear just exactly what is happening in 65, the new Adam Driver sci-fi thriller announced by Sony. Landing on a foreign planet sometime in the future, he finds massive dinosaurs and learns that he’s somehow on Earth… 65 million years ago. It feels like a Paul W.S. Anderson movie based on a video game, but I can promise you that it’s not. What it does have, however, are big dinosaurs and laser guns.
Premieres in theaters on March 10, 2023.
Keanu Reeves is back in a major way for John Wick: Chapter 4, fighting against one of Hong Kong cinema’s finest actors. Ip Man and Shang-Chi’s Donnie Yen will take the role of the lead villain for this fourth entry, along with Mortal Kombat and Bullet Train’s Hiroyuki Sanada. Of all the action films coming out in 2023, you can always bet that a John Wick flick won’t disappoint.
Premieres in theaters on March 24, 2023.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
A Dungeons & Dragons film franchise seems like a big gamble, but it may perfect timing considering the role-playing game is at the peak of its popularity. But what could a movie about a game wherein anything is possible focus on? Well, when you have Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, and Michelle Rodriguez signed on, just about any quest is worth seeing.
Premieres in theaters on Mar 31, 2023.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Marking James Gunn’s final Marvel film before heading to DC full-time, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will complete the trilogy and provide an ending for its beloved cast of misfits. Originally a struggling comic, both sales-wise and critically, Gunn made the Guardians one of the MCU’s most popular film franchises. Since it’ll be the final space voyage for Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Rocket, and Groot, the gang will likely go out with something special.
Premieres in theaters on May 5, 2023.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
It’s been five years since the last Transformers film, but the popular toy line has yet to run out of ideas. “What if the cars could become animals?” is an idea right up there with ”What if Optimus Prime fought King Kong?” It seems like Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set to have both! And what’s this giant ape robot’s name? Optimus Primal. Perfect.
Premieres in theaters on June 9, 2023.
Despite three years of delays and a controversial star at its center, Ezra Miller’s The Flash film is still slated to premiere this Summer on June 16. Is it finished? Will Michael Keaton be Batman? What’s the state of DC Studios, anyway? These are all great questions, thank you very much. Short answer: we have no idea. Brace yourself for something truly insane as we enter the Speed Force.
Premieres in theaters on June 23, 2023.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Harrison Ford is giving ol’ Indy one last ride in The Dial of Destiny—the fifth film in the series about an archaeologist who fights Nazis. Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas’s original pitch for Indiana Jones was “a James Bond film without the hardware,” and the two creators have held true to the idea since the original movie back in 1981. Though Dial of Destiny will be the first film to be helmed by director James Mangold, the latest adventure story will aim to keep Indy’s rollicking spirit alive.
Premieres in theaters on June 30, 2023.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
An action film so great, apparently, they had to split it in two. Dead Reckoning, the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, will see stunt-crazy Tom Cruise jumping off a cliff on a motorcycle at the age of 60. As was evident in Top Gun: Maverick, nothing will stop this man from cheating death over and over again. Damn it, I’ll be floored every time.
Premieres in theaters on July 14, 2023.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
If we’re not tired of water people following Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avatar: The Way of Water, Christmas 2023 will also see the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The sequel will reportedly mark Jason Mamoa’s last outing as the aquatic Justice League superhero, as DC Studios revamps its mission for the future. Don’t count Aquaman out just yet, however, or impressive villains such as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta.
Premieres in theaters on December 25, 2023.
Josh Rosenberg
Josh Rosenberg is an entertainment writer living in Brooklyn, keeping a steady diet of one movie a day; his past work can be found at CBR, Spin, Insider, and on his personal blog at Roseandblog.com.
