The events of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero could lay the groundwork for a new Dragon Ball anime. Ever since Dragon Ball Super ended in 2018, there’s been talk about if and when Toei Animation will bring back the Z-Warriors for another sequel series. The studio’s focus has shifted to Dragon Ball movies, but new information suggests that a fifth Dragon Ball anime is in development.
While hyping up Super Hero on the Dragon Ball website, executive producer Akio Iyoku hinted at there being a secret Dragon Ball project in the works [via Dragon Ball Official]. According to Iyoku, “there’s also a chance that something other than the movie will be coming this year too”. Of course, these comments have fueled the existing speculation that Goku’s return to the small screen is already being planned. And based on Iyoku’s tease about it releasing in 2022, it could happen even sooner than expected. With Super Hero arriving in April 2022, there’s certainly room for another Dragon Ball release late in the year.
If it’s true that the second project is a show, there’s a strong possibility it could be directly connected to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’s story. If a Dragon Ball movie and a show were always part of Toei Animation’s plans for 2022, it would make sense for the studio to link them together. Whatever Super Hero establishes about the franchise and its characters could be used to build a great deal of excitement for the next anime, while also providing the setup for more adventures.
A number of elements to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero could end up being important to the franchise’s future after the movie. First of all, there’s the matter of the movie’s place in the Dragon Ball timeline. Pan is said to be three years old, which promises a time skip of approximately two years. Moving this far ahead has major implications for several characters, not the least of which being Goten and Trunks. Given that both should be in their late teens at this point, Super Hero is in a position to reintroduce (and redesign) Goten and Trunks for a new anime. The same could be said for what the movie is doing with Pan, who was still a baby when she was last seen.
What transpires when Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo face off with the Red Ribbon Army’s android creations could set the expectations for what’s to come. Significant, upward adjustments to the power levels of Gohan and Piccolo could bring the two closer to Goku and Vegeta, thus allowing them to be relevant to the battles that occur in the new Dragon Ball anime. Plus, any transformation that the movie debuts could receive much more screen-time in a multi-episode storyline. Depending on what happens, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has the potential to be the beginning of a new era for the Dragon Ball franchise.
