The most anticipated movies, shows, albums, and games coming out in 2021

It’s been a while since the original “Coming to America.” Specifically, the Eddie Murphy comedy came out in 1988. Murphy’s career took a downturn for a while, but it feels like “Dolemite is My Name” gave him a bit of a boost. Now, a sequel to “Coming to America” is arriving to Amazon Prime in March.

“No Time to Die” was the first significant casualty of the pandemic ruining the theatrical experience. The film was pushed (and pushed) until it finally ended up getting moved to 2021. Now, the final Daniel Craig film in the James Bond series is going to be released after much delay. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.

“A Quiet Place” was a real surprise in 2018 as a blockbuster film made on a budget with no pre-existing IP to build on. John Krasinski directed and starred in this horror movie about monsters who hunt you when you make noise. When you have a hit like this, a sequel is inevitable. Fingers crossed they still had enough story.

Edgar Wright makes fresh, original films that pay homage to the genres he loves. However, he’s never made a horror movie before. Now, he’s entering that realm with “Last Night in Soho,” a film that we don’t know much about yet. Every Wright film is worth getting excited for, though, and this one is scheduled for April.

Marvel is probably glad they got their whole third phase of storytelling done in 2019 because all their 2020 releases got pushed. The first of those was “Black Widow,” which is a step back into the timeline of the first set of films. After all, it stars Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and, well, let’s just say we probably won’t be seeing her outside of flashbacks going forward.

OK, so “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” was kind of a disappointment. We see this title and we are willing to let that slide. It’s Godzilla versus King Kong! How can you not be excited, or at least intrigued?

Remember the phenomenon that was “Hamilton?” While the “Hamilton” fever has calmed down, it was a truly massive hit, and Lin-Manuel Miranda saw his star soar. Well before “Hamilton” he made the musical “In the Heights,” which was successful if not on the “Hamilton” level. However, now “In the Heights” is getting a movie, which is more than “Hamilton” can say…for now.

Look, this is not anticipation for critical quality. “Venom” is completely insane, but in a way that is fascinating and fun. Tom Hardy really goes all out to give a gonzo performance. Now Woody Harrelson in an insane wig is playing Carnage? We expect the “Venom” sequel to be even more insane, and that’s why we can’t wait.

Another casual of 2020 is this long-gestating sequel to “Top Gun.” That movie is basically the quintessential ‘80s action film. Somehow, Tom Cruise, aka Maverick, is still in the military and still flying planes like a madman. It’s a chance to see Cruise – our greatest action star – doing something outside of the “Mission: Impossible” series (which we will get to later).

Do we need another Beatles documentary? Well if you have seen the trailer for this upcoming Disney+ product, you know the answer is a resounding “Yes.” Peter Jackson (the “Lord of the Rings” guy) seems to have gone all out for this look back at the Fab Four, a band whose reputation is well-established at this point.

Shang-Chi is a Marvel character a lot of people probably haven’t heard of. We don’t really care. How many people knew the Guardians of the Galaxy before the first of those movies? Now Groot is a household name. This martial arts-influenced story should be a lot of fun, and Shang-Chi will be a known name come July of 2021.

The first “Suicide Squad” was pretty brutal. Jared Leto is the worst Joker we can remember, and the movie was truly mediocre. We feel like this time “The Suicide Squad” will get it right. Why? Because James Gunn, the man who made “Guardians of the Galaxy” work, is in charge of this latest attempt to turn the DC series into a success.

Agatha Christie is an iconic mystery writer, and Hercule Poirot is probably her most famous character. In 2017, Kenneth Branagh brought Poirot to life in an adaptation of “Murder on the Orient Express,” the quintessential Poirot mystery. That movie was a big hit, and now we are getting Branagh and his big mustache back at it in an adaptation of “Death on the Nile.”

For science fiction fans, Frank Herbert’s “Dune” is a classic novel. It was turned into a movie directed by David Lynch that was kind of a flop. However, the “Dune” well is being gone to again with a massive and epic sci-fi story. This time, Denis Villenueve is directing, and he has a cast including Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides. Will “Dune” work this time? We are curious to find out.

This title will sure change before it comes out, but you know we’re excited about another “Mission: Impossible” movie. The last couple have been fantastic, and Cruise keeps trying to outdo himself when it comes to stunts. In “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” he broke his ankle on a stunt and kept filming. These are fun, ripping action films, and finding out what Cruise has done is always worth anticipating.

No, this isn’t a Shakespearean drama or a historical epic. It’s actually a movie about Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams. A big reason for our interest? Richard is being played by Will Smith. This feels like it could be an Oscar push for Smith, an actor who doesn’t have one yet.

Speaking of Oscars, the original “West Side Story” won Best Picture back in the ‘60s, and that was one of a handful of Oscar wins. Can a remake win an Oscar? Well, when it is being directed by Steven Spielberg, you have to like its chances. “West Side Story” has been pushed almost a full year, but that’s just more time for Oscar buzz.

The pandemic has shaken up the Marvel movie release plans, but we are still at least getting another “Spider-Man” film in 2021, or so the plan goes. The first two movies about the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man starring Tom Holland have been really good, and we’re excited to see Holland in action again. However, the murmurings seem to indicate that there might be a plan to make a live-action version of the “Spider-Man” multiverse, which would be amazing.

Hey, did you know there are a lot of Marvel products out there? Well in the world of 2021 TV we are getting a few more of those as well. “M.O.D.O.K.,” which is coming to Hulu, is one of the odder offerings. If you aren’t familiar with the character of M.O.D.O.K., he’s basically a floating head that is a supergenius. This animated show seems like it might be more comedic and less serious, as Patton Oswalt co-created it and voices M.O.D.O.K.

A network sitcom worth getting excited for? You’d better believe it! Not only is this new NBC sitcom brought to you by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the genius behind “30 Rock” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” but it stars Ted Danson! This is sitcom royalty all joining forces.

“M.O.D.O.K.” might be weird, but based on the trailers it might not have anything on “WandaVision.” This is going to be the first of the Marvel series to debut on Disney+, and it’s looking really out there. Wanda (aka Scarlett Witch) and Vision are the stars and, well, the show is hard to explain, but it looks promising. There is some belief that the show is going to help bring the multiverse into the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

The CW has done a solid job building shows around DC characters, and now they are doing it again with “Superman & Lois.” This show seems like it might be a little different than, say, “The Flash” or “Arrow,” however. The description says that it will focus on Clark Kent (the secret identity of Superman – shhhhh!) and Lois Lane dealing with the pressures of being working parents. So yeah, not exactly “Man of Steel.”

No, this isn’t a sequel to “The Falcon and the Snowman.” This is another Marvel show coming to Disney+ starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. What will Captain America’s best friends be up to? You’ll have to watch to find out.

Look, we’re excited for all these Marvel shows. They dominate pop culture now and we have to deal with it. Apparently, the show is about Loki traveling through time and altering history, which sounds intriguing. Also, Owen Wilson is in the cast!

If you watched “The Mandalorian,” you knew this one was coming. The end of the second season of Mando’s adventures featured the setup for a new show starring everybody’s favorite presumed-dead bounty hunter Boba Fett. You’ll have to wait for December, but we know “The Book of Boba Fett is happening”

“The Lord of the Rings” TV show has been talked about since 2017 when Amazon Prime made a one-billion-dollar commitment to five seasons of a show set in the “Lord of the Rings” universe. Yes, really. The show has taken some time to get going, and in truth, we know basically nothing about it. Not even a cast. All we know is that it is expected, at some point, for “The Lord of the Rings” to hit Prime.

“Gremlins” and “Gremlins 2” are both fun movies, though their tones are quite different. While they are both horror-comedies, the sequel film is completely absurd. Where will “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” fall. We don’t know. All we know is that this animated show is a prequel to the movies and will air on HBO Max.

“Star Trek” is targeting a younger audience now. “Prodigy” is an animated show that is coming to Nickelodeon and will focus on teenaged characters. However, Kate Mulgrew is returning as Captain Janeway, which will probably excite some adults who are tuning into “Star Trek: Prodigy” with their kids.

“Y: The Last Man” was supposed to debut in 2020, and it’s been in the works since 2015. It’s also had to change showrunners once as well. What we’re saying is that maybe we should be a little skeptical that this adaptation of the beloved comic book series will actually debut in 2021. Right now, though, it’s on the docket for FX on Hulu, and so for now we’re anticipating finally seeing it.

We recently got a reboot of the “Child’s Play” franchise starring Aubrey Plaza and Brian Tyree Henry with Mark Hamill voicing the killer doll. However, the TV series “Chucky,” a spinoff of the cinematic universe, seems like it isn’t connected to the film. For starters, Brad Dourif is back voicing Chucky. We’re interested in seeing how “Chucky” works as a TV series, and if it has more of the camp that the film series has become known for.

For many “Rogue One” is the favorite of the modern “Star Wars” movie. The film tells the story of the crew that found the plans for the Death Star – including its flaw – that allowed the Rebels to blow it up. That prequel is now getting its own prequel in “Andor,” which will focus on Diego Luna’s rebel spy character. Tony Gilroy created the show, which is also interesting.

Yes, we have one more “Star Wars” TV show for you, but this one is animated. It’s in some ways a spinoff of the “Clone Wars” animated show that has a devoted following. The Bad Batch, aka Clone Squad 99, is a group of mutated clones that will make their way through the galaxy on missions, making this feel like a procedural set in the world of “Star Wars.” Count us in.

Drake is polarizing, but you can’t deny his popularity. When a new Drake album comes out, it tends to be a hit, and usually, there will be a song or two that stands out. “Certified Lover Boy” will be his sixth album released, and it's currently scheduled for some time in January. Even if it gets delayed, there’s plenty of time left in 2021 for it to come out.

Julien Baker’s sophomore album “Turn Out the Lights” was one of the best of 2017, and her follow up “Little Oblivions” is now schedule to finally be released in February of 2021. Baker has a dynamic, powerful voice, and her songwriting is on par with just about everybody. Maybe she won’t move units like Drake, but Baker is a musician that deserves all the love she gets and more.

Do we even need to tell you this is a Lana Del Rey album? The title “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” kind of says it all, doesn’t it? At this point, you are either in on Del Rey or you aren’t. If you are, every album she releases is a cause for celebration. That means you are probably counting down the days until “Chemtrails Over the Country Club.” Unfortunately, there isn’t an official release date yet, so you are counting to an unknown number.

We’re far enough away from some of these potential album releases they don’t even have names yet. While this doesn’t really happen with movies and TV shows, music albums often are untitled until they are relatively close to coming out. Whatever Annie Clark calls her next St. Vincent album, it’s going to be an interesting one.

Hey, they gave Travis Scott his own meal at McDonald’s. When that happens, you know you are a popular musician. The rapper’s fourth album “Utopia” doesn’t have a release date yet, but he’s dropped plenty of hints and information. We’re confident that Scott will release “Utopia” in 2021. And he’ll probably celebrate with some McDonald’s.

“Hitman III” is a bit of a misnomer as a name, as it’s the eighth game in the series but the third (and final) game in the “World of Assassination” subseries. The nomenclature isn’t what matters. What’s important is that the game has a ton of hype behind it. The “Hitman” series is so popular its spawned multiple (terrible) movies. That’s because the games are usually a success.

OK, so “Super Mario 3D World” is just an improved version of an existing game being re-released for the Nintendo Switch after debuting in the Wii U in 2013. However, so many people skipped the Wii U that this game is going to be new to a lot of people. On top of that, it’s being paired with the new game “Bowser’s Fury,” make it well worth getting excited for. It’s a winning combination!

Who doesn’t like to hunt monsters in video game form? That’s what so many games are about, but not all of them are on the level of the “Monster Hunter” series. “Rise” is the latest release of the series, with this one coming to the Nintendo Switch. It keeps the whole seamless map aspect that made “Monster Hunter World” a big success, so keep an eye out for “Monster Hunter Rise” in March.

A lot of anticipated video games are sequels because they have a built-in fan base that has been waiting for something new in the series they love. “Kena: Bridge of Spirits” is not part of a series, but it’s still getting a lot of hype. The game follows Kena, a young woman who uses magic to help deceased people move into the spirit world. That sounds heady, and we’re curious to see how it plays in game form.

Did you enjoy the movie “Edge of Tomorrow,” aka “Live Die Repeat?” That was basically an action movie by way of “Groundhog Day.” “Deathloop” seems like that in video game form. It’s about an assassin stuck in a time loop. That’s ambitious in concept, especially for a game, but if it nails the execution this could be one of the best games of 2021.

The first “Ratchet & Clank” game came out way back in 2002, back when the PlayStation 2 was the height of video game technology. The series was rebooted in 2016, and now “Rift Apart” is building on that reboot for the PlayStation 5. Apparently playing with time and dimensions is the thing to do in 2021, as “Rift Apart” is another game doing just that.

Maybe “Halo” isn’t in the foreground of the video game world like it used to be, but it’s still a massive series. It’s also possible that when “Halo Infinite” drops it will bring Master Chief and company back into the zeitgeist. The game was originally slated for a November 2020 release but got delayed, which now makes “Infinite” one of the most-anticipated games of 2021.

Maybe in 2021, a game set in a post-apocalyptic world might feel a little less stressful. “Horizon Forbidden West” is a sequel to 2017’s “Horizon Zero Dawn” and will follow protagonist Aloy as she battles machines in the wasteland of the American West. The game artwork features the Golden Gate Bridge reclaimed by nature, which really sums up the world of the series nicely.

A Batman game without Batman? That certainly seems like the case. “Gotham Knights” takes place in a Gotham City that has fallen into chaos after the apparent deaths of Commissioner Gordon and Batman. It’s up to Batman’s former protégés Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Red Hood to save the day. This is an interesting twist on the world of Gotham-based games. We’re all for it.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good jump scare horror game every now and again? Well, people who get really freaked out by that stuff, but for fans of that style of gaming there is no series finer than “Resident Evil.” Sure, this is the eighth game in the series, but why mess with a good thing. If there is one thing we know about horror fans it’s that they tend to be totally fine with a bunch of sequels.

Speaking of sequels, there have already been eight “God of War” games, including 2018’s game that simplified things for the modern era and simply brought back the title “God of War.” That game also was a massive success, which made another game in the series inevitable, especially with a new generation of consoles just debuting. While this “God of War” game doesn’t have a name yet, the rumors are that it will deal with Norwegian mythology, especially Ragnarok, aka the end of the world. Sounds ominous. We’re in.

They never run out of Tolkien-based productions, do they? In 2021 we aren’t just getting an Amazon Prime show, but also a “Lord of the Rings” video game. As the name indicates, the focus here will be on Gollum, the deranged hobbit with a love for his “precious” ring. He’s a complicated character, and playing as him in a video game could be quite interesting.

“Overwatch” was a huge success. Critics loved it, it sold a ton of copies, it won awards, and it became integral to the rise of esports. Following up on the massive popularity and acclaim for “Overwatch” won’t be easy, but you know that a sequel is something worth paying attention to. Can “Overwatch 2” claim the zeitgeist in the same way? Or was the original game lightning in a bottle? We’ll find out soon enough.