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A recent magazine advertisement for the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film and Super Dragon Ball Heroes video game tie-in seemingly revealed a surprise villain for the film.
While still unconfirmed, this new advertisement, combined with previous teases from some franchise cast, would seem to indicate the return of Perfect Cell.
If Dragon Ball Z’s Perfect Cell does end up returning in the new movie, the cameo would certainly make waves both amongst the fanbase and within the franchise. Cell’s possessing Saiyan DNA gives him the Zenkai power which has fueled Goku and Vegeta’s meteoric rise in strength throughout Dragon Ball.
Follow along as this article breaks down all indicators of Cell’s return, as well as speculation on who the villain may be if the android doesn't arrive.
New VJump teaser indicates Cell’s return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Previous and current reports
Seemingly confirmed today in a VJump advertisement promoting the Super Dragon Ball Heroes and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero collaboration is Cell’s return. While still not confirmed, the advertisement is for an official collaboration, and likely does indicate Cell’s return.
In the advertisement, fans can see Goku standing front and center. Underneath his right foot, fans can see Goku standing over a character from the game, whose leg is clearly that of Perfect Cell. Perfect Cell first appeared and was last canonically seen in Dragon Ball Z.
Perfect Cell is, significantly, the only enemy seen on screen in the entire advertisement, an interesting choice with great implications for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
With the final trailer set to be released in the coming days, this advertisement and its leak provide a building of excitement for the trailer and film. Hopefully, the trailer confirms or officially teases Cell’s return in some way.
Previous reports highlighted a tweet from Toshio Furukawa, Piccolo’s Japanese voice actor, which showcased the new Perfect Cell figure being released. Interestingly, and as previously noted, the box contained Dragon Ball Super branding despite Cell not yet appearing in the series at the time.
It seems there was some significance to the Dragon Ball Super branding, with Cell’s return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero seemingly imminent. This pattern of leakage regarding a major character leading up to the Broly film’s final trailer, which revealed Gogeta, would further support Cell’s return.
Community reaction and additional villain speculation
The franchise’s fanbase surprisingly seems disappointed with the news of Cell’s apparent return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. While there are some with positive opinions on the development, many are expressing their displeasure, whether through memes or written statements of opinion.
Many cite Frieza’s return in the Resurrection ‘F’ film and how Cell's return would feel like a repeat of that plotline. Others seem to think that, due to having Frieza’s cells thanks to a timeline technicality, a Golden Cell powerup may be in the works. As expected, sentiment towards such a development is overwhelmingly negative.
Luckily for those displeased with the idea of Cell’s return, there are many who believe the surprise villain will be someone else. Android 21, most popularly known from the Dragon Ball FighterZ videogame, seems to be the prime candidate in that area.
There’s also the possibility of an entirely new antagonist being made just for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Two are already confirmed in the form of Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, so another original character in general isn’t out of the question.
In summation
While it would seem Cell’s return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is imminent, there is still hope for an original character or Android 21’s appearance. Both would make sense considering the circumstances and plot of the movie; however, the same can be said for Cell’s appearance as well.
Given previous reports from earlier in the year combined with this new, VJump advertisement development, Cell’s return is all but confirmed. Unfortunately, this news seems to be deterring many fans from Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero instead of making them more excited for the film.
Be sure to keep up with all Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero news, as well as all Super anime and manga news as 2022 progresses.
