With pop culture conventions going virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, DC Comics’ own online event, DC Fandome, unveiled three new trailers Saturday that had the internet abuzz. “The Batman,” “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” and “Wonder Woman 1984” highlighted DC’s future film offerings.
As movie theaters begin to reopen, superhero flick fans are hungry for the films they’ve been missing. Judging by these new trailers, DC is ready to deliver.
Let’s dig in!
“The Batman”
Robert Pattinson makes his debut as the Caped Crusader in director Matt Reeves’ anticipated new film. The moody and gritty trailer, set to the strings of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way,” reveals a darker version of Gotham City compared to previous films.
Brutally taking down his enemies, Pattinson’s Dark Knight is an angry protector, willfully declaring, “I’m vengeance.” The trailer shows Pattinson in the familiar cowl as Batman and as a slicked-back Bruce Wayne. Pattinson has the “Batman” voice down in the few lines we hear him utter.
The trailer shows glimpses of classic Batman foes Penguin (Colin Farrell) and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz). But the main villain is the Riddler (Paul Dano), who is playing a deadly game with the World’s Greatest Detective. We also see esteemed actor Jeffrey Wright as police Commissioner James Gordon.
What’s especially impressive about “The Batman” trailer is that only 25% of the movie has been shot, due to the coronavirus pandemic halting production. If the trailer looks THIS GOOD based on only a quarter of the film, it certainly raises expectations for “The Batman” as a whole.
“The Batman” is set to fly into theaters Oct. 1, 2021. Though that date could change due to the pandemic, the trailer assures viewers the film will be shown “only in theaters.”
“Zack Snyder’s Justice League”
“Justice League” fans saw their first glimpse of original director Zack Snyder’s vision for the 2017 superhero teamup in this new trailer. The retooled version, which will discard Josh Whedon’s changes and reshoots, will air next year on HBO Max in four one-hour episodes, with an option to watch the four-hour opus as a complete film.
The teaser shows a darker “Justice League,” with more emphasis placed on Cyborg’s (Ray Fisher) and the Flash’s (Ezra Miller) backstories. We see Cyborg in a cemetery and his father (Joe Morton) in danger, and a whole new sequence with the Flash saving a woman. There’s also new scenes with Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) interacting with a little girl, and Superman (Henry Cavill) wearing the Man of Steel’s fan-favorite black suit. Finally, we see Darkseid, whom Snyder has said will be the villain in the new “Justice League.”
Snyder fans may get a kick that the trailer is set to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The song was ridiculed for its use in Snyder’s 2009 superhero film “Watchmen” during an absurd love scene.
“Zack Snyder’s Justice League” will land on HBO Max in 2021.
“Wonder Woman 1984”
The sequel to 2017’s hit “Wonder Woman” has been pushed back multiple times due to the pandemic. Originally set to bow this summer, the film reunites Gadot’s Wonder Woman with her true love, World War I pilot Steve Trevor, (Chris Pine) during the decadent 1980s. This new trailer helps to whet fan’s appetite by showing new footage of Kristen Wiig’s villain, Barbara Ann Minerva, better known as Cheetah.
Cheetah evolves from Diana Prince’s friend to enemy. Along the way, she dons cheetah-printed clothing before transforming into the creature herself, able to swing from Diana’s lasso of truth. These are the first images of Cheetah’s CGI-rendered form to be released.
“Wonder Woman 1984” is set to lasso theaters Oct. 2, 2020.
Rebecca Kivak and Joe Baress write about movies for Take 2 blog. Together, they review current flicks and offer their insights into the latest movie news. Rebecca is a copy editor and page designer at The Times-Tribune. She started her career with Times-Shamrock Newspapers in 2005 and has won several professional journalism awards for page design and headline writing. She also covers NASCAR races from Pocono Raceway. Contact: rkivak@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5126; @TTRebeccaKivak
