A new trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, written by Akira Toriyama and produced by Toei Animation, recently dropped. April 22, 2022 is the release date, and it comes four years after the success of Dragon Ball Super: Broly in 2018. Broly used a mix of 2D and 3D animation, but for Super Hero the studio is going in a different direction. The animation for Super Hero uses 3D entirely, a move which fans have mixed feelings about. The plot focuses on our protagonists against the Red Ribbon Army (again). This time the Red Ribbon Army has new androids who call themselves super heroes.
As for the cast, Super Hero stars both returning and new cast members. For returning cast members, Masako Nozawa voices Goku and Gohan. Ryo Horikawa plays Vegeta, Toshio Furukawa plays Piccolo, and Yuko Minaguchi will voice an aged up Pan. The new cast members include Hiroshi Kamiya as Gamma 1 and Mamoru Miyano as Gamma 2. Volcano Ota voices Magenta, Ryota Takeuchi voices Carmine, and Miyu Irino plays Dr. Hedo. Bulma, Krillin, Dende, Korin and Broly are also set to return, though their voice actors have yet to be confirmed. There’s a lot to hope for with this new movie, so let’s go down a top five list!
5. Broly
After the success of Broly, it was clear that there would be more Dragon Ball, but it wasn’t certain whether Broly himself would ever come back. Broly quickly became a fan favorite after his movie, and with the incredibly brief moment he gets in the trailer, it’s confirmed that he’ll be back and playing some role in Super Hero! I doubt he’ll get significant screen time, but at least his role in the Dragon Ball universe isn’t over yet!
4. Comic Book Aesthetics
There’s a moment in the trailer where Gamma 2 fights against Piccolo, and when he hits him a sound effect flashes across the screen. This feels reminiscent of old school comic books and more recent superhero movies like Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. The flair for the dramatic that both the Gammas seem to share gives the trailer a comic book feel. Hopefully the movie itself will have more moments like this.
3. The Red Ribbon Army
With the introduction of Magenta and Carmine, the Red Ribbon Army appears to be reverting back to the characterization it had in the original Dragon Ball, at least with the code names. The introduction of two new androids is also very interesting. Unlike most of the previous androids, these ones look more robotic, with slick designs that evoke machines rather than humans. These androids also claim to be super heroes. This is a strong departure from the Red Ribbon Army of the past. Possibly, the Gammas don’t even know the full truth about who they’re fighting against.
2. Pan
At the end of Dragon Ball Super Pan was still a baby, but with this new design she seems to be becoming more like her characterization at the end of Dragon Ball Z. It’s been confirmed that the new movie takes place after the events of Broly but before the end of Z. In the trailer, she’s shown training with Piccolo, so it’s likely that both her and Piccolo will play a major role in the movie. Both these characters haven’t had their chance to shine in a long time, so it’s great that they’re prominent here.
1. The Return of the Great Saiyaman
In Dragon Ball Super Gohan still played the role of the Great Saiyaman, but with the focus of this movie on super heroes, it’s likely that Gohan will be featured in this role on the big screen. Also, with his central location in both the trailer and the poster, there’s a high likelihood Gohan will get the limelight in this movie, at long last! Interestingly, he’s shown using his Super Saiyan form in the trailer, which he hasn’t taken since the days of Dragon Ball Z. It’s unclear what this means yet, but we’ll find out soon!
