The 2022 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Awards Nominees for Movies

It’s almost a wrap on 2022 and, as is often the case at the end of the year, now is the time that many look back over the past 12 months — especially when it comes to the world of film. In many ways, 2022 saw a return to “normal” as the world began to open up again fully after almost two years of COVID-19 pandemic-related closures, delays, and challenges. That meant that movies were back in a big way — especially in theaters, though streaming also remained a significant part of our lives.

As part of ComicBook.com‘s annual Golden Issue Awards, an event where our staff votes on some of the best and most exciting projects to debut in the past 12 months, we’re taking a look back at the biggest and most influential films of 2022. Covering everything from comic book movies to noteworthy performances to even the post-credit scenes that keep us all glued to our seats after the film ends, there were plenty of things for moviegoers to appreciate this year.

Keep reading to see this year’s nominees and check back with ComicBook.com for a full breakdown of the winners!

Best Movie

2022 saw the release of a lot of great films across almost every genre — and saw movie fans return to theaters in a big way when it came to horror films and sequels. Of course, streaming was also still a popular platform for new film giving movie fans a wealth of opportunities to watch the latest films.

1. Barbarian
   
2. Everything Everywhere All At Once
3. Nope
4. Prey
5. Top Gun: Maverick

Best Comic Book Movie

This year, both DC and Marvel offered movie fans new films, introducing new characters, revamping old ones, and even letting the Multiverse run wild. There was even an unusual installment in the roster this year thanks to the introduction of the Marvel “Special Presentation” — and no matter which universe you prefer, there was plenty to keep fans entertained.

1. The Batman
2. Black Adam
3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
4. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
5. Werewolf By Night

Best Animated Movie

Animation continued to bring not just a world of wonder to audiences in 2022, but also offered up truly heartfelt stories — as well as a lot of fun and laughter. Beloved characters got fresh new stories while other films offered viewers relatable insight on what it means to be a teenage girl. Truly, animated film in 2022 was some of the best in entertainment.

1. The Bob’s Burgers Movie

2. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers

3. Lightyear

4. Turning Red

5. Wendell & Wild

Best Director

There were huge stories to be told in 2022 and thanks to som truly fantastic directors, those stories were wild, wondrous, and immersive in ways we could never have imagined. From dealing with explorations of grief to adventuring through the wild and often weird multiverse, this year’s nominees took us on expansive journeys that not only felt like adventure, but taught us something about ourselves as well.

1. Ryan Coogler, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

2. The Daniels, Everything Everywhere All At Once

3. Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

4. Matt Reeves, The Batman

5. Domee Shi, Turning Red

Best Male Character

From superheroes to super pilots to even a fictional version of beloved actor, the male characters that were brought to life on screen these year were top notch and had top notch performances from some of Hollywood’s best actors. This year’s nominees includes heroes and antiheroes old and new, both funny and serious, and film was all the better for them.

1. Teth Adam / Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson, Black Adam)

2. Nick Cage (Nicolas Cage, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)

3. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick)

4. Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch, Doctor Strange in the

   Multiverse of Madness)

5. Bruce Wayne / Batman (Robert Pattinson, The Batman)

Best Female Character

2022 was a fantastic year for female characters with film delivering to viewers both heroes and antagonists with their own complex stories that challenged fans to both cheer for them and also consider what makes one a villain or a hero. Dealing with everything from otherworldly threats, multiverses gone made, grief, and the world of crime, these characters gave viewers a lot to enjoy this year — as did the fantastic performances by the actors embodying them.

1. Emerald Haywood (Keke Palmer, Nope)

2. Selina Kyle / Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz, The Batman)

3. Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of

   Madness)

4. Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

5. Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Best First Appearance

Comic book movies brought to life a lot of great stories in 2022, but those stories also saw the introduction of plenty of characters to live action that we’re hoping we get to see a lot more of in the future. From a familiar character getting a major upgrade to two young heroes arriving on screen to even a whole beloved comic book team showing up, 2022 was a great year for first appearances.

1. America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

2. Jane Foster / Mighty Thor (Natalie Portman, Thor: Love and Thunder)

3. The Justice Society (Pierce Brosnan, Noah Centineo, Aldis Hodge, and Quintessa

   Swindell, Black Adam)

4. Man-Thing (Carey Jones, Werewolf By Night)

5. Riri Williams / Ironheart (Dominique Thorne, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

Best Villain

You can’t have a story without a villain — or at the very least, a good antagonist — and 2022 delivered some very memorable “bad guys” in film. The villains this year featured a wide range of complex characters, all with interesting motives for why they presented a challenge to the heroes. From a god killer to a puzzling serial killer to an unknown king and beyond, the villains of 2022’s films were some of our favorite things at the movies this year.

1. Gorr (Christian Bale, Thor: Love and Thunder)

2. Knuckles (Idris Elba, Sonic the Hedgehog 2)

3. Namor (Tenoch Huerta, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

4. Edward Nashton / Riddler (Paul Dano, The Batman)

5. Joy Wang / Jobu Tupakia (Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Best Post-Credits Scene

It’s now the default setting when it comes to going to the movies: stay through the credits! There’s (almost) always just a little bit more to delight the audience before the experience is over. This year’s post-credits scenes saw a heartfelt introduction, a surprise arrival, the return of a beloved hero and more — and they all left us wondering just how soon the next chapter to their stories will arrive.

1. Superman Returns (Black Adam)

2. Shuri Meets Toussaint (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

3. Clea Arrives (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

4. Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic The Hedgehog 2)

5. Hercules (Thor: Love and Thunder)