After a successful event last year, DC FanDome returned again to provide a bevy of updates on the ongoings of all things DC, including comics, movies, tv shows, and even video games. With a serious stack of movies releasing over the next few years and some equally as anticipated tv series, there was a lot of news to come out of the event, including teases of Aquaman 2, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and even The Batman.
Since there was so much news to cover, we decided to break down eight of the event’s biggest, most exciting, and most interesting announcements. Here are the most important things you need to know, from Peacemaker to DMZ—our picks are below to get you fully caught up on the latest and greatest from DC.
'Peacemaker'
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Set after the bloody aftermath of his The Suicide Squad, the HBO Max series Peacemaker will see writer/director James Gunn spin off the absurd John Cena character as he’s tasked with saving the world. The series will dive deeper into Peacemaker’s origins, including his troubled relationship with his father (played by Terminator 2’s Robert Patrick) and his budding friendship with a bald eagle?! Gunn said the series is inspired by The Office while stating Peacemaker includes “more people getting shot in the face than in The Office.” Gunn directed five of the eight episodes, while Eastbound and Down director Jody Hill also joins the fray when Peacemaker hits HBO Max on January 13, 2022.
'Black Adam'
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The long-awaited Black Adam project finally debuted its first bit of footage, as the Dwayne Johnson-fronted anti-hero movie saw the star ruthlessly murder a series of mercenaries who stumbled upon his ancient temple. Johnson returns with his Jungle Cruise director Jaume Collet-Serra as they also introduce members of the Justice Society of America, including Atom-Smasher (Noah Centino), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), all of whom were on hand to tease their characters briefly. But the most notable pull quote came from Brosnan, who stated the scope of Black Adam was bigger than his tenure as James Bond. Consider our interests piqued—the movie releases on July 29, 2022.
'The Flash'
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Andy Muschietti’s take on the Scarlett Speedster offered the first glimpse of footage, full of captivating footage. We see Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen in a more comic book faithful version of his Flash costume as if radiates energy in a way reminiscent of this Francis Manapul design. We also see a quick tease of the beloved Flash ring and a ruined cowl of Ben Affleck’s Batman.
Perhaps the most perplexing detail is the inclusion of a second Barry Allen alongside newcomer Sahsa as Supergirl. The trio looks to be gazing upon the Batcave, albeit Michael Keaton’s version. The original cinematic Batman then emerges after Keaton himself provides a voiceover throughout the teaser. The Flash will loosely adapt the Flashpoint event, establishing the DCEU’s multiverse along the way. The Flash brings all kinds of possibilities when it arrives on November 4, 2022.
'Naomi'
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Adapted and produced by the legendary Ava DuVernay, the CW’s newest Arrowverse show is Naomi, a superheroine created by Miles Morales co-creator Brian Michael Bendis in 2019. Star of the series Kaci Walfall was on hand to introduce the first bit of footage from the series, which features her seeing Superman for the first time. In the comic series, Naomi is adopted, and after learning of Supes’ origins as an adoptee, the character decides to find answers to the questions around her birth—with stunning results. Naomi will hit The CW in 2022.
'The Sandman'
'Static Shock'
'The Batman'
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FanDome closed out its day in a similar fashion to last year, offering a look at the Matt Reeves’ written and directed, Robert Pattinson-led The Batman. While the first teaser focused on The Riddler (Paul Dano) and Batman (Robert Pattinson), the second look puts Selina Kyle (Zoe Kravitz), Gotham, and a few supporting characters forward.
Reeves’ Gotham looks stunning, while Pattinson’s fledging Bats looks like he’s still figuring things out; there’s one moment wherein Bruce’s brutality visibly shocks Selina. The Batman looks like it’s channeling the character’s noir roots for what we hope will be a new and exciting take on the character. We won’t have to wait long to find out, as The Batman hits theaters on March 4, 2022.
'DMZ'
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Ava DuVernay is working on another DC project, a four-episode adaptation of the DC Comics series DMZ. Led by Rosario Dawson, DMZ follows an event known as the “Second Civil War” between the Free States of America and the United States of America. Unfortunately, not much else was revealed about the series outside of a few quotes from Dawson and DuVernay, but I anticipate the series to hit HBO Max sometime in 2022.
