Oscar season is upon us and that means it’s that time of year where movie aficionados breakdown the best movies of the year, and 2017 did not disappoint. Hugh Jackman gave Wolverine the perfect sendoff, partially thanks to Jerry Seinfeld. Margot Robbie made us want to love Tonya Harding. Christopher Nolan had us feeling like we were battling on the beaches of Dunkirk. “Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri” played with what we have always thought about right and wrong. It goes without saying that 2018 has a lot to live up to, and while taking a look at the slate of this year’s releases, it just might.

Black Panther. Feb. 16 – Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” showed just how distinct of a filmmaker he was and how he could do it within an already-established franchise. Now he is bringing his talents to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The buzz after the premiere on Jan. 29 says “Black Panther” was the most political and powerful Marvel movie to date. Another common comment was how different the movie felt from the rest of the MCU, with Michael B. Jordan playing the best villain since Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

Isle of Dogs. Mar. 23 – Wes Anderson’s first stop-motion feature was a wonderful adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” His second is an original screenplay he wrote, focusing on a boy’s journey in the search for his dog, in which he stumbles upon an island overcome with dogs, voiced by Anderson’s usual crew along with some other big names. Plus, the simple fact that it is a new Wes Anderson movie is just another reason it is on this list.

Avengers: Infinity War. May 4 – Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” every movie in the MCU has been building up to this moment. Fans are finally about to see every character active in the universe on screen together for the first time. It might end up being the most comic book moment in a comic book movie to date, and that is by no means an insult. If an award had to be given for the biggest movie event of 2018, do not think twice and give it to “Infinity War.”

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot. May 11 – Gus Van Sant, director of “Milk” and “Good Will Hunting,” is tackling the real life story of cartoonist John Callahan, who discovers art, particularly controversial comics, as a healing power while struggling with his own sobriety after a life-changing accident. Joaquin Phoenix plays the cartoonist, while Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and Jack Black fill supporting roles. Van Sant looks to have a winner on his hands.

Deadpool 2. May 18 – The director of “Atomic Blonde,” David Leitch, replaced Tim Miller as the director of the untitled sequel to “Deadpool.” With the same writing team and cast returning, all while expanding Deadpool’s world with the arrival of Josh Brolin as Cable, this one has the potential to be even better than the already fantastic first film.

Solo: A Star Wars Story. May 25 – In another case of a director flip-flop, Ron Howard took over for Philip Lord and Chris Miller on the set of “Solo,” the “Star Wars” spinoff focusing on the origin of the legendary Han Solo. While some fans are very anxious about how this movie is going to turn out, there is a lot to be excited about, especially Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian, and Woody Harrelson playing a mentor to Han while set in a seedy, criminal underworld.

Ocean’s 8. June 8 – Of course, the female-centric “Ocean’s” movie made the list. It has Sandra Bullock, playing Danny Ocean’s sister, robbing the Metropolitan Ball with Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter. What more can you want out of a heist movie? 

Incredibles 2. July 13 – It has been 14 years since the original “Incredibles” movie, so why not make a 14-year jump in the lives of the Parr family? Either way, Pixar fans are finally getting a sequel to one of the most inventive animated movies of all time. Plus, with the cast and Brad Bird returning, this is easily the most anticipated Pixar film since 2010’s “Toy Story 3.”

The Predator. Aug. 3 – Shane Black is making a “Predator” movie that acknowledges the events of the 1987 classic starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and “Predator 2.” Black has said that he wants to make the “Predator” franchise an event film again. Rumor has it that the Predator will have upgraded armor as well. So, not only is Shane Black making a “Predator” movie, but one in which Yvonne Strahovski, Olivia Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Sterling K. Brown, Boyd Holbrook, Thomas Jane, Edward James Olmos, Keegan-Michael Key and Trevante Rhodes face down the Predator. Even better.

Venom. Oct. 5 – When it was announced that Sony would be creating a Spider-Man universe that does not feature Spider-Man (due to the MCU reacquiring the character), it seemed like an odd decision. Hearing that Tom Hardy was going to star as Eddie Brock, the hypetrain started rolling. Ruben Fleischer, the director of “Zombieland,” will also be directing Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, Jenny Slate, Riz Ahmed in supporting roles with a potential appearance from Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. This may end up being a very surprising project.

Halloween. Oct. 19 – This is another project that has so many unique and interesting people involved that it just has to be good. Like “The Predator,” this is a sequel that only remembers the original and forgets all of the old sequels for the sake of this story. Not only is Jaime Lee Curtis returning to face Michael Myers, but it is also coming from the director of “Pineapple Express” and is being co-written by Danny McBride.

The Irishman. fall – Martin Scorsese is making one of his most anticipated movies in quite some time directly for Netflix. This is not just another Scorsese crime movie, it is one starring Joe Pesci, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Pesci rarely makes appearances in films these days, but this combination of legendary actors is something to look forward to.

Also do not forget about “The Cloverfield Paradox” (Feb. 4), “Annihilation” (Feb. 23), “Game Night” (Feb. 23), “Red Sparrow” (March 2), “Thoroughbreds” (March 9), “Unsane” (March 23), “Ready Player One” (March 30), “First Reformed” (April), “You Were Never Really Here” (April 6), “Sicario 2: Soldado” (June 29), “Ant-Man and The Wasp” (July 6), “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again” (July 20), “Mission Impossible: Fallout” (July 27), ”First Man” (Oct. 12),
“Girl in the Spider’s Web” (Oct. 19), “Suspiria” (fall), “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” (Nov. 2), “Widows” (Nov. 19), “Aqua Man” (Dec. 21), “Domino” (t.b.d.), “Jungle Book” (October), and “Holmes and Watson” (November).

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