Superheroes swoop on comic fest

Warner Brothers closed the final day of the Comic-Con International fanfest on Saturday as the belle of the ball, bringing its superheroes to take a bow in San Diego.

It took over the 6,500-seat arena at the world’s biggest celebration of fan culture, showing tantalising teasers for DC’s Extended Universe series of comic-book movies.

With Disney-owned Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm both bowing out this year, it was Warner’s chance to shine.

The studio obliged with a lineup of the world’s biggest stars, including Johnny Depp, Chris Pratt, Jude Law, Elizabeth Banks and Eddie Redmayne.

One of the most eagerly awaited presentations, it was a chance for the studio to show it is back on track after poor reviews for its DC Extended Universe movies Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League.

The studio set out its stall with looks at James Wan’s Aquaman and Wonder Woman: 1984, following 2017’s Wonder Woman, DCEU’s only unqualified success.

The presentation also unveiled a trailer for Shazam! –a more light-hearted entry in the DC universe, starring Zachary Levi, that is due out in April.

But the undoubted star of the show was Aquaman, which raised the roof as a shirtless Jason Momoa appeared onscreen in a new trailer as halfhuman, half-Atlantean hero Arthur Curry.

There was a second preview that unveiled Aquaman’s nemesis, Black Manta, more underwater action, a rooftop chase and a view of the Momoa in his superhero threads.

Warner’s first exclusive of the session gave Harry Potter fans a look at the legendary battle between Professor Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Depp plays Gellert Grindelwald alongside Redmayne and newcomer Jude Law, making his Harry Potter debut as a young Albus Dumbledore.

Up next was Lego Movie 2 with Chris Pratt.

And then if it was not superheroes and wizards, it was skyscraper-sized lizards, and a trailer from Godzilla: King of the Monsters drew gasps.