After coming back from near-bankruptcy in the 90s, Marvel Studios has arguably made the biggest comeback ever in the 21st century, specifically as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has exploded since 2008, turning many of the Avengers into iconic household names. Moving into 2022, the comic book company has yet another massive year ahead with various comics, movies, Disney+ series, and next-gen video games preparing to hit the market.
Having released five big-screen blockbusters, five streaming series, and two games in 2021, the studio will look to up the ante in 2022 with four movies, two seasonal specials, up to five more Disney+ shows, a major video game release, and more updates to existing titles.
So what does Marvel have in store for moviegoers, TV-watchers, and gamers alike in 2022? The Direct breaks down every Marvel project that fans can expect to see in the coming year.
Marvel's 2022 Big-Screen Blockbusters
Morbius - April 1
While not from Marvel Studios itself, Sony Pictures will kick off 2022's big-screen superhero blockbuster season with Morbius starring Jared Leto, the latest entry in its Venom-centric Spider-Man spin-off universe.
With references present to multiple Marvel universes in the new vampire flick, it remains unclear which world this movie takes place in. Suffering from a rare blood disease, the film will see Dr. Michael Morbius transform into a vampire in an attempt to cure his illness.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - May 6
Following on from the events of WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Doctor Strange follow-up will take Benedict Cumberbatch's sorcerer on a Multiverse-hopping adventure with Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. Rachel McAdams will also return as Strange's surgeon love interest Christine Palmer along with fellow sorcerers Wong and Mordo.
The highly-anticipated summer blockbuster will be helmed by Spider-Man director Sam Raimi and has been promised to be Marvel Studios' first truly scary movie, diving into the director's horror roots. With plenty of surprises and cameos on the way in Doctor Strange 2, there may be no better way to follow the insanity of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Thor: Love and Thunder - July 8
Chris Hemsworth's Thor will become Marvel's first hero to lead a fourth solo outing in July with Taika Waititi returning from the popular Ragnarok to direct Thor: Love and Thunder. Natalie Portman will finally be returning asThor's love interest Jane Foster, and apparently she will become a hero in her own right as she wields Mjolnir and has a new costume similar to The Mighty Thor from Marvel Comics.
After Thor's intergalactic departure in Avengers: Endgame, the Guardians of the Galaxy will be making appearances in Thor 4 as well. Two Oscar-winning actors are also set to make their MCU debuts with Russel Crowe as Zeus and Christian Bale as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) - October 7
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is the first half of the highly-anticipated animated Into the Spider-Verse sequel which will see the return of Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and plenty more Multiversal wall-crawlers.
Story details remain scarce as of now but the animated follow-up film's debut trailer showed off Oscar Issac's Spider-Man 2099 who appeared in the post-credits scene of the first franchise installment.
After the first film won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2019, Sony has set itself a high bar for the animated Spider-Verse moving forward.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - November 11
Marvel Studios arguably has ahead of it its toughest task yet with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Not only will the sequel have to acknowledge Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing as he's no longer able to play the Wakandan King T'Challa, but it also has to follow up on the first Best Picture-nominated superhero movie of all time with 2018's Black Panther.
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever suffering from many production issues while 2023's The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania have wrapped filming, there remains a chance the sequel will suffer a delay that pushes it out of 2022.
Nevertheless, much of Black Panther's fan-favorite cast of Wakandans will be coming back for the sequel as Letitia Wright's Shuri steps up to the leading role. Beyond that, Wakanda Forever will see two iconic Marvel characters make their live-action debut with Riri Williams' Ironheart and Tenoch Huerta's Namor.
Marvel's 2022 Disney+ Premieres
Moon Knight - Release Date TBD
Oscar Issac's Moon Knight will reportedly kick off Marvel Studios' 2022 slate with a six-episode run, but Marvel has yet to set an official premiere date for the streaming series.
The show will star Oscar Isaac's Marc Spector, a violent hero suffering from multiple personality disorder who receives his powers from an Egyptian god. Ethan Hawke will play opposite Issac as the primary antagonist while May Calamawy tags along in an undisclosed role.
She-Hulk - Release Date TBD
She-Hulk will introduce yet another new hero to the MCU with Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner who receives a similar Hulk-like transformation after a blood transfusion.
The ten-episode legal comedy will feature appearances from Mark Ruffalo's Avenger, Tim Roth's Abomination, and the debut of Jameela Jamil's villain Titania. Additionally, rumors suggest the hilarious series will be packed with even more cameos including Charlie Cox's Daredevil, William Hurt's Thunderbolt Ross, and more.
Ms. Marvel - Summer 2022
Ms. Marvel stars newcomer Iman Vellani as a young Muslim Pakistani-American fangirl of Captain Marvel who gains superpowers of her own.
As of now, the studio has yet to reveal many details regarding the six-episode series; although, it will co-star Kamala Khan's family, friends, and fellow hero and love interest Red Dagger. While Kamala's powers in Marvel Comics are centered around shapeshifting and stretching, the MCU adaptation of the character will seemingly be replacing these with more Green Lantern-inspired constructs.
I Am Groot - Release Date TBD
Everyone's favorite talking tree Groot will lead his own series of animated shorts in 2022 with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn on board as an executive producer.
The shorts will follow Baby Groot as he gets himself into all kinds of trouble with appearances from an assortment of other characters as well. Marvel Studios has yet to confirm whether Vin Diesel will return to deliver even more variations on his iconic "I am Groot" line.
Werewolf by Night - Halloween 2022
Werewolf by Night will be Marvel Studios' first Halloween special with production expected to begin in early 2022 to set up the premiere around the spooky holiday.
Details remain scarce at this time, but Latino actor Gael García Bernal has reportedly been cast in the leading role as the Werewolf himself. With a lack of official comment from Disney on the Halloween special as it nears the time it needs to start production, it does remain a possibility it won't hit Disney+ until 2023.
What If...? Season 2 - Release Date TBD
Following the 2021 Disney+ premiere of Marvel Studios' first animated series What If...?, the second season is already well underway meaning a 2022 debut is highly possible, albeit unconfirmed.
The follow-up season sees the return of Jeffrey Wright's The Watcher, Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter, and plenty more Multiversal MCU stars.
Marvel has already confirmed the second season will include episodes featuring Gamora and Iron Man on Sakaar, a different take on the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and even Phase 4 movies will get the animated treatment in What If...?.
Secret Invasion - Release Date TBD
Secret Invasion is currently filming in London which places it on track to meet its original late 2022 premiere date, setting the stage for February 2023's The Marvels.
Samuel L. Jackson will star as Nick Fury alongside Ben Mendelsohn's Talos and Cobie Smulders' Maria Hill with Emilia Clarke and Olivia Coleman making their MCU debuts in undisclosed roles.
The six-episode espionage will see Skrulls infiltrating humanity in a series packed with paranoia, shocks, and twists.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - Fall 2022
Marvel Studios will round out the year with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, an hour-long festive outing from director James Gunn starring the entire intergalactic team.
Gunn has set high expectations for the seasonal special with promises of a major character introduction along with it being critical viewing for 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur - Summer 2022
As Marvel takes most of its television presence over to streaming, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur will premiere in Summer 2022 on Disney Channel.
The child-orientated animated series will star Diamond White and Fred Tatasciore in the titular roles with legendary actor Laurence Fishburne producing.
Based on the Marvel Comic of the same name, the original story starred a preteen genius Inhuman girl whose life is turned upside down when a red-scaled dinosaur time-travels from prehistoric times to the present day.
Marvel's 2022 Gaming Experiences
Marvel's Midnight Suns - Q3/4 2022
Releasing in the back half of 2022, Marvel's Midnight Suns will be a tactical RPG from XCOM developer Firaxis Games.
Players will be able to create their own Marvel hero to team up with the Avengers, X-Men, and more to take on the supernatural villain Lilith while unlocking new abilities and exploring the darker side of the comic book world.
Typically, superhero games take the third-person action-adventure root; however, this will be the first Marvel game to rely heavily upon tactics and strategy.
Continued Additions to Marvel's Avengers
After releasing with great controversy in 2020, Square Enix's co-op Marvel's Avengers title continued to release new content regularly into 2021 as Hawkeye, Black Panther, and Spider-Man joined the heroic line-up.
Moving into the new year, Crystal Dynamics will still be updating the title across all platforms with more heroes, regions, missions, cosmetics, and plenty more.
According to some recent rumors, She-Hulk - played by Krizia Bajos - will be the latest hero to join the game at some point in 2022.
What Does the Future Hold for Marvel?
Marvel is set to have another massive year in 2022, but there's still plenty more to come going into 2023 and beyond. Between more sequels, spin-offs, and new characters on their way, the MCU still has plenty of tricks up its sleeves with both the X-Men and Fantastic Four in the not-too-distant future.
On the video game side of things, Insomniac Games is currently developing both Spider-Man 2 - starring Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Venom - and a Wolverine title. Beyond that, Marvel has plenty more to come including a new blockbuster game from Skydance Games and rumors circulating of a multiplayer title on the way.
Whether you're looking to read a comic book, head to the theater for a big-screen blockbuster, chill on the couch for a new Disney+ episode, or spend hours grinding the latest games, Marvel has got fans covered across the board in 2022.
