10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022

The film industry took a hit in early 2021 with the pandemic forcing cinemas to either close or limit audience capacity and some studios even had to hold back some of their biggest films.

Things are starting to look up in 2022 as theaters are open and lovers of the big screen are trooping to the theater to enjoy a flick or two.

Here are some of the most anticipated movies according to industry experts Rotten Tomatoes that you should watch out for in 2022 (Not Ranked).

Morbius

Directed by: Daniel Espinosa

Starring: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal, Tyrese Gibson, Michael Keaton

Opening on: January 28, 2022

Sony's latest entry in its "Spider-Verse" franchise of connected films is the origin story of a scientist who inadvertently turns himself into a vampire in his efforts to cure himself of a rare blood disease. Swedish director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Life) takes up the helm, and Michael Keaton — who appeared in the MCU's Spider-Man: Homecoming as prominent Spider-Man villain Vulture — is set to make an appearance, which has all kinds of crossover implications.

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Uncharted

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Taylor Ali, Tati Gabrielle

Opening on: February 18, 2022 (formerly February 11, 2022)

This Indiana Jones-styled action-adventure film, based on the popular video game series of the same name, has been floating around in development for more than a decade, but it wasn't until June of 2019 that we got some solid forward movement on it. Tom Holland was confirmed to star in the film as the central hero.

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The Batman

Directed by: Matt Reeves

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, Andy Serkis, Colin Farrell

Opening on: March 4, 2022

If you're looking for yet another iteration of the Caped Crusader, you're in luck. Despite the ongoing DC Extended Universe of films (which includes other entries in 2022 like The Flash and Aquaman 2), Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves tackles what looks to be an even darker take on Batman than we've already seen, with an impressive cast that includes Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Paul Dano as the Riddler, and Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Directed by: Jeff Fowler

Starring: Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter

Opening on: April 8, 2022

Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the last big movies to hit theaters before coronavirus lockdowns went into effect, and it became one of the highest-grossing films of 2020. With that in mind, Paramount got right to work developing a sequel, securing director Jeff Fowler and stars Ben Schwartz (the voice of Sonic) and Tika Sumpter. No official word yet on the return of James Marsden's Tom or Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik, but it's difficult to imagine they won't be back, and if the mid-credits sequence can be taken at face value, we'll also get Tails.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Xochitl Gomez

Opening on: May 6, 2022

Anticipation will be high for this entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — the first of three in 2022 — that will directly tie in with the events in Marvel's first Disney+ series, WandaVision. After some behind-the-scenes shake-ups, director Sam Raimi jumped on board, and it's been reported that the story will see the return of familiar characters from the first film.

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Directed by: Colin Trevorrow

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Omar Sy, BD Wong

Opening on: June 10, 2022

Jeff Goldblum closed out the last chapter of the Jurassic franchise by declaring humans would have to learn to co-exist with dinosaurs, and though the plot of this trilogy-capper is being kept under pretty tight wraps, it's safe to assume it will deal with the ramifications of Lost Kingdom. The big news here is that original stars Laura Dern and Sam Neill are both returning alongside Goldblum, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Chris Pratt.

Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Directed by: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff

Opening on: July 8, 2022

Marvel's second film of 2022 is the highly anticipated follow-up to Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok, which reinvented the character to the delight of critics and audiences alike. Natalie Portman's Jane Foster will return to the franchise, and it's been teased that she will wield Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, at some point. We also know that Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie will be back, and Thor will meet up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to face Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher. So, you know, good times all around.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

Directed by: David Yates

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Mads Mikkelsen, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol

Opening on: July 15, 2022

Eddie Redmayne returns as inquisitive wizard Newt Scamander in the third chapter of this magical spin-off/prequel series that takes place decades before Harry Potter enrolled at Hogwarts. The story picks up after the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald, as Newt and his compatriots continue to pursue the evil wizard (now played by Mads Mikkelsen), leading up to World War II.

Mission: Impossible 7 (2022)

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Starring: Tom Cruise

Opening on: May 27, 2022 (formerly November 19, 2021)

Tom Cruise will be back in action for the seventh installment in the franchise that showcased his willingness to engage in death-defying stunts. Christopher McQuarrie will also be back as writer and director after serving those roles in the last two films. Hopefully he'll be able to pull off a hat trick with a third Certified Fresh film in a row.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) (2022)

Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos

Starring: Shameik Moore

Opening on: October 7, 2022

If there's any reason to think Marvel might not fill that blank spot on October 7 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, it's the fact that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 is currently scheduled for the same day. The Oscar-winning animated feature was a big hit with critics and audiences, and Spider-Verse 2 is probably one of the few movies that could give an MCU film a run for its money. Shameik Moore is set to voice Miles Morales again, and we suspect the plot will involve more dimension-hopping, but we don't know who else will join him at this point.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Starring: Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman

Opening on: November 11, 2022

In a truly sad and shocking turn of events, we lost Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman to colon cancer in 2020, and both filmmakers and fans across the world mourned his passing. This obviously led to questions about what would happen to the Marvel character, as he was set to become an important piece of the MCU's future. As it turns out, we're still getting a second film in 2022, but Boseman will not be recast, and the story will instead shift to focus on King T'Challa's spunky sister Shuri, played by Letitia Wright. Outside of that, we don't know what the film will entail, including how T'Challa's absence will be addressed.

Avatar 2 (2022)

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang

Opening on: December 16, 2022

It's taken almost a decade and a half, but we're finally getting the long-ago-promised follow-up to James Cameron's once-highest-grossing film of all time, Avatar. Sam Worthington's Jake Sully and Zoe Saldana's Neytiri now have a family on Pandora, but when old enemies return, they're forced to evacuate and find a new home. Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, and Edie Falco are among the new additions to the cast.

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