The DC Universe arrived at CinemaCon on Tuesday, where Warner Bros. looks to the future, even as it rolls out three films made by a previous regime. DC Studios co-head Peter Safran appeared in person, while his partner James Gunn sent in a video message (he’s been busy promoting Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3).
DC is in a time of transition, with the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery tapping James Gunn and Peter Safran to take over as co-heads of DC Studios starting last November. But in the meantime, Warners is in the process of releasing three new movies in 2023 before the new slate kicks in. The flash (June 16), Blue Beetle (Aug 18) and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December 20) are all on the roll.
“Each of these films not only delivers a stunning cinematic experience that uniquely highlights our iconic DC heroes, they also pave the way into our DC Universe that we are cracking with our next chapter,” said Safran.
The studio is particularly highly regarded The flash, which will be screened in full for attendees later Tuesday. “It’s a very emotional movie,” said Zaslav The flash. “For me, it’s the best superhero movie I’ve ever seen.”
Andy Muschietti directs The flash, starring Ezra Miller in the title role, with Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck playing different versions of Batman, and starring Sashe Calle as Supergirl. Michael Shannon reprises his role of General Zod from the 2013 feature film Man of Steel.
Amid the panel, Warners released a new trailer for the feature.
Arrested multiple times last year, Miller has been subject to controversy, culminating in the actor issuing a statement on Aug. 15 apologizing for their behavior and saying they would get help for “complex mental health issues.”
Safran also shared a look Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, revealing that Momoa’s hero has a baby boy. It reveals that Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) – using a black trident that gives him grating powers – threatens the surface world, requiring Aquaman to team up with his brother ORM (Patrick Wilson) to stop him.
James Wan directs again Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with Momoa leading a cast that also features Amber Heard. It comes out on December 20. The first Aquarius defied the odds to become a $1 billion hit, making it the first DC movie outside of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy to do so.
Xolo Mariduena in ‘Blue Beetle’
Thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics
Blue Beetle was also in the spotlight on Tuesday. Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña stars in Blue Beetle, DC’s first movie to center on a Latino superhero. In a move that pleased theater owners, Blue Beetle was upgraded to a theatrical release after initially being developed for streaming service HBO Max.
Angel Manuel Soto directs the feature film from a script by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. Maridueña stars as recent college graduate Jaime Reyes, who gains super-powered armor after an encounter with an alien scarab. He must learn to use his new powers while learning why the scarab traveled to Earth. One thing that makes this superhero story different according to the filmmakers is that Jaimie’s family knows about his powers and his struggles.
“Good luck hiding something from your Latino mom,” Soto said with a laugh, as Maridueña described his character as the only superhero who doesn’t seem to want his powers.
The feature film also stars Adriana Barraza as Jaime’s grandmother, Nana, Damían Alcázar as his father, Elpidia Carrillo as his mother, Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord, Raoul Max Trujillo as Carapax, with Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord and George Lopez as Jaime’s uncle Rudy. . The film also stars Belissa Escobedo as Jaime’s sister, Milagro, and Harvey Guillén as Dr. Sanchez.
Gunn and Safran have mapped out a new slate that will renew DC’s universe, with upcoming titles including Superman: Legacy and the Batman feature The brave and the bold. These all take place in a shared universe, while a few select films are standalone, such as The Batman part two And Joker: Folie a Deux.
Zaslav remembers talking to Gunn while he was writing his script Superman: Legacy. He shared that these characters were his family growing up and Zaslav was struck by that idea and said he would like these characters to be like family to a global audience.
Warner Bros.” DC Slate comes at a challenging time for superhero movies. His previous attempt, that of March Shazam! Anger of the Godsmade just $132.9 million worldwide, while rival Marvel Studios Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania impressed with the release a month earlier. Still, Warners is optimistic about the next release, which will be on June 16 The flashwho are so confident that the film will be shown at CinemaCon almost two months early on Tuesday.
