Ayana Hamilton is an entertainment journalist. Ayana is passionate about writing factual and reliable stories for readers because she knows how fast rumors can spread. She also loves talking about trends and pop culture in her podcast ‘Dog Happy Hour with Ayana‘. Her favorite thing to write and talk about is current issues in the entertainment industry.
Feb 3, 2022
Table of Contents
Photo: Superhero Movies
2022 has a wide variety of superhero films from DC to Marvel, with a total of 10 films coming to theaters; therefore, superhero fans have something to look forward to throughout the whole year. With the pandemic delaying the release of many films, the film industry was interrupted, with some deciding to release their films on a streaming service or continue to delay the film till it gets a theatrical release. Marvel didn’t release anything in 2020; instead, they decided to continue the Marvel Cinematic Universe with shows like ‘Loki’, ‘WandaVision’, and ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’. This led up to now, with critics asking the question, will this lead to superhero movie fatigue because the audience is going to be bombarded with superhero movies.
Many people hate the superhero film industry because it dominates the film industry as a whole, and some critics even view such films as brainless entertainment. Superhero movies like ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Aquaman’ will always do well, so there isn’t any risk of losing money; the only thing to worry about is a bad review. However, I think many people will realize how many superhero movies and shows are released because of the pandemic; this is going to lead to people not being able to keep up with the Marvel and DC universe.
I know for myself, I can’t keep up with the Marvel Universe and I feel like the amount of content is overwhelming but the need to keep up is there because I have to watch the movie or series to understand future content. Right now, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has the audience on a hamster wheel of content; the company will always have the audience to look forward to or watch without giving any breaks.
However, I need a break from superhero films when I watch too much at once, especially now with Disney+ releasing series continuing from the MCU. In 2021, it was nice to see Marvel content again, but after finishing the ‘Loki’series, I felt burnt out from Marvel. I think this is going to overwhelm the casual Marvel audience because they’re not going to have time to keep up with a TV series and the theatrical releases. Right now, Marvel is trying to get back on track with its theatrical release schedule, but time will tell how the company will figure out how to not overwhelm the casual audience.
DC’s ‘The Batman’ released March 4, 2022, stars Robert Pattinson in “the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire, Bruce Wayne,” according to The Batman website. The film follows Batman in his second year of crime-fighting as he uncovers the corruption of Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as The Riddler according to IMDb. The trailer was released in December 2021 and fans are already saying that the film looks like a love letter to Batman fans because the tone of the film is everything fans wanted: dark, gritty, mysterious, and thrilling.
With Ben Affleck leaving the Batman role, Pattinson’s casting shocked fans because of his most known role as Edward ‘Twilight’. Fans weren’t sure of Pattinson because they couldn’t imagine him playing a dark character like Batman but their minds were changed quickly when images of Pattinson in costume were released. I think this film will do remarkably well at the box office because it’s a reboot and fans want to see how Pattinson portrays the crime-fighting millionaire.
Sony’s ‘Morbius’, releasing April 1, 2022, starring Jared Leto as he “transforms into the enigmatic antihero Michael Morbius. Dangerously ill with a rare blood disorder and determined to save others suffering his same fate, Dr. Morbius attempts a desperate gamble. While at first, it seems to be a radical success, the darkness inside him is unleashed. Will good override evil – or will Morbius succumb to his mysterious new urges,” according to Sony Pictures.
The question Marvel fans are asking about this film is whether it takes place in the MCU because with the multiverse being confirmed this can mean a continuation of Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man. With the success of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, Garfield’s Spider-Man storyline can continue by interacting with Sony’s Venom and Morbius. I can only see success for Sony if Garfield returns to the big screen as Spider-Man because of the overwhelming new love for ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’.
Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness’ releasing May 6, 2022, stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in the film, “Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the door to the multiverse, including an alternate version of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong (Benedict Wong), and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen),” according to IMDb. The trailer was released after the credits of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and it surprised Marvel fans because this was the first time a trailer was released after the credits. The new film is building off the hype of the multiverse that was introduced in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and I believe this film is going to do very well in the box office because Marvel fans love the concept of the multiverse and what to see if other characters from different timelines will make an appearance.
DC’s‘ League of Super-Pets’ releasing May 20, 2022, stars Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Krypto the Super-Dog and in the film “Krypto, the Super-Dog and Superman (John Krasinski) are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—Ace the hound (Kevin Hart), PB the pot-bellied pig (Vanessa Bayer), Merton the turtle (Natasha Lyonne), and Chip the squirrel (Diego Luna)—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the superheroes,” according to DCLeague of Super-Pets website.
The trailer was released in November 2021 and I was surprised that they were making a film about Krypto because I watched the cartoon when I was a kid so I still remember the character’s personalities. Therefore, seeing that the film dumb downed Ace the hound was kind of disappointing but the general audience is for kids so I’m okay with it. It’s nice to see DC doesn’t alienate their younger fanbase so this film is expected to do well at the box office.
Films Releasing in the Middle of 2022
Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ releasing July 8, 2022, stars Chris Hemsworth as the strongest Avenger Thor and it’s the fourth movie in the Thor saga. The plot is unknown at this time but there were leaks of the actors in costume on set and it leads fans to believe that this would be a great successor to ‘Thor: Ragnarok’. With Taika Waititi directing, this film will be a success because Waititi essentially fixed Thor’s character making him lovable. I’m personally excited about this film because ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is my favorite Marvel movie and I can’t wait to see where Waititi takes Thor’s character in the new film.
DC’s ‘Black Adam’ releasing July 29, 2022, stars Dwayne Johnson as anti-hero Black Adam and it’s a spin-off from the ‘Shazam!’ film. The plot is unknown at this time but the official teaser was released in August 2020 and the original release date was in 2021 but due to COVID, the film was delayed. According to CNET, at the virtual fan event DC Fandom, Johnson said, “The truth is I was born to play Black Adam,’ before the footage played, promising viewers huge action sequences and “breathtaking ‘holy shit’ scenes.’’’ I believe this film is going to do well because of ‘Shazam’s’ success and DC fans being excited to see this anti-hero on the big screen.
Sony’s ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)’ releasing October 7, 2022, stars Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales and in the film he “returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered,” according to IMDb. The trailer was released in December 2021 and it was received very well among Spider-Man fans because the sequel was highly anticipated. I’m very excited about this film because the animation in the first film was outstanding and I can’t wait to see how they’ll continue the story.
DC’s ‘The Flash’ releasing November 4, 2022 stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, the plot is set to revolve around the multiverse and the official teaser was released in October 2021. There hasn’t been any recent chatter about the film probably because the promotion for this hasn’t started yet. Fans of the comic book hero are excited to finally get a solo film and hope the film will be better than the CW TV show. Since there hasn’t been any promotion about this film, I can’t say how the general audience feels about it yet but I can say that people are already comparing the film to ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ because they both revolve around the idea of the multiverse.
Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ releasing November 11, 2022, is a sequel that will continue to explore the world of Wakanda and its characters. Since the passing of Chadwick Boseman, many have speculated that the throne of the Black Panther will be passed down to Shuri (Letitia Wright). Director Ryan Coogler didn’t want to recast the role because he expressed that Boseman was the perfect Black Panther that can’t be replaced. I like that Coogler didn’t recast because the vibe of the film would be off and distracting, I know the film is in good hands to honor Boseman as the Black Panther. Be ready to bring a box of tissues to the theater because I know the film is going to be tear-provoking.
Finally, DC’s ‘Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom’ releasing December 16, 2022, stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, “When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation,” according to Warner Bros. The teaser trailer was released in October 2021 and people’s main focus is on the actress Amber Heard, many wanted her removed from the film because of her legal battles with her ex-husband Johnny Depp. People are claiming that the film is going to lose money because of the actress but I believe the film is going to make money either way because it’s a superhero film.
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Ayana Hamilton is an entertainment journalist. Ayana is passionate about writing factual and reliable stories for readers because she knows how fast rumors can spread. She also loves talking about trends and pop culture in her podcast ‘Dog Happy Hour with Ayana‘. Her favorite thing to write and talk about is current issues in the entertainment industry.
Ayana Hamilton is an entertainment journalist. Ayana is passionate about writing factual and reliable stories for readers because she knows how fast rumors can spread. She also loves talking about trends and pop culture in her podcast ‘Dog Happy Hour with Ayana‘. Her favorite thing to write and talk about is current issues in the entertainment industry.
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