2022 is going to be an exciting year for fans of sci-fi. The release schedule for movies is jam-packed, and people being able to get back into theatres to see movies on the big screen is only ramping up the excitement for a lot of these upcoming titles. Because of the ongoing pandemic, it's possible that these film releases could still shift, but it looks promising at the moment. Studios still have movies that were set to release much earlier but had to be pushed back because of Covid-19, and many of those will finally be seeing the light of day in 2022.
Much of the release calendar for next year is full of blockbuster films that introduce new characters and worlds, as well as many that carry on with ones that are already beloved to audiences. As for what counts as sci-fi versus fantasy or adventure/action, the lines are blurry and constantly shifting. The following movies include sci-fi elements, and can definitely fit within the genre lines of something that would appeal to even the biggest sci-fi and fantasy fans. From Marvel and DC superhero movies, to animation, to more classic science fiction and everything in between, there's so much to look forward to over the next year.
Morbius - January 8, 2022
This upcoming MCU adjacent movie tells the story of the biochemist Michael Morbius, who tries to cure his own rare blood disease but instead infects himself with a form of vampirism from bats instead. Jared Leto will be starring as the titular Morbius, and Michael Keaton is also set to be revisiting his role as The Vulture in this film, hinting at a possible bigger MCU crossover. This movie will be introducing vampires into the Marvel universe, and will likely take on a darker tone than audiences have seen in the past, which might be a fresh and welcome change.
Moonfall - February 4, 2022
When a mysterious force knocks the Moon from its orbit and sends it on a collision course with Earth, NASA executive and former astronaut Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) believes she has figured out the key to saving the world, but only an astronaut from her past and a conspiracy theorist actually believe her. With only weeks until impact, the three heroes will launch a mission into space to save Earth from annihilation. This disaster film is the latest from Roland Emmerich (of Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow fame) and also stars Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, and Michael Peña.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness - March 25, 2022
After all of the build-up to the multiverse that the MCU has been setting in place in Phase 4, this has quickly become one of the most anticipated Marvel movies of 2022. Marvel hasn't released many plot details for the movie yet, but it will follow Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange on a new adventure through space and time. The Scarlet Witch will make her first appearance since WandaVision and will presumably have a big role in the events of this movie. Sam Raimi is directing after taking on the film when Scott Derrickson parted ways with Marvel, and it's being reported that this will be the MCU's first foray into something close to the genre of horror.
Thor: Love and Thunder - May 6, 2022
Marvel seems to have a monopoly on 2022 releases, and this upcoming release is certainly no exception to the hype. This follow-up to 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, Love and Thunder will follow the God of Thunder on his newest adventure, which includes the Guardians of the Galaxy, Christian Bale and Gorr the God Butcher, and the return of Natalie Portman's Jane Foster (who will be reportedly taking on the mantle of the female counterpart to Thor). With Taika Waititi at the helm once again, this film is sure to be as wacky and hilarious as Ragnarok was, and will hopefully carry on the fresh energy of the MCU's Phase 4.
Jurassic World: Dominion - June 10, 2022
Jurassic World: Dominion will be the finale of the current Jurassic World trilogy, with Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard reprising their roles as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing. The plot is being kept under wraps at the moment, but Pratt and Howard will also be joined by Jurassic Park alums Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum.
Lightyear - June 17, 2022
Everyone's favorite space ranger is back...sort of. Buzz Lightyear returns to the big screen in the summer of 2022, but this time it's not the action figure that Toy Story introduced audiences to. Instead, Lightyear is the story of the astronaut that inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy. Chris Evans will be lending his voice to this version of Buzz, though none of the other cast members have been announced yet.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - July 8, 2022
The exact plot of the film remains unknown, as the MCU is sort of known for keeping their movies under the tightest of wraps. The release of the first Black Panther movie was such a huge moment for representation, and if this film can manage to capture the same passion and excitement, it will be a huge success. Black Panther 2 does have the cloud of Chadwick Boseman's tragic death hanging over it, as Marvel has said they won't be recasting the character of T'Challa, which has led fans to assume that he will be killed off in some way off-screen. The big question, then, is which character will take on the Black Panther mantle next?
Black Adam - July 29, 2022
The Rock seems like a person who was genetically engineered to be in superhero movies, and he's finally getting his chance with the release of DC's Black Adam. This character is Shazam's nemesis, who draws his abilities from the same power source. It will be interesting to see this film take an antihero character who is most known for being a villain and make them the protagonist of the story.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Part One - October 7, 2022
Very few movies were as instantly beloved as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse was, and the sequel that fans have been clamoring for is finally arriving in 2022. In this first part of the next chapter of Miles Morales's story, Brooklyn's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will be going on more multiverse-hopping adventures with Gwen Stacy and a host of other Spider-People to face off against a new villain voiced by Oscar Isaac. After the recent initial trailer release, it's clear that fans are already excited about seeing these characters back in action, traveling through space and time again.
The Flash - November 4, 2022
It's finally time for Ezra Miller's Barry Allen to shine, as he's set to zoom into theatres in November of 2022. Despite encountering trouble in development, the final creative team for the film is promising - including IT director Andy Muschietti taking the helm with a script from Christina Hodson, the writer behind Birds of Prey. After his memorable role in Justice League, it will be fun to see The Flash in his own movie, hopefully with better material than what audiences got from the 2017 team-up movie.
Avatar 2 - December 16, 2022
13 years after the first film came out, the much-anticipated sequel to James Cameron's Avatar will be hitting theaters, and is set to be the first of four sequels that have been announced. Avatar was a huge cultural moment when it came out, but everyone has been wondering whether or not a follow-up this many years later will still be as relevant or successful as this story was in 2009. Either way, it's unlikely that this film won't absolutely demolish the numbers at the box office.