Marvel has had quite the run this past year. MCU Phase 4 in 2021 brought us the Disney Plus shows: WandaVision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What If?, and Hawkeye, as well as a number of theatrical releases. This coming year is going to continue the deluge of superhero content, and it’s bringing some of the films I’ve been most looking forward to for years. I could not be more excited. Let’s take a look at what Marvel’s got coming in 2022.
Moon Knight
On March 30th, Moon Knight starring Oscar Isaac premieres on Disney+. I know next to nothing about the character, aside from that he has a clueless werewolf-like relationship with his powers, and that he’s really bad at solving a Rubix Cube.
Although the character is new to me, I’ve learned through experience that Marvel does a great job with these shows. Come March 30th, I’ll be watching. Moon Knight will have just six episodes.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
For the first time since Tobey McGuire was Spider-Man, Marvel is handing the directorial reigns back to Sam Raimi. This film is going to primarily deal with the fallout of Dr. Strange’s actions in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the fallout of Silvie having killed He Who Remains in Loki.
Wong, Wanda Maximoff, and Stephen Strange will be the main heroes, and we’ll see the return of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo, who believes that sorcerers should not exist. Additionally, the film will introduce the new hero America Chavez, which is awesome. I’m also left to wonder if we’ll see Kang the Conquerer, or perhaps a cameo from Bruce Campbell, given that Sam Raimi is directing. Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be in theaters on May 6th.
Thor: Love and Thunder
There are a great many reasons I’m excited about Thor: Love and Thunder, but the reason it’s my most-looked-forward-to thing in 2022 is simply because it’s Taika Waititi’s follow up to the insane and awesome Thor: Ragnarok. Seriously, after a lackluster first two Thor films, who saw that coming? Thor: Ragnarok was unexpectedly amazing. Early reports say that the film will feature Dio’s song Rainbow in the Dark in the same way that the first film featured Led Zeppelin’s Immigrant Song.
I expect the movie to pick up shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, when Thor flew off with the Guardians of the Galaxy, as they will all be making an appearance, and it turns out that Jeff Goldblum’s Grand Master will also be in the movie. The interesting thing will be to see how they involve Natalie Portman’s character, as Jane Foster was left behind on Earth. Perhaps she’ll be an alternate universe Jane Foster.
The big bad in this movie will be Gorr, the God-Butcher, played by Christian Bale. We get to see this bit of beautiful insanity on July 8th.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is a character I’ve been wanting to see for quite a while. The teenage Muslim New Yorker with the wacky body alteration powers seems kind of awesome.
We don’t yet have a specific date, but we should be able to watch the six episodes of Ms. Marvel mid-year.
She-Hulk
I’m a fan of Tatiana Maslany after having seen her play a half dozen different characters in Orphan Black. Now, she’ll be playing Jennifer Walters, cousin of Bruce Banner. We’ll also get to see Tim Roth’s Abomination again in some regard, and there’s a good chance we’ll see Daredevil, given that he’s in the same line of work as Jennifer Walters. She-Hulk will give us ten episodes mid-year.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
It’s got a ton of potential, it’s got a lot to live up to, and the anticipation could not be greater. After Chadwick Boseman’s passing in August 2020, any story that Marvel may have had for the film would have had to be rewritten entirely. Although there are no details, I can only imagine that the story will need to focus on Wakanda as a nation rather than on just one hero. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is slated to be in theaters on November 11th.
Secret Invasion
In Secret Invasion, which is due out late this year, we’ll see Agent Maria Hill and whomever else she’s working with deal with Skrulls having infiltrated everything on Earth. The show will also have Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos, who was great in Captain Marvel. Beyond that, information about the show is fairly scarce.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Seeing the Guardians of the Galaxy in a show modeled after the Star Wars Holiday Special sounds amazing. We don’t get to see it until just around Christmastime, but it’s James Gunn, it’s The Guardians, and I’ll be tuning in.
And in 2023
It’s still more than a year off, but next year will give us still more amazing Marvel content.
In February 2023, we should get The Marvels in theaters, which will include Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, and Photon, who is otherwise known as Monica Rambeau, daughter of Captain Marvel‘s Maria Rambeau. In May 2023, we get Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol.3, which will feature Adam Warlock as the primary antagonist. I’m also hoping for Sylvester Stallone, Michelle Yeoh, and the other ravagers. Perhaps we’ll even get an appearance from Natalie Portman’s Thor, since she’ll be newly introduced in Thor: Love and Thunder. And in July 2023, we expect Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Beyond that, there are shows we know we’ll get, but dates and details remain uncertain on The Fantastic Four, Ironheart, Armor Wars, the second season of What If?, and the as-of-yet untitled Wakanda series.
What are you most looking forward to?
