The year 2022 marked a turning point as cinemas started to rebound from the heavy blow of the pandemic on the film industry. By the time 2023 rolled around, cinema chains in Canada and the United States were gradually regaining momentum, supported by people returning to theaters in larger numbers and studios rolling out a slate designed to rekindle audience enthusiasm for the big screen. The coming months looked promising, with a calendar full of premieres that promised to restore the sense of spectacle and shared experience that makes going to the cinema special.
Fandango, a popular ticketing platform, surveyed moviegoers to gauge the most anticipated releases of 2023. True to expectations, Marvel Studios drew strong interest from fans, with thousands of users weighing in and the studio placing several titles on the list. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, directed by James Gunn, captured top spot and generated widespread excitement ahead of its May 5, 2023 release. The lineup also highlighted a Spider-Man project tied to Sony Pictures, noted for its crossovers and multiverse storytelling. These choices reflected a broader appetite for high-energy superhero adventures and interconnected universes that had helped drive audiences back to theaters after the pandemic era.
Alongside these blockbuster installments, the slate leaned heavily toward sequels from established franchises, underscoring a preference for familiar characters and proven story arcs. The early year brought Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, a key entry in the Marvel chain, arriving in theaters on February 17. Outside of superhero titles, the calendar featured other high-profile action and adventure releases, including John Wick 4, directed by Chad Stahelski and featuring Keanu Reeves in a signature, high-octane role, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Fate, the fifth installment in the beloved saga that began with In Search of the Lost Ark in 1981. Collectively, these films contributed to a robust renewal of audience engagement with cinema, offering a mix of thrills, nostalgia, and new adventures that drew diverse crowd demographics to theaters across North America.