6 Upcoming Movie Sequels That Are Completely Doomed

Hollywood loves a sequel the way a raccoon loves an unlocked trash can: with confidence, chaos, and absolutely no fear of consequences. Sometimes the result is glorious. Sometimes it is a billion-dollar victory lap. And sometimes it is a studio walking into a rake while insisting, “Don’t worry, the franchise still has gas in the tank.”

That brings us to the dangerous little phrase: upcoming movie sequels that are completely doomed. To be fair, “doomed” does not always mean “guaranteed box-office disaster.” It can mean creatively boxed in, crushed by expectations, trapped in release-date traffic, or weighed down by years of audience fatigue. A sequel can make money and still feel spiritually exhausted, like it just finished a three-hour Zoom call about brand synergy.

The six films below are all real, highly anticipated sequels with major names attached. They may still succeed. Some may even become huge hits. But each one is carrying a flashing warning sign: franchise fatigue, impossible fan expectations, long delays, tough competition, or the terrifying burden of following a beloved ending that probably should have stayed ended.

What Makes an Upcoming Movie Sequel Feel Doomed?

A sequel starts looking shaky when the conversation around it becomes less about excitement and more about risk management. Is the release date moving again? Is the audience tired? Is the franchise trying to revive nostalgia from 15 or 20 years ago? Is the story answering a question nobody asked? Is the studio using the phrase “new chapter” because “we are out of ideas” sounded rude in the press release?

The modern sequel has to fight harder than ever. Viewers have streaming libraries, shorter theatrical windows, expensive tickets, and a finely tuned suspicion of anything that smells like a cash grab. That does not mean audiences hate sequels. They love good ones. But they punish lazy ones faster than Twitter can turn a trailer screenshot into a meme.

1. Toy Story 5: The Perfect Ending That Refuses to End

On paper, Toy Story 5 should be safe. It has Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Pixar, nostalgia, and the kind of emotional music that can make grown adults cry into popcorn that cost more than lunch. The official premise pits classic toys against modern electronics, giving the franchise a timely “toy meets tech” conflict. That is a smart hook. It is also a dangerous one.

Why It Looks Doomed

The biggest problem is not that audiences dislike Toy Story. It is that audiences love Toy Story too much. Toy Story 3 already felt like the grand farewell. Then Toy Story 4 arrived and somehow found another bittersweet ending, sending Woody into a new life away from Bonnie’s room. Asking viewers to emotionally reopen that box again is risky. At some point, even nostalgia starts checking its watch.

The other issue is the shadow of Lightyear. That spinoff proved that the Toy Story brand is not automatically bulletproof. The mainline series remains powerful, but the audience has shown it can tell the difference between a meaningful return and a brand extension wearing a space helmet.

The Real Risk

The “kids prefer screens to toys” idea is relatable, but it also risks becoming a lecture with googly eyes. If the movie turns into two hours of “tablets are bad, imagination is good,” it may feel like Pixar yelling at an iPad from a rocking chair. To survive, Toy Story 5 needs more than nostalgia. It needs a fresh emotional reason to exist.

2. Avengers: Doomsday: Marvel’s Multiverse Final Exam

Avengers: Doomsday is one of the biggest upcoming movie sequels on the calendar. The Russo brothers are back. Robert Downey Jr. is returning, this time as Doctor Doom. The title sounds like a warning label. Marvel clearly wants this to feel like the next true event after Endgame.

That is also the problem. Endgame was not just a blockbuster; it was a cultural graduation ceremony. People who had followed the Marvel Cinematic Universe for more than a decade got closure. Since then, Marvel has delivered hits, misses, streaming homework, multiverse detours, and enough cameos to make a family reunion look underpopulated.

Why It Looks Doomed

The MCU is no longer the effortless machine it once appeared to be. Recent Marvel projects have had to work harder to convince casual viewers that they matter. The Marvels became a major warning sign for superhero fatigue, and even passionate fans have admitted that the multiverse storyline can feel like a spreadsheet wearing a cape.

Then there is the release-date problem. Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to collide with Dune: Part Three, creating a premium-format battle that could make theaters feel like a sci-fi cage match. Marvel events usually dominate the biggest screens. This time, the sandworms may get there first.

The Real Risk

The return of Robert Downey Jr. is a massive marketing weapon, but it is also creatively dangerous. Audiences adored him as Tony Stark. Reintroducing that face as Doctor Doom could be brilliant, bizarre, or emotionally confusing. If the movie feels like Marvel pressing the “break glass in case of panic” button, fans will notice.

3. Shrek 5: Nostalgia Is a Swampy Business

Shrek 5 sounds like an easy win until you remember how long it has been since the main series ruled pop culture. The original Shrek movies helped define early-2000s animation comedy. They were sarcastic, weird, romantic, gross, and strangely heartfelt. They also launched a thousand jokes that the internet has since chewed, swallowed, and turned into memes wearing sunglasses.

Why It Looks Doomed

The fifth film has already moved release dates more than once, which does not automatically mean trouble, but it does raise eyebrows. A long delay can help a film improve. It can also make audiences wonder whether the studio is still figuring out how to revive the ogre without turning him into a corporate mascot.

The challenge is generational. Older viewers remember Shrek as a pop-culture earthquake. Younger viewers may know him more as a meme, a GIF, or that green guy their parents quote with alarming confidence. That creates a tricky tonal puzzle. Should Shrek 5 be sincere? Meta? Modern? Old-school? If it tries to be all of those things at once, it could become a swamp smoothie.

The Real Risk

The Puss in Boots spinoff proved this universe can still deliver smart, stylish animation. But that also raises expectations. Shrek 5 cannot simply show up, play “All Star” energy in spirit, and expect everyone to clap like it is 2001. It needs a reason to exist beyond, “Remember this ogre? Please buy tickets.”

4. The Batman Part II: A Great First Film, a Brutal Wait

Matt Reeves’ The Batman gave audiences a moody, rain-soaked, detective-driven Gotham with Robert Pattinson under the cowl. It was stylish, intense, and confident enough to make Batman feel dangerous again without needing to blow up the entire DC universe every 12 minutes.

So why is The Batman Part II on a doomed sequels list? Because time is not always kind to momentum.

Why It Looks Doomed

The sequel has been pushed deep into 2027, creating a gap of more than five years between films. For a character as famous as Batman, that may not sound fatal. Batman always comes back. He is basically cinema’s brooding boomerang. But the superhero landscape has changed quickly, and DC has undergone a major reset under new leadership.

That creates possible audience confusion. Casual viewers may wonder how this Batman relates to the wider DC slate. Is he part of the new universe? Is he separate? Is there another Batman coming? Does Gotham have a zoning permit for this many continuities?

The Real Risk

The first movie worked because it had a strong identity: noir mystery, grounded corruption, and a Batman still learning what symbol he wants to become. The sequel needs to expand without losing that focus. If it becomes too big, it may lose the grimy intimacy that made the first film special. If it stays too small, people may ask why they waited half a decade for another rainy crime diary.

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum: Precious, But Risky

Few franchises are protected by fans as fiercely as The Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson’s original trilogy is not just beloved; it is practically stored in a cultural vault guarded by elves, film nerds, and people who still know exactly where they were when the beacons were lit.

The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Andy Serkis, has a fascinating angle. Serkis understands Gollum better than almost anyone alive, and the film’s plan to use both classic techniques and modern tools sounds promising. Still, this is one of the riskiest upcoming sequels because the premise itself invites skepticism.

Why It Looks Doomed

Gollum is an iconic character, but he is also best used with precision. He is tragic, creepy, funny, pitiful, and dangerous. That mixture is powerful in supporting doses. Building an entire theatrical event around him is much harder. There is a thin line between “untold chapter of Middle-earth” and “premium DLC for a story that already ended beautifully.”

The film also has to survive Tolkien purism. Middle-earth fans can be generous, but they can also detect unnecessary lore stretching from three mountains away. If the movie feels like it is mining the appendices for brand fuel, the backlash could be swift.

The Real Risk

The original trilogy had sweep, friendship, sacrifice, and mythic scale. A Gollum-centered story may be more intimate and strange, which could be artistically exciting. But from a marketing standpoint, “Come watch the sad cave gremlin for two hours” is a tougher sell than “the fate of the world hangs in the balance.”

6. Fast Forever: The Family Car Is Running on Fumes

The next mainline Fast & Furious film, now titled Fast Forever, is positioned as a major franchise endpoint. The title alone sounds like both a promise and a threat. After years of street races, heists, submarines, magnets, skydiving cars, and vehicles that treat physics like a mild suggestion, the saga is finally heading toward its finish line.

Why It Looks Doomed

The franchise has already stretched itself into glorious absurdity. That was part of the charm. But there is a difference between “delightfully over the top” and “where do we even go from space?” Once a series has launched a car beyond Earth’s atmosphere, the next escalation options become limited. Time travel? Dinosaurs? A Dodge Charger fistfight with the moon?

The previous film delivered strong global numbers but also revealed pressure points: enormous costs, a softer domestic footprint than the franchise once enjoyed, and a cliffhanger that asked audiences to keep waiting. With Fast Forever dated for 2028, the gap creates another issue. Will casual viewers still care enough to return for the finale?

The Real Risk

Fast & Furious has always sold emotion as much as action. The word “family” became a meme because the movies meant it with a straight face, and weirdly, that sincerity worked. But a finale has to pay off years of loyalty. If it feels like another setup, another delay, or another expensive explosion machine, fans may finally park the car.

Why These Doomed Sequels Could Still Win

Here is the twist: every movie on this list could still succeed. That is what makes modern franchise analysis fun and slightly ridiculous. A sequel can look doomed for months, then open huge because the trailer clicks, the reviews glow, or audiences simply want to spend two hours with familiar characters again.

Toy Story 5 has Pixar’s emotional muscle. Avengers: Doomsday has event-scale spectacle. Shrek 5 has cross-generational nostalgia. The Batman Part II has a filmmaker with a clear vision. The Hunt for Gollum has Andy Serkis and the gravity of Middle-earth. Fast Forever has one of cinema’s most stubbornly loyal fan bases.

In other words, “doomed” is not a verdict. It is a warning light. Sometimes warning lights mean the engine is about to fail. Sometimes they mean the dashboard is dramatic. Hollywood, naturally, prefers to keep driving.

Audience Experience: Why We Keep Buying Tickets to “Doomed” Sequels

There is a very specific feeling that comes with walking into a sequel you suspect might be a bad idea. It is not the same as pure excitement. It is more like entering a family reunion where you love everyone, but you know Uncle Gary might start explaining cryptocurrency during dessert. You hope for the best. You prepare for the worst. You buy popcorn anyway.

That is the strange power of upcoming movie sequels. They do not just sell stories; they sell unfinished relationships. We remember where we were when Woody said goodbye, when Tony Stark snapped his fingers, when Shrek learned he was enough, when Batman stepped out of the shadows, when Gollum fell into the fire, and when Dom Toretto discovered that every problem in life can be solved with a car, a speech, and a sleeveless shirt.

Watching a risky sequel is partly about curiosity. We want to know whether the magic can happen again. We want to see if the filmmakers understand what made the original work. We want confirmation that our affection was not misplaced. Sometimes we are rewarded with a sequel that deepens the story. Other times we get a movie that feels like a photocopy of a photocopy, only louder and with more digital fire.

The theater experience makes that gamble more intense. A risky sequel at home is easy to abandon. You can pause it, check your phone, make nachos, or quietly pretend you never pressed play. In a theater, you are locked into the collective mood. If the movie works, the room lifts. People laugh together, gasp together, and sit through the credits hoping for one last tease. If it fails, the silence gets awkward. You can feel an entire audience thinking, “So we all saw that, right?”

That shared risk is why doomed sequels remain fascinating. They are cultural stress tests. They reveal how much nostalgia can carry, how much patience fans have left, and whether a franchise still has a heartbeat under all the branding. A great sequel makes the past feel alive. A bad sequel makes the past file a complaint.

Most viewers are not rooting for these movies to fail. Even the snarkiest film fans would rather be surprised than proven right. Nobody wants to watch a beloved franchise stumble just for the satisfaction of saying, “I knew it.” The better experience is walking in skeptical and walking out grinning, newly reminded that familiar characters can still grow, old worlds can still expand, and even a suspicious sequel can find a reason to exist.

Still, suspicion is healthy. It keeps expectations honest. It reminds studios that love for a franchise is not a blank check. If Hollywood wants audiences to keep showing up, these sequels need more than recognizable logos. They need nerve, purpose, humor, emotion, and maybe, just maybe, fewer boardroom fingerprints on the steering wheel.

Conclusion: The Sequel Trap Is Real

The most doomed upcoming movie sequels are not necessarily the worst ideas. In fact, many of them are fascinating because they are so close to greatness. They have beloved characters, massive built-in audiences, proven filmmakers, and huge marketing machines. But they also have the one thing no franchise can fully control: audience trust.

Trust is built when a sequel feels necessary. It fades when a sequel feels automatic. That is the challenge facing Toy Story 5, Avengers: Doomsday, Shrek 5, The Batman Part II, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and Fast Forever. Each one has a path to success. Each one also has a trapdoor waiting under the red carpet.

Maybe these films will beat the odds. Maybe they will remind everyone why sequels became Hollywood’s favorite bet in the first place. Or maybe they will prove that not every story needs another chapter, no matter how shiny the logo looks on a teaser poster.

Editorial note: The word “doomed” is used here as entertainment analysis, not as a claim that these films are guaranteed to fail. Release dates, casting, and production details can change before theatrical release.