Batman and beyond: 2022 will be the best year in DC’s film history

Big things could happen for DC in the year ahead of them.

Ever since Warner Bros. started the DC Extended Universe, the reception to their films as a whole has been all over the place. The DC film franchise deserves praise for the wild amount of variety it offers with some of the most interesting studio films out there.

However, despite the fearless experimentation of their films, there doesn’t seem to be any consistency. If 10 people were asked about their feelings on DC’s film output since Man of Steel, all 10 of them would most likely have different answers.

But it seems like things are going to change in 2022 and beyond.

Once COVID hit, there then came the HBO Max simultaneous release, where wide theatrical releases like Wonder Woman 1984 and The Suicide Squad became available to paid subscribers. Both films were used for the streaming service’s growth, with both the pandemic and the at-home availability affecting both of those film’s box offices.

With DC Fandome 2021 on the way, there will most definitely be previews of the upcoming 2022 slate. As of right now, without any delays at the moment, there are five DC films releasing in 2022, that will only be available in theaters.

The Batman

It’s hard to believe that the trailer for The Batman premiered so long ago. The fact that it made fans go wild when so little of the film was shown means that the film will definitely be a big deal once it releases in March 2022.

The return of a gritty Batman with a David Fincher-inspired plot is a winning combination. Throw in the fact that the last solo Batman film was in 2012 and fans are hungry for more adventures in the Dark Knight’s world.

There’s an exciting cast of respected performers in Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Barry Keoghan, etc. With the Twilight series getting a second life on Netflix and this being touted as mainstream Pattinson comeback, expect the Twi-hards to show up as well.

And with this being the start of a Batman-centric universe with two confirmed spin-offs in the works, The Batman is aiming to be the start of something exciting.

DC League of Super-Pets

For as much criticism DC gets for being too edgy and mature, there’s tons of content for the kids. Teen Titans GO! To the Movies and The Lego Batman Movie are two successful animated theatrically released DC films that kids and adults can enjoy.

People love pets and superheroes, so it’s quite surprising it took this long for DC to capitalize on their own roster of furry heroes.

Dwayne Johnson will voice Krypto the Superdog and Kevin Hart will voice Ace the Bat-Hound. Those two names alone are enough to sell a movie, but now they’re voicing animal superheroes in the DC Universe. The rest of the cast includes Marc Maron, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Keanu Reeves, and Jameela Jamil. So expect families to show up for this one in May 2022.

Black Adam

This role has been something that Dwayne Johnson has coveted for a long time. The iconic anti-hero Black Adam will finally make his debut in July 2022, and his self-titled solo film stars an exciting cast of fan-favorite characters.

Pierce Brosnan takes to the screen as Doctor Fate while Aldis Hodge is Hawkman, Noah Centineo is Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi is Isis, Quintessa Swindell is Cyclone and, together, all of them will form the Justice Society of America.

Black Adam got his powers from the old wizard Shazam before Billy Batson, but unfortunately, he is not pure of heart and he will undoubtedly cause trouble for everyone in the DC Universe.

Johnson is the biggest star in Hollywood, and him choosing this role, over the many superhero roles he was most likely offered suggests that he really wanted to bring this character to life.  In fact, he called it the hardest undertaking of his entire career, which means a lot considering his expansive resume.

The Flash

The Flash has been through development hell since it was announced, but now it’s actually happening. The Scarlet Speedster’s solo offering, it is expected to introduce DC’s multiverse.

Not much is known about the film’s plot at the moment, but something Barry Allen does will ultimately cause a rift in the multiverse, and somehow Michael Keaton’s Batman will return.

It director Andy Muschetti is helming this and his visual style will lend itself very well to The Flash’s powers. After seeing what Barry is capable of in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it’s going to be thrilling to experience a whole film about a character who possesses this much power.

Nostalgia sells, so when audiences see Keaton in the trailer, it will most definitely get them even more excited. There’s also the fact that Supergirl is making her big-screen debut, so there’s most likely a lot of surprises in store when this film releases in November 2022.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Aquaman had a major uphill battle to its billion-dollar success. Not only did everyone question the commercial viability of a big-budget Aquaman film, but it was also the first DC film to follow the disastrous Justice League. 

However, the film had every single recipe for success.

A fun epic adventure film for all ages inspired by Star Wars, Avatar, and Indiana Jones starring an attractive, diverse cast set in the world of recognizable IP apparently goes over really well with a worldwide audience.

This sequel’s December 2022 release date is notable because it is directly competing with James Cameron’s Avatar sequel, resulting in a Disney vs Warner Bros. battle for the ages. However, this will be a rare case where everyone wins.

Hopefully, things have improved by that time, and audiences around the world over the holidays can enjoy two giant fantasy blockbusters that appeal to the largest demographic possible. Long live Atlantis and Pandora!

And beyond

All of the aforementioned films are bound to be massive crowd-pleasers that will most likely satisfy fans, critics, and make a lot of money. All of these  2022 films have diverse casts of recognizable actors with exciting concepts and room for experimentation.

WW84, Birds of Prey, and The Suicide Squad definitely have their hardcore defenders, but those recent DC films may have been a bit too weird for their own good to unify the fanbase.

HBO Max will also offer a platform for DC expansion that will directly rival Marvel’s offerings on Disney+. Peacemaker, Batgirl, Blue Beetle, Green Lantern, Zatanna, Black Canary and many more projects are in the works – all of which will star unique characters that will be given a chance to shine in their respective long-form series or movie.

A multimedia expansion into the DC multiverse that involves films, animation, TV shows, comics, etc. that can either reach both a niche or general audience should be exciting for all fans. With a slate of promising projects falling into place, not only will 2022 be the best and most crowd pleasing year for DC films, but they are finally tapping into their unlimited potential.

Do you think 2022 will be a big year for DC and Warner Bros.? Let us know in the comments below!