Like every year, 2019 has quite a bit in store for us, too, from comic book origin stories to period dramas to – like every goddamn year – an Avengers movie. While we left the last one out of this list – as there’s no way you don’t already know about it, thanks to your Facebook feed – here are the other best movies releasing in 2019 you need to watch.

Joker

There’s reportedly a second Suicide Squad releasing sometime next year too, with Jared Lato playing Joker yet again. Our eyes, however, are glued to news on another Joker movie that’s not a part of the DCEU canon, and will work as a spin-off origin story for the character made immortal by Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight.  Joker is directed by Todd Phillips, produced by Martin Scorsese, and will feature Joaquin Phoenix as the joker – a struggling stand-up in New York driven to crime and insanity due to his failed career. As per Warner Bros. announcement, it will be “an exploration of a man disregarded by society that is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale".

When: October 4

Aladdin

Introduction to Aladdin - for most of us at least - unless you’re one of three Aladdin superfans who have read the original Arabic folk tale – came in the form of the classic animated series on Cartoon Network, though there’s nothing cartoonish about the upcoming remake. Directed by Guy Ritchie – known for portraying high-profile heists and British accent like no other - we expect this one to be as gritty as they come.

When: May 24

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Isn’t Spider-Man supposed to be dead after the events of the last Avengers movie? However they’re going to explain it, 2019 is set to see him resurrected (somehow) in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

While details from Marvel are scarce and all over the place, what we do know about the movie is that Peter Parker takes a vacation to Europe, and it features other superheroes like Nick Fury and Mysterio. Marvel also showcased a new dark Spider-Man costume at the event its trailer was released at, but neither the trailer nor photos of the costume were officially uploaded anywhere (even though fans did somehow get hold of them), making us even more excited for this one.

When: July 5

Pokemon Detective Pikachu

Directed by Rob Letterman and set to release this summer, Pokémon Detective Pikachu will feature Pikachu as a smack-talking detective in the Pokémon universe. Other than the opportunity to finally see one of our favourite anime series remade in a movie, what really sold us on this one was the fact that Pikachu would be voiced by Ryan Reynolds, turning the knob on hype factor to a complete 10 as far as we’re concerned.When: May 10

Pet Sematary

True horror fans know that no one does psychological horror like Stephen King. While it may sound like your typical, totally-non-scary horror movie plots we’re so used to seeing,  it’s really not, as the trailer clarifies. The 1983 book remains one of King’s most unsettling works - which is saying something in a decades-long career of unsettling works - as it came out of a really dark place in his life. For those who saw 2018’s It and liked it, this one needs to be marked on a calendar.

When: April 5

Chaos Walking

Based on the bestselling and award-winning book series by Patrick Ness, Chaos Walking would deal with quite a few heavy issues, like torture, reality of war and gender politics.

The story takes place on a dystopian planet where settler humans and a native alien race called Spackle live alongside each other. At some point in the past, Spackle introduced a germ that killed off all the women, and introduced a disease that affects all humans and animals called Noise. It makes everyone able to hear everyone else’s thoughts all the time, and effectively removes privacy from the whole talking thing. It’s pretty dark and unnerving.

When: March 1

Alita: Battle Angel

It’s based on a critically acclaimed Japanese manga series called Battle Angel Alita, something we’d definitely recommend checking out, too. And it’s directed by Robert Rodriguez; a director so iconic that his filmmaking techniques are still taught in film schools around the world. Throw in a screenplay written by James Cameron (who’s also producing it) and we have ourselves a movie we can’t wait for.

The story is based in a post-apocalyptic future and revolves around Alita; a warrior cyborg found in a heap by a cyborg doctor with no memory of how she got there.

When: February 14

Dark Phoenix

Based on possibly the most powerful being in the entire Marvel canon, Jean Gray (played by Sophie Turner), Dark Phoenix will be a follow-up to the events of X-Men: Apocalypse, which wasn’t as well-received at the box office as Marvel’s other entities. While we have seen a sliver of what Jean Grey can do and her powers in the previous X-Men installments, Dark Phoenix is expected to be an in-depth origin story detailing exactly what made her so powerful.

When: June 7

Charlie's Angels

Like the previous installments in the series, the 2019 reboot will also focus on three operatives well-versed in combat and espionage taking on various bad guys, all the while working under a faceless man named Charlie. Of course, they didn’t forget about Bosley, in case you were wondering. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska and Patrick Stewart, among others.

When: November 1