Let’s be honest—between the rise of streaming and the chaos of the pandemic, it’s been a rough few years for movie theaters. But if CinemaCon 2025 is any indication, the box office is ready to bounce back in a big way. Held in the ever-glamorous Las Vegas, this year’s event felt like a love letter to the big screen, with Hollywood’s biggest studios rolling out jaw-dropping trailers and bold promises for the future.
And trust us, 2025 is already looking stacked. Whether you’re counting down to James Cameron’s next Avatar chapter, curious about James Gunn’s first crack at the DCU, or just here for those long-awaited sequels we’ve all been craving, there was something for every kind of fan. The energy was electric, the reveals were wild, and we’re still not over some of those trailers.
Here are ten of the biggest, boldest, and most buzzworthy reveals from CinemaCon 2025!
1. Avatar: Fire and Ash
While Disney’s panel had plenty to show with a long slate of live-action remakes, Marvel films, and legacy sequels, the most anticipated one had to be Avatar: Fire and Ash. The third entry in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise comes pretty early for the filmmaker, as the predecessor only arrived three years ago (the first Avatar released in 2009).
Nevertheless, the franchise remains a box office titan, with both previous films grossing over $2 billion. Should the third installment follow suit, Avatar will become the only franchise to have more than two $2 billion films. Currently, only the MCU matches Avatar with Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War.
Much like its predecessor, Avatar: Fire and Ash reportedly explores two new tribes of the Na’vi in Pandora as Jake Sully and his family fight against the RDA. The trailer unveiled the Wind Traders, a tribe using hot-air balloon-like contraptions for transportation, as well as a more antagonistic Fire tribe.
Fire and Ash is set to release on December 19, 2025, with the upcoming sequels to release in three-year intervals. James Cameron did not attend CinemaCon in person but sent a pre-recorded message, revealing he was adding the finishing touches to the movie(via Variety). The trailer is yet to be released to the public.
2. Superman
James Gunn’s DCU will launch theatrically with Superman, a film he has both written and directed. It marks the official beginning of Gunn’s revamped DC Universe following the disjointed Snyderverse era. Although fans got a teaser trailer back in December, CinemaCon attendees were treated to extended footage.
The extended trailer—dropped online right after the DC Studios panel—gave fans a jaw-dropping moment: a bruised and bloodied Superman, barely holding it together, calling out for none other than his trusty sidekick, Krypto the Superdog. Yes, things are that intense. The excited pet runs towards Kal-El and jumps on him, hurting him even more. Krypto then drags Superman to the Fortress of Solitude, where the robots take him to heal through the yellow of the sun.
The rest of the extended trailer shows footage that fans had already seen in the December teaser trailer (although there were some extensions in a couple of shots). This was also the first time fans heard David Corenswet’s voice as Superman. Alan Tudyk’s voice as one of the robots is also heard in the extended trailer.
Originally titled Superman: Legacy, the film is the first theatrical release under James Gunn’s DCU. Gunn officially took charge of the franchise in 2023, following multiple misfires under the previous DCEU. The franchise has already started with the Max animated series, Creature Commandos, from which some characters will crossover.
Superman lands in cinemas on July 11, 2025.
3. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Much like its competitor, the Marvel Cinematic Universe also debuted its first trailer of The Fantastic Four: First Steps a few weeks earlier. However, the new footage shown at CinemaCon included a few surprises and first looks that were exclusive to the attendees. Marvel’s first family is about to get a lot bigger.
The new trailer, which debuted at CinemaCon, reportedly introduced Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards, Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s Ben Grimm as they gain their powers due to exposure to cosmic radiation. Their powers make them celebrated superheroes, even while Sue is noticeably pregnant.
The baby bump was cleverly hidden in earlier teasers, though fans had speculated based on Kirby’s distinct waddle. This marks the first live-action inclusion of the Richards children, Franklin and Valeria. Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer was also shown in the CinemaCon footage (via Variety).
Kevin Feige reportedly phoned in from the sets of Avengers: Doomsday, which is also set to star the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Galactus is set to feature in the film, with actor Ralph Ineson set to play the interdimensional villain. There are rumors that the film would see Robert Downey Jr. as Dr. Doom for the first time in a cameo.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released in cinemas on July 25, 2025.
4. Wicked: For Good
Looks like there’s still room for gravity to defy. Following the success of the first film, the creators of Wicked brought an exclusive first look at the sequel, Wicked: For Good, to CinemaCon. The film picks up right where the original left off, with Madame Morrible turning public opinion against Elphaba and taking Glinda under her wing.
The trailer shows Elphaba studying a sacred text known as the Grimmerie, while Glinda dons her crown. Although physically separated, the two witches appear to maintain a strong emotional connection—Glinda warns Elphaba about the Wizard’s growing threat.
Glimpses of Glinda’s wedding are also shown, and finally, the iconic shot of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion arriving at Oz, tying in with The Wizard of Oz. The sequel promises more iconic songs from the Broadway musical, some of which have yet to be adapted to screen.
After the success of the first film, which earned more than $747 million at the box office, it is no wonder that theater owners would love to exhibit more of the Wicked franchise. The runaway hit was meme-fied to hell but was still a great success, with plenty of Oscar nominations (and two wins: Best Costume Design and Best Production Design).
Wicked: For Good is set to hit the cinemas on November 21, 2025.
5. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
At age 62, Tom Cruise is not done risking his life to entertain audiences. Having already sprinted across cities, scaled skyscrapers, and jumped off cliffs, Cruise continues to redefine stunt work in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
The actor took to the stage at CinemaCon 2025, paying tribute to the late Val Kilmer, whose final film role was in Cruise’s own Top Gun: Maverick, before presenting exclusive footage for what is widely believed to be his final outing as Ethan Hunt. The trailer features Cruise performing another jaw-dropping stunt: hanging off the wing of a biplane in mid-flight.
Actors from its predecessor, Dead Reckoning, reportedly get glimpses in the trailer. Actors Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, and Esai Morales, who were seen in the previous film, reprise their roles, while the franchise regulars such as Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames return too. The trailer reportedly carries a sense of finality, signaling the end of Ethan Hunt’s journey.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is set to come out on May 23, 2025.
6. Jurassic World: Rebirth
The Jurassic World franchise has had its fans and its haters. The Colin Trevorrow-directed trilogy started off strong, but with the sequels, it seemed to become less of a horror film and more of an Indiana Jones-esque adventure. Hence, with the upcoming reboot, director Gareth Edwards seems to be going back to the franchise’s horror roots.
Jurassic World: Rebirth was part of Universal Pictures’ panel at CinemaCon this year, which reportedly started with an orchestra playing the scores of a slate of Steven Spielberg-helmed hits and then proceeding to the reboot. The presentation was attended by Edwards and stars Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali.
The recently released trailer sets the story of Jurassic World: Rebirth in the neighboring islands of Isla Nublar, where genetic experiments have taken place. CinemaCon footage expanded on this, showcasing a terrifying mutated dinosaur that seems central to the story. It is revealed that the theme park owner left the worst ones behind.
Johansson reportedly mentioned that she was aching to join the franchise and approached Spielberg himself to include her, even if she got eaten in the first ten minutes of the film. Mahershala Ali said that they shot in rivers with snakes and insects, and joked that he let the crew shoot co-star Jonathan Bailey’s scenes first.
Jurassic World: Rebirth will feature a whole new set of dinosaurs and some fan-favorite reptiles. The Mosasaurus and Rexy reportedly make an appearance while a cute and cuddly dino hides a dangerous side.
Jurassic World: Rebirth opens in cinemas on July 2, 2025.
7. Black Phone 2
Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone was a runaway hit at the box office and brought the filmmaker back to his horror roots after he worked extensively on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before leaving the film midway and being replaced by Sam Raimi. The serial killer/horror thriller starred Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madeleine McGraw in the lead roles.
While the ending of the first film saw Hawke’s The Grabber die, McGraw and producer Jason Blum revealed that the sequel did many interesting things with the premise and the world built by Derrickson and writers Joe Hill and C. Robert Cargill. Blumhouse Productions debuted exclusive footage for CinemaCon 2025, which has yet to make its way online.
THR described the sequel’s trailer as beginning with the titular phone ringing and an older Mason Thames picking it up, hearing Hawke’s voice on the other end. The horror sequel is set to be a bit more metaphysical than the first film, with McGaw’s character seeing strange visions and the Grabber claiming that ‘death was just a word’.
Black Phone 2 releases in cinemas on October 17, 2025.
8. Tron: Ares
The first sequel to the ‘80s classic Tron was released almost thirty years after the original in 2010. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Tron: Legacy was a worthy sequel, let down by bad marketing, but gained a cult following due to its incredible soundtrack by Daft Punk. The ‘threequel’, Tron: Ares, comes only fifteen years after the second film but is still very late.
Disney debuted the trailer at CinemaCon, and then promptly released it online. This was the first look of Tron: Ares, which stars an ensemble cast of Greta Lee, Jared Leto, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, and more. Series lead Jeff Bridges also reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, making him the only common element in the franchise (apart from the world, of course).
The trailer shows glimpses of the crazy Light Cycle chases across what seems to be real cities, with a program making his way from the Tron world to the real world. Jared Leto’s role will be playing the rogue program, Ares. The neon blue aesthetic of Tron: Legacy is replaced with a blood red light that seems to indicate a more violent story ahead.
Tron: Ares is set for release on October 10, 2025.
9. Caught Stealing
Amidst all the big IP debuts and legacy sequels, a handful of auteur-driven projects also made it to the stage at CinemaCon. Apart from Edgar Wright’s The Running Man debuting its trailer and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey getting a mention from the Universal Pictures panel, Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing released its first trailer.
Based on the novel by Charlie Huston, who adapted the novel into a screenplay, the film stars Austin Butler, Vincent D’Onofrio, Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, and more. Aronofsky last helmed the Brandon Fraser starrer The Whale, which won the actor an Oscar. This time, he seems to be having a bit of fun with a New York-set crime thriller.
The trailer reportedly shows Austin Butler’s Henry Thompson, a baseball player caught in the web of a criminal gang. The footage showed him being berated by a gangster (played by Bad Bunny), getting punched in the face, and using a baseball bat to hit someone (via IndieWire). The film is set in the ‘90s.
Caught Stealing is releasing in cinemas on August 29, 2025.
10. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-verse
It’s happening! It’s finally happening! The first day at CinemaCon 2025 came with the incredible news that Sony’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-verse finally had a release date, after the much-awaited sequel missed several release dates. Initially set to release in March 2024, the panel at CinemaCon revealed that the film would be coming out in 2027.
Moreover, the team also debuted a teaser trailer exclusive to CinemaCon attendees. The footage reportedly showed Miles Morales being a fugitive on the run in his strange dimension with the rest of the Spider-Men behind him (except, of course, the gang headed by Gwen Stacy and Peter B. Parker). His iconic dialogue from Across the Spider-verse was also uttered.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-verse will release in cinemas on June 4, 2027.
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