by Cameron Tejeda | staff writer

2016 is finally upon us, and along with it comes another jam-packed year full of movies and shows. We’ve seen the big movies of 2015 like Mad Max: Fury Road and Star Wars Episode VII, but now it’s time to look into the future and see what’s in store for us. So now I’m listing some of my most anticipated films for the new year. It doesn’t mean all the movies on this list will be good, but these are the ones I’m looking forward to. Here’s to hoping 2016 gives us a lot of great things to talk about!

Deadpool – February 12

Comic book movies kick off early this year with Deadpool. Ryan Reynolds will play the loud mouth, sword wielding, red costumed superhero again after 2009’s abomination known as X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Now in 2016, we will see if the character of Deadpool will finally be given some justice. The movie looks to promise a lot of R-rated comedy and violence, something that I’m looking forward to in February.

Daredevil (season 2) – March 18

While not a movie, this is a show that I am very hyped to see. Ever since last year when the Daredevil show was released on Netflix, I’ve been waiting for the second season. Season 2 seems to be continuing the dark and gritty trend that the first season started, and I absolutely love it. Season 2 will also introduce the character of The Punisher to the series.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – March 25

The Dark Knight gets set to face off against the Man of Steel, and I can’t wait for these characters to clash. Batman is probably my favorite character ever, so for him to be back on the big screen and taking on Superman makes me feel happy inside. I know, it’s weird. I hope this gigantic movie can live up to the hype, and I think Zack Snyder can pull it off. I for one love his previous comic book movies such as 300, Watchmen, and the movie that started DC’s cinematic universe- Man of Steel. We will all just have to wait and find out if the movie will be a success.

The Jungle Book – April 15

This live-action telling of The Jungle Book will be directed by Jon Favreau and feature a star-studded cast including Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, and Christopher Walken. It looks to be a thrilling and great-looking movie for everyone to enjoy.

Captain America: Civil War – May 6

This new installment in the MCU pits Captain America against Iron Man in a showdown that I think we all want to see. Spider-Man will make his first appearance in Marvel’s cinematic universe, and Black Panther will make his big screen debut. Heroes will pick sides, and who knows how this will play out. Anthony and Joe Russo are directing this movie, so I have high expectations considering they also directed 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

X-Men: Apocalypse – May 27

We’ve seen that Bryan Singer can still direct great X-Men movies after Days of Future Past in 2014. Now he returns for this next installment. It will feature the younger X-Men cast taking on a new threat- Apocalypse. Oscar Isaac looks promising as the main antagonist, and of course other actors like Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and James McAvoy seem like they will give great performances. I’m just hoping for a Wolverine cameo.

The Conjuring 2 – June 10

I really enjoyed 2013’s The Conjuring. I thought it was very scary, and didn’t rely heavily on jump scares to spook the audience. Now that the trailer for this second movie has dropped, I’m even more excited because it doesn’t look like your average cliche horror flick. James Wan is returning to direct, so that’s also a good sign. I have high hopes for this movie.

Finding Dory – June 17

We are now getting a sequel to Finding Nemo, a movie that I grew up watching, and still really enjoy. I’m really expecting Pixar to deliver another great animated film, and I hope it can live up to the first one.

Independence Day: Resurgence – June 24

In 1996, a huge blockbuster action movie titled Independence Day was released. I really like it because it’s just a fun time to watch. Jeff Goldblum is now returning to play his old character again, and I want see more of the same over the top action scenes that the first movie gave us.

Ghostbusters – July 15

I’m a huge fan of the original Ghostbusters movie that was made back in 1984, and now we get a new film with the same title. This time around we get an all female cast of Ghostbusters, and I have no idea how this movie is going to turn out. I hope it’s funny and a good time, but we shall see.

Suicide Squad – August 5

This movie brings us a lot of characters who will appear on the big screen for the first time, and an all new Joker. I can’t wait to see how Jared Leto will portray the Joker, and Margot Robbie looks phenomenal as Harley Quinn. The trailer seemed dark and thrilling, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the members of the Suicide Squad in a movie.

Doctor Strange – November 4

Marvel will now have this new entry in their franchise, and looks really interesting. This movie will be in the hands of a horror director, so we might get more of a supernatural thriller than your typical superhero film. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch should knock his role of playing Doctor Strange out of the park.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – December 16

Like most people, I am extremely excited for this movie. We get to finally see the rebels take on the Empire once more. I’m just happy that we get to go back to that time period. This movie will take place just before Episode 4, and I hope we get to see Darth Vader and maybe even the Emperor back on screen. The film will tell the story of how the rebels stole the plans to the Death Star, and I can’t wait to see it happen.