15 of the Most Anticipated Movies of 2022

We’re two days into the new year and there is so much excitement in the film community. With an immense amount of highly anticipated films (finally) being released in 2022, this is shaping up to be a big year. COVID kept many out of the theaters for a while now but it seems moviegoers are heading back in flocks. In addition to audiences, every other week there was news of studios were pushing back their major releases. The next twelve months are jammed-packed with potential blockbusters from Marvel, Disney, Sony, Warner Bros, and more. Check out our top 15 picks for 2022!

15. LIGHTYEAR

Although the days of Toy Story films are over, prequels are still a possibility. We get our first with Lightyear, voiced by Chris Evans, that explores the life of the astronaut Buzz is based on. If this film is successful, as we all expect it to be, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pixar venture into telling the stories of other characters from the famous franchise. Buzz takes us to infinity and beyond only in theaters June 17th.

14. TOP GUN: MAVERICK

After more than 30 years, we are finally getting a sequel to Top Gun. Several delays plagued the film in 2021, but it seems we have a concrete May 27th release date now. Tom Cruise reprises the role we all know and love him for, alongside Miles Teller as Goose’s son and Val Kilmer back as Iceman. With a new-gen meets old gen, this would make for a great father/son day at the movies if you ask me.

13. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2

To the surprise of many, Sonic the Hedgehog was a massive success. Fans were outraged at the initial first look at Sonic and essentially bullied the studio into improving the character’s look. It was well worth it because 2 years later, the gang is back for a sequel. James Marsden, Jim Carrey, and Tika Sumpter will once again have their hands full dealing with Sonic’s (Ben Schwartz) mess. Nostalgia will set in as we get Knuckles and Tails along for the ride. If you were a fan of the Sega game back in the day, this is sure to be a must-see. Sonic 2 rolls into theaters April 8th.

12. BLACK ADAM

Dwayne Johnson has been kicking some serious butt in the film industry, adding anti-hero to his resume. He was cast as the title character in Black Adam a few years ago and we are months away from seeing it come to life. Fans are hoping this will lead to a crossover with his rival, Shazam, whom is played by Zachary Levi in a solo film. No trailer,  or plot info just yet, but we can imagine some deets will be coming our way shortly. Catch it in theaters July 29th.

11. MORBIUS

Yet another film that fell victim to COVID release date set backs, Morbius is almost here. Part of Sony’s “spider-verse”, audiences are eager to see Jared Leto play a Marvel character and leave his DC Joker behind. In the trailers, we get a glimpse of Michael Keaton, assumed to be reprising his role of Vulture from Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Some found this to be very confusing, as there is a Spidey poster with the word “murdered” graffitied on in. The problem is, fans pointed out that the suit seen in the poster is that of Tobey Maguire’s character. Mistake or intentional? Guess we’ll have to wait until January 28th to find out.

10. UNCHARTED

Hollywood golden boy Tom Holland lands yet another major role as Nathan Drake in Uncharted. Fans of the game have desperately wanted to see a live version of the classic. The action-packed trailer looks promising, similar to a male version of Tomb Raider. Mark Wahlberg plays Sully as he and Drake set out on an adventure to find a missing treasure map. I can’t be the only one who sees Holland and still pictures Peter Parker. I desperately hope this film can change that. Uncharted hits theaters on February 18th.

9. JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION

The Chris Pratt-led franchise has been a major success, so this third installment is sure to follow suit. The stars from the OG films, Laura Dern and Sam Neill, will be reprising their roles along with Jeff Goldblum. Bryce Dallas Howard is back along for the ride as well. A 5-minute prologue was released on YouTube from the studio and properly sets up Dominion. If nothing else, we are sure to get some great dinosaur action and 90’s nostalgia by seeing Dern and Neill working with Pratt and Dallas-Howard.

8. THE FLASH

This seems to be a running theme here. The Flash joins the list of anticipated films this year with no trailer. Regardless, comic book fans are geeked for this release because DC is taking a page out of Marvel’s handbook and tapping into the multiverse craze. Last year, it was confirmed that Michael Keaton would be reprising his role as Bruce Wayne. This seems on par with rumors we could see some “Flashpoint” action. I am hoping Ezra Miller can really bang out a great solo film. Fans have constantly voiced their preference of Grant Gustin (CW’s television version) as the better Barry Allen. The Flash zaps into theaters on November 4th.

7. WAKANDA FOREVER

This one is rather touchy. After Chadwick Boseman‘s passing, no one was sure what the future for a Black Panther sequel would look like. Boseman brought the character to life as no one else could and it was such a devastating blow to lose him. Marvel Studios decided to not recast his role but to instead focus on his younger sister, Shuri. There are many mixed feelings about this, Leticia Wright has garnered some negative opinions about her recent comments against the COVID-19 vaccine. Regardless, the plot is tightly under wraps so no exact word on how they will explain T’Challa’s absence. Wakanda Forever is in theaters on November 11th.

6. AVATAR 2

Almost 15 years later and we are finally getting a follow-up to James Cameron‘s massive hit, Avatar. The beautiful thing about CGI is that characters don’t have to age as would be the case if this were filmed with the same “human” actors this many years later. All we know at the moment is the sequel will focus on Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) and Jake’s (Sam Worthington) family and the troubles they will face. Kate Winslet and Michelle Yeoh have been added to the cast. Many more names are sure to be announced at a later date. The untitled sequel currently has a release date of December 16th.

5. AQUA MAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM

Boy, have we been waiting for this one! James Wan‘s Aquaman was such a huge success at the box office and put up Avenger-style numbers. Jason Mamoa brought to life a DC character that many had always rooted for but questioned how it could be done underwater. Thank God for today’s technology, right? The controversial Amber Heard is back as Mera as is Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. A lot of conversation surrounded the film with many set to boycott if Heard was still starring in the film. Filmmakers spoke out and confirmed they heard the outcries, but would not remove the actress from the cast. Very curious how this all plays out. Aquaman swims into theaters on December 16th, the same date as Avatar 2.

4. THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

Marvel is not playing games this year. With three films slated to release, they very well could dominate 2022. The fourth installment, Thor: Love and Thunder, brings back Natalie Portman as Jane Foster and introduces Christian Bale as the villain known as Gorr the God Butcher. Of course, Chris Hemsworth is back with Tessa Thompson, and the duo is set to team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy led by Chris Pratt. All these characters crossing over from different films is ridiculously exciting. Love and Thunder hits theaters on July 8th.

3. DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

Now that the multiverse has been explored, the possibilities are endless. The first Doctor Strange film touched on the subject, while last month’s Spider-Man: No Way Home showed us exactly what it looks like. For this sequel, Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) reaches out to Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) to unravel the mysteries of the unknown. A trailer was shown after the end credits of No Way Home and sets the scene to happen after the events of Disney+’s highly successful series, WandaVision. What’s perhaps even more exciting is it is directed by Sam Raimi, best known for his Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is in theaters May 6th.

2. THE BATMAN

Director Matt Reeves is set to give us a darker version of Batman unlike any we’ve seen before. Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne along with Colin Farrell (the Penguin), Paul Dano (the Riddler), and Jeffrey Wright (Commissioner Gordon). Fans have expressed their excitement all on social media for this film since the first photos were leaked almost a year ago. The trailer looks promising and with a talented cast, I’m sure Warner Bros has got a blockbuster on their hands. The Batman lands in theaters March 4th.

1. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE PART ONE

Fans of the original have been awaiting this sequel since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse first blew us away. It won the Oscar that year for Best Animated Film to no surprise. Returning are Shameik Moore to voice Miles Morales and Hailee Steinfeld as Gwen Stacy. New this time around are Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man 2099)and Issa Rae as Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman). No news on the plot but regardless, when a film the first one exists, there’s not a doubt in my mind that this will be anything short of amazing. Across the Spider-Verse Part One hits theaters on October 7th.