20% Said This Is Their Most Anticipated Superhero Movie Of 2022

Superhero movies have dominated Hollywood for quite some time now, and it is showing no signs of slowing down in 2022. In fact, given all of the delays brought on by the pandemic, this year is going to be especially jam-packed with movies based on comic book heroes (and villains), ranging from some of the most well-known names in all of pop culture to the wildly obscure. From the oceans to the multiverse, there is much for superhero fans to look forward to in the coming months 

But what is the most anticipated superhero movie of 2022? We conducted a survey to find out the answer to that very question. In some ways, the answer is a bit of a surprise. Then again, it just signals a further change in the tide that has been happening for a long time now. This is further proof of just how much things have changed in the 21st century.

Coming in at the very top of our list with more than 20% of the vote was "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," the long-awaited sequel to 2016's "Doctor Strange." While we've seen Benedict Cumberbatch show up elsewhere over the last handful of years, including the massive box office hit "Spider-Man: No Way Home," this is only his second solo film, marking the largest gap ever between installments within the MCU. It seems that wait has built up quite a bit of anticipation on the part of moviegoers.

Coming in just behind Marvel's mystical romp through the multiverse is director Matt Reeves' "The Batman," with just under 18% of the vote. Starring Robert Pattinson, this will be a brand new take on the famed DC hero, and a long one at that, as the film is clocking in at just shy of three hours. Be that as it may, it seems audiences are ready for the long ride.

Coming in at number three is another multiverse-spanning Marvel adventure in the form of "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)," which took in over 15% of the vote. People are eager to see Miles Morales grace the big screen once again following his debut in the 2018 Oscar-winning hit. 

Just behind the animated Spidey sequel is "Thor: Love and Thunder," which earned just below 15% of the vote. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, it serves as the follow-up to 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok," with Taika Waititi back in the director's chair.

Rounding out the top five was "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," the sequel to 2018's "Black Panther," which earned just over 12% of the vote. The movie will have to move on without Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa following his untimely passing, and the sequel has faced other hurdles as well during its production. 

The final three entries on the list are "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" with nearly 8% of the vote, "The Flash" (a DC Comics multiverse with Michael Keaton returning as Batman) with about 6%, and last but not least, The Rock's "Black Adam" with almost 6% of the vote.

Outside of Spider-Man, Batman is probably the most recognizable and popular superhero on the planet. That makes it pretty surprising that Doctor Strange, a character that was relatively obscure outside of hardcore comic book fans until 2016, has managed to top this list. But there are various reasons for that. For one, his appearances in movies like "Avengers: Endgame," one of the biggest movies of all time, certainly help boost his appeal. However, the fact that this serves as a follow-up of sorts to one of the biggest movies in recent memory is probably the biggest reason for all this excitement.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" prominently featured Doctor Strange, in addition to opening up the Marvel multiverse. The movie has made more than $1.6 billion globally and is, by a wide margin, the biggest movie of the pandemic era. That helped tee up the ball in a big way for the "Doctor Strange" sequel, paving the way for it to become the must-see movie of the summer. The Spider-Man bump seems to be working in Doctor Strange's favor. We'll see if director Sam Raimi's contribution to the MCU can live up to the hype.

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2022.