CinemaCon is one of the events where all the big franchises give the press and film connoisseurs a taste of what’s to come. In that aspect, Warner Bros certainly did not disappoint with the amount of teaser content that they released this year at the convention.
Among the announcements for films like Margot Robbie’s Barbie, the Elvis biopic, Timothy Chalamet’s Wonka, and others, the DCEU got some major screentime as well.
At CinemaCon 2022, Warner Bros released updates and footage for five major DCEU films: Batman 2, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and The Flash.
There are a lot of details to share and I know you can’t wait to get into them either, so without further ado:
Batman 2
All those of you who were ardently praying for a Batman sequel can rest easy knowing that Warner Bros has greenlit it, announcing the same at CinemaCon. The Batman’s stellar ratings from critics as well as box office performance had already ensured the fate of a sequel, but an official announcement is indeed good!
Matt Reeves will return to direct Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader. It was indicated that the “rest of the team” would also reprise their roles, but no other hints about the film were given.
In other good news, Batman is now streaming on HBO Max!
Black Adam
The Black Adam trailer has finally debuted at CinemaCon. There’s a lot happening at once, so here’s a brief version of it:
- Shots of Adam as a slave are shown from a time before he was “reborn as a god.”
- Doctor Fate comments, “I’ve seen the future. Either you [Black Adam] will destroy this world or be its savior.”
- Big appearance of the Justice Society of America: Atom Smasher, The Hawkman, Cyclone, and the likes.
Folks who have seen the trailer have called it out to be quite the marvel, but Johnson’s hero is getting heat for one thing in particular. In the trailer, when an unknown voice narrates, “Heroes don’t kill people,” Adam replies, “Well, I do.”
Johnson has taken to social media to clarify that it all will make sense once we see the movie but doesn’t shy away from how ruthless Black Adam will be.
Black Adam will be DCEU’s next film to release this year on October 21, 2022.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
A short clip from the movie was released. In the first part, Billy Batson appears to be dreaming of Wonder Woman. Let me stop you there—no, Gal Godot does not play her. This is most likely just a playful reference to the rest of the DCEU.
Wonder Woman quickly transforms into Merlin who warns the young boy about the Daughters of Atlas, who will be the film’s main antagonists. In the later bit of the clip, the rest of the Shazam family also shows up.
Shazam! 2’s release date has been pushed back by five days to avoid clashing with the release of Avatar: The Way of the Water. It will now premiere on December 21, 2022.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Aquaman’s director James Wan presented a new featurette of the film that gave the plot some more exposure. Sadly, as with most clips shown at CinemaCon, we won’t be able to see any of it until an official source decides to release them.
As for what the clip was about: Arthur has to join hands with his half-brother Orm in order to take down Black Manta, who blames Aquaman for the death of his father. It’s going to be interesting to see Aquaman and Orm’s dynamics as they turn from foes to friends.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theatres on March 17, 2023.
The Flash
The Flash segment also showcased some footage from the movie which is currently in post-production. While the plot is inspired by the comics’ Flashpoint arc, the clips featured Michael Keaton’s Batman, Sasha Calle’s Supergirl, and Michael Shannon’s General Zod. (But there were no signs of Ben Affleck.)
And the cherry on the top? Keaton actually recites one of his iconic lines “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts!”
In the midst of the Flash excitement is obviously Ezra Miller’s very recent scandal in Hawaii. Miller’s erratic episodes involving physically hurting civilians are slowly coming to light and how it will affect the movie remains to be seen.
The Flash release date has been pushed back to June 23, 2023
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