May
Black Widow
Marvel finally does a deep dive into Natasha Romanov’s aka Black Widow’s back-story. In over 10 films in the MCU we’ve gotten bits and pieces of the origin of Black Widow. Yet never a complete picture. The film takes place in between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. Not a ton is known about the story line, save for the fact that she will be up against The Taskmaster, and she’ll be recruiting the Romanoff family for help.
Fast and Furious 9
The ninth installment of the car racing franchise. Several cast members are returning including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson and Nathalie Emmanuel.
We’ve also got some newcomers in the form of John Cena, Ozuna and Cardi B. Save for that not much is known about the plot. Rest assured though it will be testosterone fueled and we will hear the word “family” dropped a number of times.
June
In the Heights
Remember that part about stories of cultura. At the top of our can’t wait to see list has to be In the Heights. Based on the Tony Award winning play written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The movie version is being directed by John M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and sports an all-star cast of color, including Anthony Ramos (A Star is Born) Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, 24), singer/songwriter Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera (Vida), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent, Wild Things), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Jimmy Smits (NYPD Blue; West Wing; LA Law).
Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage
With Venom being a runaway hit for Sony Pictures, you knew a sequel would not be far behind. Little is known about the sequel, save that it is currently being directed by Andy Serkis and the leading cast will all be returning, so Tom Hardy will once again be Eddie Brock/Venom and Michelle Williams as Ann Weying. Given the post-credits scene which featured Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady aka Carnage, as well as Harrelson’s inclusion in the sequel, we can safely assume Carnage will have prominent role in the story. There are so many great ways this could play out. Let’s hope they do it justice.
July
Top Gun: Maverick
Speaking of all nostalgia. Maverick himself is returning to the big screen. That hasn’t happened, well…since 1984. Tom Cruise returns to one of the roles that made him a star. Three decades later Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.” Of course, some daddy issues are going to arise.