“United.”
Ben Afflecks’ Batman in the trailer for Justice League: The Snyder Cut uttered this word and it could not ring truer for the feeling fans have come away with DC’s FanDome event this past weekend.
2020 has upended every single industry in the world and the film industry is no exception. Theaters shuttered, productions postponed and film releases delayed; some until next year. Most large scale live events have been canceled for the year as the whole world takes a mulligan and push plans for the following year hoping 2021 returns a bit more normalcy to live events however some have found innovative ways to bring large scale events to screens across the world such as DC’s FanDome streamed convention.
This past weekend, DC put on a digital showcase of all the most exciting news and trailers of upcoming films and projects that is normally reserved for the largest comic book conventions of the year, usually the San Diego and New York Comic Con events. Accessible to all who registered online for free to the event, the streams began at 1pm ET showcasing panel after panel with a live performance by Daughtry and going off without a hitch. Each panel was different, big names and big reveals were had and the excitement for DC is at an all time high.
Here were the biggest announcements of the day.
The Batman
Directed by Matt Reeves
We’re going to start with the hottest thing to come out of FanDome, Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Set to Nirvana’s “Something in The Way,” the trailer gives us our first real glimpse into the director’s vision for the world’s greatest detective’s new world.
The new iteration of the Caped Crusader will not be an origin story per se but, as Reeves puts it. follow his “second year” of fighting crime. A gritty fusion of Zack Snyder’s hues with David Fincher’s melodramatic tones, we get our introduction to all that is expected from a new entry into the Batman franchise. Robert Pattinson in the suit, his portrayal as a young Bruce Wayne, quick shots of Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, NYFA Filmmaking alum Paul Dano as The Riddler, and…the Batmobile.
Fans are always craving to see the latest iteration of the iconic car and, whether you’re a fan of the new look or not, one thing is for sure, visceral fast paced action will be on display. And if you were wondering how the former Twilight star might fare in a fight, the clip of “Battinson” brutally taking down a thug should put the whole world on notice that he is up to the challenge of filling into the cowl of his predecessors.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Directed by Zack Snyder
After years of social media fervor, hashtags, emails, petitions and practical groveling from fans around the world, Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder have finally answered those prayers.
Zack Snyder, who after the tragic death of his daughter, had to leave the project during principle photography on Justice League has finally come back to finish his director’s cut. An ask that fans have been begging for after the debacle that-was the official release helmed by Joss Whedon.
It is only fitting that Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was the track chosen for the most anticipated trailer for a movie that was released three years ago as fans all over the world awaited for the second coming of the film they so desperately wanted. During the panel, Snyder took fan questions from around the world that were asked by most of the Justice League cast members through pre recorded videos before releasing the trailer to the world that gave a glimpse into what his vision for the film was supposed to be.
At one point, when asked about Ray Fisher’s character Cyborg, he noted that his role will be one of the most expanded parts of the film as he is “the heart of the movie.” The film will be released as a 4 part series broken up into hour long episodes on HBO’s Max service, however no release date was given.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6512XKKNkU
Wonder Woman 1984
Directed by Patty Jenkins
Another exciting release was a more in depth trailer for the follow up to Patty Jenkins 2017 blockbuster Wonder Woman. The cast and crew spent time talking about the making of the film, the fans, and the relationships between the cast’s characters before revealing the trailer.
In the trailer we got to see Kristen Wiig’s Barbara who seems to be the film antagonist, “The Cheetah,” after undertaking a transformation. In the bits we’ve seen from Wiig, it will be exciting to see what she brings to arguably the biggest role of her life which is at the same time a departure from her usual comedic roles. Chris Pine will reprise his role as Steve Trevor while Pedro Pascal plays Max Lord. The film was slated for release on June 5, 2020, however due to the Coronavirus pandemic it was then delayed to August 15, 2020, which has now been pushed back to October 2, 2020.
It is clear that DC is capable of adapting to an ever changing landscape in film while battling their direct competitors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well the COVID-109 global pandemic. While they have had some great products in Aquaman, Wonder Woman and the many Batman Franchises, they have sorely lacked in many other areas on all fronts whether it’d be the big screen or the little screen, and even in their source medium, the comic book industry. This event, however, the first of its kind, really has given us a recalibration, or a “righting the ship,” of the many issues facing the DC house and all of its properties over the last few years. It has shown us that when DC can take the time to be “united” that they can become an unstoppable force in cinema once again.
Other panels appearing during the FanDome event:
- Warner Bros. Games Montreal Announcement Gotham Knights
- The Sandman Universe: Enter The Dreaming
- Multiverse 101 panel
- Introducing the Flash
- Beyond Batman
- The Suicide Squad
- BAWSE Females of Color Within the DC Universe
- Legacy of the Bat
- Chris Daughtry Performance
- The Joker: Put on a Happy Face
- Jim Lee Portfolio Review
- I’m Batman: The Voices Behind the Cowl
- The Flash TV
- Black Adam
- CNN Heroes: Real-Life Heroes in the Age of Coronavirus
- Titans TV
- Aquaman
- “Ask Harley Quinn”
- Wonder Woman 80th Celebration
- SHAZAM!
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Game