DC Fandom August 2020 Event - Recap

Yesterday was a big day for DC fans as it was a mega drop for all things DC. Everything from games, to movies, to costumes we got some major updates on existing and known titles, as well as some epic reveals. Below is a list of some of the biggest pieces of news to come out of the digital event. We got our first trailer for the ridiculously much anticipated "Snyder Cut" of Justice League, a radically different version of a film that exists solely based on internet insistence, to several previously unknown (for sure) video games.

Justice League "the Snyder Cut"

This was the one most people came to see. The Snyder Cut of 2017's "Justice League" has had a cult following, not for the film itself, but for a desire for an second chance, a suped-up Directors Cut. The demand for a Snyder Cut broke the internet several times as the hashtag #releasethesnydercut trended and trended, even bringing in the support of the cast itself, until no choice was left but to make it happen. However, the Snyder Cut is more than just a directors cut, with some deleted scenes added. Some scenes will be re-edited, colors changed, CGI improved, etc... Snyder has had three years of feedback and suggestions to go back and have a rare chance to improve and make the film many feel he was unable to the first time. Snyder had to originally leave the film the first time mid-way due to a family issue, and the internet has banded together to get him this second chance. This trailer shows us much of the new stuff we wanted such as Darkseid, the lack of "red sky", and more. It was also confirmed that this title will be 4 hours long and spread out in 4 parts on HBO Max, in what I believe to be a clever way to get around the "free trial surge" that would have inevitably happened upon the release. HBO knows better than anyone the drawbacks to having so much service dependent on one show. For years, people would only sign up for Game of Thrones and cancel during off seasons, and Game of Thrones being one of the most pirated shows of all time. HBO desperately wants the consistent money that they envy from Netflix and are trying to go "quantity" with their new (and admittedly improved) HBO Max. Breaking the 4 hour Snyder Cut into for parts will be a good strategy to get people to keep the service for more than the free trial.

The Batman

I really don't understand why this exists. I really don't. I have nothing against Robert Pattinson; I am sure he will make a fine batman. I just, we already have an amazing Batman in Ben Affleck, and more importantly an existing DCEU movie-verse. Some thought this film was going to be a prequel to the other DCEU films where this was just a 90's younger batman who becomes the Batfleck we have seen so far in the DCEU, a soft-recasting if you will. Turns out this isn't the case as the trailer makes it evident this is in modern times. We know that the DCEU is making room for the multiverse, where multiple batmen and characters exist. We saw this first with the Ezra Miller Flash showing up in the TV-DC event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. It is confirmed other batman exist and will show up in the upcoming Flash movie. Don't get me wrong, I love the multiverse concept and topic, but I do think it will confuse the movie go-ers. This new Batman movie doesn't take place in the same cinematic universe as the widely popular Joker film or the DCEU films. I think having yet a third cinematic universe will be too much. I loved the old and grumpy batman we got in the DCEU, Ben Affleck proved himself to be the best part of some otherwise questionable movies. Letting him go was a huge mistake for DCEU. This movie shouldn't exist because they should have moved mountains to get Ben Affleck back. I also, shuttered when I watched Batman in this film mercilessly beat someone. It is one thing to watch Batman take out a squad of bad guys who have guns. It is one thing to watch him defeat a dozen criminals. But...this was just him destroying one (what looked like an unarmed?) man who obviously no threat to him. I just, Batman has always been a gray area hero, but he did have some morals. What did this man do to warrant being put in a wheel chair his whole life? I just don't think hard core vigilante Batman fits in 2020. The merciless beating to death of one man has divided this country for months...maybe a less evil batman would have been better? He's working with the police and beating people more ferociously than ever before. Maybe someone who is more pure good, Man of Steel 2? I just don't this Batman will resonate with viewers.

Gotham Knights

I imagine somewhere at Rocksteady, someone watched the first looks at the upcoming Avengers Game from Crystal Dynamics, and said we should do that bu with the Justice League! They then took it their boss, armed with a great powerpoint and list of thousands of tweets asking for a superman/JL game, who for idiotic reasons their boss shot it down and said, "nah let's just do it with various Bat-characters." That is just what I thought when I saw this. For years the internet has been asking Rocksteady about a Superman game, or even a Justice League game. The last two E3's have been ripe with Superman rumors, and after 578 batman games they give us... THIS. Another batman game just without batman. God this is one of those times the game looks fine but just not what we wanted or what it could have been.

WW84

Wonder Woman 1984 was already supposed to be here, and is one of the dozens of big budget films delayed due to COVID-19. Opting out of a Premium-VOD release, WW84 is poised to still release in Theaters. I will say that hope for this movie is high, I just hope that the reality of current events doesn't jeopardize the future of this series. The Wonder Woman story-line single handedly saved the DCEU; therefore I just hope that they adjust number expectations accordingly. DC Fandom gave us a new trailer for WW84 and it is incredible.

Suicide Squad

Gosh Rocksteady really doesn't know what fans want at this point. They have been tweeting and demanding a Superman or JL game, and they give us a second game reveal, this one literally has "kill the justice league" in the title. Look, I don't know what DC needs to get it through their head who the fans like and want. Just look at the films! Both Justice League and Suicide Squad were critically panned, but only one inspired a massive internet following for a remake. DC keeps trying to make Suice Squad happens despite no one asking for it. They rebooted the film, and now are giving us a game. They have to have 1000's of tweets telling them what game they need to make and instead they gave us not one, but two games that aren't that. Now, I actually like the Suicide Squad, and Harley Quinn is a super fun character. But I am tired of after two Injustice Games, the only time I see Superman it is as a villain. Superman is NOT a villain, stop trying to make him one.

Black Adam

Dwane "the Rock" Johnson is a force to reckon with. He comes in and usually makes what normally could be bad, good. He is ridiculous and over the top, but people love him. Making him a villain/(inevitably anti-hero) character in the DCEU is brilliant. Unfortunately we don't really get a trailer, but a teaser of his backstory. I for one can't wait for this. We also need to see a Superman vs Black Adam movie.

"the" Suicide Squad

I think that taking a weird reboot instead of just making a good sequel is the wrong choice for the DCEU, I am glad that the Suicide Squad is getting a second chance at the big screen, and that Margot Robbie will once again be playing Harley Quinn. DC Fandom gave us a small glimpse of this upcoming film.

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