
Looking ahead to 2025
January 6, 2025It’s 2025 and what’s the one thing you didn’t get that you probably wanted? A list of nerdy things to look forward to in 2025! Okay, maybe this is the gift you didn’t know you needed. Or, it’s a gift you didn’t ask for, but you’ll begrudgingly accept. If it’s a gift you want to return, know there’s no gift receipt, so just read on.
Every year, there’s something to be excited about. Sometimes, they don’t live up to our expectations – other times, they blow us away.
Here’s some of the stuff I personally I am looking forward to in 2025:
2024 Monster Manual
The third of the three new 2024 series of Dungeons & Dragons core books comes out in February, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Full disclosure, I’ve always been a monster nerd at heart. I started playing First Edition when I was a kid, and I remember flipping through the pages in that first and second Monster Manual, and being amazed and inspired by the possibilities.
I could read the words at the time, but didn’t know what they meant.
Now, with a much improved Wisdom score, I expect that I’ll appreciate the new book all the more. If the PHB and DMG are any indication, the art and layout of this book will be incredible. I am looking forward to their new takes on the classic monsters, and how they’re updated for the 2024 version of the rules. It’s an exciting year to be a nerd, and I feel like the 2024 Monster Manual will kick it off with a bang!

Civilization VII
Civilization is one of the world’s most beloved simulation franchises, and on February 11, the latest installment comes to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S[12]. (Given the specs of the game, I might suggest a sober second thought before purchasing on a previous generation console.)
According to reports, the game will allow players to select leaders and civilizations independently, with philosophers, religious leaders, and scientists who were not heads of state included as playable options. The possible depth of this game addition is staggering.
The nine year gap between the new game and its predecessor Civilization VI is the longest in the franchise. Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) serves as the narrator in the game’s voiceovers.
Dune: Awakening
Full disclosure: I am a sucker for a good MMO. The immersion into a world, the interaction with hundreds (even thousands) of players from around the globe, and a vast storyline that stretches into near-infinity: I’m in. Dune: Awakening feels like it’s about to scratch a very persistent itch.
An open-world survival game set on Arrakis, in an alternate reality where Paul Atreides was never born, you have to embark on an epic journey to discover the mysteries of the “most dangerous planet in the galaxy.” Expected to release early 2024.
Daredevil: Born Again
It’s hard to remember, but more than a decade ago, when Netflix announced that it was partnering with Marvel Television (which at the time was a fully separate entity from Marvel Studios) there was pandemonium. Daredevil; Luke Cage; Iron Fist.
It was so exciting.
Yes, we had the MCU films, but there was something special about broadening the world of superheroes. We weren’t oversaturated yet. We wanted more.
Now, a decade later, Marvel Studios is releasing Daredevil: Born Again, a sequel to the critically acclaimed and much beloved series that sees our heroes…well…live again.
Bringing back the same cast (Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal et al), and putting the MCU spin on it, can only make this better. March 4 cannot come soon enough.
Spider-Verse Expansion
The Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game has been one of my favourites over the last couple of years, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that its latest expansion made it on this list. The Spider-Verse is one of the most vibrant in the Marvel Universe, so it’s no surprise the RPG made this its second major character expansion. (You can see all the characters included in the new book here.) Venom? Check. Carnage? You betcha! Silk? YUP!
It includes new rules for creating symbiotes and clones, some deets on building compelling supporting characters, plus a host of new equipment you can add into your games. It’s even said the new Spider-Verse Expansion weaves a web of the Spider-mythos for you to include in your games…
Okay, I said that, but it doesn’t mean it’s not true.
The Spider-Verse Expansion slings into stores on March 18.

Jurassic World: Rebirth
I am filled with cautious optimism that Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One) will bring the magic back to the Jurassic franchise. The original film remains a personal favorite and is truly my go-to example of the medium’s power to inspire.
Little is known about the plot of the film, but scribe David Koepp (Jurassic Park) knows a thing or two about dinosaurs, so I’m surely hopeful that this will be a return to form for the beloved series.
Jurassic World: Rebirth roars into theatres on July 2.

Superman (2025)
James Gunn’s superhero resume is well established at this point: Guardians of the Galaxy (a film about a team that few except only the most learned comic scholars knew well), The Suicide Squad, a modest box office success yet still enjoyable flick that may have suffered from it’s progenitor film, and The Peacemaker, an irreverent look at a powerless superhero (is that an oxymoron?) with an eclectic cast of characters who take on the ridiculous in order to save the world.
This guy knows what he’s doing.
That said, with Superman he’s surely working up hill.
Man of Steel strongly divided fans, with some seeing Zack Snyder’s darker turn as an exciting new direction for the squeaky clean hero, while others felt the departure was too far from the character’s established lore.
Whatever the result, this movie feels like a must watch as it kicks off the new DC Studios universe.
Superman soars into theatres on July 11.
The Naked Gun
Leslie Nielsen made Frank Drebin a household name in the 1980s and 1990s, and, in one short-lived TV show, and three films, bumbled his way to victory.
Now, the concept is being modernized in a 2025 adaptation starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson and produced by Seth MacFarlane. We know little about the plot of the film, but in my mind I imagine we can expect something along the lines of what we saw from Liam Neeson in Ted, a clip of which I’ve included below.
No idea if this is relevant, it’s been years since I’ve seen the original films, but Leslie Nielsen’s character on IMDB is called Frank Drebin, while Liam Neeson’s is called Frank Drebin Jr. I wonder if Neeson will be playing the original character’s son?
The film pours into theatres on August 1.
Cosmere RPG
Brandon Sanderson is one of the world’s most prolific authors, with 71 books written to date* (though he may have written another two or three in the time I’ve written this, so I can’t guarantee this number’s accuracy), and the world he’s created is getting the RPG treatment by Brotherwise Games.
Powered by an incredible team of designers, writers, and builders, this original system promises to bring Sanderson’s world to life in a new way, and empower players to tell their own stories in the Cosmere Universe.
But don’t take my anticipation as gospel: the RPG is the #1 games project on Kickstarter and the the #3 most-funded project of all time. (Interestingly the #1 most funded project of all time is also from Brandon Sanderson, which saw him fund four secret novels for a cool $42 mil and change.) The promotional material claims that it’s a “living” RPG that will grow as Sanderson expands his universe. No idea precisely what that means, but it sure sounds cool – and given how much Sanderson writes, there will surely enough material to keep the game going for a while.
No specific release date for this one, but learn more about the game, and get your late pledges in here.

Gundam Assemble
Gundam is, inarguably, one of the most successful anime series of all time, with giant robots battling it out. The worlds and settings change, but the giant robots…that’s universal.
One of the thing that’s driven the series’ popularity is Gunpla (Gundam Plastic Model), the kits that allow fans to build the models themselves, by hand, investing themselves personally in the project. Wikipedia suggests that more than 700m model kits have been sold as of March 2021.
All that is to say: Gundam remains incredibly popular.
But now, Bandai has announced something new, Gundam Assemble. It’s a tabletop miniatures game that leverages the popularity of the Gunpla model, and adds a competitive ruleset to it akin to Warhammer. Surely, the demand for this product will be extremely high.
“Gather various mobile suits from different Gundam series to face off in an epic showdown.” Yes please. There is no doubt that the product, and the uniqueness of the 2-inch models to this universe will drive sales amongst existing fans, but the ruleset and game itself will determine whether the casual gamer will pick it up. Not that it matters, probably, as the demand from existing fans should be more than enough to sustain the product line for years. No release date for this one is provided.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Look, I know current Star Trek has divided fans. Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds are generally accepted to be good (Lower Decks may be my fave of all time), while Star Trek: Discovery is considered…less favourably…and while this new show follows Discovery, I remain fascinated by what it will be.
With Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti, and Robert Picardo cast in lead roles for Season 1, there’s surely a lot of be excited about. STA serves as the next generation of Trek (hah) and will lead fans into the Trek of tomorrow. Consider me enlisted! No release date for this one is yet available.

What are you excited about in 2025? Let us know!