DC soars with ‘Batman,’ ‘Shazam!’ teases action
Whether you live and die for Batman or if Wonder Woman’s your No. 1, it was the best day to be a DC Comics superhero fan. The virtual DC Fandome returned for a second year on Oct. 16, with plenty of new trailers, first looks and big news coming from the world of DC superheroes on screen. DC Fandome premiered the new trailer for Robert Pattinson’s “The Batman,” and fans saw early glimpses at John Cena’s “The Suicide Squad” HBO Max spinoff “Peacemaker,” Dwayne Johnson’s superhero debut in “Black Adam,” and more.
For even more of a superhero flex, the event also included appearances from Pattinson, Cena, Johnson, filmmakers J.J. Abrams and Ava Duvernay, “Flash” movie star Ezra Miller, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” actor Zachary Levi, and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” stars Jason Momoa and Yahya Abdul-mateen II. Among the highlights:
‘The Batman’ drops a new trailer and some Robert Pattinson trivia
In addition to the newest “Batman” trailer, a behind-the-scenes reel showcased glimpses of Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman and much more from the new movie (out March 4), which finds a young Batman working out his rage and taking on a case that shakes him to his core.
“So many people connect with him on such a deep level for so many reasons,” says Pattinson, a longtime Bat-fan.
He also told a story about how, doing an early screen test, Pattinson had to wear Val Kilmer’s rubber Batsuit from 1995’s “Batman Forever.”
“It was crazy but I remember putting it on and thinking, ‘This is going to be absolutely impossible.’ I remember doing like two takes and (director Matt Reeves) being like, ‘What can we do about that sweat?’ Nothing!”
Pattinson also teased a Caped Crusader where the delineation between Bruce Wayne and Batman “isn’t so clear. He’s a little bit out of control. He gets lost in it every time he puts (the suit) on at night. He’s becoming this sort of odd creature.”
‘Shazam!’ sequel piles a ton of mythology on Zachary Levi’s hero
“You’re in store for a treat, y’all,” Levi says about the new “Fury of the Gods” sequel, coming in 2023. A behind-thescenes reel teased bigger action and a heroic lair for the Shazam family, led by Levi’s title teen-turned-superhero. The coming film will introduce a bunch of new mythological elements, including minotaurs, harpies and dragons, as well as a couple of goddesses, played by Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu, who threaten Philadelphia and the world,
The Flash’ sneak peek shows Keaton’s Batman (well, his ears)
Meanwhile, Miller said he and “The Flash” director Andy Muschietti didn’t have enough footage for a full trailer but he did bring a little sneak peek at the movie (Nov. 4, 2022) with a voiceover from Michael Keaton returning as the Batman from the Tim Burton films.
“You can go anywhere you want, right? Any universe? Why do you want to stay and fight for this one?” Keaton’s Bruce Wayne states to Miller’s speedster Barry Allen as fresh footage hints at the Flash’s new supersuit and time-traveling, multiverse-hopping abilities.
And while fans didn’t get a chance to see Keaton in his costume for the first time since 1992’s “Batman Returns,” the teaser did show his superhero’s iconic ears to whet audience’s appetites.
‘Peacemaker’ trailer teases Cena and his feathery best friend
Cena’s morally questionable patriot stole the show in James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” and gets not only his own HBO Max action comedy series, premiering Jan. 13, but also an eagle sidekick who gives out hugs. Peacemaker is an egotistical guy who goes to violent extremes in the name of liberty. He also has some daddy issues (with Robert Patrick as his father).
But the teaser that dropped at Fandome hints that he might get some help with his attitude from co-workers such as rookie handler Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), a very green newcomer who only has worked with animals before, and the goofy costumed Vigilante (Freddie Stroma).
Jason Momoa returns for a more mature ‘Aquaman’ sequel
Aquaman riding a giant sea horse? Yep, that’s definitely happening in the upcoming sequel “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (Dec. 16, 2022). Momoa and director James Wan revealed a behind-the-scenes reel featuring concept art and co-stars Patrick Wilson and Amber Heard. Wan promised a more mature follow-up with fun and heart taking the Justice Leaguer to new underwater worlds. Plus, Mateen’s villainous Black Manta is still on his quest for vengeance and to kill Aquaman (and also gets a cool new submarine). “I think fans are going to be very happy,” Mateen says.
Dwayne Johnson is electric in ‘Black Adam’ first-look scene
Johnson kicked off the event with a first-look scene at his upcoming superhero debut in “Black Adam” (in theaters July 29), directed by Jaume Collet-serra. It showed the title antihero, a brutal and uncompromising figure, who reveals himself in a black cape and hood amid the depths of an ancient structure as he magically electrifies a dude into a skeleton. “It’s the kind of project that I know comes once in a lifetime. And I know I was born to play Black Adam,” Johnson says. Also impressed by the movie’s scale is Pierce Brosnan, the former James Bond who plays Dr. Fate: “I’ve never seen the likes of this before.”