2021 is now over. We had some great movies get released over the course of this past year. Meanwhile, the box office still has not quite recovered to pre-pandemic levels but Spider-Man: No Way Home still made a huge dent, becoming the biggest theatrical release of 2021 by crossing a $1 billion at the box office within a mere week. Comic Book movies consistently have had a presence as some of the top earners at the yearly box office thanks to Marvel and DC who both pump out multiple big-budget blockbusters every year. So what do we have to look for this coming year? Here are my picks for my top 10 most anticipated comic book movies for 2022.
10. Batgirl
DCEU will release its first HBO Max exclusive with Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon. There was a lot of hype around this project a few months ago when J.K. Simmons was announced as reprising the role of James Gordon as it also marked the DCEU return of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman following The Flash. But recent rumors have definitely made things less interesting as far as this one is concerned. It is now rumored that Michael Keaton will be reprising the role of the Caped Crusader and there’s no sign of Affleck appearing which has made fans unhappy. That being said, there’s still some hype for its cast and the very popular character it will be bringing to the screen. The movie is expected to be released somewhere at the end of 2022. Considering the character, this might become interesting once a trailer is released somewhere in the near future.
9. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The first Aquaman movie was released in 2018 and became the highest grossing DCEU entry. It became a huge hit due to its great visuals and cinematography. But it wasn’t as memorable or exceptional overall. The movie lacked basic world building which is important when bringing a new world to life. Just to compare, that 1 minute Vulko-Aquaman conversation had more context to it than anything in the rest of the script which mostly felt basic. The movie marks the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as King Orm and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane / Black Manta, and Amber Heard as Mera. The return of a pretty great villain and Aquaman himself might go pretty well among the general audience though the hype for the movie was lessened thanks to some recent major controversies.
8. The Flash
Suffice it to say that The Flash has already had its fair share of drama behind the scenes. Getting a live action Flash movie involving different timelines is supposed to be a big moment for any DC fan though it isn’t as exciting for most anymore. Now the movie is essentially just a means for WB to reset the DCEU so they can correct what they have deemed as ‘mistakes’. However, what is actually going to happen exactly is still a mystery. The movie stars Michael Keaton as the Batman of the altered timeline instead of Thomas Wayne’s Batman, the Batman in the actual Flashpoint storyline. Recent rumors of what’s going to happen in the movie ruined that hype even more. The movie is being torn apart for multiple reasons including Michael Keaton supposedly being anointed the DCEU Batman and rumors of it resetting the original DCEU which for the most part do seem true. The movie will also see the debut of Sasha Calle as Supergirl and is supposedly setting up a new Justice League without finishing the arc for the last Justice League. Being a Flash fan, this might actually be good, though things don’t seem as good for the overall future of DCEU.
7. Morbius
Morbius was going to be the first comic book movie of 2022, releasing this January but now its release date has been pushed back to April. The movie follows Jared Leto as Marvel’s vampire Doctor Michael Morbius as he tries to cure himself from a rare blood disease for which that wish would be fulfilled, becoming stronger and faster than any human. Though it’s not quite confirmed in which universe it belongs, fans can see Easter Eggs from all three Spider-Man live action iterations which makes things even more interesting considering the character isn’t quite as popular among most of the current Marvel audience. The trailers sure look interesting. Not knowing much about the character, I am definitely interested in what this movie will bring.
6. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
2018’s Black Panther was a huge commercial as well as a critical success so there is most definitely hype for this sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the movie has gone through its fair share of production troubles because of the Letitia Wright situation. That being said, Marvel can certainly overcome it. The movie has the potential to be as big as the original but right now, not much can be said.
5. Black Adam
Black Adam appears to be the next big movie in the DCEU as it introduces DC’s popular anti-hero, the ruler of kahndaq in the ‘connected’ universe. Black Adam is also Shazam’s arch nemesis, so it might result in a face off between the two in another movie following Shazam; Fury Of The Gods. The movie is going to explore a whole new location and culture in the DCEU and is definitely something to look forward to.
4. Thor : Love And Thunder
After two pretty controversial Thor movies which are considered some of the worst MCU entries, Taika Waititi was chosen for the series’ third movie, Thor Ragnarok, which became popular and earned plenty of praise among the fans. Waititi is now returning as the director for this sequel. Thor : Love And Thunder will see a lot of actors return with Christian Bale playing the main antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher. The movie sounds cool and seeing Bale again in a comic book related movie is certainly cause for excitement.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part 1)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is easily one of the best animated superhero movies, featuring very memorable characters. The first part of this 2-parter will be released this year, marking the return of Miles, Spider-Gwen and among others. Surprisingly the movie will also include Spider-Man 2099 who was seen fighting Miles in the first teaser. Meanwhile, it will also feature distinct art styles for each dimension which is pretty cool
2. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
The MCU already was successful with exploring the multiverse with Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now it’s time for the universe to take another big leap with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness which is easily the most hyped MCU project for 2022. The movie also marks the return of Wanda Maximoff following WandaVIsion and interestingly Strange Supreme, last seen in What If as it looks to see Doctor Strange traverse multiple universes.
1. The Batman
The Batman started as a DCEU Batman solo movie with Ben Affleck set to star and direct. Jay Oliva once stated that the original Batfleck movie script was the best Batman script he ever read. Now the movie is a non-DCEU project, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The movie has already gained an immense amount of hype after the release of the first teaser. This movie will be the first Batman live action solo outing in a decade. The movie looks artistically fantastic, has a great cast, follows a still young Batman and is not a part of DCEU though has already given birth to a few spinoffs. The movie easily has the potential to be the best CBM of the year.
In the end, 2022 is clearly going to be a great year for fans of this genre.
Follow me on Twitter.
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.
