The past two weeks, we here at io9 have looked back at the movies, shows, and games of 2024, and given our own individual takeaways on certain trends that took place this year. Now it’s time to think about what’s next—and more specifically, what we’re looking forward to in 2025. Feel free to let us know what you’re excited for (and hope hits the mark) in the comments below.
Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX
M3GAN 2.0
If Superman’s too wholesome an option, consider another contender for hero of the summer: a kid-sized AI robot with killer dance moves, killer fashion sense, killer instincts, and (presumably) a killer revenge drive in her sequel. M3GAN 2.0 is once again directed by Gerald Johnstone and written by Akeela Cooper, and brings back Gemma (Allison Williams) and Cady (Violet McGraw), plus there’ll be a whole new crop of characters too. We have every reason to believe our bestie’s return will be just as campy, gory, and shriek-inducing as ever—and we’re counting down the days to June 27, 2025. – Cheryl Eddy
Wicked: For Good
The first Wicked blew movie audiences away, proving the movie musical works if you just come right out and say it’s a musical. The sequel, which will expand the second act of the play, is rumored to include more new original music and the events of L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz. We’re interested to see how Dorothy’s journey will be incorporated alongside Elphaba and Glinda’s. Also, we’re holding space for more memes. – Sabina Graves
Avatar: Fire and Ash
After two movies, I think we can safely stop joking about Avatar. The first movie was good, the second movie was very good, and now we’re waiting on part three, which is sure to be one of the biggest hits of the year. Plus, in addition to further exploring the world of Pandora, it’s always exciting just to see a new James Cameron movie. Especially since with each of these sequels, he continues to push the bar of technology with dynamic, character-driven storytelling. – Germain Lussier
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
The Like a Dragon franchise went from being a zany, niche open-world series of games to a household name thanks in significant part to its prequel title, Yakuza 0, and its later entries having an English voice track. While Yakuza purists turn their noses up at the concept, accessibility is essential, and the language barrier is no different. This is why developer Ryu Ga Gotoku is coming off a year of releasing three Yakuza games, only to announce a fourth at the front end of 2025 led by fan-favorite character (and Yakuza 0 limelight stealer) Goro Majima—truly a Kendrick Lamar-esque sequence of events. What’s more, the studio, which famously reuses tons of its highly detailed assets to make games so frequently (we love a conscientious developer), is righting the wrong of Ubisoft crapping out a crummy and long-delayed live service pirate game in Skull and Bones by making the pirate game that it promised with Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. In RGG, we trust. – Isaiah Colbert
Predator: Badlands
Prey was a delight back in 2022, and even before it wrapped up, it was clear the Predator franchise was aiming for a comeback. Details on Predator: Badlands have been scarce, save for it’ll make the alien the star while Elle Fanning pulls double duty as twin sisters. We’ll eventually find out what Badlands has under the helmet, and can’t wait to see what it’s bringing to theaters on November 7, 2025. And it’s not even the only Predator flick hitting next year! – Justin Carter
Andor Season 2
Star Wars has had a bit of a rough time with itself lately, as the series struggles to chart a clear path forward with a vision of what it actually wants Star Wars to be. But one of the rare highlights of this malaise to display a clarity of purpose is finally back, after a delayed wait: Cassian will finally find us all in Andor’s second, final season on April 22. Expectations are through the roof after the incredible first season, and every little tidbit we’ve been teased so far has us hoping that another Andor high can sustain us long enough to actually make it to Lucasfilm managing to get a movie into theaters again. – James Whitbrook
Synduality: Echo of Ada
As a habitual mourner of Titanfall as a video game franchise, any inkling of a new sci-fi mecha game that has the potential to be a spiritual successor while being anime-AF is like catnip to players worldwide, and Bandai Namco’s Sydnduality: Echo of Ada could fill those shoes. Its characters look pretty, its mechs even more, and its combat clips scratch that itch in every mecha fan’s brain to pilot weave their giant robot through a flurry of oncoming missiles with the assistance of their congested UI prompts. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype. – Isaiah Colbert
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
As we’ve seen with Mario, Zelda, and more, Nintendo treats its OG titles with extra care. Which is why it will have taken almost two decades to make a mainline Metroid game, one which was announced almost a decade ago. And yes, Metroid Dread was awesome. But Prime 4 promises to be so much bigger and more ambitious. A true return to the world of Samus Aran in a way that gamers have been waiting for, in some cases, all their lives. – Germain Lussier
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
The Xenoblade series has become one of my all time favorite sets of JRPGs, but one of its finest entries has been locked to the Wii U for the best part of a decade. That’s changing with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on the Switch, which means that, at long last, more people can experience this fascinating refraction of Xenoblade that jukes where the sci-fantasy series usually jives, leaning much more into the former genre to deliver one of Nintendo’s best open-world RPGs. A mech game that actually keeps you away from the giant robots on the cover for the opening half of the game, X makes up for its relatively light narrative beats with a truly remarkable world to discover, one that rewards players willing to engage in exploration with an incredibly rich setting. I can’t wait to have every entry in one of my favorite series finally playable in one place. – James Whitbrook
Witch Hat Atelier
Last year saw a massive boom in fantasy anime with shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Delicious in Dungeon. To complete the trifecta of what’s been christened as the fantasy big three is Bug Film’s upcoming anime adaptation of Witch Hat Atelier. Whereas Frieren and Delicious in Dungeon flourished respectively with their character work and world-building, Witch Hat Atelier excels at both, with an inventive magic system. Moreover, the series is laden with themes similar to 2024 standout Look Back, which portrays the trials and tribulations of learning a new skill. Rather than tune into whatever Harry Potter slop Warner Bros is making ad nauseam, reward yourself by making Witch Hat Atelier your anime to watch in 2025. – Isaiah Colbert
Sinners
After tackling Creed and Marvel, Ryan Coogler’s about to show us his own original take on horror. The prospect of Michael B. Jordan playing twins going up against something supernatural in their hometown is too good to pass up, and it became even more interesting once the first trailer hit. Add on an inevitably incredible score by Ludwig Göransson, and hell yeah, sign us up for Sinners. – Justin Carter
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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