Many fans could say the visionary Christopher Nolan revamped the DC film franchise with his Dark Knight trilogy, which then eventually led to other exciting additions like Zack Snyder's Man of Steel as well as Warner Bros. launching the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in 2016. But what started out promising quickly became a major concern, as many failed adaptations, (like 2017's highly anticipated Justice League box office flop and 2016's disastrous Suicide Squad) forced DC to recharge and head in a different direction.
Wonder Woman and Aquaman were the first noticeable signs that DC was making their way back on track, as both films not only racked up high numbers at the box office (Wonder Woman earning $822.3M worldwide and Aquaman garnering $1.148B), but were also met with high praise from critics. Todd Phillip's Oscar-winning Joker and Snyder's four-hour cut of Justice League for HBO MAX added to DC's success, with other talented filmmakers like James Gunn and David F. Sandberg bringing their own distinct style to projects like The Suicide Squad and Shazam!. Now Starting to roar back with plenty of exciting new content, here are the five movies slated to release in 2022 that seek to keep DC's momentum rolling.
The Batman - March 4th, 2022
After Ben Affleck's departure in 2019 from the titular role and the director's chair, War for the Planet of the Apes' Matt Reeves was hired to helm the highly anticipated project that would eventually see Robert Pattinson cast to don the cape and cowl. originally set to release in June 2020, the pandemic pushed it back numerous times, eventually settling for a March 4th, 2022 release. Instead of being another addition to the DCEU, Reeves' film will follow Batman's early years of fighting crime, as he is forced to face Gotham City's most ruthless criminals like Paul Dano's Riddler and Colin Farrell's Penguin.
After getting a first glimpse of the film's thrilling first trailer, The Batman looks to take the character to even darker territories that not even Nolan explored in his adaptations. The films' cast also includes Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman, Jeffrey Wright as police commissioner James Gordon, John Turturro as crime lord Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as district attorney Gil Colson, and Barry Keoghan as young officer Stanley Merkel.
DC League of Super-Pets - May 20th, 2022
Similar to Marvel's recent experiment with unique originals like the animated What If...? series that push superhero boundaries, DC appears to be following in the same footsteps by stepping out of their comfort zone with their own animated adaptation with DC League of Super-Pets. The upcoming film will focus on the animal sidekicks of their super-powered owners that unite to form a crime-fighting team of their own, (Superman's dog: Krypto, Batman's dog: Ace the Bat-Hound, Wonder Woman's kangaroo: Jumpa, and Supergirl's cat: Streaky the Supercat).
Dwayne Johnson was cast in May 2021 as Krypto the superdog while Kevin Hart and Marc Haron joined the cast as Ace the Bat-Hound and Lex Luthor in the following months. John Krasinski, Kate McKinnon, Keanu Reeves, Natasha Lyonne, Vanessa Bayer, Diego Luna, and Jameela Jamil. The film will be directed by Wreck-It-Ralph's Jared Stern.
Black Adam - July 29th, 2022
Although Black Adam was originally supposed to be introduced in Shazam! (with Dwayne Johnson originally attached to the film in early development after confirming he would play the role back in 2014), Warner Bros. decided to give the villainous character his own standalone film instead, as Black Adam is now intended to be a spin-off from Shazam!. Directed by Jungle Cruise's Jaume Collet-Serra, Johnson’s Black Adam is an antihero who was imprisoned for 5,000 years. He then becomes the archenemy of Shazam, sharing his powers from the ancient wizard of the same name.
The highly anticipated film has been delayed countless times, with an original release date in December 2021, but is finally set to release in summer 2022. The film's epic ensemble also features Pierce Brosnan as Kent Nelson / Doctor Fate, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone.
The Flash - November 4th, 2022
Perhaps the upcoming DC project that has seen the most delays is The Flash. Announced back in 2014 shortly after the premiere of CW's The Flash TV series, multiple directors have departed the film due to creative differences. But after Ezra Miller's fan-favorite portrayal in Justice League and the film finally finding its director in It's Andy Muschietti, it was time to get the superhero's origin story rolling.
After a planned March 2018 release, countless delays halted production, as filming finally began in April 2021 in Leavesden, England, and wrapped in October 2021. The film is based on the comic book crossover Flashpoint and will center on Miller's Barry Allen/The Flash as he is forced to travel back in time to prevent his mother's murder, an event that will have dire consequences to Allen's own timeline. On top of the film's epic premise, Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton are returning as their versions of Batman. Sasha Calle's Supergirl, Kiersy Clemons' Iris West (returning from her first appearance in the Snyder cut), Maribel Verdú as Nora Allen, and Ron Livingston replacing Billy Crudup as Henry Allen.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - December 16th, 2022
Two months after its successful release, a sequel to Aquaman was announced, with James Wan returning to direct. The pandemic delays combined with Wan not wanting to rush the sequel has created the four-year gap from the first film's 2018 holiday release. The film's title was announced in June 2021, with filming taking place later that month in London.
While story details have been kept under wraps, Wan has confirmed that the sequel will expand on the worldbuilding from its predecessor, as Jason Momoa returns as the King of Atlantis, along with Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta. While not much else is known about the story, Momoa has claimed he has been involved in the creative process. Amber Heard's Mera, Dolph Lundgren's King Nereus, and Temuera Morrison's Thomas Curry will return as well.