After Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero hit theaters all over the world earlier this year, fans of the popular shonen franchise are wondering what's next for Dragon Ball Super? After all, the latest Dragon Ball Super film was #1 movie at the global box office in September 2022, debuting to $32 million in 31 markets, and becoming one of the most successful anime movies of all time.
Even though the Dragon Ball Super anime has been on hiatus since the series concluded in 2018, fans are still able to enjoy the storyline through the manga series by creator Akira Toriyama and artist Toyotarou, and a couple of arcs have already followed after the events of the Universal Survival Saga (the final arc of the anime series, so far). With that being said, there are more Dragon Ball Super storylines coming, but when will the anime make a comeback? Will there be more Dragon Ball Super movies?
Here's everything we know about the future of Dragon Ball Super:
Will Dragon Ball Super anime return?
If you've been keeping up with the Dragon Ball Super manga series, you already know that the story of Goku, Vegeta, and the other Z-Fighters is far from over. When Toei Animation's Dragon Ball Super anime series concluded in July 2022, it wrapped the Universe Survival Saga, but the story continues in the manga series, and that arc was followed by the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc, and more recently, the Granolah the Survivor Saga.
So to answer the question: Yes, it's likely that the Dragon Super anime series will return with new episodes to adapt the arcs featured in the manga series. Although Toei Animation hasn't officially confirmed plans to revive the series, a lot of clues hint that the studio is working on new Dragon Ball Super episodes, but more on that later.
According to recent rumors, a Dragon Ball weekly anime is in the works, and that it's currently slated to be announced in late November/early December 2022.
In Nov. 2022, @dbs20191 shared a rumor claiming that the new Dragon Ball weekly anime will be announced roughly around December, and it's not the direct continuation of Dragon Ball Super or an adaptation of the DBS manga. However, they haven't officially confirmed this.
When is Dragon Ball Super anime returning with new episodes?
On July 5, 2022, reliable leaker @DBSChronicles took it to Twitter to confirm that weekly Dragon Ball Super episodes set after the Universe Survival Saga are in production, and that the anime is expected to return in 2023.
@DBSChronicles has a good reputation on reporting reliable information, but note that this is not an official confirmation, so fans will have to wait for updates from Toei Animation and the official Dragon Ball website to find out when the Dragon Ball Super anime series will return.
According to a recent rumor by Twitter user @dbs20191, the new Dragon Ball anime will be announced in conjunction with or immediately after release of the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero 4K UHD/Blu-Ray.
Will there be another Dragon Ball Super movie after Super Hero?
As @DBSChronicles mentioned in his July 2022 tweet, a new Dragon Ball movie is currently in pre-production, and "Toei is planning to release once in 2-3 years. Since Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was just released in 2022, don't expect a new movie to come out in 2023; the next Dragon Ball Super movie will likely be released in 2024, at the earliest.
Toei Animation hasn't officially announced the next Dragon Ball movie, but given the massive success of Super Hero, it's likely that the studio won't stop making new feature films in the near future, so expect more Dragon Ball movies to come out within a few years.
Although we still don't know the plot details for the next Dragon Ball movie, expect the story to be set after the events of Super Hero, and possibly, the latest arc of the manga series. It's highly unlikely that the next film will adapt the plot of the manga series, but we might see it connect to the Dragon Ball Super anime or manga's latest arc.
We will update this article with more information about the future Dragon Ball Super movies once Toei officially reveals more details about the upcoming films.
What's the current arc of the Dragon Ball Super manga series?
Granolah the Survivor Saga recently concluded in Dragon Ball Super Chapter 87, and at the end of that chapter, a note confirms that a new arc of the manga series is coming. However, as of Nov. 10, 2022, publisher Shueisha, Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou, and the official website of Dragon Ball haven't shared any details about the next arc.
Unfortunately, a new Dragon Ball Super chapter is not expected to release this month.
There is currently no release date for Dragon Ball Super Chapter 88, which is expected to be the first chapter of the new arc, and will likely involve Black Frieza, the iconic villain's most powerful form, but fans should expect the new chapter to come out in a few months.
You can read more details about the next Dragon Ball Super arc here.
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