6. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (May 6)


Of the three MCU releases lined up for 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness holds the most glorious purpose. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch's supreme-ish sorcerer fresh from his disastrous experience in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Strange must fix the rapidly decaying multiverse with help from Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez. They'll join franchise regulars Benedict Wong (Wong), Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo). Part of Doctor Strange 2's huge appeal comes from Sam Raimi in the director's chair. As unfortunate as Scott Derrickson's (original Doctor Strange director) MCU exit was, the prospect of Raimi returning to the superhero genre for the first time since Spider-Man 3 and adding a horror tinge to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is impossible to deny. There's also the sheer unpredictability created by the MCU's multiverse mechanic. Who might turn up? Which franchises could become canon? Which alternate character variants will we meet?

5. The Flash (November 4)


The DCEU's roller coaster fortunes continued in 2020 and 2021, with Wonder Woman 1984 disappointing critically, Zack Snyder's Justice League impressing on HBO Max, and The Suicide Squad going down well with critics but flopping at the box office. 2022 represents a busier year with Black Adam and Aquaman & The Lost Kingdom, but The Flash streaks ahead as the DCEU's most exciting upcoming movie (though not necessarily DC's most exciting...). Alone, Ezra Miller's Flash in a solo movie isn't especially buzz-worthy, but throw in Andy Muschietti directing a script inspired by Flashpoint, Ben Affleck's grand return as DCEU Bruce Wayne, Supergirl's DCEU debut, and most spine-tingling of all, Michael Keaton's 30-years-in-the-making comeback as Batman from the Tim Burton movies, and a recipe for superhero greatness arises. Once again, the potential surprises hidden within the multiverse play a major part in The Flash's appeal, but it's the collision of old and new alongside the realized hopes for a cinematic follow-up to Burton's Batman that has pulses racing.

4. Lightyear (June 17)


How do you make a Toy Story movie without making a Toy Story movie? By putting Buzz Lightyear in an animated Star Wars adventure, apparently. Announced by Disney and Pixar in late 2020, the concept behind Lightyear was unclear initially (and, in many ways, still is). Chris Evans takes over from Tim Allen voicing everyone's favorite Space Ranger, but rather than connecting to Toy Story directly, this Pixar tale stars the in-universe character of Buzz Lightyear - described by director Angus MacLane as the movie Andy might've seen in theaters before succumbing to Buzz fever before Toy Story. Written by Pixar veteran Pete Docter, Lightyear's problem getting its premise across certainly isn't affecting the hype. Lightyear's trailer flew with style upon release, becoming Pixar's second most-watched promo behind only Incredibles 2. The animation is predictably gorgeous, but brings a sci-fi flavor the studio's fans haven't glimpsed since WALL-E. Pixar has tried valiantly to deliver original features in recent years, but Hollywood remains hungry for sequels. Could Lightyear be the best of both worlds?

3. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Part One) (October 7)


Despite not garnering the mainstream attention of its live-action counterparts, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was widely considered among 2018's strongest movie releases, hailed as one of the best superhero tales ever put to film. Mining the multiverse before it was cool, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's unexpected success adapting Miles Morales' origin story means hopes are high for upcoming sequel, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Part One). Shameik Moore reprises his starring role alongside Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Gwen) and Jake Johnson (Peter B. Parker), but they'll be joined by Oscar Isaac as Spider-Man 2099 and Issa Rae playing Spider-Woman. Plot details remain thin on the ground, and a teaser only promised more reality-breaking adventure (which we could've guessed), but the franchise's reputation alone is reason to be excited. Splitting the story into two parts is an encouraging sign that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have devised an even more ambitious, groundbreaking story, and will be afforded time and space to do their ideas justice.

2. Avatar 2 (December 16)


Is there any task more daunting for a filmmaker than producing a sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all time? Avatar released to critical acclaim and unprecedented financial success in 2009, but opinion on James Cameron's sci-fi opus has soured over the intervening 11 years, leaving him the unenviable task of not only living up to his original, but updating and improving Avatar's concept for a modern audience. Production on Avatar 2 is a decade in the making, and pioneering underwater filming technology was developed to capture the new locales in the sequel, where Sam Worthington's Jake and Zoe Saldana's Neytiri will protect their family from another RDA invasion by aligning with the water-based Metkayina tribe. Sigourney Weaver returns after starring as Dr. Grace Augustine in the first Avatar, while Kate Winslet joins as Ronal, one of the leading Metkayina Na'vi characters. Concept art is all we've got to go on thus far, but despite Avatar's less favorable retrospective reviews, would you really put it past James Cameron to make watery box office magic once again? Either way, there's plenty more Avatar to come.