Summer might not officially start until the end of June, but the summer movie season begins in May as the weather gets nicer and studios release their biggest blockbusters of the year. This year, the summer movie season kicks off with the newest Marvel movie and will continue through the end of September. Let’s take a look at some of the most hotly anticipated movies coming out soon.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” — May 4

Six years after the first “Doctor Strange” movie hit theaters, its long-awaited sequel is finally coming out. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is directed by Sam Raimi, who is returning to the superhero genre after directing the original “Spider-Man” trilogy in the 2000s. One of the most exciting parts of the movie is that it will connect the Marvel television shows and movies as the trailer teased the appearance of characters from “What If…?” and “WandaVision.”

“Downton Abbey: A New Era” — May 18

Return to everyone’s favorite early-20th-century British universe with “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” The movie is written by Julian Fellowes, creator of the show “Downton Abbey,” and is directed by Simon Curtis, who most recently directed “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” The movie promises to bring audiences back to the world created by the television show and the first “Downton Abbey” movie while also introducing some new characters.

“Top Gun: Maverick” — May 27

Watch Tom Cruise and company come back to the danger zone in Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” Thirty-six years ago, the first “Top Gun” movie was released and became an instant classic with Cruise’s lovable performance as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. The movie will also feature the return of fan-favorite characters like Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky played by Val Kilmer and introduce new characters played by Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and more.

“Jurassic World Dominion” — June 10

The conclusion to the “Jurassic World” trilogy is finally here with the release of “Jurassic World Dominion” on June 10. This movie will satisfy any dinosaur action cravings as the premise of the movie is that dinosaurs are now living alongside humans. This movie is sure to excite fans of the franchise as its all-star cast features favorites from both the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy and the new “Jurassic World” movies.

“Lightyear” — June 17

Learn the incredible (not-so-true) story of Buzz Lightyear that inspired his toy line in the “Toy Story” tetralogy in Pixar’s new movie, “Lightyear.” Tim Allen, the voice of Lightyear in the “Toy Story” movies, has been replaced with Chris Evans in “Lightyear,” and the supporting cast includes Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi and James Brolin as the evil Emperor Zurg.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” — July 1

Yes, they are still making “Despicable Me” movies and the newest addition to the franchise is “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Unlike the first “Minions” movie from 2015, Steve Carell will be reprising his role as Gru, although Gru will only be 12 years old in this movie. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” may not be the most sophisticated movie released this summer, but it is sure to keep children of all ages entertained.

“Thor: Love and Thunder” — July 8

Doctor Strange is not the only Marvel hero getting a movie this summer as Chris Hemsworth’s Thor returns to cinemas with his fourth solo outing. However, this rendition will feature a twist as Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster will wield the hammer and become her own version of Thor in addition to Hemsworth. Waititi also returned to direct the movie after his last Thor movie, “Thor: Ragnarok,” was met with critical and commercial success in 2017.

“Nope” — July 22

After writing and directing two hit movies “Get Out” and “Us,” Jordan Peele’s third feature-length movie “Nope” will be released this summer. Peele has proven he is the master of original horror movies and won an Academy Award for his screenplay of “Get Out.” “Nope” will likely be the next great movie added to his resume as the cast includes Daniel Kaluuya (the star of “Get Out”), Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun.

“DC League of Super-Pets” — July 29

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart reunite for “DC League of Super-Pets” after previously demonstrating their excellent on-screen chemistry in movies like “Central Intelligence” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.” Only time will tell if their chemistry will translate to animation in DC’s newest movie.

“Bullet Train” — July 29

Watch Brad Pitt play an assassin tasked with obtaining a briefcase on a Japanese bullet train in director David Leitch’s “Bullet Train.” Leitch has established himself as one of the premier action directors with movies like “John Wick,” “Deadpool 2” and “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” “Bullet Train” is one of the few big blockbuster movies coming out this summer that is not part of a larger franchise, which makes for a refreshing change of pace.

“Samaritan” — August 26

If you have ever wanted to see Sylvester Stallone play an aging superhero, then “Samaritan” is the movie for you. Stallone stars as Joe Smith, who is a famous superhero that was thought to have gone missing 20 years prior to the events of the movie. “Samaritan” will break the traditional superhero formula by giving a darker take on the genre and is not connected to any other superhero properties.

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” — September 16

Judy Blume’s iconic 1970 novel is finally getting adapted to the big screen with “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” releasing in theaters September 16. The movie is directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, known for directing the excellent coming-of-age movie “The Edge of Seventeen.” The movie stars Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates and Abby Ryder Fortson in the titular role of Margaret. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” will hopefully be able to please children and adults alike with a timeless tale of growing up and finding a religious identity.