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WHILE last year saw the restart of big cinema releases – including many movies that were held back because of Covid-related reasons – 2022 promises to have even more for moviegoers. Of course a lot of this depends on whether there will be restrictions imposed as a result of Omicron, so these release dates are not set in stone.
Moonfall (February 3)
It’s all there in the title, as this latest movie from disaster porn specialist Roland Emmerich explores what would happen if the moon were indeed to fall on Earth. It’s up to Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry, and others to launch a last ditch attempt to save the world. Expect some ancient aliens conspiracy shenanigans.
Uncharted (February)
A long in the works adaptation of a beloved video game series, Uncharted will be a big test to see whether Tom Holland can be a movie star beyond Spider-Man. Co-starring Mark Wahlberg, it will also have to go against the ‘bad video game movie’ curse. In its favour, nothing has scratched the Indiana Jones itch for a while now.
The Batman (March)
Robert Pattinson steps into the shoes of the Caped Crusader in this latest reboot. Writer-director Matt Reeves dares to ask the question “What if there was a dark and gritty Batman?” But seriously, this film looks like it will uncover interesting and unexplored aspects of the iconic character. Zoey Kravitz has a big part as Catwoman, Paul Dano has a serial killer take on the Riddler, while Colin Farrell is unrecognisable as The Penguin.
Morbius (April)
Dr Morbius is a man who begins to develop vampiric superpowers after a journey into the jungle to find a cure for a lifetime of illness. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of Venom – another Spider-Man adjacent character – many questions remain on how this oft delayed movie will fit into the larger Marvel universe.
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (May)
The first true Marvel movie since the continuing blockbuster sensation that is Spider-Man: No Way Home, this Doctor Strange sequel will explore the continuing ripple effects of meddling with the multiverse. Also featuring Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) following the events of WandaVision, the five month gap between movies should have audiences fiending to find out what happens next in the MCU.
Top Gun: Maverick (May)
At first planned to release during the first few months of the pandemic, the long-awaited sequel to the 80s hit looks like it will finally come to cinemas this year. Tom Cruise returns as US Navy daredevil pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in a storyline involving the rise of drone warfare. There’s sure to be plenty of nostalgia in this return to the danger zone.
Lightyear (June)
This spin-off of the Toy Story movies is a bit of a weird one. Everyone knows Buzz Lightyear, the toy astronaut voiced by Tim Allen. This movie will be about the real world spaceman who’s adventures inspired the toy. He’s voiced by Chris Evans fresh from Captain America. It all seems like something conceived in a corporate boardroom, but there’s no doubting Pixar’s artistry.
Thor: Love and Thunder (July)
Thor stands as the last of the original Avengers still standing (ok, Hawkeye is still around). We last saw him boarding the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship, heading out into space to find his destiny. Not much is known about the plot except that it involves the return of Natalie Portman’s character Jane Foster – who might herself wield Mjolnir. On top of that, ex-Batman Christian Bale plays the villain, while Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is back.
Mission Impossible 7 (September)
Tom Cruise is getting up there in years, yet that doesn’t seem to stop him from pulling off increasingly daring stunts in each of these Mission Impossible movies. There’s been no official trailer released, but the Internet has documented Cruise riding the top of a train and holding onto a rolling stunt-plane. That’s probably the tip of the iceberg of what to expect.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Part One (October)
2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a surprise hit, not just financially but creatively as well, as it spun an emotionally resonant and visually dynamic animated adventure, highlighting the best the medium has to offer. Nothing else looked like it. The sequel looks to build on that with increasing flights of fancy as Miles Morales swings from dimension to dimension.
Flash sequel (November)
A Flash feature film has been a long time coming, with numerous delays and creative shuffling. It doesn’t help that the larger DC universe has been in limbo since Justice League did not take off as well as The Avengers. This movie hopes to solve that by dipping its toes into the increasingly popular multiverse waters.
In that regard, Michael Keaton will reprise the role of Batman – that he last played in 1992’s Batman Returns. He’s one of the best actors working, but the question now is whether the film will be worth more than simple nostalgia and whether it can stand on its own.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November)
The first Black Panther, released in 2018, was a smash hit that properly introduced an iconic hero to audiences around the world. Unfortunately, T’challa himself, Chadwick Boseman died of cancer a couple years later. Instead of recasting, Marvel has opted to push forward with possibly appointing another character as the next Black Panther.
Another issue is actor Letitia Wright – who plays T’challa’s sister Shuri – is reportedly a vocal anti-vaxxer and that could threaten the release date of the movie. – The Vibes, January 9, 2022
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