It’s that time again! The 2014 San Diego Comic-Con is just a couple of weeks away, and as those lucky enough to be heading to the annual event begin packing their sleeping bags to ensure that they’re first in line for a preview of some of the most anticipated movies from the next few years, the rest of look set to be glued to our computers in anticipation of what the weekend has in store. Marvel have a habit of stealing the show with their announcements (this year looks set to be no different as they will likely reveal the likes of Doctor Strange and another Thor movie for 2016 and beyond), but it was Warner Bros. who actually grabbed the most headlines last year when Zack Snyder and Harry Lennix took to Hall H to reveal that Batman v Superman would follow Man of Steel. The question is, can they do the same again in 2014?
Since that initial announcement, it has been revealed that the title of the team-up movie will be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, with several reliable sources confirming that Justice League will be shot back to back with it. Aquaman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman have all been cast for brief appearances in the movie, so it’s clear that Warner Bros. finally have something big planned for the DC Cinematic Universe. Throw in that recent report about what the studio have planned for 2016 and beyond and it’s fair to say that Marvel Studios may finally have something to worried about!
So, what does all this mean for this year’s Comic Con? Warner Bros. has already announced what movies they’ll be talking about in Hall H and their upcoming DC Comics properties are no where to be seen. We have a feeling that they’ll have a few surprise announcements to make, and have plenty of ideas about what we’d like to see! For a start, officially announcing the Justice League movie and bringing the entire cast out on stage would be the kind of thing which would mean that the DC Cinematic Universe will be the only thing that people are talking about for weeks and months to come. Some key members of the team have yet to be cast, so saving the news of who will be playing characters like Green Lantern and The Flash for their panel would be a smart move on the part of Warner Bros. This parallels Marvel assembling the cast of The Avengers on stage a few years ago, and with Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Hulk) recently confirming that the actors from Avengers: Age of Ultron will also be at this year’s event, it’s essential that Warner Bros. find a way to top that.
Of course, with a title like “Dawn of Justice”, a Justice League movie announcement wouldn’t come as a huge surprise, so that’s not all we’re hoping Warner Bros. pull out of their hat. As well as revealing the cast and release date for Justice League, they should unveil a whole list of DC movies for the next few years. Whether that’s identical to the list which found its way online not too long ago or is slightly different, big names like Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern, and even Shazam (can you imagine the reaction to someone like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson walking out on stage when a movie like that is announced?) are essential. Talking of The Rock, a casting coup like that – he is Hollywood’s highest grossing actor after all, beating Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. – would be an amazing win for both Warner Bros. and us fans!
Now, to Batman. 2019 feels like a very long time away, but with The Batman apparently being lined up for release five years from now, Warner Bros. setting that in stone would build anticipation and show that they have long term plans for their slate of DC Comics characters. Ben Affleck’s last movie (Argo) won the “Best Picture” Oscar, and as he was once being eyed to helm both Man of Steel and Justice League, revealing that he will both direct and star in that movie would surely cause Hall H to explode with excitement! Affleck is a great filmmaker, and it could be argued that his take on Batman in his own solo outing has the potential to top Christopher Nolan’s superb The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Batman’s presence will also be felt on the small screen later this year in Gotham, the prequel focusing on a young Bruce Wayne and Detective Jim Gordon’s battle with early versions of the Caped Crusader’s rogues gallery. It’s already been announced that pilot episode will be screened at Comic-Con, so we’ll finally get to hear the reactions of fans to the new series after a wave of positive comments from critics who were lucky enough to catch an early screening. Another trailer would also be good, especially if it shows off some footage from future episodes. Arrow, Constantine and The Flash will also have a presence, so hearing the respective casts of each of those sound off on whether we’ll see them in the DC Cinematic Universe or doing any sort of crossovers promises to be very interesting indeed.
Talking of the here and now, we would be remiss to not also mention something big being revealed for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Set to be one of 2016’s biggest movies, a teaser poster will hopefully be revealed online at the beginning of the event (similar to how Man of Steel‘s was at a previous event), while the first footage should also be shown in Hall H. Unfortunately, the chances of that being released online are slim to none based on previous experience, but we will get footage descriptions and even a bootleg version somewhere…if we’re lucky! In fact, chances are that Batman v Superman is going to make the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s Comic-Con issue, and it could be there that we get both a first look at Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and some stills from the movie.
This may sound like a lot to hope for, but many of the items on our wishlist are very feasible and will more than likely become a reality. While that will of course be incredibly exciting, Warner Bros. also need to look ahead to the future and show that they are a very real rival to Marvel. Announcing a plan to release three movies (as well as what they will be) a year would do just that! Stay tuned to Batman News as we’ll have all the big Comic-Con announcements from Warner Bros. and DC Comics right here for you as they happen from the 24th – 27th of this month.
What surprises are you hoping will be revealed at the event?
