After years of waiting, Dragon Ball Super will be returning in 2022 with a brand-new movie -- one, according to Akira Toriyama, that might include a surprise character. In a statement accompanying the announcement for the new film, Toriyama stated in an official quote, "Just like the previous movie, I'm heavily leading the story and dialogue production for another amazing film. I really shouldn't talk too much about the plot yet, but be prepared for some extreme and entertaining bouts, which may feature an unexpected character."
This quote clearly leaves the door open for a pre-established character to return, possibly by continuing Dragon Ball Super into the manga's Moro arc. Then again, fans did not expect to see Broly, a non-canon character, emerge in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, so the unexpected character could instead be a figure who resides outside the current canon. With both of those in mind, let's make some educated guesses on who this character might be.
Like in Broly, the Secret Character is a Movie-Only Villain
If the film follows the trend of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, then the villain might be an established movie foe with reason to return. In this sense, two prominent fan-favorite movie characters become likely: Cooler and Janemba. With the re-established focus on Frieza in Dragon Ball Super, it would make sense to see Frieza's greater family come into the limelight, especially Cooler. Of course, Janemba would open the door for the characters to explore Hell and the other deceased villains further.
Both Cooler and Janemba have appeared in several games and spin-offs, making them slightly more likely to appear. However, if they want to bring in someone truly unexpected, they could bring back Garlick Jr. from the movie The Dead Zone. Though he already had a non-canon arc in Dragon Ball Z. The movie might also incorporate the Tuffles and bring in Dr. Lychee from Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans. Again, however, these characters would certainly be less expected than Cooler or Janemba.
An Even Older Dragon Ball Character Might Appear
Another strong possibility is that the secret character will be an older character from the franchise's history. Much as how Frieza, Emperor Pilaf and Arale appeared in Dragon Ball Super, it's possible that the unexpected character might be someone fans have accepted they'll never see again. Like, for example, Launch. Or, possibly, a character from Dragon Ball who holds significant importance to the characters, like Grandpa Gohan.
What's more likely, however, is we'll see a somewhat more obscure, possibly non-canon character from Dragon Ball's past. This leaves the door open for Pikkon to return -- the hero who fought Goku in the non-canon Other World Tournament. Another possibility is Vegeta's long-forgotten brother, Tarble.
A Dragon Ball GT Character Might Appear in Dragon Ball Super's Second Film
Still, what might be the most unlikely possibility of all is the appearance of a character from Dragon Ball GT, a series that Dragon Ball Super has gone out of its way to render non-canon. However, with the success of Super Dragon Ball Heroes reincorporating the non-canon Dragon Ball GT elements into modern Dragon Ball, it's become more likely that we will see something from the brushed aside sequel series reintroduced into the canon.
If the new Dragon Ball Super film incorporates anything from Dragon Ball GT, it would most likely include one character: Baby. The new movie might combine Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans and the Baby Arc to finally focus on the Tuffle's ultimate revenge against the Saiyan Race. It would certainly be an unexpected arc for Dragon Ball Super to undergo, but one that would thematically make sense, given the series's expanding lore and introspection in the past.
Regardless, with the first Dragon Ball Super film since Dragon Ball Super: Broly on the horizon, fans won't have to wait long to see which of these characters -- if any -- end up taking center stage in this new film.
