This weekend's San Diego Comic Con provided plenty of news about Warner Bros.' continued efforts to reform their DC Comics movie lineup -- now formally known as the "Worlds of DC" -- and fans have much to celebrate.
Aquaman was the big headliner, since that's the next superhero release from the studio, and the film's trailer was a massive hit with the press and fandom. But Warner also screened some footage from next year's Wonder Woman 1984 and the first trailer for next year's Shazam!.
Aquaman was the big headliner, since that's the next superhero release from the studio, and the film's trailer was a massive hit with the press and fandom. But Warner also screened some footage from next year's Wonder Woman 1984 and the first trailer for next year's Shazam!.
The Wonder Woman 1984 footage remains exclusive to SDCC, but the Shazam! trailer is online, so take a look before I talk about what makes it work and what it says about the future of DC movies...Fans will instantly recognize the strong influence of Geoff Johns' 2012 origin story for Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel, until he was rebranded because of widespread public misunderstanding about his name, and due to constant legal wrangling with Marvel Comics due to that company's own character named Captain Marvel) when DC Comics launched their New 52. Funny and irreverent, touching and heroic, Johns' incarnation from the comics was instantly the obvious best way to depict the character in any live-action adaptation.
Thank goodness screenwriter Henry Gayden and director David F. Sandberg realized that fact, and used Johns' comics as major inspiration for their story. The results seem to be a best-case scenario for Shazam! and for the wider cinematic future of DC characters.
The trailer looks as amusingly eccentric and entertaining as Johns' comic story, with nice hints at the character growth in store for troublemaker-with-a-heart-of-gold Billy Batson (the young boy who magically transforms into the superhero known as Shazam). Levi looks pitch-perfect in a role requiring him to strike a balance between cool heroic superhero and goofy kid playing dress-up. Younger cast members Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer likewise come off well in their scenes together. Much of the trailer is set either during overcast days or at night, but there's still plenty of bright colorful imagery.
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