After what some may call a quiet year for DC & Warner Bros, fans will be happy to find out that 2022 and 2023 might just be DC’s time to shine.
DC FanDome introduced audiences and critics to a plethora of films that will get them sitting on the edge of their seats, and provided the biggest teasers yet for films known to have been in the pipeline for some time. From news about a Blue Beetle outing to a trailer for the highly anticipated Batman movie, DC FanDome has left much to talk about.
Blue Beetle
We have known for a while now that Warner Bros. are planning a Blue Beetle solo movie, but since the announcement was made there has not been much more news about it. Thanks to DC FanDome however, we finally have some. During the live event, we got to see director Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and writer Angel Manuel Soto, as well as Xolo Maridueña (best known for playing Miguel in Netflix’s Cobra Kai), who will play Blue Beetle. They all talked about how excited they are to finally have some Latinx representation within the superhero universe. We also got to see some concept art, which was on show shortly after the trio, showing some very slick and exciting designs for the upcoming movie. Despite there not being a lot of information about the movie yet, this has felt like enough to get any DC fan thrilled.
Shazam!: Fury of The Gods
The Shazam! movie, which came out in 2019, was a big success for DC. Shazam! embodies the more comical and fun side of the DC Expanded Universe, something that the trailer teaser continues to do well. As well as introducing us to the new villains, played by Lucy Liu & Helen Mirren, it showed us multiple settings from the movie, some new and some old. We also got new costumes, which were seen donned by Zachary Levi and co. (the Shazam family.) We also saw a hint of how powerful the new ‘god’ villains are. However, there is no hint of Black Adam being part of the movie. With Shazam!: Fury of the Gods not coming out until 2023, there is still hope he may make an appearance. Even without him however, the new movie looks very exhilarating.
Black Adam
It would only be appropriate to go from Shazam to his evil counterpart. the first look at Black Adam makes the titular protagonist—played by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson—appear as evil as he should. The first look which debuted at FanDome shows off many of the skills he has; his strength like Hercules, his agility when catching the bullet, and the electricity powers of Zeus, not to forget the absolute ruthlessness of the ex-Egyptian slave. Despite there being no direct link to the Shazam! movie, we do see The Rock wearing the standard Black Adam outfit—comparable in style to Shazam’s outfit—and an explorer saying the word ‘shazam’ (which is how the pair get their powers). This is a potential hint that the pair’s new films could yet cross over. The movie is set to drop on 29 July next year, and will hopefully electrify audiences the world over.
The Flash
Moving swiftly on, The Flash has been heavily anticipated as has practically everything showcased at DC FanDome. In the newly releaed teaser trailer, we see Barry Allen (Ezra Miller, reprising his role from Justice League) in his new costume, different from the one audiences are used to. One shot features him possibly meeting his mother, but since we know his real mother was killed, it is possible that this Nora Allen is on different earth that Barry has traveled to.
Another shot shows a cowl from Batman lying on the ground with blood, seemingly suggesting that its famous owner has met his demise. Towards the end of the trailer, we see a shot with two Flashes, both played by Miller (but with different costumes and hair) and supergirl, standing in front of Batman.
Leaving aside the fact that Michael Keaton has confirmed he is in the new movie, there are two reasons we can assume that this is the veteran actor’s take Batman first seen in 1989. Firstly, the cowl design we see is very similar to that of Keaton’s Batman with the long, thin ears. Secondly, the trailer ends with a shot of Miller standing in front of a tarp covering a vehicle. Due to the shape the tarp creates, we can most likely guess that this is the Batmobile from Keaton’s era. All of the speculations surrounding the movie has generated a lot of hype and DC fans cannot wait for this one to finally arrive.
The Batman
It is only fitting to close in the same way that DC FanDome itself closed, with by far the biggest reveal of the night; The Batman. Matt Reeves, the director of the film, has told audiences about how this movie focuses on the first year of Batman’s crime-fighting career. The trailer introduces us to the gritty and dark side of the famous hero, played here by Robert Pattinson. We are shown several scenes of him fighting thugs and seemingly absorbing an endless stream of punches and bullets.
The trailer also shows us the love storyline he will have with Catwoman, played by Zoë Kravitz, a dynamic that already is proving to be just as entertaining as all of the fight scenes.
While we don’t get a proper look at his face, we know that the main villain for the movie is The Riddler, played by Paul Dano. The trailer opens with a shot of him getting arrested, leaving behind an unfinished cup of coffee decorated with his signature question mark logo. The Batman marks the first big screen portrayal of The Riddler since Jim Carrey’s version in 1995’s Batman Forever. We also get to see The Penguin, played by Colin Farrell, who plays a central part in that final, spectacular closing shot that makes any Batman fan stare in awe.
Producer Peter Safran, discussing the scene changes in Shazam!: Fury of the Gods, says that the film takes you “from the library of eternity to the realm of the Gods.” Time will tell if these new chapters in DC cinematic history will make a similar journey and emerge as films worthy of their hype.
Words by Arib Dauhoo
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