After a few years of uncertainty regarding pandemic-era delays, 2022 fired back in a big way. Not only did the box office nearly rebound to pre-pandemic levels, but the year definitively proved comic book cinema is around to stay. Both Marvel Studios and DC released some of its most memorable programming of late, from Marvel’s Golden Globe-nominated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to Matt Reeves’ franchise-launching The Batman.
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The year was also packed to the brim with comic book icons making their live-action debuts. The year started off with the highly anticipated debut of Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, proving to fans the character is sure to lead her own project at one point or another. In the same vein, the aforementioned Wakanda Forever also gave fans their first look at Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), one of the characters Marvel will soon give the spotlight to in their own series on Disney+. That’s not to forget Black Adam’s Justice Society, which introduced Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), and Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell) to the masses.
As a part of this week’s ComicBook.com Golden Issues awards week, we’re here to celebrate the best debut in superhero cinema. While the four parties above each stood out in their own right, there was one character above them all; so without further ado, the winner of ComicBook.com’s 2022 Golden Issue Award for Best First Appearance is…
Not only is Werewolf by Night one of the most unique releases in the history of comic book movies, it was packed chock-full of lesser-known characters from rarely-visited corners of the Marvel stable. That includes the macabre Man-Thing, one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most surprising additions to date.
The special presentation clocked in with a runtime of just under an hour, yet it was able to juggle the characterization of Man-Thing exceptionally well—especially when considering he’s a character that doesn’t even speak. Using practical effects as an homage to the black-and-white horror tales of yesteryear, Michael Giacchino and the rest of the Werewolf by Night crew were able to build a household name out of a character that pops up in far too little comics.
Congrats to the Swamp-Prophet on his big win!
The nominees for Best First Appearance were:
- America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
- Jane Foster/Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman, Thor: Love and Thunder)
- The Justice Society (Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, and Quintessa Swindell, Black Adam)
- Man-Thing (Carey Jones, Werewolf By Night) – WINNER
- Riri Williams/Ironheart (Dominique Thorne, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
