The holiday break hasn’t stopped DC from firming up the finer details of their upcoming releases. The months ahead have an exciting roster of new releases and projects rumored to be in the works. Let’s take a look at what’s changed for DC films at the dawn of 2019. Here is the latest update of all of the announcements and rumors that have released from December 21-January 3.
Wonder Woman 1984 has wrapped filming. Though the confirmation is a few months behind schedule, the sequel to one of DC’s best performing movies of the DCEU is officially on track to release. Wonder Woman herself, Gal Godot, confirmed the final day of shooting with a heartfelt Instagram post praising her the cast, crew, and fans that have made Wonder Woman such a hit. Wonder Woman 1984 is set to release in the summer of 2020.
Gadot’s Wonder Woman is joined by Aquaman’s Jason Momoa as two of the DCEU’s most successful and enthusiastic stars. Aquaman has done well in theaters and is well into talks for a sequel to the hit. Geoff Johns is looking to aim wide with the franchise, even advocating for a potential Black Manta solo movie in the future. Johns believes that Black Manta’s story is just too complex for one movie, a point he made to director James Wan during Aquaman’s production.
“There was a moment when the script was really going and James texted me or emailed me, and said Black Manta’s story may be too big for this movie. What do you think? And I didn’t reply, I just went to his office and I said, ‘Black Manta has to be in the movie.’ He was like, ‘I know!!!’”
Next on the upcoming release list, Shazam! has made strides toward a strong release in recent weeks. Empire released an image of the film’s star Zachary Levi with villain Dr. Sivana (Mark Strong). The image (as seen above) shows the two facing off, perhaps for a first meeting.
There was also a few other exclusive promotional releases for Shazam!, all of which leans toward a satisfying movie for friends of Billy Batson and his alter-ego. Check out the one above from Fandango and the other from USA Today below.
Additionally, Shazam’s second trailer is rumored to be on the horizon. With any luck, this trailer will shed light on some of the plot and filming changes made in the past few months. Shazam! has had a difficult journey to completion, but the more comedic tone and the main character is a welcome change of pace for DC fans.
In other rumors, the potential future Batman film ‘The Batman’ might be very different from anything fans have seen before. Director Matt Reeves has not given many concrete facts about the film, but at the moment seems to be looking to cast a younger Batman and focus heavily on the detective elements of the character. There is no date for this new chapter of the dark knight to begin filming, but with Ben Affleck reportedly in the rearview mirror, Batman has room to branch out into new stories. Just what will happen next for Reeves Batman is anyone’s guess, but DC fans clearly have not tired of seeing Batman on screen.
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has taken to Twitter to hint at her New Gods movie. Best known for her work on A Wrinkle in Time, DuVernay has set her sites on the brainchild of Jack Kirby- DC’s New Gods. While nothing is confirmed yet in terms of which characters will be focused, DuVernay’s choice in her image shared has gotten the attention of comic fans.
Finally, Birds of Prey is rumored to wrap up filming in April 2019. The much-anticipated movie will star Suicide Squad’s Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn alongside a massive cast including Ewan McGregor and Rosie Perez. Writer Christina Hodson is as excited as anyone, openly praising the life Robbie has brought to Harley.
“Despite the superficial side and glitter and shininess, there is a real depth to her. She has a soulfulness and intelligence, and Margot has that. You can see that in her eyes, and not everyone can do that, and not everyone could have brought that Harley to life the way that Margot did.”
Hodson has also taken on the first Batgirl live action film. While she has not given many details yet, the filmmaker seems over the moon to bring Barbara Gordon to life on the big screen. Barbara Gordon is probably the best known and most beloved Batgirl. As daughter to Commissioner Jim Gordon and vigilante confidant of Batman, Barbara has a lot to offer fans, and writers, looking to dive into her story.
That’s all for this week’s rumors and news. Next week’s update will follow up on the progress of these titles, and maybe give us more to hope for by suggesting what else DC has around the corner.
