After years of non-canonical appearances in Dragon Ball anime films and video games, Broly made his in-continuity debut in 2018's aptly titled film Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Given a more sympathetic background and personality, the Legendary Super Saiyan still proved a formidable opponent for Goku and the Z Fighters, nearly destroying Earth as he was dragged into Frieza's war against the Saiyans.
As fans prepare for the next big film in the franchise -- this April's Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero -- Broly is confirmed to resurface in the movie, though his motivations and allegiances currently unknown.
In the 2018 film, Broly was unable to control his mounting rage and battled against Goku and Vegeta, forcing the two longtime frenemies to form the composite warrior Gogeta through the Fusion Dance to gain the upper hand and spare the planet from further devastation. Aware that Broly was good-hearted by nature and had been manipulated all his life, the Legendary Super Saiyan's friends Cheelah and Lemo used the Dragon Balls to transport back to the planet where Broly grew up before Gogeta could deliver the killing blow. In the aftermath, Goku visited Broly and his friends to assure him there were no hard feelings, offering to help hone Broly's fighting abilities in exchange for the occasional sparring match.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will follow a resurgent Red Ribbon Army, determined to continue their longstanding vendetta against Goku for dismantling them in the original Dragon Ball anime. In the film's latest trailer, the Army unleashes its new warrior androids and kidnaps Gohan's daughter Pan to draw out the Z Fighters. Amid all the hard-hitting fights, a glimpse of Broly is seen. It is currently unclear if he makes his way back to Earth to lend the Z Fighters some vital assistance, though he's now a powerful ally capable of singlehandedly turning the tide of battle.
A more likely possibility regarding his inclusion is that Goku has finally made good on his promise to train and spar with Broly on his planet. Several shots from the Super Hero trailers show Goku launching himself into action but he doesn't appear to be particularly pressured in these scenes, just having a good time instead. A closer inspection in some of these shots indicate Goku is on an alien planet at the time, suggesting he has returned to Broly's planet for friendly sparring matches and underscoring a growing friendship between the two Saiyans while the Red Ribbon Army plots and schemes back on Earth.
More intriguingly, the footage of Broly in the Super Hero trailer is immediately followed by a shot of Beerus, Universe 7's God of Destruction. The planet that Goku is seen fighting on more closely resembles Beerus' divine planet than Broly's, suggesting that Beerus may be training Goku and Broly instead. Perhaps he's even training Broly to become the next God of Destruction due to the sheer combat potential the Legendary Super Saiyan possesses.
Broly was introduced as something of a wild card in Dragon Ball, hard to control and capable of overpowering even a Super Saiyan Blue in his canonical debut. In contrast to the character's non-canonical iteration, this Broly is not single-mindedly obsessed with destroying Goku and anyone who stands in his way but someone who can form genuine friendships and help the Z Fighters -- so long as he can keep a clear head. It's unclear if Broly will take on the Red Ribbon Army in Super Hero but if he does, heaven help the paramilitary crime syndicate.
Directed by Tetsuro Kodama, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero opens April 22 in Japan, with a North American release planned for Summer 2022.
