In this edition of The Week in Spandex, we look at Justice League, Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 2, Flashpoint, Shazam, Joker and Harley Quinn, The Joker, Man of Steel 2, Superman: The Movie, Gotham, Supergirl, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, Freedom Fighters: The Ray, Watchmen, Avengers 4, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Ragnarok, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Power Pack, The Punisher, The Defenders, X-Men: The New Mutants, Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Fantastic Four, The Gifted, Glass, and more…
We’ll start things off this week with the DC Extended Universe, seeing as Warner Bros. has held a test screening for Justice League ahead of its release this November. According to reactions, the movie is “fine” (not exactly glowing praise, but at least it’s not negative!), while the test screening reportedly confirmed that both Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor and Kiersey Clemons’ Iris West have been cut from the film. Meanwhile, Warner also released a new promotional banner which sees Superman joining the rest of the League [see here], while Zack Snyder has confirmed that he won’t be returning to complete post-production as it would be “unfair in a lot of ways” [read his comments here], and both Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot have been chatting about how their characters Batman and Wonder Woman have developed going into the big DC ensemble [read their comments here]…
…Wonder Woman hit Blu-ray in the States this past Tuesday, and you can read Ricky Church’s review here, as well as checking out the Honest Trailer from Screen Junkies here. Meanwhile, Patty Jenkins praised the DC Extended Universe for its filmmaker-led approach and the creative freedom she was afforded,: “There are a lot of great filmmakers around the DC universe and there are a lot of great characters,” said Jenkins. “My favourite thing about the DC universe is some of these characters have been the greatest, most original superheroes for decades. I think there’s just exciting things to be done with them ahead and lots of different people that I’m excited about seeing. All of us are very different and we’re all going to do different things. So I can’t wait to see the variety, personally…”
…Jenkins also shared her excitement about Wonder Woman 2, stating that: “I’m excited for her to come to America and become the Wonder Woman we are all familiar with from having grown up around her as an American superhero. I’d like to bring her a little farther along into the future and have a fun, exciting storyline that is its own thing. Wonder Woman 1 is so much about her becoming the person she is. I can’t wait to spring forward with who she is and have another great standalone superhero film…”
…Back in August it was reported that Wonder Woman is being lined up for a role in Warner Bros.’ Flashpoint movie, and now it seems we have confirmation that Gal Gadot will indeed appear in the film alongside her Justice League co-star Ezra Miller…
…Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Adrianne Palicki has been reflecting on her brief time as the Amazon Princess, where she took on the role of Wonder Woman for a failed NBC pilot in 2011: “I was devastated when the pilot didn’t go. But I also look at it, like, I got paid to wear that costume. And that is one of the coolest moments of my life running down Hollywood Boulevard. Like, that was so cool. And I was — how lucky am I. And you know, everything for a reason. It led me here. You know what I mean? So as dark as those moments were back in the day, I’m happy and so glad that somebody else gets to wear that costume. I’m so glad that Gal Gadot is rocking it…”
…Patty Jenkins wasn’t the only filmmaker praising the DCEU’s approach this week, as Chris McKay – director of the upcoming Nightwing movie – spoke about what differentiates it from Marvel Studios: “Warner Bros is a more director-driven studio. Period. The end. More than any other studio you’re ever going to work at. Just look at the roster of world class filmmakers that have worked at Warner Bros and made it their home. Warner Bros is a director-driven studio, and that’s exactly how they are operating these movies… That’s the kind of filmmaking you are going to see, and have seen with Patty Jenkins on Wonder Woman. That’s what they have done and what they will continue to do, and that’s why these movies are not trying to follow the Marvel model, they’re trying to do their own thing with filmmakers that they like, and produce things that are wholly original and wholly unique…”
…We’ve known for a while that Shazam would be the next DC movie to go into production, and it’s been reported this week that cameras will star rolling in Toronto from February 5th 2018 under the working title of Franklin, with the production running through to May 4th. So far, there’s been no casting news, although both WWE star John Cena (Daddy’s Home) and Joshua Sasse (Galavant) are said to be “tentative” front runners for the role of Billy Batson’s superhero alter-ego…
…During press for her new film Goodbye Christopher Robin, Margot Robbie spoke about her upcoming reunion with her Focus and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa on the Joker and Harley Quinn movie: “They’re great! It’s fun working with a directing duo, and I love them. I’ve obviously done two films with them so I think they’re just brilliant. I’m personally a sucker for a love story. In any iteration. I think people enjoy seeing two characters who, in Harley and Joker’s case, would die for one another. It’s kind of romantic in a messed up way…”
…Joker and Harley Quinn isn’t the only Clown Prince of Crime project that Warner Bros. has in development, and it seems that Todd Phillips’ non-DCEU Joker origin movie is further although than we initially thought. According to reports, Phillips will be delivering a draft of the script to Warner this coming week, and the studio could be eyeing a 2018 production…
…After confirming last week that he’d had talks with Warner Bros. about potentially helming a Man of Steel sequel, Kingsman: The Golden Circle director Matthew Vaughn has spoken a little about his plans for a Superman movie: “Weirdly if I did do Superman — and I made the mistake of telling someone yesterday I have spoken about it and then wallop (laughs) — I think my main take would be, it’s really boring, but make a Superman film. I just don’t feel a proper Superman — I think Donner did it to perfection for that time. Just doing the modern — I wanna do a modern version of the Donner [version]. Go back to the source material… For me Superman is color, feel-good, heroic. He’s a beacon of light in darkness. And that’s what I think Superman should be…”
…And speaking of the Richard Donner Superman, Warner Bros. has announced that it is bringing the 188-minute ‘Salkind International Extended Cut’ of the 1978 classic Superman: The Movie to Blu-ray with a brand new 1080p remaster later this year; check out the cover art, details and special features here…
…Moving on to the small screen and Gotham returned this past Thursday with its season four premiere ‘Pax Penguina’. You can read Martin Carr’s review of the episode here, while we also have a promo and images for next week’s second episode ‘The Fear Reaper’ [see here], images from the following week’s third episode ‘They Who Hide Behind Masks’ [see here], a season four cast photo and character portraits [see here and here], and an extended trailer entitled ‘Dark Knight [watch it here]…
…The CW stepped up the promotion for its returning DC TV shows this week, unveiling a poster and synopsis for Supergirl’s season 3 premiere ‘Girl of Steel’ [see here], a synopsis and extended trailer for The Flash’s season 4 premiere ‘The Flash Reborn’ [see here and here], a synopsis and promotional images for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’s season 3 premiere ‘Aruba Con’ [see here and here], and a synopsis and promotional images for Arrow’s season 6 premiere ‘Fallout’ [see here]…
…The CW has also announced that its four-part crossover will be going by the title of ‘Crisis on Earth-X’, as well as unveiling an official poster and the following synopsis: “With all of the heroes in town to celebrate Barry and Iris’s wedding, villains from Earth-X crash the festivities with a deadly agenda.” Meanwhile, it has also been revealed that Russell Tovey (Quantico, Being Human) has been cast as the gay superhero The Ray, and will make his debut in the CW Seed animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray before making the jump to live-action in the DC crossover…
…Earlier this summer it was reported that HBO had begun talks with Lost’s Damon Lindelof to develop a series based upon Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ groundbreaking graphic novel Watchmen, and now we have official word that the cable network has officially placed a pilot order. Marking the announcement, Lindelof also shared a picture from the new writers’ room, which included a statue that will be very familiar to Watchmen fans…
…Click below to continue on for Avengers 4, Avengers: Infinity War, Thor: Ragnarok, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Power Pack, The Punisher, The Defenders, X-Men: The New Mutants, Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Fantastic Four, The Gifted, Glass, and more…
