Some of the best movie franchises to binge watch in 2026 are the ones due to get fresh entries in the new year. These franchises have you hooked from the very first movie and keep you drawn to the storyline throughout. Whether it’s the epic action or the nailbiting cliffhangers, these titles have moments that are literally unputdownable! From major sequels to brand-new franchises, here are some of the binge-worthy movie franchises that you shouldn’t miss out on.
How We Picked These Franchises
We didn’t choose these franchises randomly, instead, we picked them based on cultural relevance, huge fan popularity, and availability on major streaming platforms. What makes these top movie franchises binge-worthy is the fact that they provide nostalgia, deeply immersive worlds, or long-running story arcs that keep you glued to the screen without fail.
The 10 Best Movie Franchises to Binge Before 2026
1. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
If you are looking for best movies to binge, the MCU is pretty much unbeatable. Following the Infinity War saga, the new phases are setting the stage for yet another major story arc in 2026 and beyond. Start watching the movies in the following order: Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers. You can watch the rest of the movies in the franchise according to their year of release. Some of the essential movies in this franchise are Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame.
2. Star Wars
There are only a handful movie franchises that are as exciting as Star Wars. From OTT series, the timeline is still very much alive. A lot of people decide to watch the Skywalker Saga in the order of the release of the Original Trilogy → Prequels → Sequels. After that, add the anthology films such as Rogue One and Solo as extra chapters. If you’re into video games, then be sure to try out Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Outlaws, and the Star Wars: Jedi sagas.
3. Harry Potter
The Harry Potter franchise is something that appeals to people of all age groups. If you’re someone who’s grown up during the early 2000s then it’s possible that the movies in this franchise are the ones that you’ve grown up with. You can watch them in no particular order, but if you’re just starting off on your journey from Platform 9 ¾, then be sure to watch the movies in their order of release. Once you’re done with all the eight movies, you can tune into the Fantastic Beasts series if you want to know more about Grindelwald and a young Dumbledore.
4. Dune
Frank Herbert’s Dune franchise was way ahead of its time, and has only started gaining more popularity in the recent years with the Timothy Chalament starrers. The franchise ventured into a brand new series known as Dune: Prophecy following the success of the two previous movies. If you’ve caught up with everything that the modern day variants have to offer, be sure to venture into the ones that were released during the 90s to see everything that the Dune franchise has to offer.
5. Mission: Impossible
The formula behind Mission: Impossible is simple; straight up action. What started off as a simple standalone spy thriller, evolved into one of the longest-running franchises in Hollywood. Watch the movies in chronological order to get the whole picture of how Ethan Hunt manages to find himself in the middle of global threats. The entire franchise has come to an end with the Final Reckoning, which released in 2025, so you can sit through it at your own pace.
6. John Wick
The John Wick franchise follows the footsteps of Keanu Reeves who plays the role of the world’s most dangerous assassin who comes out of retirement because a few thugs killed his dog and stole his car. What follows is a simple domino effect and spirals across four different movies. It’s nothing short of pure entertainment and mind blowing action. Once you’re done with the four movies, be sure to check out Ballerina too, which is spin-off from the franchise.
7. The Batman / DC Universe (select arcs)
Although the DC Universe has a lot of heroes, The Batman stands out as one of the most prominent individuals in it. There are a lot of Batman movies that have been released over the years, but Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy has managed to capture the essence well. If a modern detective-style story arc is what you prefer then follow Matt Reeves, The Batman (2022) and any connected projects. In case you are interested in the bigger shared-universe kind of journey, then you can either dive into the important DCEU entries or concentrate on the Elseworlds titles as separate watches.
8. Jurassic Park / Jurassic World
Jurassic Park is a science-fiction franchise that deals with everyone’s childhood favorite animals: dinosaurs! If you want a binge marathon,start with Jurassic Park (1993), then The Lost World and Jurassic Park III, and finally the Jurassic World trilogy. This method of going through the series keeps the references to the characters and the callbacks that you can sense from the previous works intact.
9. The Conjuring Universe
If you’re into horror movies, then the Conjuring series is something that you should follow. It follows the cases of real life demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. Most of the fans prefer to watch the movies in the order of release for better continuity: start with The Nun, then Annabelle: Creation, Annabelle, The Conjuring and continue through the other titles.
10. Fast & Furious Franchise
Fast cars, and even faster races, that’s the formula that the Fast & Furious franchise was built on. Although it’s digressed heavily from its original formula, it’s still a fun watch, especially if you’re a car enthusiast. Start with the OG Fast & Furious and then follow in order of release. There’s some contention about a placement of a few films such as Too Fast, Too Furious and Tokyo Drift, but you’re not missing out on much if you watch it in the order of release.
Also read: Top Animated Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday Season
Where to Stream These Franchises in 2025–2026
The great news is that the majority of these top film series to binge-watch are much accessible on the main platforms. Based on your area, you will usually find them spread over Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Apple TV, Paramount+, and Peacock, and a few titles may be offering free, ad-supported services. Remember that streaming rights are always changing, so availability may differ from one country to another and even from one month to the next.
Conclusion
These franchises not only remain popular but also continue to be the main drivers of pop culture through their legendary characters, frequently referenced moments, and fan discussions that never end. For this reason, they are still among the best movie franchises to watch if you are looking for a satisfying marathon.
