When it comes to modern anime, Demon Slayer stands out on top as one of the greatest to have been released over the course of the last ten years. Demon Slayer set a new standard both in terms of anime and manga after it came out, and it paved the way for modern stories to match up to the success of the likes of The Big Three and, of course, the father of shounen, Dragon Ball.

Unfortunately, in the manga department, Demon Slayer has ended quite a long time ago, and several other new manga series have picked up since. In the anime sphere of things, however, Demon Slayer still has a short run left. The series aired the Infinity Castle Part 1 movie in 2025, and its proper conclusion will follow with the remaining two movies in the trilogy, which will officially pull the curtain on Demon Slayer once and for all.

Naturally, Demon Slayer needs a replacement in the shonen world. As things stand, only one franchise can go on to replace when it comes to popularity and exciting battles, and that is Solo Leveling. This new hit series has a big project, potentially coming this year, that could very well match Demon Slayer.

Demon Slayer Set A New Standard With Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Broke All Records

Demon Slayer completely redefined what shounen anime can be, and it managed to do that largely through its two movie releases, the first one being Mugen Train, and the second being Infinity Castle. When Demon Slayer: Mugen Train came out, it went on to shatter all sorts of records at the Box Office in Japan, and later on, set many records internationally as well. Its success was such that it ended up becoming the highest-grossing movie in the history of Japan, and that truly went to show the level of popularity that it had achieved.

Demon Slayer continued to grow in terms of popularity over the years, and in 2025, it came out with another movie, titled Infinity Castle Part 1. This movie was supposed to be a part of a trilogy, spread over the next few years. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 went on to reach even higher heights and achieved international success that even the first movie couldn't. It remains the most successful Japanese movie release of all time and has made history in doing so.

Quite clearly, Demon Slayer has redefined what a shonen anime can be, and what anime movies can deliver when it comes to major releases. Quite a lot of the fans had attributed Demon Slayer's success with Mugen Train down to the pandemic, and others had called it a fluke. With Infinity Castle, Demon Slayer proved that it wasn't the case. It went on to reach even higher heights and has once again redefined the shonen movie era forever.

Solo Leveling Can Match Demon Slayer With Its Rumored 2026 Anime Release

Solo Leveling’s Next Anime Release Will Be A Movie

While Demon Slayer has certainly been great for anime as a whole, it cannot be denied that the franchise is now edging closer to its conclusion. Demon Slayer only has two more movies left, and neither of those appears to be close at the moment. This is why the franchise needs a replacement, especially for 2026, in the movie department. While there are certainly a lot of exciting movies that are coming out this year, there is no other shonen theatrical release that can deliver the action that Demon Slayer did. In that regard, only one franchise can go on to replace it, and that is Solo Leveling.

It is no surprise to know that all fans of Solo Leveling are eagerly waiting for a Season 3 at this point, but based on recent reports, it appears that the series is not going to get a third season at all. Instead, due to the success of Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man movies, A-1 Pictures and Aniplex might have shifted their strategy altogether and started looking at a theatrical release for Solo Leveling. If this were to happen, then Solo Leveling will see its story continue beyond season 2 in the form of a movie, which could elevate the quality of action that it delivers to a whole new level.

It goes without saying that Demon Slayer featured incredible action, but in that department, hardly any series can come close to Solo Leveling. If Solo Leveling does go on to get a movie in 2026, it will have action that puts Demon Slayer to shame, and fans are incredibly ecstatic for that already. It must also be kept in mind that Solo Leveling still has quite a lot of gas left in the tank, unlike Demon Slayer. There is still another movie that can actually be done after the first one, if that's what the strategy is for the anime studio moving forward. Then, there is a whole new sequel story to unravel in Solo Leveling: Ragnarok as well.

Quite clearly, Solo Leveling can go on to give the fans their yearly dose of incredible action for a long time, just as Demon Slayer begins to wrap up its journey. That is very assuring, to say the least.

Solo Leveling Can Redefine Modern Anime With Its New Release

Solo Leveling Could Mark The Beginning Of A New Era

Demon Slayer redefined what anime movies could do with a theatrical release when it dropped the Mugen Train movie. Now, Solo Leveling has the opportunity to do something similar once its next arc is adapted into a movie format.

While it goes without saying that the overall quality delivered by Demon Slayer was incredible, Solo Leveling is more battle-heavy and could take action to a whole new level that fans couldn't even have dared to imagine. This action is what could propel Solo Leveling as one of the best battle series all over the world, and in doing so, it could redefine what modern shonen is capable of.

Many other Japanese series could then go on to follow the strategy of Solo Leveling and deliver theatrical releases when it comes to their biggest action sequences. Fans absolutely cannot wait to see what Solo Leveling manages to achieve with its new release, but at the moment, they need more information about the plans of the anime studio.

Solo Leveling Movie Release Date

As things stand, Solo Leveling's movie does not have a proper release date. That said, the production committee report that was revealed in 2025 suggests that a late 2026 release window is very likely. So far, fans have heard nothing, but Anime Japan 2026 could go on to change that and reveal big information.

This year, something truly exciting might happen for Solo Leveling fans!! I’m sorry, but please, please wait just a little longer. — Atsushi Kaneko

The producer of the series has also recently suggested that some big news is coming the fans' way, and all the fans are waiting to see whether a movie is announced or not. Hopefully, Solo Leveling fans get the movie that they have desperately wanted for a few months now, and the franchise is revitalized once again after a year-long break.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image