Saturday’s Warner Bros. Hall H presentation, which will mostly focus on the DC superhero movie slate, is one of the most eagerly-anticipated panels at SDCC 2018. With rivals Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm both bowing out, the studio has an unprecedented chance to present the future of the DCEU.
The nascent DCEU had a serious PR problem, with the studio struggling to counter a flood of rumors and establish a positive narrative for their films. That seems to have changed over the last year, with Warner Bros. generating a positive mood for upcoming films such as Aquaman, Shazam!, and Wonder Woman: 1984. A strong Hall H presentation is just what Warner Bros. need to persuade the world that the future is bright for DC’s superhero movies.
The panel will kick off in Hall H at 10:30am PST/1:30pm EST on Saturday. The main focus is expected to be James Wan’s Aquaman, and it’s already been confirmed that the first trailer will drop at SDCC. Warner Bros. has done a good job building up a real sense of anticipation for the Aquaman trailer, dropping the film’s first poster and lifting an embargo on set visits from last year. It’s likely the panel will include appearances from some of the film’s stars, including Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, and perhaps Nicole Kidman.
In addition, it’s been confirmed that the Hall H presentation will also unveil the first Shazam! trailer. Although Shazam! isn’t due out until April next year, Warner Bros. clearly believe this is the perfect opportunity to give attendees a glimpse of this more humorous DC project. Finally, there have been persistent rumors that Wonder Woman 1984 will be featured in the panel as well, and it’s possible director Patty Jenkins and star Gal Gadot will make an appearance.
Looking beyond the three films that are in production, the last fortnight has seen a lot of news about other films - including Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker origin story (not part of the DCEU) and the Birds of Prey film. It’s unlikely to be a coincidence that all this news has broken just before San Diego Comic-Con, so it seems likely the panel will include a revised slate. Other DC films, such as Matt Reeves’s The Batman, are also due an update; Ben Affleck is once again facing calls to clarify whether or not he’s still committed to the DCEU.
More: What DC Needs To Do To Win SDCC 2018
This #SDCC post is brought to you in partnership with Regal Cinemas.
- Aquaman Release Date: 2018-12-21 Shazam! Release Date: 2019-04-05 Wonder Woman 2 Release Date: 2020-12-25