2021 might have started off a little slow in terms of comic-book film cinematic releases but it most certainly ended with a bang. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was the hype-train we needed to get us out of the slump Covid-19 had put us all in. We’re now looking forward to what the world of comic-book films have in store for us in 2022.
Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is ready to take their franchise even deeper into the multiverse and beyond. Warner Bros. is prepared to unleash the big guns this year with their own releases. And you best believe the folks in Sony have something cooking in their own Spider-Verse. So without further ado, these are the ten upcoming comic book films that you most certainly do not want to miss throughout the year.
1. The Batman (March)
Director Matt Reeves kicks off the year with our most anticipated comic-book film of 2022, “The Batman”. The main trailer dropped in this year’s DC FanDome event revealed a whole lot more grizzly details about Robert Pattinson’s Batman and this new vision of Gotham. Honestly, the film seems more reminiscent of David Fincher’s “Se7en” than anything we’ve seen in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) thus far. In fact, the film won’t be within the DCEU continuinity at all! Director Matt Reeves is creating a whole other Batman cinematic universe of his own. So don’t expect any Justice League cameos anytime soon but brace yourself for the return of the Dark Knight!
2. Morbius (April)
Next on our list, we have Sony’s “Morbius” making its way into theaters in April 2022. The film will follow the story of Marvel’s original vampire Doctor Michael Morbius as he seeks to cure himself of a rare-blood disease. He gets his wish and more as he becomes far stronger and faster than any man, along with an unquenchable thirst for blood! We’ve long been fascinated by “Morbius”, wondering where exactly the film fits within Sony’s Venomverse and the MCU. If it’s a Sony production, why is the Vulture in it? Why is there a picture of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man in the background? Regardless of which universe the film is set in, we can’t wait to sink our teeth into “Morbius” soon!
3. Doctor Strange in the Mutliverse of Madness (May)
Come May next year, the MCU will descend into madness! Recently, Marvel Studios dropped their latest teaser trailer for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and man was it wild! We did a full breakdown of the teaser revealing some pretty juicy details hidden away. Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch are about to face a threat greater than anything Thanos ever was. We’ve got new faces and old ones showing up too, with a possible future Avengers team in the background. Be sure to stay with us to find out more about the MCU’s first ever comic-book horror film!
4. Thor: Love and Thunder (July)
That’s right, everyone’s favourite God of Thunder is coming back in action with a July release next year. If you thought “Thor: Ragnarok” made for an intergalatic Norse rock-and-roll epic then you ain’t seen nothing yet! Details on the film’s plot has been scarce but we do know that Thor will be sporting a more 90’s inspired punk-rock look. We’re also going to see Christian Bale make his debut in the MCU as well. As of now we don’t quite know exactly what role he’ll be playing in the film. One thing we know certain is that Natalie Portman will returning to MCU once again. This time, though, she’ll be the one wielding the power of Thor!
5. Black Adam (July)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be making his way into the DCEU as none other than the original Champion of Magic, before Shazam, Black Adam! During DC’s FanDome event, we got our first official look at the Ruler of Kahndaq in action. Much like Billy Batson’s Shazam, he too wields the power of the gods as we see him fry a man to the death in the teaser. Needless to say, Black Adam isn’t exactly on the side of the angels. The film will see Doctor Fate alongside the Justice Society of America facing off against Black Adam. That’s right we get to see the original team before the Justice League do battle with Black Adam come July 2022!
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Part 1 (October)
Look out web-heads! If you loved “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and its multiversal escadapes then get ready for a whole lot more Spider-People on October 2022. Picking up where Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” left off, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Part 1” sees Miles Morales’ Spider-Man once again called into duty to save the day. While we don’t quite know what other versions of Spider-Man we’ll see in the film, we can at least confirm that Spider-Gwen played by Hailee Steinfeld will be in it. Actor Oscar Isaac will also be joining the fun as Miguel O’ Hara aka Spider-Man 2099! With “Across the Spider-Verse” being split into two parts, we’re expecting a story of a much bigger scope this time around.
7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November)
In spite of Chadwick Boseman’s unfortunate passing (Rest in Power), Disney and Marvel Studios are still going ahead with the sequel to 2018’s “Black Panther”. With the Boseman’s Black Panther gone, fans have been wondering about the fate of the film series going forward. It’s been confirmed that actors Lupita Nyong’o will be reprising her role as Nakia, Dania Gurira as Okoye and Martin Freeman as Everett Ross. Reports have shown that Letitia Wright’s Shuri, the sister of T’Challa, will be playing a much larger role than previously planned in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”. Could Shuri be taking up the mantle as the Queen of Wakanda and the new Black Panther? All will be revealed come November 2022.
8. The Flash (November)
The DCEU is about to change forever with Ezra Miller’s “The Flash” speeding into theaters come November 2022. During the DC FanDome event, it was revealed that Barry Allen has traveled back in time and has altered the original DCEU timeline. Now, fans of the DC Comics will no doubt point to the “Flashpoint” comics as a clear point of reference for the film. Seeing that the storyline also sees Barry Allen creating an alternate future by going back in time to save his mother. Joining the Flash is Kiersy Clemons as Iris West, Sasha Calle as Supergirl with both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton appearing in the film as two different versions of Batman! Could Ezra Miller’s Flash restart the DCEU with his very own Flashpoint event? Simply put, we can’t wait to find out.
9. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December)
My man Jason Momoa is back in the DCEU as the King of Atlantis himself, Aquaman! The film is set to hit the Christmas holiday season sometime next year. We got our first look at the film during DC’s FanDome event with director James Wan giving us a breakdown of what fans can expect in his sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”. The cast includes Amber Heard reprising her role as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the main villain of the film, Black Manta. According to Wan, the film will see Manta embark on a revenge quest after Aquaman while the King of Atlantis travels to new worlds and lost kingdoms.
10. Batgirl (2022)
The DCEU will be launching its first HBO Max exclusive film with “Batgirl” scheduled to land sometime during 2022. The film will be set in the main DCEU universe where Ben Affleck’s Batman resides. The titular heroine, Barbara Gordon will be played by Leslie Grace Martinez with J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon, who debut in 2017’s “Justice League” as her father, appearing as well. Now here’s where things get interesting. While it’s been confirmed that Michael Keaton’s Batman will be in the film, there’s been no word of Affleck’s Dark Knight though. Curious indeed. Will Keaton be taking over the role as the DCEU’s mainline Batman? Where exactly does “Batgirl” fit in the timeline? Hopefully we’ll get a trailer and some answers real soon.
