Entertainment
8 Upcoming Sci-Fi Shows You Cannot Miss
Science fiction fans have been having a blast over the course of the 2020s so far. Andor, Severance, Arcane… the list of future sci-fi classics has been endless, and it’s looking like this year, that list will continue to expand greatly. Fans of the genre should mark their calendars to stay tuned for the release of what are sure to be 2026’s best new sci-fi shows.
Whether it’s a thrilling new entry into the MCU or DCEU, an animated show further expanding the world of a beloved Netflix IP, or a show based on an iconic sci-fi book, fans of the genre will be treated quite nicely by networks and streaming platforms this year. No matter how well these hugely anticipated shows actually end up working, they’re undeniably exciting, and they’ll surely be huge pop culture sensations as soon as they come out.
8
‘VisionQuest’
2026 (Release date TBA)
Back in 2021, WandaVision kicked off the wave of MCU shows (Netflix MCU series notwithstanding) that have defined the latest phases of the franchise. It has been a wave that’s definitely had its fair share of ups and downs, but the show that started it all has aged rather well as one of the strongest pieces of MCU content that fans have gotten since Avengers: Endgame. The show ended with White Vision, a reassembled version of the hero powered by Chaos Magic, gaining the original Vision’s memory and flying off to process his newfound identity.
That will be the subject of VisionQuest, a miniseries where Paul Bettany will once again take on the role of White Vision. If it’s anything like its predecessor, then VisionQuest will surely be one of the most perfect superhero show masterpieces in recent memory, making it essential viewing for both MCU fans and sci-fi fans. Created and showrun by Terry Matalas of Syfy’s 12 Monkeys fame, it’s a show that promises to be one of the best pieces of Marvel content we’ve gotten in a while.
7
‘Stranger Things: Tales from ’85’
April 23, 2026
There’s no getting around it: The final season of Stranger Things was, to say the least, disappointing. There’s also no denying, however, that this was one of the biggest pop culture sensations in the world over the course of its whole run, and as such, there are many dissatisfied fans out there who still want more of these characters and the world they inhabit. Thankfully for them, the team behind the original show will be producing this year’s animated show, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, set between the events of the second and third seasons of the original.
Stranger Things is one of the most exciting sci-fi shows to binge-watch, and if all goes well, so will Tales from ’85. Netflix has a phenomenal track record with animated science fiction, and even after the disappointment of the original series’ final season, the Duffers have nevertheless had a track record with many more successes than they’ve had failures. Seeking to capture the feel and essence of ’80s Saturday-morning cartoons, Tales from ’85 may just be the thing needed to bring Stranger Things fans back on board the hype train.
6
‘The Boroughs’
May 21, 2026
It’s not just science fiction: 2026 is also promising several new must-watch thriller shows. Fans of both genres will be delighted to hear that The Boroughs falls into both categories. Further proof that the Duffer Brothers are likely back to delivering their A game this year, The Boroughs will be produced by them and created by The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance‘s Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. As if that pedigree weren’t enough, the cast includes stars like Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, and Geena Davis.
Bringing the concept of a supernatural town from Indiana to New Mexico, The Boroughs may just be the perfect replacement for Stranger Things in 2026. No one would blame fans of the Duffers for feeling a little skeptical going into their new projects, but The Boroughs truly does seem awfully promising. It’s a fresh new start with a fresh new group of characters in a fresh new setting, and that should be all that sci-fi fans could possibly want from an upcoming series.
5
‘Neuromancer’
2026 (Release date TBA)
Apple TV hasn’t been nearly as prolific as most of its competitors in the streaming game, but that focus on quality over quantity has thus far felt like an entirely deliberate—and so far, rather intelligent—business decision. Over the past few years, they’ve been making some of the best science fiction shows on television, and Neuromancer will be doing something entirely different for the platform. Based on William Gibson‘s 1984 dystopian novel, a foundational work of early cyberpunk, this promises to be one of the coolest cyberpunk TV shows ever made.
Created by filmmaker J. D. Dillard and writer Graham Roland (who has been in the writers’ room of shows like Prison Break and Lost), Neuromancer could become the first-ever properly successful cyberpunk live-action show produced for a streaming service. That only feels fitting for a show based on a book that was so foundational for the genre. Fans of science fiction history should absolutely make sure not to miss this hyper-important entry into the canon.
4
‘Star City’
May 29, 2026
Back in 2019, Apple TV released its first original sci-fi show: For All Mankind, created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. It was an instant hit, a dramatization of an alternate history where the Soviet Union got men to the Moon before the United States, and the space race never ended. All the way until its conclusion in 2024, this modern classic remained one of those Apple TV shows that got better every season. This year, we’ll return to the world of For All Mankind, but from the perspective of the Soviet Union this time. That’s the premise of Star City.
Starring the always-amazing Rhys Ifans, Star City should have history buffs and sci-fi fans alike immensely excited. This spin-off is a passion project for its creators, who knew while making For All Mankind that there was a fascinating story to tell about the Soviet space program—a side of the space race much less famous and well-known than the American side. There will be some crazy stories in Star City that even diehard fans of For All Mankind will find surprising, and that should be enough to get anyone excited.
3
‘Blade Runner 2099’
2026 (Release date TBA)
Back in 1982, Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner was an instant flop. With time, though, it started garnering a cult following, one which eventually grew so large that this is now considered a sci-fi classic as mainstream as any other. 35 years later, Denis Villeneuve made Blade Runner 2049, one of the greatest legacy sequels in the history of cinema. These are two sci-fi films that live up to the genre’s full potential. Nine years after 2049, Amazon Prime Video is giving us Blade Runner 2099, a miniseries starring Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer.
A return to the fascinating dingy, rainy, neo-noir world of futuristic Los Angeles feels as inevitable as it does long overdue. Executive-produced by Ridley Scott, who was instrumental in the early ideas and plans for the miniseries, 2099 will likely be immensely gratifying for people who have been craving more Blade Runner content for years. Neither Blade Runner movie has been a financial success, so there’s no way that this project is being made with any motivation in mind other than passion and love for the source material.
2
‘Spider-Noir’
May 27, 2026
Whether superhero shows can fall into the sci-fi category is often a hotly debated topic; but Spider-Man projects have constantly proven that it is possible, and Spider-Noir (which is labeled as sci-fi on IMDb) promises to be no different in that regard. In every other regard, however, this Prime Video production looks unlike anything else that fans of the Wall-Crawler have ever seen on either the big or small screens. Co-created by a team that includes Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (though this is not the same Spider-Noir that was seen in their Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), this is one of the upcoming Spider-Man projects to be most excited about.
Set in a noir version of 1930s New York City, Spider-Noir will follow a down-on-his-luck private investigator who, according to Lord and Miller, “already had his Chinatown disillusionment moment.” Nicolas Cage, who has been demonstrating just how awfully underrated he is over the course of the 2020s, will be approaching the character as “70 percent Bogart, and 30 percent Bugs Bunny,” which should be the basis for one of the most unique and entertaining superhero TV shows we’ve seen this decade.
1
‘Lanterns’
August 2026
There’s some debate to be had about whether Spider-Noir will truly be a sci-fi show, but it’s far harder to label HBO’s Lanterns as anything else. Following the colossal failure that was Ryan Reynolds‘ Green Lantern, fans of the ring-donning superheroes have plenty to be excited about in 2026. Indeed, Lanterns looks like one of those upcoming superhero shows that you cannot miss, following Hal Jordan and Hal Stewart investigating a murder on Earth.
With an almost neo-Western aesthetic and a detective mystery tone inspired by shows like True Detective, Lanterns should be quite a unique and creative way of incorporating the titular group into James Gunn’s DCU. There’s really no reason not to be incredibly excited about Lanterns if you’re a DC fan, and though fans are skeptical about the fact that the show doesn’t appear to be the grand cosmic space opera they were expecting, one never knows the direction that a show like this one may take before it actually comes out. Once it does release, it’ll be an instant must-see.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login