2022 promises to be an excellent year for movie releases in general and highly anticipated sequels to the beloved stories in particular. Horror, sci-fi, fantasy, long-awaited additions to the MCU — fans simply can't wait for these sequels to hit the screens.
Among many others in 2022, the mighty Thor and powerful Doctor Strange get to continue their tales with the Marvel sequels; James Wan will bring Aquaman back to the DCU; the iconic Scream slasher franchise will see the return of the original cast in the fifth installment; the charming Sonic the Hedgehog will make a comeback; unyielding Tom Cruise will once again reprise his roles as Maverick in Top Gun and Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible; Spider-Man will dive deeper into the Spider-Verse, and so much more. However, the anticipation for these five sequels beats even such impressive competition.
Jurassic World: Dominion (June 10, 2022)
The sixth installment in the iconic dinosaur franchise, Jurassic World: Dominion, will pick up from the events of Fallen Kingdom and explore the world where the humans and ancient reptiles have to co-exist, most likely to various degrees of success. Considering that dinosaurs set loose on an island or amusement park have already proven to be a source of boundless chaos, the prospect of them freely roaming America is somewhat intimidating but most certainly fun, as already glimpsed in the released Prologue.
Many fans were excited to learn that the sequel would see the return of the original cast members, including Jeff Goldblum (who already had a cameo in Fallen Kingdom), Sam Neill, and Laura Dern, who will star alongside Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. While the two cohorts are said not to share the screen full-time, the stories of the relative newbies and the dino-disaster veterans would likely collide at the direst tension-fueled moment.
Halloween Ends (October 14, 2022)
With Halloween and Halloween Kills, David Gordon has successfully rebooted the franchise that was getting confusing even for the most hardcore fans and effectively retconned all the previous sequels, linking the story directly to the original 1978 installment. Halloween Ends will pick up from the events of the latest chapter and will see the final confrontation of masked and seemingly unkillable Michael Myers and the ultimate final girl, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).
While the plot's details are kept under wraps, both Gordon and Curtis hinted that the trilogy's final chapter would be mind-blowing, emotional, personal, and anger many fans. Considering that Curtis mentioned the movie could be her final appearance in the franchise, fans have started speculating about her character not surviving the ultimate battle. While those details remain to be seen, Halloween Ends most certainly remains one of the most anticipated sequels to come in 2022.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November 11, 2022)
The long-awaited sequel to Black Panther has faced multiple delays and obstacles in its way, most prominent of which was the sudden tragic passing of the film's main star, Chadwick Boseman. Director Ryan Coogler has decided not to recast the main character (the call that was widely positively received by the fans), which understandably led to significant script re-writes. While fans have been speculating on the sequel's potential direction — with some suggesting it will focus on Shuri (Letitia Wright) as the new head of Wakanda, just as seen in the comics — the exact details of Black Panther 2 remain undisclosed.
While the sequel's filming was yet again postponed until January 2022 due to Wright's on-set injuries (as well as controversial views on the vaccination topic), fans still hope it will meet its set autumn release date and deliver another emotional, socially relevant, and action-packed rollercoaster of a ride to match its predecessor, all the while honoring Boseman's memory.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (May 27, 2022)
When released in 2014, the humble-budget John Wick became an instant hit both at the box office — making four times its initial budget — with critics, and a newly gained fierce fan base, effectively rebooting Keanu Reeves' career and turning him back into a top action star. The premise is brilliantly simple: a legendary hitman, John Wick (known as Baba Yaga), is forced out of retirement to avenge the death of his dog. Each consecutive installment ups the stakes, dangers, and the number of foes thrown at the assassin, as well as the level of stunts, martial art fights, and outlandish action scenes — who can forget Reeves taking out bad guys while hanging from a saddle of a galloping horse.
While the details of the upcoming sequel, including its title, are shrouded in mystery, one thing is certain. The latest John Wick's chapter will bring more mind-blowing action, spectacular violence, and impressive fights (backed up by the presence of Donnie Yen, an actor experienced in Tai Chi, Karate, Taekwondo, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu). And with John Wick 5 being filmed back-to-back with the fourth installment, fans will have no shortage of the puppy-loving assassin's revenge stories.
Avatar 2 (December 16, 2022)
Arguably the most anticipated movie and sequel of the upcoming year, James Cameron's Avatar 2 promises to up the impossibly high standards set by the original installment, still ranking as the highest-grossing film of all time when adjusted for inflation. After more than a decade of waiting, the fans of the environmentalist sci-fi epic will be rewarded with a roster of 4 sequels filmed back-to-back set to release before 2030.
Avatar 2 takes place several years after the events of the original movie, showing Jake Sully and Neytiri as parents, with their tribe forced to vacate the forest and seek refuge in Pandora's reefs. The fact that the Metkayina clan already occupies the aquatic area will likely bring forth the inter-species conflict as they learn to co-exist in the face of adversity and the unexpected return of the original antagonist Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).
In addition to Lang, Sam Worthington will reprise the role of Jake, Zoe Saldana will come back as Neytiri, and Sigourney Weaver will return in an entirely new capacity as her character, Dr. Grace Augustine, died during the conflict between the Na'vi and the humans. New exciting additions to the cast include Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, and Edie Falco. With fans' expectations set high, Avatar 2 will need to produce a visually stunning, story-rich, and groundbreaking experience to make up for years of anticipation. It's a good thing that Cameron is more than up for the challenge.