While everyone is discussing the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe releases, DC Comics have an exciting slate of projects releasing throughout the year of 2022. The DCEU will continue to expand with its first streaming series and a number of new films, while some new franchises will also be given life. There are some promising projects coming from DC this year, with many looking like they will be smash hits.
Peacemaker
After his highly beloved debut in The Suicide Squad, John Cena returns as Peacemaker in a series set after the events of the film. He is joined by a number of characters who appeared in the film, played by actors such as Jennifer Holland, Danielle Brooks and Steve Agee. The series will follow Peacemaker leading a ragtag group who are trying to save the world.
Director James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad) wrote all eight episodes and returned to direct the majority of the series, leading many fans to be quite excited for what the series will add to the DCEU. Trailers have featured John Cena in peak comedic form, violence, cussing and a loyal eagle named Eagley.
Peacemaker is set to debut its first three episodes on HBO Max on January 13, with subsequent episodes released weekly after that.
The Batman
The Batman is not only one of the most anticipated superhero films of the year, but one of the most anticipated films of the year in general. There has been a lot of buzz around this new take on the legendary Caped Crusader, and judging from what has been revealed it is easy to see why.
Acclaimed director Matt Reeves (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Cloverfield) is helming the project, which is led by an all-star cast featuring the likes of Robert Pattinson (Twilight, Tenet) as Batman, Andy Serkis (Black Panther, The Hobbit) as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die, Westworld) as Commissioner Gordon, Zoë Kravitz (Divergent, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as Catwoman, Colin Farrell (Total Recall, The Lobster) as The Penguin and Paul Dano (Warcraft, Prisoners) as the villainous Riddler.
The film looks to take the Batman character back to his youth, in an action packed, violent and fascinating mystery as Pattinson’s tries to solve the Riddler’s puzzle in what is sure to be one of the best films of the entire year.
The Batman is set to hit theatres on the 4th March and will be released on HBO Max after a theatrical run.
DC League of Super Pets
A surprising film from Warner Bros., as they release a cinematically released animated film, which focuses on the pets of the Justice League. The story seems to follow Krypto the Super Dog (voiced by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) as he recruits a team of animals who gain superpowers to save his owner Superman (John Krasinski) and the Justice League from a villainous plot, courtesy of Lex Luthor (Marc Maron).
The film will bring Jumanji star Kevin Hart back alongside his friend The Rock, as he plays Ace the Bat Hound, a dog who gains the power of being invulnerable. It seems likely that this animated feature will be catered towards children and will feature a lot of goofy comedy and kid friendly sequences. Featuring appearances from Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg and Green Lantern, this film could be the start of an animated child friendly set of DC films. Only time will tell.
DC League of Super-Pets is set to hit theatres on the 20th May 2022.
Black Adam
A film that has been in the works some time and a passion project of Dwayne Johnson’s, Black Adam is finally set to hit theatres this year. The powerful anti-hero is set to be played by Johnson, who has shown a passion for both the project and the character for years. Black Adam is set to follow the villain’s journey to becoming an anti-hero and one of the most powerful individuals in the DCEU.
The film is also set to provide some big introductions to the DCEU in the form of the Noah Centineo (The Fosters) as Atom Smasher, Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton) as Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell (Euphoria) as Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye) as Doctor Fate. These four characters will round out the Justice Society of America who will be the enemies of Black Adam in the film.
Black Adam is set to hit theatres on the 29th July 2022.
The Flash
Another much anticipated film set to finally be released is Ezra Miller’s The Flash. Miller’s first solo outing has been through a number of directors and rewrites, with the film finally set to see the light of day. Rumoured to focus on the Flashpoint storyline and introduce the multiverse, the film will feature Ezra Miller in his role from Justice League, Ben Affleck (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) back in the role of Batman, Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless) as Supergirl, Michael Shannon (Man of Steel) as General Zod and Michael Keaton returning in a massive role as his version of Batman.
This film is reportedly set to break the multiverse open, as it introduces multiple versions of fan favourite characters. Affleck’s appearance in the film is set to be his last outing as the Caped Crusader, making this an emotional watch for fans of the character.
The Flash is set to release in theatres on the 4th November 2022.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
The last entry into the DCEU to release in 2022 will be the sequel to 2018’s Aquaman. The sequel is set to follow Jason Momoa’s (Game of Thrones, Dune) Aquaman once more, and will feature a number of returning characters from the first film in a new adventure.
Returning characters include Amber Heard (Justice League) as Mera, Patrick Wilson (Watchmen) as Ocean Master, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Matrix Resurrections) as Black Matna and Nicole Kidman (Paddington) as Atlanna.
While there are no trailers for the film yet, it is sure to be a massive film if it is anything like the first instalment in the franchise.
Everything else
Other projects coming from DC include the catalogue of Arrowverse shows that the CW continue to show. New seasons of The Flash, Batwoman, Superman and Lois, Stargirl and new seasons of other shows from different networks (Titans, Young Justice and Harley Quinn). DC also have two video games coming out, with Rocksteady (Batman Arkham Asylum) releasing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and WB releasing Gotham Knights. It is set to be a big year for DC Comics and there is sure to be something for everyone.
