The Most Anticipated Movies of 2026, According to Google Searches

Ben Mendelowitz Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

2JR4A5J The Amazing Spider-Man. Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. CREDIT: ALAMY

Hollywood’s 2026 release slate is already driving massive online buzz — and one franchise is dominating anticipation across every corner of the U.S.

Using Google Keyword Planner search volume data, VegasInsider analyzed which upcoming movies Americans are searching for most — both nationally and at the state level. The result is a clear picture of what films fans are already “betting on” to define the box office next year.

Search volume reflects early audience interest and intent rather than guaranteed ticket sales, but has historically been a strong indicator of opening-weekend demand and broader cultural momentum.

Early search trends like these matter because they show where moviegoers’ attention is already clustering. Instead of regional preferences driving demand, anticipation for 2026 appears to be coalescing around a small number of national blockbuster releases. That kind of early momentum often shapes how films are marketed, scheduled, and positioned ahead of their release.

Key Findings:

• “Avengers: Doomsday” is the most anticipated movie in all 50 U.S. states — no other title comes close.
• Americans search for Avengers: Doomsday nearly 10 million times per year, more than double any other 2026 release.
• Marvel owns the hype race: Avengers ranks #1 nationwide, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day is #2 in every single state.
• Utah is the most Avengers-obsessed state per capita, beating California and New York on searches per 100,000 residents.
• Big states amplify demand — they don’t diversify it: movie anticipation is strikingly uniform across the U.S.
• Sequels dominate the entire top 20, highlighting Hollywood’s reliance on franchises over original films.
• Toy Story 5 and Scream 7 are tied in search interest, proving nostalgia-heavy animation and horror pull equal weight.
• No original film cracks the top tier, underscoring how IP-driven releases shape box office expectations years in advance.
• Smaller states still overwhelmingly favor Avengers, reinforcing Marvel’s cross-demographic appeal nationwide.
• Early search data suggests Avengers: Doomsday would be a runaway box office betting favorite if futures markets existed today.

Avengers Dominates the 2026 Movie Hype Cycle

If early interest is any indicator of box office momentum, “Avengers: Doomsday” is the overwhelming favorite heading into 2026.

Top Upcoming Movies by Search Volume (U.S.)

Key takeaway:

Marvel isn’t just winning — it’s lapping the field. Avengers: Doomsday generates more than double the monthly search interest of the next closest competitor.

That level of early separation suggests audience attention for 2026 is already highly concentrated around a single franchise. When one title pulls this far ahead before marketing campaigns fully ramp up, it can shape box office expectations, release strategies, and how competing films position themselves in the months ahead.

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A Nation United: Every State’s Most Anticipated Movie Is the Same

When we broke the data down state by state, the result was striking:

👉 All 50 states list “Avengers: Doomsday” as their most searched upcoming movie.

From California to Vermont, Marvel’s next Avengers installment is the undisputed leader in anticipation.

Top States by Avengers Search Interest (Monthly)

Even in smaller markets like Wyoming, Vermont, and Alaska, Avengers still tops every other title — reinforcing just how dominant the franchise remains.

This data forms the basis of our U.S. map infographic, showing how Avengers hype blankets the entire country.

Second Place: Spider-Man Owns the Runner-Up Spot Nationwide

While Avengers takes gold everywhere, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is the clear silver medalist.

Across every state, Spider-Man appears as the second most searched upcoming movie, making Marvel responsible for both the #1 and #2 spots nationwide.

Typical Second-Place Search Volume by State

• Large states: 40,000–50,000 searches/month
  
• Mid-sized states: 10,000–15,000 searches/month
  
• Smaller states: 500–3,000 searches/month

Interpretation:

If Avengers is the heavy favorite, Spider-Man is the obvious hedge — a blockbuster with massive built-in demand but still trailing its parent franchise.

Which States Are Most Obsessed With Avengers: Doomsday?

Raw search volume favors big states — but when we adjust for population, a different picture emerges.

Using searches per 100,000 residents, several smaller and mid-sized states show far more intense interest in Avengers: Doomsday than the national average.

Top States by Avengers Searches per 100K Residents

• Utah — 282.6
  
• California — 279.0
  
• Illinois — 260.4
  
• Virginia — 250.3
  
• New York — 249.2
  
• Nevada — 247.9
  
• Georgia — 242.4
  
• Arizona — 238.7
  
• Texas — 236.5
  
• Maryland — 236.3
  

Key insight:
Utah narrowly tops the list, edging out California on a per-capita basis — meaning residents there are searching for Avengers: Doomsday at the highest rate in the country.

This per-capita view shows that while Avengers dominates everywhere, fan intensity isn’t just about population size — some states are simply more hyped than others.

What the Data Says About 2026’s Box Office Landscape

Several trends jump off the page:

Franchise Power Still Rules

Sequels and IP-driven films dominate the top of the rankings:

• Marvel
  
• Pixar
  
• Horror franchises (Scream, Scary Movie)
  
• Nostalgia-driven revivals (Toy Story, Street Fighter)

Original films barely register meaningful search volume by comparison.

Geography Doesn’t Matter — Scale Does

Unlike music or sports fandom, movie anticipation is remarkably uniform:

• No regional genre bias
  
• No breakout local favorites
  
• Bigger states simply amplify demand, rather than change preferences

Search Volume as a Box Office Signal

Historically, high pre-release search volume correlates strongly with:

• Opening weekend performance
  
• Trailer engagement
  
• Merchandising and crossover interest

From a futures perspective, Avengers: Doomsday would be a runaway favorite if box office betting markets existed today.

Methodology

VegasInsider analyzed Google Keyword Planner data for upcoming 2026 movie titles, measuring:

• Average monthly U.S. search volume
  
• Estimated annual search demand
  
• State-level search interest for top titles

For each state:

• The movie with the highest average monthly search volume was identified as “most anticipated”
  
• The runner-up title was recorded as the second most anticipated

Search volume reflects consumer intent and interest, not ticket sales — but serves as a strong early indicator of demand.

Ben Mendelowitz

Ben Mendelowitz is a data expert who has a keen interest in a variety of sports. His research has been featured in USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Patch and Fortune, amongst other media outlets. Ben is based in London, and is a big fan of Chelsea. More from Ben Mendelowitz