7 Marvel And DC Movies From 2022 Ranked, and 2023 releases revealed

Superhero movies have become popular genre across the blobe from 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.

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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.

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. (opens in new tab

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. (opens in new tab)

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.

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. (opens in new tab

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whether you prefer your superhero adventures to play out on the big screen, streaming on your phone or prefer good, old-fashioned comic books, there’s a whole lot of Marvel content headed your way in 2023. The MCU is kicking off Phase 5, Sony has new live-action and animated Spider-Man movies in the works and Marvel is celebrating the 60th anniversary of one of the biggest franchises in the world.

Here’s a breakdown of everything you can expect from marvel in 2023, from movies to TV series to comics to video games.

The MCU’s Phase 5 Begins

2023 is going to be a pivotal year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as it marks the start of Phase 5 and the point where the MCU shifts from introducing new heroes to laying the foundation for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023)

It all starts with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February. This latest sequel not only sees a teenage Cassie Lang (now played by Kathryn Newton) suit up alongside her dad as Stature, it’s also the first MCU movie to feature Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror as a villain. It’s by no means going to be the last time we see him.

Quantumania also brings back Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne. Plus, Bill Murray is joining the MCU, and we’re even going to meet MODOK.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5, 2023)

The next MCU movie on the docket is the final entry in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, hitting theaters on May 5. Expect a lot of tearful goodbyes as director James Gunn bids farewell to the franchise and the MCU as a whole.

Guardians Vol. 3 follows Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and his dysfunctional family unit as they search for the missing Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and butt heads with the brilliant mad scientist known as The High Evolutionaryc (Chukwudi Iwuji). This sequel will also introduce Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock, though how he factors into a post-Infinity War MCU is anyone’s guess.

The Marvels (July 28, 2023)

The Marvels rounds out the trio of new MCU movies in 2023. Hitting theaters on July 28, this Captain Marvel sequel teams Brie Larson’s heroine with Teyonah Parris’ newly super-powered Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel. We don’t know much about the plot of The Marvels yet, but we’re already on board for all the inevitable scenes of Kamala geeking out over meeting her superhero idol.

MCU Series on Disney+

Expect plenty more MCU series on Disney+ over the course of 2023. Both What If…? and Loki are getting second seasons, with the latter exploring the fallout of Season 1’s shocking finale and the death of He Who Remains.

Secret Invasion drops in early 2023. Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury finally takes center stage in this dark thriller, as Fury works to get to the bottom of an alien conspiracy. Alongside returning favorites like Cobie Smulders Maria Hill, Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos and Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes will also appear, fans will also meet the rebellious Skrull Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and Fury’s old associate Sonya Falstaff (Olivia Colman).

Alaqua Cox’s Echo is spinning out into her own series in 2023. Both Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock are expected to appear, making this series a perfect appetizer for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again.

Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart is also getting a spinoff show in 2023. Set after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart brings Riri Williams back to her hometown of Chicago and pits her against the superhuman crook known as The Hood (Anthony Ramos).

And finally, we’re expecting Agatha: Coven of Chaos to cap off the MCU’s 2023 lineup. This series stars Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness and is probably the closest thing we’ll ever see to WandaVision Season 2. But will Wanda herself appear? We do know the series also stars Aubrey Plaza and Joe Locke, with the latter rumored to be playing an older version of Wanda’s magically inclined son, Wiccan.

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Grows

Sony is still in the Marvel movie business, even if Morbius didn’t make the strongest case for the so-called “Sony’s Spider-Man Universe” in 2022. But the good news is that the future is looking much brighter next year.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2, 2023)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse is finally arriving in theaters on June 2. This sequel to 2018’s critically acclaimed Into the Spider-Verse promises to up the ante with several more Spider-heroes. That includes Issa Rae as Spider-Woman and Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk.

This time around, Miles and his multiversal friends are battling The Spot (Jason Schwartzman), though our Spider-Sense tells us he isn’t the only villain threatening these worlds. Don’t forget, Across the Spider-Verse leads directly into Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse in 2024.

Kraven the Hunter (October 6, 2023)

As for Sony’s live-action lineup, Kraven the Hunter is the next iconic villain to get his own live-action movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Sergei Kravinoff, with Ariana DeBose playing Calypso and Fred Hechinger playing Sergei’s half-brother Chameleon. As usual, we’re not expecting Spidey himself to appear, but expect some sort of connection to the Venom and Morbius movies.

The X-Men’s Big Anniversary

2023 marks the 60th anniversary of the original X-Men #1, and you can expect Marvel to throw plenty of love at our favorite mutants over the course of the year.

X-Men ’97 (Fall 2023)

That includes a heavy dose of ‘90s nostalgia with the debut of X-Men ‘97 on Disney+. This animated series picks up where the original X-Men cartoon left off more than 25 years ago. Magneto is in charge of the X-Men, and a whole host of enemies both new and old are looking to ruin Charles Xavier’s dream. Many of the surviving voice actors are returning for the new series, which looks to be geared toward an older audience this time around. We’ll find out whether it can truly recapture that ‘90s mojo when the series debuts in Fall 2023.

On the comic book side of things, Marvel is continuing to bet big on the X-Men line in 2023, with ongoing series like X-Men, Immortal X-Men and X-Men Red exploring the continued fallout of the huge changes brought about back in 2019’s House of X and Powers of X. We can expect two major X-Men crossovers in the early part of the year. Dark Web pits Spider-Man and the X-Men against the tag-team duo of Madelyne Pryor and Ben Reilly, the two angriest clones in the Marvel Universe. Then, Sins of Sinister jumps into the future of the Marvel U. to explore what happens when this scheming scientist finally betrays the nation of Krakoa.

Fall of X (Summer 2023)

But the biggest X-Men comic of 2023 is undoubtedly Fall of X. We don’t know much about Fall of X other than that it’s coming in the latter half of the year. But after watching the Krakoan dream slowly collapse in on itself due to in-fighting and betrayal, it sounds like things are about to come crashing down hard for the X-Men. Will there still be a Krakoa when the dust settles?

Spider-Man’s Dark Secret Revealed and More Major Comics

That’s not to say Marvel Comics is focused entirely on the X-Men in 2023. It’s shaping up to be a transformative year for a number of long-running franchises, including Spider-Man.

The Amazing Spider-Man (Spring 2023)

Once the dust of Dark Web settles, Amazing Spider-Man readers are finally going to get some answers regarding one of the biggest mysteries of 2022. What exactly did Peter Parker do to alienate all his friends and loved ones? Why did Mary Jane break things off yet again? Writer Zeb Wells will be revealing all in the new year.

Summer of Symbiotes (Summer 2023)

There’s also another Spider-Man crossover brewing for Summer 2023, this time reuniting Spidey with his old frenemy Venom. Apart from the title – Summer of Symbiotes – we don’t know much about this storyline just yet, but it sounds like just the ticket for anyone who can’t get enough symbiotes.

Jason Aaron’s Avengers Finale (Spring 2023)

Elsewhere, Jason Aaron will be wrapping up his five-year run on the flagship Avengers series this spring, as Avengers from across the multiverse unite to take on Mephisto. That epic saga ends in April, and it’s a safe bet that Marvel will be announcing a new, monthly Avengers comic from a brand new creative team. We don’t envy anyone having to follow in Aaron’s footsteps.

Captain America: Cold War (Early 2023)

Marvel is also gearing up for Cold War, a crossover between the two Captain America books that deals with the rising threat of an organization known as the Outer Circle. Expect plenty of big developments in the months to come, including new revelations about the origins of Cap’s shield and the return of Nomad.

Scarlet Witch (January 2023)

And finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Scarlet Witch, a new monthly series that introduces a killer new costume and a very different status quo for Wanda Maximoff. Not only is she opening her own witchcraft store, Wanda is about to join forces with the one and only Darcy Lewis, who finally makes the jump from the MCU to Marvel’s comic book universe.

Marvel’s 2023 Games

2023 isn’t shaping up to be the biggest year for Marvel in the video game arena, but there is one big gun to keep an eye on next year.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Fall 2023)

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the sequel to Insomniac’s smash-hit 2018 game, is currently slated for release in the fall. But as we’ve seen again and again in this COVID era, no release date is set in stone.

Spider-Man 2 allows players to take control of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The game introduces venom to the Insomniac universe, voiced by Candyman himself, Tony Todd. And based on the way the first game ended, we’re guessing it’s actually Harry Osborn underneath those big muscles and massive jaws.

Other Marvel Games

While there’s zero chance of Insomniac releasing their Wolverine game next year, we are hoping to get a better look at their latest Marvel project.

The same goes for the other mysterious Marvel games in the pipeline, EA’s Iron Man and Skydance’s Captain America and Black Panther game. Hopefully, we can end the year knowing a lot more about what to expect from these major Marvel games.

Which Marvel project has you most excited in 2023?