Comic book movies for over 40 years have been instrumental in cinema. From the days of Richard Donner’s Superman and Tim Burton’s Batman in the 1970s and 1980s to now with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other franchises comic book movies continue to entertain general audiences. The next couple of years have so many movies from both Marvel and DC to look forward to. These are my most anticipated comic book movies.
5. Black Adam (July 29, 2022)
After being announced over 10 years ago, Black Adam is finally coming out starring Dwayne Johnson. The movie will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed Jungle Cruise also starring Dwayne Johnson. The film will also see other well-known DC characters such as Hawkman, Doctor Fate, and others from the Justice Society of America appear on the big screen for the first time. I am excited to see Johnson’s take on Black Adam and hope to see Black Adam appear in future films after Black Adam to take on other DC characters including Superman and Shazam.
4. The Flash (November 4, 2022)
After so many years Flash is finally getting his movie directed by It director Andy Muschietti. The Flash will star Ezra Miller, who has portrayed the fast superhero in the DC Extended Universe, most recently in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The Flash went through a lot of script changes, especially after the fallout of Justice League (2017). I will admit I feel concerned the film will be used to erase Zack Snyder’s previous DCEU films from canon and am still disappointed Cyborg actor Ray Fisher was taken out of the project. Still, there are many things I am very excited about. Supergirl will make her first film appearance portrayed by Sasha Calle. The Flash will see Michael Keaton return as Batman 30 years after his last appearance as the caped crusader in Batman Returns. Miller’s Justice League co-star Ben Affleck will also return as Batman after originally being done with the character. Both portrayals are my personal favorites as Batman.
3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (March 25, 2022)
Considered one of my anticipated movies in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks to explore the Marvel multiverse with a blend of horror. After Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson dropped out, original Spider-Man director Sam Raimi was chosen to take over. Raimi is no stranger to superhero movies or franchise movies. His Spider-Man trilogy helped launch the modern-day success of comic book films almost 20 years ago and before that directed The Evil Dead trilogy. Raimi’s experience in both genres makes him the most qualified director to helm this film. As well as continuing the multiverse arc of the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will continue the story arc of Wanda Maximoff as well and is rumored to have more Marvel characters not just from the MCU, but from previous Marvel movie franchises.
2. The Batman (March 4, 2022)
The Batman started as a DCEU solo Batman film starring and directed by Ben Affleck. After Affleck left as director and then dropped out of playing Batman, Matt Reeves took over as director and Robert Pattinson won the role of Batman. Known for directing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes, Matt’s upcoming Batman reboot caught a lot of attention last year with its first trailer at DC Fandome. Any concerns of Robert Pattinson’s take on the Dark Knight went away. Between how well Reeves directed the last two Planet of the Apes films and Pattinson’s great performances in movies the last few years including The Lighthouse, The Batman is high on my most anticipated list. I am also excited to see new takes on classic Batman villains such as Riddler and Penguin, who have not appeared on the big screen since the 1990s in Batman Returns and Batman Forever. Paul Dano will play Riddler and Colin Farrell will play Penguin. Unlike the previous DC movies previously listed, The Batman will not take place in the DCEU.
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home (December 17, 2021)
Even though Spider-Man: No Way Home is a few months away and coming out before any of these other films listed, it remains my most anticipated comic book movie. Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man and Jon Watts returns to direct. Considered the most ambitious solo film ever, Spider-Man: No Way Home will not only deal with Spider-Man's identity revealed to the world, but the multiverse, bringing in characters from both Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy and Andrew Garfield’s two Spider-Man movies. The money shot of the trailer was Alfred Molina returning as Doc Ock for the first time since Spider-Man 2 in 2004. This version of Doc Ock is one of my favorite comic book movie villains. Also returning is Jamie Foxx as Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and looking very likely to return is Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin from the 2002 Spider-Man. While Maguire and Garfield are not officially confirmed, they are looking very likely to appear. Growing up watching both Maguire and Garfield as Spider-Man and also being a fan of Tom Holland’s performance, this remains my most anticipated comic book movie coming out!
What comic book movies are you most excited about? Let me know down below!