Years from now, pop culture fans will look at the summer of 2026 and smile. It’s a summer that brought us new stars, exciting films, broken records, and so much more. A summer that started new trends, potentially ended others, and left an indelible impression whether you realize it or not.
How and why did that happen? Well, thanks to the winners and losers of summer 2026, of course, which you can read below. There are surely more, but here are our picks.
Winner: Inde Navarrette
We could have said “Obsession.” We could have said, “Curry Barker.” And while both of those were clearly winners this year, the biggest one in the group is Inde Navarrette. The star of the surprise horror smash is getting awards buzz for her performance but also used it to get a prime role as Rogue in Marvel Studios’ X-Men and even a Saturday Night Live hosting gig. The summer of 2026 belongs to Inde.
Winners: Tom Holland and Zendaya
Four billion dollars. That’s how much Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey, two films starring Holland and Zendaya, grossed this summer. Oh, and they got married during that time, too. The films cemented the pair as one of, if not the, biggest power couples in Hollywood. One that audiences everywhere love. What a summer.
Loser: Star Wars
Star Wars returned to theaters this summer with The Mandalorian and Grogu and experienced a type of failure the franchise has never seen. Now, almost $350 million worldwide isn’t nothing, but it’s far from the $1 billion-plus that other recent films in the franchise have made. The film put what was once one of the industry’s most dependable name brands on thin ice for the first time. But, with the 50th anniversary coming up next year, we’re hoping and expecting things to change.
Winner: Anne Hathaway
It was hard to go to the movies and not see Anne Hathaway this summer. Not only did she star in The Odyssey and The Devil Wears Prada 2, but she also kicked ass in The End of Oak Street, probably appeared in the trailers with a new thriller called Verity, and dominated the news cycle with news of a Days of Thunder sequel. She’s been a big star for 25 years and is only getting better.
Winner: Christopher Nolan
With Holland, Zendaya, and Hathaway on the list, putting Christopher Nolan on the list may seem redundant. Yes, The Odyssey was a massive hit. Yes, it’s a winner. But what makes Nolan worthy of his own slot here is that this summer cemented him as the biggest director in the world. He shot the world’s first full 70mm IMAX feature film, created such hype around it he basically redefined movie-ticket scalping, and helped IMAX have one of its most successful summers as well. Everything Nolan touches turns to gold.
Loser: Deadites
Normally, you can’t stop a Deadite. That’s why the characters in the Evil Dead franchise always have such a bad day. But this summer, while scary films like Obsession and Backrooms soared, the latest Evil Dead film, Evil Dead Burn, did exactly that. It grossed just over $32 million in the U.S., which is just a staggering disappointment for a name-brand horror film. We’ll see if, or how, that impacts the franchise’s future.
Winner: Wile E. Coyote
There was a time when, in classic Wile E. Coyote fashion, we thought Coyote vs. Acme was dead. Warner Bros. canceled it, and that was it. But a few years later, the film finally hit theaters and was a pretty solid hit. And even if it wasn’t, the fact that it made it through all that turmoil to get into theaters screamed “winner” no matter what.
Loser: He-Man
Normally, He-Man has the power. But this summer, he did not. The long-awaited Masters of the Universe live-action film came and went quietly this summer, grossing around $113 million against a budget that may have been double that. There was some later success on streaming but nowhere near what the team behind it probably hoped for. The whole thing was a slap in the face of 1980s nostalgia.
Winner: Widow’s Bay
There were a few standout shows this summer, but few captured the public’s imagination more than Widow’s Bay. Apple TV’s small-town mystery defied all categorization and explanation, blending elements of thriller, horror, comedy, drama, and more. We loved every character in the small town (especially Patricia) and are very excited to see where the story goes next.
Loser: Westeros
While one small-town show thrived this summer, a big-world show did not. The third season of HBO’s hit Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon, aired this year and while it was in no way a failure, it certainly did not hit the cultural zeitgeist like previous seasons. Did you hear anyone talking about the show? Discussing big moments? People watched, but it felt more like an obligation than an obsession. We’ll see if that changes with the upcoming season.
What else do you think was a big winner or loser this summer? What side does DC come down on? (Lanterns is a hit, Supergirl was not, so we called it neither.) Did any other media really stick with you? Let us know below.
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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