DC presented its large scale worldwide Virtual Comic-Con on Saturday 22nd August 2020, and it is fair to say it did not disappoint. There were Trailer Debuts, announcements, panels, all with a focus on the Cinematic Side of the DC Universe. There is a follow up event due on Saturday 12th September, which will focus on the Comics Industry as well as the Television side of things.
But for now, here’s a breakdown of the best parts of DC Fandome for this who missed it…
Wonder Woman 1984
A new trailer debuted for the latest Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman movie, and it was every bit as charming and visually stunning as we’ve come to expect.
Out of all the announcements, WW84 will always have the toughest time as it has been the victim of the Coronovirus Pandemic in that it has missed its original release date and is now under pressure to either be released when Cinemas are operating at reduced capacity, or somehow on demand so people can watch it at home. So to keep that hype train flowing but not alienate people who have been waiting a long time for it can be a tricky prospect.
I, for one, am more than happy to wait for this on the biggest possible screen I can find with the loudest sound system in tow. This looks incredible. The Washington setting gives the movie a new edge as well, as we’re so used to earth set Superhero movies taking place in New York or some version of it.
The 80’s setting makes it fun and nostalgic. Having Steve as the Fish out of Water this time as opposed to Diana gives the movie the twist it needs. And the villains look equal turns charming and charismatic, but ominous and foreboding,
And I will never get bored of watching Wonder Woman using her lasso to ride lightning. Can’t wait.
Gotham Knights
And onto to Warner Bros. Montreal and their reveal of the next Arkham Universe set game, Gotham Knights.
This one turned out to be a little divisive, as I know some people wanted a straight up Batman game, not a ‘Sidekick’ game. There have been murmurings this looks more like DLC as opposed to a brand new game.
I cannot wait for this! It is the natural story progression from the end of Arkham Knight where *SPOILERS* Bruce destroyed the Batcave and for all intents and purposes, Batman was dead. But he always has a plan, and he knows he has trained his successors well and they are all ready to protect the city.
The main thing this game allows is CO-OP gameplay. That alone sells me on it. Being able to team up as one of Nightwing (dibs), Robin, Batgirl or Red Hood, with a bunch of friends to tear through Gotham’s underbelly sounds like a lot of fun to me.
And also, did I mention the appearance of THE COURT OF OWLS!!! Finally, the best Batman villainous organisation of the last decade are getting their moment in the sun. I understand there was a version of them in Gotham, the TV Show, but this looks like they’ve ripped the look and mythology of the Court straight from the pages of Snyder and Capullo’s legendary run.
Count me in.
Flash Movie
For The Flash, there was nothing in the way of footage to show, though there was a brief panel with Director Andy Muschietti, screenwriter Christina Hodson, and Flash himself, Ezra Miller. There were a lot of discussions that they were embracing the idea of the Multiverse, and that Flashpoint will be the basis for the movie, as has long been speculated.
The shots above show off some concept art for the movie, for the new Flash suit and most intriguingly, a certain Bat character in the background whose suit and Bat Symbol look suspiciously like they are from the year 1989…
We did have confirmation prior to Fandome that Ben Affleck will be back for this movie as Batman, and I think they’ve all but confirmed that Michael Keaton will also be reprising his role.
This is definitely one to keep an eye on, though outside of those Batman announcements, there’s not a lot to get excited about the early.
The Suicide Squad
The Suicide Squad Panel and behind the scenes featurette/trailer came very close to stealing the show for me. This looks fantastic!
The panel with James Gunn and 18 (!!!) of the cast was extremely entertaining as they took the form of a quiz show, picked teams and went against each other on their knowledge of the Suicide Squad history and mythos. First of all, just how glorious was Nathan Fillion’s moustache? Moving on….
The chemistry and easy going banter between the cast and director was palpable. You got the impression that this movie was a heck of a lot of fun to make, and the footage they showed off looked fantastic and epic. The first Suicide Squad movie had its share of problems, and although there are parts of the movie I like, it never felt like a big movie. It seemed to mostly take place on one long street in downtown Gotham…
This looks BIG! James Gunn likened it to The Dirty Dozen, with Superheroes. He even said it was easily the biggest movie he’s worked on, and he made Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2. It looked fantastic, and as I say, nearly stole the show. But there was one other panel/trailer that managed to snare that title…..
Justice League – Snyder Cut
Probably the main reason I was happy to sit and watch DC Fandome for 8 hours straight was getting to see this trailer.
It is a miracle that this even exists. A cut of a movie that the fans craved and rallied for, and a studio who listened and are giving the fans what they want.
I’ll always maintain that the fans who have petitioned for the Snyder Cut are an extremely positive group of people. They have raised money for Suicide Prevention Charities, and also helped Zack and Deborah Snyder through one of the hardest times in their lives, losing their daughter halfway through the original production, and now this version being finished and released will be, I would think, extremely cathartic. I’d be very surprised if there’s not a dedication to their daughter attached to the final release.
In a sense, this release represents hope. Hope for the Snyder’s to find peace, and hope for fans to see the version as was originally intended. Not a bad message for a superhero movie to be based around, eh?
The big news. This will be released as 4 separate 1 hour long ‘episodes’, and the it will also be released as a four hour long movie. Snyder has said that it will be available worldwide, so even if you don’t have HBO Max available in your country, you will still be able to access it.
As for the trailer itself? Not sure many people cut a trailer as well as Snyder, it’s just his full length movies that not everyone loves! Some great stuff here. Darkseid! Black Suit Superman! Wonder Woman inspiring a young girl! Desaad! Original Steppenwolf! More Flash! More Cyborg! And Batman actually sounding like Batman, leading the charge.
I will of course, gobble this up on release. It may be a masterpiece, it may be terrible, nothing more than a vanity project. But I’ll reserve judgement for release, and at least we’ll be granted the opportunity to see it, rather than always wonder ‘What If?’ (Copyright Marvel Comics)
The trailer gave me goosebumps, but I fully expected it to. So this actually came in behind Suicide Squad for me (just because of the sheer surprise of how good it looked) and then one other. We’re getting to it….
Black Adam
This was another extremely entertaining panel (though that shouldn’t be a surprise given we are dealing with The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment), and there was a ton of info released!
It was surprising to see a trailer of sorts, and it set the mood extremely well. This has been a passion project of Dwayne Johnson’s for a long time, and he has resisted many offers to be other superheroes either in the DC or Marvel Universe. But he has held on, knowing that Black Adam will be released one day.
And from the way he talked about it, to the footage shown, this could be DC’s Secret Weapon.
He announced that the JSA are going to appear, revealed that Dr Fate and Hawkman are going to be a part of this. And he also spoke about the Justice League and specifically about Superman having a new challenger. The potential for this movie is massive and no-one gets a crowd whipped up like The Rock. I sincerely hope this is worth the wait, because I am extremely pumped for this now which, given a day or two ago I knew next to nothing about it, is some statement.
Suicide Squad Game
Great cinematic. Massive potential. And have full faith in Rocksteady, but a bit disappointed there was zero gameplay footage.
Enough said.
The Batman
Wow.
The undoubted highlighted of DC Fandome, for me anyway, was Matt Reeves’ Batman panel and trailer reveal.
The trailer is getting all the attention, and to a degree, rightly so. But the twenty minute Q & A with Matt Reeves beforehand was just as important. This is no jobbing filmmaker. He gets Batman. And more importantly, he understands that one of Batman’s greatest attributes, is that he is the Worlds Greatest Detective.
He quoted Darwyn Cooke’s Batman EGO as a massive influence (thoroughly underrated book), and talked about great detective noir movies such as Chinatown being a massive influence. He talked about how Batman’s superpowers were his ability ‘to endure’ and possessing ‘super focus’. He stated how Gotham is one of the main characters in the movie and they wanted to present a version that you hadn’t seen before.
What was fantastic to hear was that there will be no origin story. Everyone knows how Batman came to be at this point. We don’t need to see the Wayne’s being gunned down again. We will be dropping into an early years Batman, still raw, still finding his way, but already someone the Gotham Underworld has in their sights.
For those who have doubted this movie from the get go, from the fact Affleck was replaced, to Pattinson’s casting, must surely feel a little silly. I have always been behind any casting as any movie studio wants to make money. They want to make something that the fans will love and will therefore make the studio money. When Affleck was first cast, the internet was in uproar. Then when he knocked it out of the park in BvS (regardless of your opinion of the movie, it was almost universally agreed that he was one of the best things in it), everyone held their hands up. Then there in uproar when he was replaced.
For other examples see – Michal Keaton cast as Batman, Heath Ledger cast as The Joker. Maybe wait until they show you what they are doing before forming opinions. Everyone was expecting some sparkly Batman because Pattinson was in Twilight. I’ve never seen those movies personally but do know he has worked with David Cronenberg and Christopher Nolan to name but a few. Clearly there is something about him. And when he says the words ‘I’m Vengeance’ in this trailer, I got literal goosebumps. They were even clever here in playing with the audience as everyone was surely expecting him to say ‘I’m Batman’.
The casting looks spot on, the tone looks dark and gritty, the song choice for the trailer was inspired (and the snippets of Michael Giacchino’s score were incredible) and I would also say they have succeeded with the look and feel of a Batman movie that is unlike any that has come before it.
Of course, this is all based off of one trailer and who knows where it goes from here. But in terms of potential and a first look at a new take on an established property, this was nothing short of astounding.
Seven set in Gotham City with a Raw Batman and Confident, Meticulous Villains. I cannot wait for this.
Final Thoughts
DC Fandome was undoubtedly a success. It presented great footage, mixed in with big announcements and lots of energy and charisma from those involved. I have since watched each trailer multiple times and will no doubt watch them again.
Here’s hoping that the 2nd Part of Fandome, again due in September, is every bit as entertaining and inspiring for the future.
Alan