DC FanDome 2020 News Recap: Bright Future for DCEU? (Part 1)

The wait is finally over! Buckle up for tons of surprises you're going to receive. Home of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes, the 24-hours-long global fan event by Warner Bros. is currently available to be accessed starting August 22, 2020 at 1 pm EST (12 am WIB), only at DC FanDome official site. What's so called  DC FanDome, the exclusive virtual conference presents to you of what DC Comics entertainment’s future will look like, especially what DC Extended Universe (DCEU) might be holding for the next few years. Clearly, this free entry event is a “must to 'visit'” for those who have been craving (read: desperate and hopeless DC fans) for bunch of DC Comics news.

With about hundreds of guests, you are brought up with many surprises and awesome stuff to explore here. For example, the main 'stage', named as Hall of Heroes. It's a special 'room' for the DCEU related news, such as casting announcements and filming-related interviews. What will happen to the DCEU by 2025? What can we enjoy for these years? Will it be good? Will it flop either way? (Oh, don’t say that…) Well, to answer all these questions, make sure to have yourself a moment to this live adventure at your home sweet home. It’s all flexible in here!

For the “Hall of Heroes” area, the virtual stage is specially designed by the incredible Jim Lee, a Korean-American comic artist and writer who has been working for comic companies, notably DC Comics, for decades. His famous work includes the critically acclaimed graphic novel written by Jeph Loeb’s Batman: Hush. Lee's huge influence on the comic book industry is still well-delivered until today. Although this event is actually pre-recorded, it’s still an interesting show to experience. Encountering great stuff here with special guests of DCEU has never been so pleasant and this virtually huge. Besides, this event is dated as the “biggest DC event” yet. Hats off to these event organizers and idea experts. We salute you the most.

To access the full schedule of #DCFanDome, click here.

#Note: this event is divided into two parts. The first part is what we already have here on August 22 (Hall of Heroes), followed by 2nd part on September 12 which will include online panels, cosplay, fanart, and other comic conventions (WatchVerse, KidsVerse, YouVerse, FunVerse, and InsiderVerse). 

Here is the 'map' (It really looks like a theme park map):

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List of today's panel recap: (Note: I'm only recaping the DCEU news ones):

1) Wonder Woman 1984 #WW84 – Panel

Guest(s): Patty Jenkins (director), Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal

The panel went smoothly with a super special guest in the process! There are brief interview between the casts, Q&A session, followed by a short behind-the-scene look during filming. At the very last 3 minutes, the brand new trailer kicks off on the stage–finally introducing the first look of the main villain: Cheetah aka Barbara Minerva (potrayed by Kristen Wiig)! Overall, I love her look which Patty Jenkins described it as “a complex design, a mix of practical and visual effects”. We also get more glimpses of Chris Pine's presumed-dead character Steve Trevor and Pedro Pascal's vile role Maxwell Lord. I’m pretty sure the film will focus deeply on the friendship between Diana and Barbara as well, starting from their ‘normal’ form until they have to fight each other in their meta-human form, Wonder Woman and Cheetah respectively.

The film was originally scheduled to be released on June 5, 2020. Due to covid-19, it has been pushed back to October 2, 2020. As of today, there is no change in the schedule.

Watch the official main trailer of #WW84 here:

2) The Flash – Panel

Guest(s): Andy Muschietti (director), Barbara Muschietti (producer), Christina Hodson (writer), Ezra Miller

It’s surely been a tough time for The Flash solo movie. It has started its production since 2014, only to kept hopping from one to another director for about 5 years. Phil Lord & Chris Miller, Seth Grahamme-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein—they had been picked by Warner Bros. to take the director’s seat and once agreed, but quitting the project eventually. Until in June 2019, director Andy Muschietti (Mama, It, It: Chapter 2) and producer Barbara Muschietti finally took the project which is set to be released in 2022, adapting the famous comic book story The Flashpoint Paradox, which mainly tells about Barry Allen aka The Flash messing up the timeline to save his mother. However, Andy has added that this Flashpoint will be “different from what we’ve imagined.”

For the storyline and script, the guests have so much things to share to us. First, Hodson said that “this time-travel movie is gonna be exciting and nothing like you’ve ever seen before”, followed by Ezra describing Andy as a “perfect choice [director] for this movie”. Judging from the adaptation itself, The Flashpoint Paradox is surely a spectacular storyline to be brought alive, as Barbara Muschietti added that the future of DCEU movies will likely become a crossover in its universe. This is going to be the huge potential for the current three Batmen—Keaton, Affleck, and Pattinson—existing in the same DC movie universe. And also noted: Danny Elfman's iconic Batman theme was playing in the background hoho!

Well, in the end, this panel has a little yet HUGE surprise: Barry Allen’s new suit, which is designed by none other than his mentor and father-figure Bruce Wayne aka Batman. Well, we haven’t known which Batmen it is, as for now both Michael Keaton (1989 Batman) and Ben Affleck (BvS and JL’s Batman) are going to appear in the movie.

3) The Suicide Squad – Panel

Guest(s): James Gunn (director), Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Flula Borg, Peter Capaldi, Sean Gunn, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Mayling Ng, Alice Braga, Daniela Melchior, Steve Agee, Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, David Dastmalchian, Pete Davidson

Now, that's one huge of a cast! Almost the whole cast of The Suicide Squad are attending this panel. Beginning with a solo Q&A session regarding the movie with James Gunn and officially ON with other casts member—specially welcomed by their each roles they are playing. Casting announcements everywhere. Who's who? See James Gunn's thread on Twitter here, revealing the poster art of each cast.

#TheSuicideSquad Who's Who, Pt 1:@idriselba is #Bloodsport#MargotRobbie is #HarleyQuinn@seangunn is #Weasel#PeteDavidson is #Blackguard pic.twitter.com/Pea9PYoxql

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 22, 2020

Reprising their roles, they are Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. For the new casts’ roles, better check the Wikipedia (I cannot mention all the names—too many of them, hahaha), it’s been updated for the new casts’ roles. Or go check its Roll Call:

Getting Harley Quinn's Injustice: Gods Among Us vibes here

James Gunn explained that his Suicide Squad movie is mostly taking inspiration from John Ostrander's Suicide Squad: From the Ashes (2008), and he also added that this movie is "his biggest project ever." Oh, and what's more interesting is the Steven Price's Task Force X soundtrack playing during the panel! I hope the next composer still maintains Price's 2016 Suicide Squad touch. In the end of the panel, we are given an exclusive sneak peek of The Suicide Squad. The movie is slated to be released on August 6, 2021.

  

4) Zack Snyder’s Justice League #SnyderCut – Panel

Guest(s): Zack Snyder (director)

The long-awaited director’s cut is now here—ready to be in front of you by 2021, only on HBO Max. Nothing much to say here. Just speechless because the fans won already. Knightmare, Darkseid, different design of Steppenwolf, more backstory of Cyborg. It's all here. And yes, this Zack Snyder’s JL with score composed by Junkie XL is most likely going to be entirely different story from Whedon’s 2017 Justice League. Congratulations. And this is the official teaser that drops today:

5) Black Adam – Panel

Guest(s): Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson 

This one panel is full of teases, also reveals its official movie logo and concept art! In brief, this movie will explore the detailed background story of Teth-Adam, or later we know him as the DC’s omega-level anti-hero Black Adam. Describing his character, Dwayne Johnson mentioned the words “ruthless warrior” and we are gonna see more in his portrayal on how “to see and deliver justice”. Actor Noah Centineo, who is going to portray the superhero Atom Smasher, also made a brief appearance—doing a direct conversation with Johnson about the movie. At last, there's a tease of other Justice Society of America (JSA) characters who will be featured alongside Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, and Cyclone. It’s still unknown who are portraying these characters. As for now, WB has the release of the movie on December 21, 2021. 

Black Adam concept teaser: 

JSA casts introduction teaser:

 

6) Aquaman – Panel

Guest(s): James Wan (director), Patrick Wilson

Hosted by two best friends James Wan and Patrick Wilson, the panel mainly discussed about Aquaman sequel, which Wan gave a tease as a "more serious" and "relevant to the modern world". He also added that he had a few more things to add that he was unable to accomplish in the first film. Confirming the return of Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master in the sequel, it's still unclear how his character arc will become. Aquaman 2 is set to December 2022 release.

7) Shazam – Panel

Guest(s): David F. Sandberg (director), Zachary Levi, Meagan Good, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Faithe Herman, Adam Brody

We have a title! #Shazam! Fury of the Gods
What gods? Why are they upset? Yes! pic.twitter.com/QPGJwjghUx

— David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher) August 22, 2020

In the video conference dubbed as "Shazoom", the casts of the first Shazam movie will indeed reprise their roles in the sequel that now officially has the title Shazam 2: Fury of the Gods—having the release date of November 2022. Sandberg, who always serves as internet and meme troll via his Twitter account @ponysmasher, previously joked around about the title of Shazam sequel which would be Shazam: Now the Kids Have Facial Hair. Neat.

8) The Batman – Panel

Guest(s): Matt Reeves (director), Robert Pattinson

Well, this is probably the only panel that really made me full speechless. Listening to the brilliant and visionary Matt Reeves talking about his ideas and iterations on his Batman movie was kind of shocking. His passion, his energy, his will, his dedication—it’s all in him. Like, really, I could listen to him talking 24/7. I’ve been a very huge fan of Matt since his Dawn of Planet of the Apes movie, followed by War. The movie is set to release in October 2021, with the version of Batman who is depicted as “a grounded character, far from perfect, and is still confronting his duality”. The story mainly focuses on the detective noir version of Batman who is “investigating a series of murders which open up the history of corruption in Gotham City” and how Bruce’s family somehow has a connection to that case. We get a glimpse of Zoe Kravitz’s Selina Kyle aka Catwoman which is amazing, Paul Dano’s Riddler which is said “will blow your mind”, and Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobblepot with his full prosthetic face you barely recognize. Reeves also teased that this rogues gallery of Batman “has not shown their full potential yet”—meaning that all of them has just begun setting up their villain personas. Without further ado, go watch this first teaser already!

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ALRIGHT! SO THAT’S IT FOR #DCFANDOME.

To conclude, I’m so glad of what DCEU has prepared for the next few years. I’m so stoked and pumped. Well… It DOES look bright.

Note: Feel free to leave comments below. Correct me if I did some mistakes here!