DC Cinematic Universe Movies Confirmed

In August DC and Warner Brothers released their movie dates for their cinematic universe of superheroes from DC comics. I got none of my guesses right... which goes to show just how much I know!!

Warner Brothers have finally got their act together. When they released their release dates back in August I was happy to see that they actually had formulated a plan that they were willing to execute. Now we have those dates filled with confirmed titles. They are as follows:


2016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

2016 - Suicide Squad

2017 - Wonder Woman

2017 - The Justice League: Part 1

2018 - The Flash

2018 - Aquaman

2019 - Shazam

2019 - The Justice League: Part 2

2020 - Cyborg

2020 - Green Lantern


Its important to note that this slate of movies does not contain The Sandman, which is currently in development with Joseph Gordon-Levitt attached to the project, or any stand alone Batman or Superman sequels which are also said to be in development. Also, this universe does not connect with the any of the DC television series airing right now including Arrow, Constantine, Gotham or The Flash.

Obviously I'm super excited for Batman v Superman and I'm eager to see what ramifications that film has for The Justice League movies and the other movies within the universe. But at the moment the film which makes me the most curious as of right now is Suicide Squad. The film is set to be directed by David Ayer and it may involve characters such as Harley Quinn and Deathstroke. If you don't know who they are, Harley is The Joker's bitch and Deathstroke is DC's Deadpool. According to Wikipedia, they are "an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences". I cannot wait to see how they fit this in with the other movies and I'm really looking forward to the casting choices as many A-list actors (Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Tom Hardy etc.) have been linked so far.

Gal Gadot will be Wonder Woman and DC will beat Marvel by putting out a female led superhero movie first. The Justice League movie has been split into 2 yet there are other movies that fit in-between. I'm thinking that they will be 2 separate stories but it could turn out that they feed directly off each other. Either way those 2 films allow DC to show off villains like Braniac and Doomsday so that really is something to be excited about.

 

The Flash film will have no relation to the TV series but will see Ezra Miller become the fastest man alive. I haven't really seen him in much but I do have faith that he can pull of superhero well. I'm not 100% sold on the decision but I'm hoping I will be before 2018, I'm secretly hoping he has a short cameo in Batman v Superman and a large role in Justice League Part 1.

Momoa has finally been confirmed as Aquaman, we'll see The Rock play Black Adam in Shazam and Ray Fisher play Cyborg in his own solo film as well. Finally, Green Lantern will be rebooted in 2020 and I'm hoping, like Flash, we'll see Hal Jordan in Batman v Superman and the 2 Justice League films before this feature. This film is not a sequel to the 2011 Green Lantern, which is not a bad thing at all!

For me this news is pretty darn special and I don't really have any complaints with it at all. However there are still superheroes who haven't been cast and now confirmation on how this overall story will pan out and what villains we will see our favourite superheroes come up against. To see DC assembling their own universe makes me so happy and I'm really anticipating the head-to-head of DC vs. Marvel that's going to develop from 2016 onwards.

So those are my quick thoughts on DC's movie slate. I'm finding it quite hard to think right now as this news has melted my brain a little bit.


Thanks for reading,
Matt

DC Cinematic Universe Release Dates Revealed - My Predictions

A few days ago Warner Brothers announced that between March 2016 and June 2020, we will be treated to 9 DC comic book movies which will expand their cinematic universe. A few titles are expected to be announced soon, and before they are I'm going to try (and probably fail) to guess the film slate.

I've already talked before about how this is a massive financial gamble for DC/Warner Brothers but to me it sounds as if the studio not only has a long, thought-out plan, but confidence in it. We know for sure that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will kick off this slate of movies, but it will be doing it a lot sooner than we all expected. Warner Brother's decided that they did not want to financially compete against Marvel and Captain America 3, thus they moved the release date forward to March 25th 2016 as opposed to May 6th 2016. While that showdown would've been fascinating, both movies would have taken a hit financially and it was only a matter of time before one of them moved.

The other releases are a mystery, and I'm going to try and predict them:


March 25th 2016 - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

August 8th 2016 - The Sandman

June 23rd 2017 - The Justice League

November 17th 2017 - Shazam

March 23rd 2018 - Wonder Woman

July 27th 2018 - Flash/Green Lantern team up

April 5th 2019 - Man of Steel 2

June 14th 2019 - The Batman

April 3rd 2020 - Sequel to The Batman, Man of Steel 2, Wonder Woman or Flash/Green Lantern (I can't decide)

June 19th 2020 - The Justice League sequel



So I think that the other DC film that'll come out in 2016 will be The Sandman. The project has a writer in David S. Goyer and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is involved as well. I believe that Batman v Superman will primarily act as a conflict movie between Batman and Superman before becoming a direct lead in to The Justice League, hence the title "Dawn of Justice". The Sandman will be separate from the Cinematic Universe so I think it would make sense to release it in between Batman v Superman and The Justice League.

For months now Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has teased at a role within a DC movie. Many speculate that to be either Shazam (Captain Marvel) or Black Adam, Shazam's nemesis. I think the Shazam movie will follow The Justice League in 2017 and "The Rock" will definitely be in it.

2018 will see the Wonder Woman solo movie and the Flash/Green Lantern team up movie. I think it would be wise for Warner Brothers to put these movies here because audiences will only want to see these movies if they like them in Batman v Superman or The Justice League.

Moving on to 2019 and we have 2 huge movies. I think it'll open up with the long-awaited Man of Steel 2, an ACTUAL sequel to Man of Steel and that'll be followed up by a solo Batman movie, with Ben Affleck wearing the cape and cowl.

The first release date of 2020 was the only one I couldn't firmly predict. I think The Justice League 2 will come out in 2020 but before that we could see a movie which directly ties into it, like Man of Steel 3 or The Batman 2. Or it could be a Wonder Woman or Flash/Green Lantern sequel, if those movies are financially successful. I have no doubts thought that we will see a sequel to the Justice League in June of 2020.

However those predictions I just made could be absolute crap! We could see 2 more Superman movies and 3 more Batman movies for all I know! I honestly don't know but if the slate turned out like the one I predicted, I would be very happy.

We still don't know what movies they'll be. We don't know the order, the villains, the people who'll play the villains as well as the people who'll play the superheroes. We don't really know who'll direct all of these films. But what we do know is that only time will tell.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Leaked footage for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) at SDCC

Do you remember a month ago when DC's supposed film slate was released online? Well it hasn't been confirmed so I am a little bit disappointed. Then I saw some leaked footage, and told my self to shut up.


http://www.flickeringmyth.com/2014/07/batman-v-superman-dawn-justice-sdcc-footage-leaks-online.html


San Diego Comic Con is seen a fair few announcements already. 2 monsters have been confirmed for Godzilla 2, which Gareth Edwards will direct after he's finished with the Star Wars spinoff, Guardians of the Galaxy 2 has been announced for a July 28th 2017 release date, and we've seen various images from Batman v Superman, including Batfleck's new suit and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. But I just watched the leaked footage for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and wept fan boy tears.

The footage they chose was absolute perfection. Everything about it just made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and it literally gave me goosebumps. Yeah I'm such a nerd if you haven't figured that one out.

The footage begins with some fantastic war drums beating away in the background and it added an incredible amount of tension and set up superbly what was about to come next. The footage is Gotham city at night. There's rain, thunder and lightning. Batman walks up to the bat signal and turns it on. The signal shines in the stormy sky.

The camera then pans up from behind Batman and we see the Bat logo in the sky. A bolt of lightning strikes and it changes to Superman floating in the air. He doesn't look happy! He's literally floating their menacingly and his eyes are glowing red. The camera then cuts back to Batman with his glowing white eyes, he grins a little and it cuts to the Batman v Superman logo.

Say what you like about the film but my word this footage was f*cking awesome! I know it doesn't mean that the movie is going to be amazing but everything about the footage impressed the hell out of me. I love the element of the war drums and the burning tension going on. I love the fantastic imagery. I love the way it sounds, the visual look to it and the tone of unease, tension and conflict which they were going for. It is incredibly reminiscent of The Dark Knight Returns and that is what I want from this movie. I can't wait to see it.


I don't have a question to ask rather a command: watch this footage right now!


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Leaked Trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)?

A supposedly leaked trailer for Batman v Superman has been released on the Internet and here is what I have to say about it. To watch the trailer, click down below:

The Batman v Superman movie is honestly one of the reasons I am still alive at this point and is probably the thing I talk about the most. A few days ago this trailer was posted on YouTube and it claims to be a teaser trailer for the film, possibly one DC were planning to show at Comic Con.

First off, it is a 100% fake. It's a well made fake for sure but for 3 things give it away:


1) The Logos - As far as I know I don't think that Syncopy and Legendary are involved in the movie. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't they Christopher Nolan's companies? And if they are they wouldn't be on the trailer as he isn't involved in the movie. Sure he'll get noted as he helped to write Man of Steel, but he isn't really involved with this movie as far as I'm aware.

2) Batman's breathing - Batman looks a lot like he does in the Arkham games, which leads me to believe that they used the Arkham Batman while animating the trailer. That didn't really bug me at all as I knew it was fake but what did was how heavily Batman was breathing! Has he literally just beaten up a couple criminals, drove home in his Batmobile, ran down to the Batcave and switch on his monitors and at that precise time Zod's message was being broadcasted? I doubt it. He reminds me of when Cristiano Ronaldo prepares to take a free kick. I don't buy it at all!

3) That head turn though - It's pretty quick to say the least. No human being would dramatically turn their head as quickly as Batman does in this trailer!


I actually really like the trailer. I think it's a brilliantly constructed and edited trailer. My favourite thing about it is that it links together this movie and the events of Man of Steel, something I hope they link together well in the actual movie. I also like how it spoils absolutely nothing in terms of other characters and plot details.

So I'm not going to ask if you think the trailer is fake, but I will ask what do you want to see from DC at Comic Con? I want them to confirm their film slate, give us a few images of Wonder Woman and a small teaser trailer, something along the lines of this one.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Cast Update

The cast for one of my most anticipated movies ever is increasing all the time, and I thought it were time to give my take on a few casting choices they have made since I talked about Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor casting in February.

I'm going to try and hit them all from most recent to least recent so I'm going to start off talking about the casting of Scoot McNairy. Scoot McNairy, if you don't already know, has a pretty impressive filmography for a (fairly) unknown actor. He was most recently in Non Stop with Liam Neeson, and in much more critically successful movies like 12 Years a Slave and Argo, the last 2 Best Picture Academy Award Winners. Scoot McNairy's casting is an interesting one because at the moment the studio are not revealing who they've cast him as, leading to much speculation. Do I think he'll be a Justice League member like Green Lantern or Flash? Potentially, but that isn't what I'm theorising at the moment. The way I see it is that he has worked with Ben Affleck before with Argo and we'll see him and Affleck together in October with David Fincher's Gone Girl (which by the way I'm excited for). They've been in a fair amount of movies together and they've cast Scoot alongside his friend who is playing Batman. You see where I'm going with this? I think he's Robin, or possibly Nightwing. This is literally just me speculating typing away on my laptop at the moment but if Warner Brothers really want to keep his casting a secret, then it must be something pretty big, right? I do have my own opinion Robin being in this movie but it hasn't been confirmed so there'd be no point in my rambling on about it for ages.

However there would be a point in me talking about Aquaman. DC's most unfairly treated and underappreciated JLA member will be introduced in the Batman v Superman movie. He will be played by Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa. I am really behind his casting because to a lot of people Aquaman is just a joke, as in a useless waste of space who can talk to fish. He's the King of Atlantis for Christ's sake and has a tonne of mythology behind him. I really think that with Momoa's casting that as soon as people here that "that guy from Game of Thrones" will play Aquaman, people will start to take the character more seriously. So to sum up: Excellent casting choice.

And finally way back in April Cyborg was cast and Ray Fisher was the lucky man given the role. My issue with this is not the actual casting (I'm sure the guy will do just fine) but rather what they do with the character of Cyborg in this movie. I would have preferred to have seen Cyborg introduced in The Justice League (2017) as opposed to this movie, only because I fear that there will be too many other heroes in the movie that will take away screen time from Batman and Superman. This is unless they just introduce Victor Stone as the football player who exists in the universe and don't actually make him into the superhero Cyborg. Only time will tell with what they decide to do I guess, and I'm interested to see if we get the man Victor Stone or the mechanical superhuman Cyborg.


So that's my take on the casting of Cyborg, Aquaman and the "mystery role" for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016). Question: What do you think of these casting choices?


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Is "The Batman" coming in 2019?

Anything DC, Marvel or Star Wars related these days gives me an unstoppable urge to write one of these posts. The news today concerns a solo Batman movie which may come out in 2019...

 Less than a week ago a rumour surfaced that "The Batman" could it theatres in 2019. This film was not "confirmed" in Nikki Finke's DC film slate scoop but with a large cinematic universe very much on the cards for DC at the moment and with Batman being as popular as he is, people will want to see a solo outing for the caped crusader at some point. This news is merely a rumour and has not been confirmed by the studio so keep that in mind.

Firstly I think I need to mention what I think about Ben Affleck as Batman. I hope he crushes it. The more hate I see towards his casting on the Internet, the more I want him to succeed. If the script treats Batman well in a way which we haven't seen before (as an alternative to Nolan's ultra-realistic Batman) with good guidance from Zach Snyder, he can absolutely kill it at as Batman. So I literally have zero complaints and I'm praying he does a good job in Dawn of Justice (2016).

Secondly, do I think 2019 is a little late for that to be happening? Absolutely not. We have the Christopher Nolan Batman movies to enjoy from now until then plus Batman will definitely be in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (duh!) in 2016 and then The Justice League in 2017. So from my point of view there would be no point of getting impatient about it considering it may come out in 5 years time, and even then that is the absolute earliest.

Finally, who do I think should direct the movie? Well for me it's an absolute no brainer and I would like Batfleck himself to sit in the directors chair and be The Batman at the same time. By then he'll have (I hope) an in depth understanding of the Batman character, plus he's such a talented director. His filmography includes Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo; all very good movies which share a similar trait as they are all directed fantastically. Give Ben Affleck the directing job if a solo Batman film were to come out in 2019, it's the obvious choice and the right one for me!

This is where I get creative and make some wildly wrong predictions but I'm going to say what I would do if I was given the job to direct the rumoured Batman movie which may come out in 2019. Baring in mind Dawn of Justice and The Justice League would already have come out by then, I would aim to do something slightly new. I would do a film with The Riddler as the villain. No... not Jim Carrey in green, question mark pyjamas but a really cool, smart and methodical Riddler which can test Batman on a psychological level, you know like the one from The Batman Animated Series. Actually, re cast Lex Luthor and make Jesse Eisenberg the Riddler. To me that would be a casting which makes sense! I'm not the biggest fan of Eisenberg as Lex, but I will say he would make an awesome Riddler, especially the one I'm envisaging.


If this movie were to surface, who would you want to direct and what villain would you want to see in the movie?


Thanks for reading,
Matt

DC Movie Slate Revealed?

 

Before reading, I suggest reading this article which was written by Nikki Finke a couple of days ago. The link is: http://nikkifinke.com/comic-con/. Before reading, I suggest taking everything with a pinch of salt as none of this has been confirmed by the studio, although it could've potentially spoiled the biggest announcement of comic-con history!

This picture is so cool by the way I had to use it!


Nikki Finke may just have revealed the biggest movie news of the entire year by possibly revealing what DC comics and Warner Brothers have up their sleeves for the next couple of years. When I saw this news a few thoughts came to mind. The first was something along the lines of this could be total crap. The second was OMFG this is amazing if this is true! The slate, which sees 7 DC films released within 2 and a bit years goes like this:


Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - May 2016

Shazam - July 2016

Sandman - Christmas 2016

The Justice League - May 2017

Wonder Woman - July 2017

Flash/Green Lantern team up - Christmas 2017

Man of Steel 2 - May 2018


Firstly, this could be total crap. If it isn't then there are both positives and negatives I think people can take from it. Optimists would say something like "Yes! DC and Warner Brothers have a plan and they're going for it!". More cautious people would say "Don't blow your load too quickly, and how on earth are they going to release 3 films a year?".

Some may also say that with this proposed slate of films that the superhero movie genre is becoming too saturated. However because superhero movies are one of my personal favourite genres I have absolutely no complaints. I mean, if this slate is true, I have 3 DC films (including Batman v Superman), 2 Marvel films (Cap 3 being a definite), X: Men Apocalypse and the Sinister Six to see in 2016. That doesn't bother me in the slightest, it sounds awesome!

As for the planned films, for me the chronology of their releases seems pretty good however I would be surprised if they all come out that close together. 3 huge movies coming out in one year would take an incredible amount of resources for the studio and it also does put pressure on the finished products to be good as they'll need to get people in those seats in order to cash in on a decent profit. Yet if this slate is true, we know Warner Bros have a plan, which they've formulated for the last year and is hence the reason why Batman v Superman was delayed...

What also is interesting to me is that DC are taking a different approach to Marvel in how they handle their characters. For example, it is almost a certainty that we will see characters like Flash and Green Lantern in Batman v Superman, or failing that the Justice League, before their stand alone movie. That means that we'll be familiar with who they are as a character before delving deeper into them when their stand alone movie comes out. I like this approach and I'm curious to see how it pans out and whether or not these somewhat unknown super heroes can get their time to shine in the public eye. The only character to date which we don't know if he'll appear in this slate is the Martian Manhunter, as Jason Momoa was confirmed as Aquaman recently and all 7 other core members of the JLA are set to appear in the slate.

After the epicness of Superman and Batman kicking each other's ass we get to see Shazam on the big screen. Shazam is also known as Captain Marvel, and is basically a small boy who turns into a super hero when he shouts "Shazam!" and is struck by lightning. There have been rumours for months that "The Roc"k could be playing Shazam or his nemesis Black Adam. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet however.

Sandman is going to be written by David Goyer and will involve Joseph Gordon Levitt, who I personally hope is directing and starring in it. Sandman is a character which lives in a separate universe from the Justice League (like the Watchmen or Jonah Hex) but I don't know who he is so I'm immediately excited to see the film! Hopefully it can be the superhero movie that is refreshing and puts a different spin on the genre.

2017 sees the Justice League film released which Zach Synder will direct. The film will see possibly 9 DC heroes within it fighting against an unknown foe, those 9 heroes being Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Shazam, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. This line up may be different but that is how I interpret it at the moment. You may think that's a lot, but the Avengers: Age of Ultron is set to have 9 heroes with the 6 from the first film being joined by Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch and possibly The Vision. If that film works, then I don't think we need to worry about an overload of characters!

The Justice League is followed by Wonder Woman, the Flash/Green Lantern team up and Man of Steel 2. Man of Steel will get an actual sequel which doesn't have Batman in it! Well he could make an appearance, but you know what I essentially mean! Again, I think these movies will bring more depth to characters we are already familiar with. Also Ryan Reynolds won't be cast as Green Lantern apparently, which is good as he can finally get the Deadpool movie made that we've been teased with for so long...

So my final thoughts on this proposed slate include various questions. Who will play the superheroes? Who will the villains be? Will we see a standalone Batman movie with Ben Affleck playing the caped crusader? If you have any thoughts on anything I've said or those questions please leave a comment!

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Jesse Eisenberg will be Lex Luthor in the Batman vs Superman Movie (2016)

This project really intrigues me. It seems that at the moment in terms of movie news I only talk about Zach Synder's sequel to last year's Man of Steel. Yet more news has broken out so let's talk about it...

Warner Brothers have announced that Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Zombieland, Now You See Me) will play Superman's arch nemesis Lex Luthor in the now 2016 release. Also announced was that Jeremy Irons will play Alfred.

First things first, I am aware that they've pushed the movie back a whole year, which frankly I was initially very upset with. However, once I stopped grimacing at not having an Avengers VS Justice League 2015 box office showdown, I started to think more positively. If it takes them an extra year to produce a better script, then that is fine by me.  Many people believe that this movie is going to be  a sloppy mess and I hope that the writers prove those people wrong. I know it's easy to hate something if you're crushed by your own expectations and it's even harder when Batman and Superman are going to be in the same movie.

Other announcements like Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonderwoman I was generally positive about. The Internet is making too much of a thing with Affleck and as for Gadot as Wonderwoman, if she changes her physique to fit the role then she'll be absolutely fine. Now, I am a little sceptical..

Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor just doesn't look right when I type it? He's an ok actor and I do like him in the roles that he's in, but as Lex Luthor? Superman's arch nemesis? The DC Universe's most menacing villain? I just don't know...

I honestly hope the guy proves me wrong. Do a Heath Ledger, completely own the role and capture the essence of what Lex Luthor is, a greedy, power-hungry insane businessman who will do anything to get what he wants. If Eisenberg can play this role differently to how he usually plays the roles he's cast as, we could be in for a pleasant surprise.

However, at the moment I think that Zach Synder is either casting Eisenebrg to try and seriously shock the community or is doing it because he sees him as the right man to play the Lex Luthor that he has envisioned for this franchise.

Its true that I would have preferred other people to Eisenberg in the role. Mark Strong would have been good, but If it had been Bryan Cranston (Lord Heisenberg himself) or Joaquin Phoenix (one of the best actors we have), I would have been more happy. Still, Cranston could probably find a role as Jim Gordon in this movie or the next. That would be awesome.

On to more positive news I really like the idea of Jeremy Irons as Alfred. It gives opportunity for the filmmakers to take that character in a direction we haven't seen before, which isn't a bad thing.

So what does everyone else make of all of the Batman vs. Superman announcements so far? Do you like them all? Do you hate every single one of them? Or are you a little on the fence? This is probably the first announcement I'm not entirely settled on, I hope this is the only one when future announcements are made!


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Gal Gadot will be Wonder Woman in the Man of Steel Sequel (2015)

Its is admittedly a few days old, but I wanted some time to think about this new piece of news concerning the Man of Steel sequel, and the future of Warner Brother's DC adventure into the Justice League movie. Hopefully, this is short but sweet...

Warner Brothers recently announced that Wonder Woman will be appearing in the 2015 Man of Steel sequel, which further adds on to the returning Henry Cavill as Superman and Ben Affleck as Batman, forming our superhero ensemble.

Naturally, I have my own opinion on this news so lets delve straight in...

Gal Gadot playing Wonder Woman does not bother me at all. All I am concerned with in terms of her is whether or not she can put in a good performance. Hopefully the script can be well handled enough so that she can play the head strong powerhouse that is Wonder Woman in a way where audience members can care about her and comic book buffs won't be disappointed.

It is well known in the movie industry that actors/actresses can change their bodies on a regular basis determined by the roles they are preparing for. The most drastic, and obvious, example is Christian Bale. Transforming from his dangerously skinny character from the Machinist into the big, bulky Bruce Wayne for Batman Begins shows that with enough determination and commitment, it can be done.

I have no qualms over Gal Gadot in terms of this area. It really is awful that we should judge actors/actresses by their physical appearance for the roles they'll play, but that is the harsh reality of it. Naturally she is a skinny person and will have to bulk up a fair bit to nail down the physical aspect of her much-loved character.

It isn't the casting choice that worries me, rather the casting itself!

Having Wonder Woman in this movie solidifies the fact that DC really want to get this Justice League movie out, and get it out as soon as they can. As a fan of comic book movies and a fan of good movies all together, for heaven's sake do not rush! The source material must be treated with care and if these 2 movies are put out before any real refining is done there could be a lot of trouble!

I have my own opinions on how the movie should be and I pray with all my heart that it is an excellent, memorable summer movie. But, currently I am slightly worried for DC and Warner Brothers. If they're getting these movies out quickly they'll inevitably send out a vibe of "desperation".

The guys at Disney and Marvel have their cinematic universe all planned out plus Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and The Avengers all made a stupid amount of money at the international box office. They're going along brilliantly.

DC, please take your time!!

However, if Wonder Woman must be in this movie then I would rather they handled it this way. Personally, I'm not really that interested in having a sole Wonder Woman movie. Yes I think that she is a complex and an interesting character who could do it, but I'm not that bothered to be honest.

If Wonder Woman must be put it, put her in it enough so that we can care about her without it becoming the Wonder Woman show. If she isn't in it enough, this'll all seem pointless! If it was my choice, I would have her in a "Black Widow/Iron Man 2" situation. That's probably not a good film to draw a comparison with, but I do want a similar situation with Wonder Woman. It could be that she is slightly involved with the Batman vs. Superman thing, but comes more to the forefront in future movies, which will 99% likely be the Justice League movie.

I hope DC handles this well, and the only way they can is to listen to the fans, respect the source material, take their time and produce a good script where our favourite comic book heroes can shine.

And yet again we have another reason to look forward to this movie and the 2015 year for movies in general. Hopefully we get a Lex Luthor announcement some time soon!


Thanks for reading,
Matt

Ben Affleck will be Batman in Man of Steel sequel (2015)

Typical isn't it? I go on holiday for just 7 days and some of the biggest movie news of the year breaks out! Here is my take on it..

Warner Brothers have confirmed that Ben Affleck will play the Batman in the untitled Man of Steel sequel. It is believed that in the movie Batman will face off against Superman, played by Henry Cavill. A lot of people are sceptical about Warner Brother's choice, and for good reason.

Affleck has proven himself to now be a well established and talented director and a good actor as well. There are no problems on that side of the equation. However, did Warner Brother's pick the right man?

2 people which I thought would be good in the role were Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling. They both looked the part and I could buy the fact that they could portray the Batman character. I'm not saying they made the wrong choice; hopefully they thought long and hard about the decision and seriously considered the 2 I just mentioned.

This is probably the biggest casting choice the studio will make in terms of what they want to achieve with this franchise. Yes, Henry Cavill as Superman was huge, but back then I thought that it would just be a franchise dedicated to the world of Superman. However, with Batman in the sequel, a Justice League movie (rumoured to be out around 2017) is surely on the horizon. Affleck will have to seriously commit to the role.

In the past, Affleck has played a "caped crusader" in the movie Daredevil. That's probably all the credit he deserves from that movie. He even said himself that he was awful in it and the movie as a whole sucked. However, I have a lot of admiration for this guy's choice. Yes he had a shaky start, but now he is redeeming himself by making good movies (such as Argo) and is ready to take a gamble that could define his career. It's much like the Batman himself?

How will he play off with Cavill? I don't know, but that's not my concern.

I am sure that Ben Affleck will grasp the role as Bruce Wayne. He has a "rich Billionaire" look about it and he has the emotional range in his locker to portray the character. But what of the Batman? It's quite hard to see. Who knows? He could blow us all away with his performance. Only time will tell.

As for the Batman character himself, he can be done in 2 ways because he is so complex and interesting. The Dark Knight trilogy made the Batman a dark, gritty, realistic character who used stealth and ninja tactics to strike fear in the hearts of his enemies. He was damaged and Bale did a super job.

However, the way I think they will go with this movie an older, more experienced Batman (which suits Affleck, him being 41 years of age) who has been there done that. I hope that instead of showing stealth and ninja stuff like they did in the Dark Knight films, they show that Batman can beat Superman through his intellect. Whether that's using gadgets, laying traps for Superman or just simply outsmarting him, he will have to be a suitable match for Superman if he is to beat him. I mean, Superman flattened half a city in Man of Steel, Batman will have to be pretty well prepared to fight him..

I don't know what they will do in this movie. However, I'm certain they will team up in the end and that Lex Luthor will be a villain. That might not even happen..

So, will Affleck be just as good at Batman as Christian Bale was? Did Warner Brothers make the right choice? I'd love to here someone else's opinion!

Thanks for reading, when more movie news breaks out I'll be there to tell you all about it.
Thanks again,
Matt

PS - 3 more movie reviews to come before August ends, plus and F1 race review and a BPL season preview! Stick around for that...

Man of Steel 2 News/Ideas

 

So Man of Steel 2 was announced at Comic Con a couple of days ago. I thought, this is the absolute perfect thing to do my first "film" post on. Let's just say that the news in the announcement made me cry a river of fan boy tears. Why? Type "Man of Steel 2" into YouTube and it should become fairly apparent. Apologies for no video clip, but it was causing issues so I had to remove it! Also, be aware that this post may contain Man of Steel spoilers so if you haven't seen it then I advise you do see it and then read on!

 

 



Man of Steel 2 Announcement (Comic Con 2013)

There you have it. Still can't believe it's happening! In Man of Steel 2, 2015, Superman will be accompanied by Batman on the silver screen for the very first time!

What is also quite surprising is that Batman will be squaring off with Superman, he is going to be a villain. This is going to be incredibly interesting to say the least! However, Zach Snyder must be very careful in how he handles this situation unless he wishes to "do an Iron Man 3" and seriously upset the fans of DC comic book lore. But, in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy (particularly in the Dark Knight), Nolan played on the idea that Batman was not a hero, but rather a masked vigilante working above the law in order to stop the Joker. So, making a hero seem less heroic has been done before, but it has to be done with great care to pull it off well.

Lexcorp and Wayne Enterprises logos, both seen in Man of Steel

Before this news was announced we knew that Batman was in this cinematic universe. A "Wayne Enterprises" symbol is located on a satellite where Superman and Zod are having their final showdown. However, this Batman is different to the Christian Bale Batman portrayed in the Dark Knight trilogy which surely must mean that the Dark Knight trilogy is it's own thing. Batman will need a new actor to play him. If they hire George Clooney though I ain't gonna be too pleased! Personally, I'm not sure who should play him but what I am sure of is Zach Snyder will make his choice very carefully indeed.

Another Easter Egg in Man of Steel that many people noticed was a "Lexcorp" truck, again found in Superman and Zod's final showdown. Will he be in Man of Steel 2? Will Kryptonite be in the mix as well? I would like to think so as Kryptonite will inevitably pop up sooner or later. As for Lex, he is a business man like Bruce Wayne, could this see Batman possibly team up with Lex Luthor in an effort to bring down Superman? I could see that happening. Why? Because at the end of Man of Steel, one of the army Generals that Superman helped still questioned Superman's allegiances. Could the rest of Metropolis and the Earth think the same?

Lex Luthor, Superman's arch nemesis

Speaking of Metropolis, it gets annihilated. This must mean the death's of thousands and billions of dollars would be needed to repair all of the catastrophic damages. Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor are both fairly wealthy, could this be the reason they decided to team up, to rebuild the city?

Ultimately, I have no idea what is going to happen but at last we have a DC cinematic universe to compete alongside Marvel's. Hopefully, Batman and Superman could end the film as friends and Man of Steel 3 could see the addition of Wonderwoman to complete the Justice League Trinity. That movie could also see a cool Riddler as the villain (not Jim Carrey in tights) and then after that we could see a Justice League movie at last!

The 3 figurehead heroes of the Justice League

Those are just random thoughts of mine though. So, Man of Steel 2 is either gonna fail or be an unrivalled success! What do you guys think? What do you also hope for in this DC cinematic universe? Please comment and share your opinions..

Thanks for reading, any constructive criticism is also welcome.
Thanks again,
Matt