A Few Things to Look Forward To in 2018

We tend to look at a new year as a completely new beginning. Man, 2017 sure sucked, let’s try to make 2018 better. It’s easy to forget that the problems that exist on December 31 will still be there on January 1. The world will still be the same place. 2016 was bad, 2017 was worse and at this point, there’s not much hope that 2018 will be better. Not unless we’re willing to make it better.
 Our attitudes and determination will go a long way towards making 2018 better. That’s why entertainment is important. It can feel frivolous sometimes to list the TV, movies, comics, games, etc. that we’re looking forward to next year, but excitement and anticipation can keep us going. Whether it inspires us to keep fighting for the life we want to live or gives us an escape with which to recharge our batteries; we need entertainment. That’s part of why this website exists. With that in mind, here are a few things I’m looking forward to in the next year. No matter what 2018 brings, it looks like a great year for entertainment.

The End of Marvel’s Phase 3

Avengers: Infinity War is the big star of the year, but let’s not forget that we have two other entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe coming this year. Black Panther is only a couple short months away and it looks phenomenal. It’s taking us to a setting the movies have never explored before. 

Just from the trailers we’ve seen, detail and beauty are packed into every frame and T’Challs’s new suit looks so cool. I’m excited to see Michael B. Jordan take on a villainous role, especially after hearing the actor talk about what a dark place it took him to. Plus, there’s the fact that, much like this year’s Thor: Ragnarok did, it’ll probably lead directly into Avengers: Infinity War. All that together makes this a must-see for me in February.

Then there’s Infinity War itself, which already looks impossibly big. I have no idea how they’re going to pull this kind of scope off, but if any studio can do it, it’s a Disney-backed Marvel. Thanos has certainly come across as formidable in his brief appearances in other movies, but it remains to be seen whether or not he can carry one himself. Either way, I’m just excited to see all these superheroes on screen together.

 Even more so, knowing that this and 2019’s Avengers 4 will be the last time we’ll see many of them. After ten years, I want to see how their stories will end. Even if it breaks my heart. And hey, after Infinity War, there’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. The first brought an unexpected levity to the MCU that I didn’t realize I wanted. After Infinity War, that might be exactly what we need.

The New Mutants

Disney may own the X-Men now, and it remains to be seen exactly what affect that will have on 20th Century Fox’s plans for them, but this movie is still happening. When it was first described as a horror movie with mutants, I was interested.Then we all saw the first trailer and it completely lived up to that description. It’s not at all what we think of when someone mentions a comic book movie. 

As much as I’m looking forward to Marvel Studios’ biggest spectacle yet, I’m more intrigued by movies like this. Movies that take familiar characters and do something new with them. Movies that experiment with genre to deliver something unexpected. Legion showed us a new way to tell an X-Men story on TV in 2017. I’m really hoping The New Mutants will do something similar in 2018.

Young Justice, Season Three

Speaking of superhero shows that have been on hiatus for too long, we’re finally getting more Young Justice in 2018. It was a fantastic animated superhero show that rivaled even the old DCAU cartoons. It had an engrossing ongoing story that it never got to finish even though it did quite well in the ratings. It was cancelled anyway for an absolutely stupid reason: The toys weren’t selling. Its funding was tied to a deal with Mattel, so in the end it didn’t matter if the show was popular at all. The audience wasn’t buying the toys, so the show got the ax.

 Finally, it’s coming back for a third season, launching on DC’s streaming service planned for the upcoming year. Yeah, I know, another streaming service. I’m tired of them too, but it’s hard to be mad when it allows for something this cool to happen. DC has produced some amazing TV shows recently, and it’s cool to see them get another crack at a classic animated series.

Stargate: Origins

After the end of Stargate: Universe, I thought I was done with the franchise for good. After all, the last few seasons of SG-1 weren’t all that great, and then Universe felt like it had lost all the fun that made early Stargate, and Atlantis, so great. So when I heard they were making a prequel series, it was hard to summon any strong reaction. “Alright, good for them, maybe it’ll be cool” was kind of the best I could do.

Then I saw the teaser, and it reminded me of why I liked Stargate in the first place. It feels like an adventure just the way the old shows did. Light, fun action, snarky protagonists and advanced alien societies lying beyond a mysterious portal. I’m still not entirely sure a new Stargate series can pull me back in; this one is doing everything right so far.