2022 was set to be a banner year for the DC Extended Universe, with the studio releasing several huge and eagerly awaited tentpole over the course of the year, after a slower 2021. While Warner Bros. has now announced that several of its titles have been pushed back to 2023, there is still plenty to look forward to this year, albeit a little later than expected.
Of course, the first cab off the rank was The Batman, which sees Robert Pattinson take on the role (and suit) of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Fans waited patiently to see the flick, after it was subjected to several COVID-induced delays, including Pattinson himself contracting the virus, The trailer, along with a behind-the-scenes reel that provided some insight into the making of the film, first dropped at DC FanDome back in October 2021, sending excitement skyrocketing.
Included in that reel was Pattinson telling a story about one of his early screen tests for the movie, during which he wore Val Kilmer’s rubber Batsuit from 1995’s Batman Forever.
“It was crazy but I remember putting it on and thinking, ‘This is going to be absolutely impossible’,” the actor said. “I remember doing like two takes and (director Matt Reeves) being like, ‘What can we do about that sweat?’ Nothing!”
Meanwhile, Zoe Kravitz is the latest actress to inhabit the character of Catwoman, following in the footsteps of Michelle Pfeiffer in 1992’s Batman Returns and Anne Hathaway in 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, while Colin Farrell’s gives us his version of The Penguin — a villain played to perfection by Danny DeVito in Batman Returns.
The film also stars Jeffrey Wright as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson and Jayme Lawson as mayoral candidate Bella Reál.
The Batman has so far earned glowing reviews and made over USD $200 million at the global box office in its first week of release.
Check out the trailer below:
The Batman is now showing in HOYTS cinemas.
Ahead, we break down the DC films to watch out for over the next 12-18 months.
Black Adam
Shazam! spinoff Black Adam stars Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson as the title superhero, in this blockbuster directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
The plot details for the film have been kept vague, to say the least, but the synopsis reads: Nearly 5,000 years after he was bestowed with the almighty powers of the Egyptian gods — and imprisoned just as quickly — Black Adam (Johnson) is freed from his earthly tomb, ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.
In addition to Johnson, Noah Centineo stars as Atom Smasher, a.k.a. Albert Rothstein; Pierce Brosnan appears as Doctor Fate; Aldis Hodge plays Hawkman; and Quintessa Swindell takes on the role of Cyclone. Sarah Shahi, who plays Adrianna Tomaz (Black Adam’s love interest in the comics) also joins the cast.
Black Adam is scheduled to be released in HOYTS Cinemas on Thursday, October 20, 2022.
The Flash
Ezra Miller takes his turn as The Scarlett Speedster in The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti.
Ron Livingston and Michael Keaton also star in the film which has suffered several setbacks thanks to the pandemic. Ben Affleck will also appear as his version of Batman.
Again, we don’t know much about the premise of the film but the FanDome trailer gave us a little hint. As ScreenRant wrote, “Barry (Allen) may travel back in time to prevent his mother’s death. This is similar to the 2011 comic storyline called Flashpoint, in which Barry’s attempts to save his mother wreak havoc on the timeline, creating an apocalyptic present day that he must reverse, along with defeating his nemesis, the Reverse-Flash.”
Unfortunately, we’ll just have to wait until Thursday, June 22, 2023, to find out exactly what happens.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Jason Momoa returns as Aquaman in the latest instalment of the franchise, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
At this point, it should come as no surprise that the plot details are still a little cryptic right now, with the most recent synopsis from Warner Bros reading, “Action Adventure. When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation.”
In addition to Momoa, the movie will also feature the return of Patrick Wilson (King Orm/Ocean Master), Amber Heard (Mera), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (David Kane/Black Manta). Randall Park (Dr. Stephen Shin), and Temuera Morrison (Tom Curry). Newcomers to the cast include Jani Zhao (Sentimentos), Indya Moore (Pose), and Vincent Regan (300).
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is slated to premiere on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
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