Sequelitis has been a term frequently tossed around in recent years to describe the current state of Hollywood as, whether they’d be reboots, remakes or regular sequels, the cinema industry’s overreliance on well-known properties has become more of a hindrance than an advantage in many cases.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean there aren’t plenty of sequels to look forward to in 2023 since between Marvel and the faltering DCU alone there are enough blockbusters to keep many movie fans busy. Regardless of that, there’s plenty more to film than superheroes, because many other franchises will be looking to either revive their past glories or close out the stories crafted for their respective protagonists, so who makes up la crème de crème of movie sequels next year?

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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023)

Ant-Man & Cassie Lang Featured Together

Marvel Studios has three movies and up to six shows lined up for next year, yet it all hangs on the little guy giving the MCU a solid head start. Why? Well among the many gripes fans had with Phase Four was the apparent lack of build-up for the franchises and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania needs to fix that ASAP with the proper introduction of the Multiverse Saga’s villain, Kang the Conqueror.

That’s a lot to ask from Ant-Man, who’s arguably always been one of the MCU’s lesser heroes, however, the more Phase Five and Six start to take form the less likely it seems that Quantumania will trick fans the way Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness’s did with its trailers and cameos. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 being a coda for James Gunn and company, Ant-Man edges past The Marvels as the MCU’s must-watch film in 2023.

Creed III (March 3, 2023)

Creed 3 Trailer Michael B Jordan Jonathan Majors

The first Rocky entry has aged flawlessly as one of the greatest movies of all time, but that didn’t stop the franchise from diluting itself into irrelevance until Rocky Balboa rescued the name. All that makes 2015’s Creed even more impressive, and Michael B. Jordan’s directing debut is tasked with avoiding that exact same trap that almost undid Adonis’ mentor.

Creed captured all of Rocky’s charm with clever writing and a compelling story, but in spite of that Creed 3 has to do it all over again, now without Sylvester Stallone. The contrary could mean downgrading the Creed saga from Academy Award contender to just another run-of-the-mill name looking to bank on nostalgia, just like the latter part of Rocky's film career.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2, 2023)

Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Art Styles

In a day and age when even Marvel has had to rethink its strategy and movie output, Sony’s Into the Spider-Verse stood for something a bit different, it was a film that was unique due to its animation, lighthearted humor and a different name behind Spider-Man's mask. Across the Spider-Verse wants brings all that back, though now with the promise of more Spider-Man from other realms and a guaranteed sequel.

Sequels often succeed when they can reinvent or shake up the formula of the original with the same elements, but considering Into the Spider-Verse’s biggest asset was its freshness that will be a tough hill to climb. Will Sony use its animated hit as a big tie-in for its Spider-Man Universe? Will the series remain just as exciting heading into the final chapter of its trilogy? Or, could this multiverse adventure even surpass Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One (July 14, 2023)

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Stunts

It’s a completely valid point to say Mission: Impossible films have only gotten better with the passage of time, with Fallout really driving home that idea, and yet, the biggest thing this movie has going for it is probably Top Gun: Maverick. 2022’s most successful movie was so by being able to appeal to almost everyone, it’s as close as it gets to an old-fashioned action flick, a formula that Mission: Impossible can surely recreate with a little espionage flavor on top.

Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise pair up again to deliver some of the best action sequences Hollywood can muster, all with as many practical effects as humanly possible. Dead Reckoning also has the lure of being the penultimate chapter in the Mission Impossible franchise and Cruise’s unbelievable stunts, so there's plenty of plot armor too as if Ethan Hunt needed it.

Dune: Part Two (November 3, 2023)

Timothée Chalamet Zendaya Florence Pugh Dune 2

Denis Villeneuve said it best, Dune: Part Two is when he really gets to start having fun with Frank Herbert’s revered work, and judging from what he did with the first part, that statement packs a ton of promise for sci-fi fans. Dune was an absolute visual spectacle in 2021, one that showed what can be accomplished with well-used CGI, albeit also having the benefits of an immensely talented cast of actors.

Dune: Part Two has only been adding more names to that as Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Léa Seydoux, and Christopher Walken all joined the cast, but the sequel's main goal is to wrap up Herbert’s first novel and a young Paul Atreides’ rise to power. The first film had a ton of setup work to do, however, this second entry will really get to develop the galaxy’s power dynamics, the toils of war and a hero that’s not as perfect as the first movie made him out to be. Plus, there's also a series tie-in to keep in mind with Dune: The Sisterhood and the Dune: Awakening MMO.MORE: Big Games Missing from The Game Awards 2022