2019 was definitely the year of Marvel. I know that there were countless great films released last year but Endgame was a movie event like no other. Whatever you think about the film in general, you can’t deny that it was one of the biggest film moments in the last decade. It was the culmination of so many years of work and saw a whole host of characters come together for the biggest superhero film of all time. There’s a reason that I keep crying every time I see the portals scene: all of our favourite characters in one place trying to save the world. It was something that we never thought would work but it did. So, 2020 has a lot to live up to. Can anything next year bring people together in the same way? There are plenty of films coming up next year that I’m really looking forward to so it made sense to discuss them during this week’s Friday Favourites. Obviously, this isn’t all of them but I could have added loads to this list. 10 seemed like a sensible amount.

No Time To Die

Every time a new James Bond film comes out, I hate how much I want to see it. The books and the films are based on such horrible old school sexism that I know I shouldn’t like them. But I do. I love the guns, the gadgets, the cars, the explosions, Ralph Fiennes, Daniel Craig. I love it all. And with Rami Malek playing the film’s villain, it’s just going to get better. This is Craig’s final time playing Bond so we can expect it to be quite a spectacle. This is all set to be 2020’s Endgame.

Wonder Woman 1984

Wonder Woman was such a revelation of a film. Anyone who read my review will remember that it brought me to tears just seeing so many inspiring women in one place during the opening scene. The follow-up looks set to be another hit for DC. From the first glimpse we got of that beautiful poster to the recent trailer, it looks like we’ve got the same sort of thing to look forward to. With Patty Jenkins back in the director’s chair and Gal Gadot, Robin Wright, and Chris Pine all returning, I genuinely can’t wait for this.

Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson has been killing it lately. With her sensational performance in Marriage Game and her equally enjoyable performance in JoJo Rabbit, she’s continually proving how good an actor she is. Also, how wasted she was in the last decade of Marvel movies. This film will kick off the MCU’s 4th phase so it’s got a lot riding on it. Taking place between Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War, the plot looks like it’s going to be really different to anything we’ve ever seen before. And given we’ve been with these films for so long now, that’s definitely a welcome thing.

The King’s Man

The Kingsman films were an absolutely huge success. I wasn’t convinced that I’d like them before I watched them but they were so much fun. It’s the first time I’ve been really excited to see Colin Firth in something. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good actor but this was a new side of him. This year, we see the release of the prequel. It’s set in the early 1900s and sees Ralph Fiennes star as the Duke of Oxford. The film will give us a look back at how the secret service got started and has Rhys Ifans playing Rasputin. Who wouldn’t be excited by that?

Birds of Prey

I’m a girl who likes reading comic books so it’s no surprise that I’m looking forward to this film. Harley Quinn has always been one of my favourite DC characters and she was one of the best things about the underwhelming Suicide Squad. Of course, this could easily descend into something terrible as DC and Warner Bros are clearly cashing in on the Harley Quinn love. However, Birds of Prey is a big title for DC Comics. The film sees Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell playing Huntress and Black Canary respectively. It’s also the first time that an Asian woman is going to direct a superhero movie. I am so hopeful for this film.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

I know we’ve had some trouble with Ghostbusters over the years but this film looks to be slightly more on track. Jason Reitman, son of original direct Ivan Reitman, is directing and co-writing the film. So, it feels as though we’re in safe hands. And all of the original stars, minus the sadly missed Harold Ramis, will be returning. We’ve only seen a teaser trailer at this point but it looks good. Really good.

Artemis Fowl

I read the Artemis Fowl books when I was a kid. I don’t know what prompted me to read them (either a random pick or something my father picked for me I assume) but I loved them. There’s been plenty of books that I’ve missed since then but I may well try and read this year. I know that we’re all hard-wired to assume that book adaptations are all going to be bad but I’m excited by this. Now, it’s possible that it’s just been a while since I read this book but it looks good from the trailer. And the cast is pretty impressive. Though I worry about Branagh’s direction.

Bill & Ted Face the Music

This is another one that could very easily be the worst idea ever but there’s every chance a reunion of Keanu Reeve and Alex Winter will be sensational. Keanu Reeves has been having a great time lately so it’s probably the best time for it to happen. The new film will see Bill and Ted as middle-aged men who come to the realisation that their adult responsibilities have prevented them from writing the universe-saving song they were meant to write. Whatever happens with this film, we can all at least agree that we’ll be excellent to each other.

The Gentlemen

I can’t say that I’m a huge Guy Ritchie fan, especially considering some of the recent guff that he’s been pedalling on cinemagoers. But this year sees Ritchie getting back to his roots with The Gentlemen. This looks like it’s a classic Ritchie crime caper which sees a drug lord trying to sell off his empire to a group of American billionaires. Sounds fun. And it’s got an amazing cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. This could be everything.

Bad Boys For Life

This is probably going to end up being super cringe-worthy but I can’t pretend that I’m not excited. It’s been a long journey getting to this point and there were times when it certainly felt like it wasn’t going to happen. But it’s here and I’m looking forward to it. It’s been 17 years since Bad Boys II was released and the buddy cop franchise is back. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will step back into the roles of Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett in a film that sees them take on a vicious drug cartel. They’ll be joined by DJ Khaled, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jacob Scipio.