The next Dragon Ball Super movie took to Comic-Con@Home to present its official title as well as its most recent animation style.
Goku's next on-screen adventure will be in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The upcoming film will be the first one that will use a new style of animation.
"We've got two 'supers' in there, which is great," series producer Akio Iyoku said when the title of the movie was announced, adding that "We really want to emphasize that this movie is about the superhero vibes. There were no further plot details that were elaborated on at the time, but Iyoku revealed that the title is a nod to the film's tone. "[Dragon Ball creator Akira] Toriyama-san is really focusing on the superhero aspect this time as well."
Animation producer of the Dragon Ball Super series and Dragon Ball Super: BROLY (2018) Norihiro Hayashida said "I really want everyone to see what role the new characters play in the new movie."
Comic-Con@Home screened a teaser trailer for the movie though the trailer declined to feature any scenes from the movie itself. Instead, Goku demonstrates the new animation techniques as he falls into his iconic fighting stance. "We wanted to show what Goku will look like, his movement and feeling," Iyoku said, while Hayashida tacked on to the statement, saying that "we're trying new things, so we'd like you to watch many times to see what sort of ingenuity we're making it with."
When pressed about how the animation differed from one project to the next, Hayashida once again prompted fans to rewatch the brief teaser. "I won't get into details today, but you'll notice if you watch many times," the animation producer said. Iyoku elaborated on Hayashida's encouragement of fans to replay the clip. "We only saw a brief moment, but the actual visual expression of Goku's moves and such," the producer said, "incorporate quite a lot of ingenuity using different technologies."
Goku voice actor Masako Nozawa, who has voiced the character for over 35 years, provided his own comment on the studio's change in art style. "They might seem exaggerated at first glance, his movements may seem exaggerated, but there's very fine detail to it. I love to throw in some improvisations in those moments."
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will be released sometime in 2022.