12 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Shows We’re Looking Forward to in 2022
From a return trip to the Upside Down (after three years!) to more dragons on HBO, 2022 is looking to be a great year for sci-fi and fantasy fans.
Here are 12 new and returning shows we’re excited to tune into in the new year.
The Boys Season 3 – Spring/Summer
It feels like forever since we’ve gotten new sightings of Hughie (Jack Quaid), Butcher (Karl Urban) and the rest of the anti-“supe” group. Thankfully, that’s set to change next year. No word on a release date yet, but spring or summer seems likely; we doubt Amazon would want it to compete with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 4. We do know, however, that this season will be just as irreverent, raunchy and violent as the others (see: the showrunner’s promise to adapt “Herogasm”), and we wouldn’t have it any other way. While you wait, check out the “Seven on Seven” parody news clips Amazon has been releasing as promotional material.
Peacemaker – January 13
Speaking of slightly offbeat takes on the superhero genre, John Cena’s Peacemaker makes the jump from big screen to TV in this new series. Written by James Gunn, the show promises to follow the “hero” who’ll fight for peace at any cost… no matter how many people he has to kill to get it. Several trailers have already been released, and the show is set for its mid-January premiere.
©Disney+/Lucasfilm / Courtesy Everett Collection
The Disney+ Star Wars Shows (The Mandalorian Season 3, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi) – Various Release Dates
The year 2022 looks to be a good one for fans of a familiar galaxy far, far away. Not only will it kick off with Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) taking over Jabba the Hutt’s criminal empire, but it’ll also feature the return of the best Dad in Star Wars: The Mandalorian himself, Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), as he presumably continues trying to give the Darksaber (and thus, rule of Mandalore) to Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) without having to fight her, and, of course, missing his son terribly.
Also premiering next year is Andor, which will center around the valiant rebel fighter Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) from Rogue One, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen returning to the franchise for a post-Prequels prequel to A New Hope. There’s no official word on release dates for the shows yet, but we’re pretty darn sure something will end up airing on May the 4th.
The Disney+ Marvel Shows (Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk) – Various Release Dates
Disney+ will also have Marvel fans covered in the new year, with at least three shows set to premiere: Moon Knight, with Oscar Isaac in the titular role as one of Marvel’s most complex heroes; She-Hulk, featuring Tatiana Maslany and Mark Ruffalo as members of the Banner family whom you wouldn’t like when they’re angry; and Ms. Marvel, which will bring Kamala Khan into the MCU (and undoubtedly tie into the upcoming The Marvels film). As is tradition, plot details are being kept under wraps and no release dates have been announced yet.
Outlander Season 6 – March 6
Rejoice, fans of the Highlands! Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) will return this March. Season 6 is only eight episodes—a shift from the typically longer set—but the premiere will clock in at an hour and a half, so that’s good news, at least.
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings – September 2
Perhaps the most hotly anticipated show of 2022 for fantasy fans, Amazon Studios’ Lord of the Rings adaptation is set to premiere on September 2. A trailer hasn’t yet been released, but we know the show is set during the Second Age of Middle-Earth, meaning it serves as a prequel to the events that occurred in the familiar Hobbit and Lord of the Rings tales.
Stranger Things 4 – Summer
Can you believe it’s been almost three years since we’ve seen Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and the rest of the Hawkins gang?! As we saw in the brief trailer Netflix released, the Byers family has moved to California(!) in an attempt to leave the Upside Down behind. Poor Hopper (David Harbour) is stuck in a Russian Gulag, but at least he’s alive… although none of the main characters know that. The fourth season is confirmed for release in summer (we’re guessing around Spring Break).
House of the Dragon – Likely Late 2022
Whether you were okay with who ended up on the Iron Throne, or Season 8 left you feeling like you’d been crushed by an avalanche of bricks, there’s no denying the global phenomenon that was Game of Thrones. In 2022, HBO is going to try to breathe fire back into the franchise with House of the Dragon. The prequel will focus on the Dance of Dragons, a civil war within House Targaryen (and the source material is complete this time!). No release date has been announced, but we think it’s likely to show up late next year. In the meantime, HBO has released one teaser trailer featuring Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen.
