We didn't get as many reveals about The Flash as we hoped at DC FanDome, but that made those moments teasing Michael Keaton's Batman no less exciting. It appears the vast majority of this story will take place on his world, and reading between the lines, we're guessing it's one of the only realities where Barry Allen's mother wasn't murdered.
Keaton will suit up again after decades away from the role. Ben Affleck, meanwhile, is expected to bid farewell to the Caped Crusader after playing Bruce Wayne in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, and Justice League, so we're not surprised to hear both actors got a little emotional!
During a recent Q&A with Chinese DC fans, The Flash producer Barbara Muschietti said: "It was amazing to see that both of them, both Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton, got quite emotional at coming back once they were with us and they got to put on the cowl and the cape."
"I think they both felt the small joy that comes with playing that character back and had fun with it," she continued. "It was a great experience."
Set photos confirmed Affleck's Batman will get a new Batsuit in The Flash, while Keaton has been spotted out of costume as Bruce. The latter is expected to have a much larger role in the DC Comics adaptation than his successor, and it's unclear whether the actors will ever get a chance to share the screen (if not, it would be a missed opportunity).
The Flash is set to be released on November 4, 2022.
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biggest reveals from this year's DC FanDome!
Arguably one of the most exciting first looks to come out of DC FanDome (mostly because it was a true first look) was this concept art featuring the DCEU's Blue Beetle.
The movie is heading to HBO Max at some point in the not too distant future, with Xolo Maridueña (Cobra Kai) set to play Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes, the third person to don the Blue Beetle title. The shadow of Kord Industries is shown looming in the background, so chances are Ted is set to factor into this story as well.
Charm City Kings director Angel Manuel Soto is directing from a script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, and Blue Beetle is a project we're definitely excited to see more from down the line.
Like many of you reading this, we were split on The Suicide Squad here at ComicBookMovie.com. There's no denying that it was a good movie, but a masterpiece? That's obviously up for debate.
James Gunn's style of humour isn't for everyone, but it looks like that's been dialled back to some extent for Peacemaker, a spinoff series heading to HBO Max. Based on the first trailer, the goofy jokes are still there, but the filmmaker giving Christopher Smith some heart looks to be a welcome change to the character that should make the show an emotional, exciting experience.
Yes, it's another story from Gunn with daddy issues at the forefront, but we're excited to see John Cena take centre stage and give Peacemaker the chance to be more than just another villain.
One of the biggest talking points to come out of this year's event is DC Comics' decision to ditch "Truth, Justice and the American Way" for "Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow."
Superman and the publisher's new mission statement has divided some purists, but DC issued a statement making it clear that they hope this will "better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman’s incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world."
Honestly, this really doesn't seem like a bad thing on DC's part, especially as "the American Way" doesn't necessarily have the same meaning as it did for the Man of Steel in the 1940s. The news also came hot on the heels of the announcement that Clark Kent's son, Jon Kent, is going to be portrayed as openly bisexual moving forward (he's Earth's current Superman).
We didn't get any footage from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Shazam! Fury of the Gods at DC FanDome, but the two featurettes definitely didn't disappoint. The former arguably impressed more, especially with concept art and some undeniably awesome shots of a comic accurate Black Manta.
As for the Shazam! sequel, we did enjoy a first look at the villains and confirmation that the family will travel everywhere from Athens to Philadelphia to the Rock of Eternity to the Library of Eternity, and the Realm of the Gods (meaning this franchise is about to delve into magic in a significant way).
We're looking forward to both of these sequels, though a few more reveals wouldn't have hurt. You can watch the Aquaman sneak peek above, but will have to click here to watch the Shazam! one.
Injustice is set to be released this week, but Warner Bros. Animation had plenty of big news to share at DC FanDome. There were some minor announcements like a full 4K release of Batman: The Long Halloween next year and a Teen Titans Go/DC Super Hero Girls crossover, not to mention Matt Ryan's return as John Constantine in a planned DC Showcase short movie.
However, the real news was that we're getting a Green Lantern: Beware My Power movie and Battle of the Super Sons. Featuring a team-up with Superboy and Robin, it will be DC's first-ever fully CG animated movie, so we're definitely intrigued to see what that ends up looking like.
Oh, and the first Catwoman: Hunted trailer was also released (which you can watch above).
This had been reported by the trades, but a brief panel looking back at the legacy of Wonder Woman saw filmmaker Patty Jenkins confirm that a third movie is officially on the way.
"We're super excited about Wonder Woman 3," the Wonder Woman 1984 helmer told fans. "Gal, who is the busiest person in the world with now three little kids and shooting, she's so bummed not to be able to be here. But we are all three very excited about some exciting things coming up with Wonder Woman 3."
No further details were revealed beyond that, but it's safe to assume the threequel is a good few years away (at least partly for the reasons Jenkins, who is busy with Rogue Squadron, lists). The sequel didn't receive the warmest response from fans or critics, so it's clear that the creative team needs to go back to the drawing board in order to deliver an epic conclusion to this trilogy.
Batgirl star Leslie Grace, writer Christina Hodson, and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were all on hand to tease Batgirl at DC FanDome, and while it's clearly still early days for this one, we did learn that Barbara Gordon will have red hair and wear a Batman-style cowl (as seen in the concept art).
They talked a little about the casting process and fight scenes, and we learned that the film will seemingly follow Barbara as she suits up as Batgirl for the first time, meaning that this is going to be an origin story for the hero. There was no mention of J.K. Simmons' rumoured return as Jim Gordon, though.
As far as we know, Batgirl is still heading to HBO Max, and no matter the size of the screen, we're definitely looking forward to Barbara Gordon being given the spotlight a few years from now.
Black Adam kicked off DC FanDome with an introduction from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. In a clip from the movie, we see Black Adam's apparent return to Earth as he makes short work of two goons, literally turning one of them to dust by unleashing a devastating surge of electricity.
In the video above, there are new interview snippets with the movie's cast, some additional concept art, and plenty of exciting hints about what's to come when Black Adam is unleashed on the DCEU.
It's a little strange that we didn't get a full costume reveal after months of teases, but some behind the scenes photos of Johnson suited up did start circulating online shortly before this virtual event began. If nothing else, a poster would have been appreciated, but it seems patience is required.
We went into DC FanDome hoping for a little more than this, but the fact that Warner Bros. delivered actual footage from The Flash was by no means a bad thing. There were quite a few talking points, too.
So, what did this teaser tell us about The Flash? Well, it seems Barry Allen will travel to a universe where his mother is still alive and well, which is also home to Michael Keaton's Batman, Sasha Calle's Supergirl, and an alternate Barry Allen (who doesn't appear to have super speed).
We kind of already knew that, so there was nothing here that really blew us away. Despite that, if you're a fan of the original big screen Batman, then we have no doubt the teaser gave you chills.
DC FanDome wrapped up with the second trailer for The Batman, and to say this movie looks phenomenal feels like a massive understatement. The visuals here are insanely good, and it feels like director Matt Reeves really couldn't have found a better Caped Crusader than Robert Pattinson.
We follow this younger Batman as he tears through Gotham City, and while the movie is clearly grounded in reality, this Dark Knight walks into bullets and is a true force to be reckoned with. However, he may have met his match in The Riddler, a deadly killer who brings fear to Batman's home.
We also get a first look at Andy Serkis' Alfred Pennyworth and some great shots of Selina Kyle/Catwoman, while it's quickly established that this is a story about the World's Greatest Detective.