This content from the Marvelous Videos — channel where it was originally published on January 21, 2026 —, presents a curated preview of twelve science fiction films of 2026, offering an early overview of the themes, premises, and creative directions behind each project. It is a film-by-film breakdown, with trailers (when available) and some other stuff to make this here even more useful.
Rather than treating these films as guaranteed highlights (in fact, some of these would definitely suck), we approach them as points of reference that should be useful even beyond 2026, not only to consider what we should watch, but also as a snapshot of the genre’s ambitions, trends, and recurring concerns.
It is also worth noting that the selection deliberately excludes superhero films. Although many of these productions make extensive use of science fiction concepts, lets focus here more strictly on science fiction as a genre in its own right.
Mercy (January 23, 2026)
Set in 2029, Mercy presents a near-future legal system in which artificial intelligence is no longer a supporting tool, but the ultimate authority. Chris Pratt plays Detective Chris Raven, accused of murdering his wife and forced to prove his innocence not before a human court, but before an advanced AI judge. The always beautiful Rebecca Ferguson co-stars as Judge Maddox, a central figure in this automated justice system.
The film explores a familiar but increasingly relevant science fiction question: what happens when judgment is stripped of empathy? The premise echoes earlier works such as Minority Report, but with a harsher tone, focusing on the risks of delegating moral decisions to systems driven purely by data and logic, instead of the usual parasites.
Trailer
In the Blink of an Eye (February 27, 2026)
Directed by Andrew Stanton, best known for WALL·E, In the Blink of an Eye remains one of the most enigmatic entries on this list. Few plot details have been disclosed, we can’t even find an official trailer (just the usual fake trailer slop BS on YouTube), but the film was announced as early as 2022 and is reportedly influenced by Interstellar, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Magnolia, which makes me even less excited than I already was.
Stanton’s previous work suggests a science fiction approach that uses spectacle as a gateway to more intimate reflections on humanity, connection, and responsibility, and if the film follows that tradition, it is likely to focus less on technological awe and more on what it means to be alive within an immense and indifferent cosmos.
The Bride! (March 6, 2026)
The Bride revisits the Frankenstein mythos from a science fiction horror perspective. While Mary Shelley’s original novel is often categorized as gothic horror (of the Romantic phase), its core premise — artificial creation of life — firmly places it within science fiction territory.
This adaptation appears poised to explore themes of autonomy, identity, and the ethical consequences of creation, rather than presenting a simple monster narrative. In fact, the film is framed as a high-concept genre piece, blurring the line between victim and villain and revisiting the perennial science fiction warning about playing God. The trailer gave us the impression that it would have a Sinners-like musical overtone, which, if true, means that Hollywood is already jumping on another bandwagon…
Trailer
Project Hail Mary (March 20, 2026)
Based on Andy Weir’s 2021 novel, Project Hail Mary follows astronaut Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, who awakens alone aboard a spacecraft with no memory of his mission and gradually discovers that he is humanity’s last hope against an extinction-level event on Earth.
Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film combines hard science fiction with a deeply personal survival narrative, where memory, isolation, and responsibility sit at the center of a story that frames scientific problem-solving as both an intellectual and moral challenge.
Trailer
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (April 3, 2026)
Expanding the animated Super Mario universe beyond the Mushroom Kingdom, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes its inspiration directly from the space-themed games of the same name. The film introduces cosmic settings while retaining a family-friendly tone.
Although lighter in subject matter than most entries on this list, it still qualifies as science fiction through its use of interstellar travel, alien worlds, and speculative environments — albeit filtered through a whimsical, animated lens.
Trailer
Mortal Kombat 2 (May 15, 2026)
The sequel to the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, Mortal Kombat 2 continues the franchise’s blend of martial arts, fantasy, science fiction elements and Karl Urban joining the cast as Johnny Cage. Regardless if this great actor (not martial artist) will be able to convince us as a top level martial artist, which we doubt without of heavy use of special effects and/or stuntmen, the film will expand the focus of its series on tournament mythology and interdimensional conflict.
While firmly rooted in its video game origins, the series’ use of alternate realms, enhanced humans, and advanced technologies keeps it adjacent to science fiction, particularly in its portrayal of engineered warriors and non-human adversaries.
Trailer
The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22, 2026)
Marking the first Star Wars theatrical release in several years, The Mandalorian and Grogu brings the once popular streaming series to the big screen. Set after the fall of the Galactic Empire, the film continues to explore the political and social consequences of galactic collapse.
Found-family dynamics, bounty hunters, and shifting power structures form the narrative backbone, framed within a science fiction universe that blends space opera with modern serialized storytelling. Let’s see if this will work. Both the show and the franchise as a whole aren’t resonating with the public as much anymore, fruits of an insistent compulsion on taking stupid decisions over the years.
Trailer
Masters of the Universe (June 5, 2026)
Traditionally categorized as sword and sorcery, Masters of the Universe leans more explicitly into science fiction in this adaptation. The story reimagines Prince Adam as someone raised on Earth, separated from the Sword of Power, before reclaiming his destiny as He-Man.
Advanced technology, alien worlds, and futuristic designs are expected to coexist with mythic elements, reflecting the franchise’s long-standing hybrid identity between fantasy and science fiction. Yes, you can argue that He-Man is a superhero, which we’d agree, but Marvelous Videos made this list, so it’s their fault.
Teaser
Disclosure Day (June 12, 2026)
After years releasing weird and unappealing stuff, Steven Spielberg returns to classic science fiction territory with Disclosure Day, a film centered on first contact with extraterrestrial life. True to Spielberg’s tradition, the story is expected to balance wonder and fear, focusing as much on human reaction as on the alien presence itself.
There is minimal plot information released so far, but the film’s appeal seems to lie largely in its thematic potential: government secrecy, public panic, and the cultural impact of discovering that humanity is not alone. Let’s see how this one does as well and is Spielberg got back to his good shape.
Trailer
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (November 20, 2026)
This prequel shifts focus to Haymitch Abernathy and the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell. Beyond the arena itself, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping emphasizes world-building and political manipulation within Panem.
As with previous entries, science fiction serves as a framework for social commentary, examining authoritarian control, spectacle, and systemic violence in a dystopian future.
Teaser
The Dog Stars (August 28, 2026)
Directed by Ridley Scott and based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel, The Dog Stars depicts a post-pandemic world devastated by a global virus, where humanity survives in scattered pockets, navigating scarcity, isolation, and violent encounters.
Although grounded and intimate, the film qualifies as science fiction through its speculative pandemic scenario and its exploration of societal collapse, resilience, and moral choice in a near-future wasteland. No real trailer for this one as well so far. Just the usual AI slop channels with their sewage content made to impress suckers.
Dune: Part Three (December 18, 2026)
Concluding Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy, Dune: Part Three follows Paul Atreides as he navigates the consequences of his rise to power. With much of the original cast returning, and hopefully with the same quality of the earlier entries, the film brings the saga’s political, ecological, and philosophical threads to their endpoint.
Rather than focusing solely on spectacle, the trilogy positions science fiction as a vehicle for examining destiny, leadership, and the long-term cost of ideological certainty. There’s also some rich symbolism and good values that can be extracted from Frank Herbert’s classic universe. Yup, no official trailer yet.
Alright.
Maybe this broad view of how science fiction is like on 2026 may offer not only some films suggestions, but a register of how this genre is being dealt in these times. Regardless of these works will succeed or are at least watchable, they should at least collectively reflect the genre’s ongoing effort to balance imagination, relevance, and storytelling ambition.
Which of these films do you find most intriguing — and how do you think this lineup compares to other landmark years in sci-fi cinema? I think after writing this post I really want to watch Dune 3, Mortal Kombat 2 and Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie. But leave your own opinions in the comments.
Cheers!
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- Length: 12:10
- Channel: Marvelous Videos
- Categories: Articles, Lists, Movies