Superhero movies have been a popular genre in Hollywood for more than two decades now, so no one blinks an eye anymore when multiple Marvel and DC movies come out per year. 2022 was no different, as looking over strictly the theatrical offerings from just these two companies, we scored seven movies: three from Marvel Studios, three from DC and one from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
While 2022 isn’t over just yet, there aren’t anymore superhero movies hitting the big screen in these remaining days. As such, now is the time to rank what we did get this year, from worst to best, before we starting thinking about what Marvel and DC will be released next year. Let’s start off with the worst of the bunch, which saw Jared Leto causing a ruckus as a vampire.
Oh, and warning: SPOILERS are ahead for the listed movies.
7. Morbius
The critical reception for Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, the first two entries in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, ranges from mixed to negative, but at least both movies were financial successes. Morbius, on the other hand, scored both primarily negative reviews and bombed at the box office. Even with Matt Smith playing the lead antagonist and Michael Keaton briefly popping in as Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. The Vulture, from Spider-Man: Homecoming, Morbius failed to hit with most moviegoers due to its subpar story, bland performances, the list goes on. Its biggest claim to fame is spawning numerous internet memes, including “It’s Morbin’ time,” but those weren’t enough to get people to see Morbius during its second go-around in theaters.
Where to stream Morbius: Netflix
6. Black Adam
Roughly a decade and a half after Dwayne Johnson first became attached to the Black Adam role, the WWE superstar finally debuted as the DC Comics antihero this year. While the Black Adam movie did stand out in a few ways, such as spotlighting the Justice Society on the big screen for the first time and bringing back Henry Cavill’s Superman, the overall product was an underwhelming affair and didn’t make a great case for Johnson’s character changing the hierarchy of the DC universe. With Black Adam reportedly being a money-loser for Warner Bros., while it’s unlikely we’ll never see Johnson again as the Man in Black, the prospects of him leading another solo movie should be called into question.
Where to stream Black Adam: Not available on HBO Max yet, but can be purchased/rented digitally.
5. DC League Of Super-Pets
A few months ahead of Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson left a different sort of DC mark by voicing Krypto the Superdog in DC League of Super-Pets, the only animated movie on this list. Considering that most of DC’s animated movies go straight to video, it was nice to have one for audiences of all ages to enjoy in a theatrical setting, and DC League of Super-Pets certainly has enough entertaining elements. However, it never soars to exceptional heights, and this is arguably one of those movies that’s enticing to the kids watching compared to the adults. Still, if you’re for a couple hours of solid superhero entertainment free of cinematic universe baggage and packed with humor, this is a solid pick.
Where to stream DC League of Super-Pets: HBO Max
4. Thor: Love And Thunder
Although Taika Waititi successfully rejuvenated the Thor film series in 2017 with Thor: Ragnarok, his follow-up, Thor: Love and Thunder, didn’t fare quite as well. Highlights included Jane Foster’s time as The Mighty Thor, Christian Bale’s performance as Gorr the God Butcher and the Guardians of the Galaxy briefly teaming up with Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder, but various critics felt that the fourth Thor movie suffered from an overabundance of humor and didn’t have as much bite as its predecessor. Still, at least Love and Thunder’s ending and its end-credits scenes left us with some interesting material to absorb, particularly with the introduction of Brett Goldstein’s Hercules.
Where to stream Thor: Love and Thunder: Disney+
3. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
With a title like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, you’d expect one of the craziest superhero movies of all time, right? Well, maybe this sequel didn’t quite reach those lofty heights since we only ended up spending a significant amount of time in a few alternate realities. That being said, with Sam Raimi at the helm, Multiverse of Madness did stand out in a number of ways, including Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch taking a villainous turn, presenting Earth-838’s Illuminati (with its membership including Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic) and Benedict Cumberbatch’s main Stephen Strange inhabiting the corpse of one of his variants. The execution wasn’t perfect, but no one can argue this wasn’t one of the more unique Marvel movies.
Where to stream Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness: Disney+
2. The Batman
Originally envisioned as a vehicle for Ben Affleck’s Batman, The Batman ended up being a non-DCEU-set story, with Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne in his second year of crimefighting and crossing paths with characters like Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman, Paul Dano’s Riddler and Colin Farrell’s Penguin. The Batman gave audiences a gritty noir story that emphasized the Caped Crusader’s detective skills more than any Batman movie before it, but also didn’t skimp on the action. The Batman is a great enough watch on its own, but with a sequel on the way and multiple TV spinoffs in development (starting with The Penguin), it’s also the launching pad for an exciting new continuity.
Where to stream The Batman: HBO Max
1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
With Chadwick Boseman having died in August 2020, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever faced the daunting task of moving forward without its lead actor, but director/co-writer Ryan Coogler and the cast and crew did an admirable job shifting course. Wakanda Forever struck a great balance of delivering the kind of superhero action we expect from these blockbusters, but also being emotionally gripping and paying proper tribute to Boseman’s T’Challa, especially with that tear-jerker of an end-credits scene. Furthermore, Letitia Wright’s Shuri made a memorable debut as the new Black Panther, Tenoch Huerta’s Namor shined so much that it would be foolish for him not to appear in the MCU again, and Angela Bassett gave one of the most powerful performances of her career. The film side of Phase 4 unquestionably ended on a high note with this one.
Where to stream Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Still playing in theaters, will become available on Disney+ at a TBD date.
Now that we’ve ranked 2022’s Marvel and DC movies, head over to our 2023 release schedule to see what these companies will deliver to theaters in the year ahead. Marvel will kick off its run with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on February 17, and DC will get its ball rolling with Shazam! Fury of the Gods on March 17. For the latest updates on these movies and many more, keep checking back with CinemaBlend.
