Tag: dceu
Breaking Down the End of the DCEU in The Flash’s First Trailer
Before the the new DC Studios’ Chapter One: Gods and Monsters begins its slate of films under new co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, there’s going to be a complete reset in the The Flash.
Why The Batman universe doesn’t need the DCEU
James Gunn Will Co-Lead DC Studios, Steering Upcoming DCEU Movies, Shows, And Cartoons
With former DC Film president Walter Hamada officially out of the company, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran have been named to lead DC’s film, TV, and animation projects as co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios, which was formerly DC Films.
The succession of Gunn and Safran ends a month-long search for the recently-merged Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav, who had been looking for a “Kevin Feige” type figure to run that part of the studio. Gunn commented on his new position, but simply tweeting his excitement for things to come, albeit brief.
Accurate. So pleased to be here. #DC pic.twitter.com/KpvdME4Pju
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) October 25, 2022
Gunn and Safran will now helm all of the development and execution of a long-term plan for many of the characters and properties of DC Comics. In addition to those responsibilities, Gunn and Safran will develop, direct, and produce their own projects.
What that ‘Black Adam’ mid-credit scene means for the future of the DCEU
The reviews are in, and critics hate Black Adam. The Dwayne Johnson-fronted spinoff of Shazam! offers plenty of worldbuilding, introducing not only its titular anti-hero but also The Justice Society of America’s Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. However, when it came to an enthralling story or even enticing action, this DC Extended Universe addition fell mighty short.
But fret not DC fans, because the much-teased mid-credit scene delivered a key to what could come next for this high-flying franchise and its favorite boy scout.
Black Adam‘s mid-credit scene explained
After 5,000 years in a “dreamless sleep,” Teth Adam has been resurrected, laid waste to his enemies, made an uneasy alliance with the Justice Society, and been renamed Black Adam. Floating about his freshly freed hometown of Kahndaq, he receives a video communication from Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). Yep, the no-nonsense director of the Suicide Squad has her eye on him.
Earlier in the film, it was Waller who dispatched Hawkman’s crew to drop in on Kahndaq and demand that Black Adam play by their rules: no killing the bad guys. Later, when Black Adam surrenders his Shazam powers to be subdued indefinitely in an undersea prison, it is by Waller’s good graces that he is not killed in his human form. But now that he’s powerful and on the loose, she’s popping in via a video call to lay down her law.
Though Black Adam has shown zero interest in the world beyond Kahndaq, Waller pronounces that he is not to leave the limits of this Middle Eastern city. And even if you’re new to this DC character, the movie that precedes this mid-credit moment informs you that Black Adam isn’t much for following instructions. (He’s down for catchphrase coaching, though!) When he expresses disdain for Waller’s command, she admits that he might be Earth’s most powerful supe, but she has friends from other planets. You know what that means, right?
Yes, Superman cameos in Black Adam‘s final scene.
This isn’t too surprising — the Man of Steel also made an appearance in the last shot of 2019’s Shazam! But this time, it’s not just the familiar blue and red suit that struts into frame: Henry Cavill’s handsome mug is back too.
As the Superman theme plays, the DC icon emerges from swirls of mist to present himself to Black Adam. With a breezy confidence befitting the most powerful known superhero in the DCEU, Superman says coolly, “We should talk.” End scene.
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What does Superman’s appearance mean for the DCEU?
Well, if it’s up to Dwayne Johnson, Black Adam and Superman will come to blows. In an interview with Cinemablend, he said, “That is the whole point of this, man.”
Johnson went on to describe Black Adam as “introducing that new era of the DC universe,” one that listens to fans. So, presumably, if fans love Black Adam, it’ll be easy math for Warner Bros. to create a movie where he collides with the franchise’s biggest superstar.
However, the future of the DCEU is in jeopardy in part because of Warner Bros. caving to the demand from fans (and bots) over the Snyder Cut of Justice League. The decision to finish that extended version and release it to streaming caused a massive shake-up at the studio, which resulted in the set-for-streaming Batgirl getting shelved indefinitely.
Is Man of Steel 2 happening?
Probably. The Hollywood Reporter notes producer Charles Roven is currently on the search for screenwriters for the proposed sequel. Even if Black Adam tanks, a Superman sequel seems like a no-brainer for Warner Bros., as that wildly popular hero seems as safe a bet as they have. However, the success or failure of Black Adam could depend on whether or not Johnson will have a part in a Superman sequel scenario.
THR also notes that Johnson was a major advocate for Black Adam‘s Cavill cameo. So, it seems the movie star is pushing hard to score a place in Man of Steel 2. But for now, it’s too soon to say what such a sequel will look like.
What else is happening in the DCEU?
Coming up in 2023, Warner Bros. is currently slated to release Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. However, with the ongoing scandals and legal troubles of Flash star Ezra Miller, the future of that film’s release feels far from certain.
Beyond that, Wonder Woman 3 is in the scripting phase with director Patty Jenkins attached once again. The Batman director Matt Reeves is prepping to shoot his Penguin spinoff series, and is reportedly eager to make more Gotham-set movies. And James Gunn, helmer of The Suicide Squad and TV gem Peacemaker, is campaigning to take on more DC projects.
Outside of DCEU canon, J.J. Abrams is still working on a different Superman movie, scripted by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Elsewhere, Joker 2 will team Joaquin Phoenix with Lady Gaga as his Harley Quinn. And HBO Max has promised new seasons of Doom Patrol, Harley Quinn, and Peacemaker.
In short, Warner Bros. has plenty cooking on the DC range. But for now, a lot of could-be productions are on the back burner.
Black Adam is in theaters now.
‘Black Adam’ review: Dwayne Johnson’s star power squandered in another muddled DCEU drama
Watching an action movie shouldn’t feel like a chore, but Black Adam does. Amid a slew of publicly damned decisions, Warner Bros. has released a DC Extended Universe movie that is more exhausting than exciting, spooling out tedious exposition alongside ugly action for a muddled mess of a movie that squanders its big budget and the promising star power of Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, and Noah Centineo. So, Warner Bros. will serve this up in theaters, but won’t give us a streaming Batgirl? What gives?
What is Black Adam about?
Credit: Warner Bros.
If you’re unfamiliar with the comic book character Black Adam, fear not as his eponymous movie will spend an egregious amount of screen time — two hours and four minutes, in fact — doggedly laying out his backstory in stern sepia-hued flashbacks, somber voice-over narration, strident exposition dumps, and even more flashbacks.
The opening sequence ushers audiences back to 2600 BCE to the fictional Middle Eastern kingdom of Kahndaq, where a power-hungry tyrant enslaved his people, forcing them to mine for a powerful element called “eternium.” With DC’s answer to vibranium, the evil king plans to forge a mighty crown possessed by demons. So, a band of good wizards choose a champion to bring him down. You know, sort of like 2019’s Shazam! except this time, the magically burly protagonist isn’t a plucky neighborhood superhero, happy to help. He’s dark. We know this because he wears black, is played by the Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) in perpetual glower mode, and for good measure, other characters repeatedly insist that Black Adam is “dark” and “no hero.”
Somehow the triad of screenwriters (Adam Sztykiel, Rory Haines, and Sohrab Noshirvani) thought audiences might have missed the wave of visual cues: an extended and joltingly violent first-act sequence in which Black Adam rises in the present, then immediately burns down wave after wave of paramilitary foes, wielding helicopters like a blunt weapon, turning mercenaries into screaming ash with his lightning touch, and placing a live hand grenade in between a man’s teeth. So, in case you — or the kids you might take to this PG-13 movie — missed it, the Justice Society pops up to repeatedly finger wag, insisting heroes don’t kill people.
Not the Justice League, mind you. The DCEU is bringing in a new squad of supes — and in a frustratingly slapdash fashion.
Black Adam is bogged down by too much plot.
Credit: Warner Bros.
5,000 years since he first Shazaamed, Black Adam rises to smash his enemies into lightning-charred bits. And the new-to-the-DCEU Justice Society flies all the way from America to intervene because by their standards, he’s superheroing all wrong. With this conflict, there’s almost a thought-provoking thread about the problems with American intervention in Middle East. But there’s no time for any real exploration of that when four new merchandising opportunities — I mean — heroes need to be introduced.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows, Orphan) shows little interest in world-building for the DCEU. He races through the setups of Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) so quickly that it’s actually comical. In their rush to “meet the team,” the screenwriters ramble out more hasty exposition that’s difficult to grasp amid the cross-cutting of so many introductions and quirky cameos (which I’ll admit are a thrill). Black Adam is in such a hurry to pitch this batch of C-list heroes into their battle with the protagonist, that your head might be spinning. But no matter, because there are also prophesies, more flashbacks, twists, a flimsy romance thread, a mother-son relationship, odd couple hijinks, and eventually a forgettable big bad to get to.
Watching all these things snarl on screen, it seems as if Warner Bros. had no confidence in what might connect with audiences, so threw up a bit of everything to see what sticks. That could be bad news for 2023’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods. But let’s digress…
Dwayne Johnson is wildly miscast, while Aldis Hodge and Noah Centineo are wasted.
Credit: Frank Masi / Warner Bros.
Remember when the Rock was fun?
He’d flash that mega-watt smile or strike that smolder, and oh how we’d laugh and be charmed by his booming charisma. It’s exactly that dazzling screen presence that inspired fan-casting him as Shazam, way back before that movie was announced. But here we are, and he’s Shazam’s moody foil, who never smiles and cracks jokes that land with the same thud of the baddies he chucks carelessly into the sky. OK, admittedly, the bad-guy-falls-to-his-death jokes work. But credit to the sound and editing teams is owed there.
Built like a Samoan god, the Rock looks the part of a muscle-bound superhero. But Black Adam bleeds him of all his powers of panache. So in between CGI-dense, muddy, and visually confusing action scenes, he’s floating and frowning.
Likewise wasted is Aldis Hodge, who had critics cheering in One Night in Miami… and The Invisible Man. As Hawkman, Hodge has the opportunity to strut in some flashy fashion and furrow his brow in intensity. But between wrangling his Justice Society newbies and the resurrected reckless demi-god, most of Hawkman’s scenes boil down to “don’t make me come back there” dad energy. Hodge nails this. But we’ve seen he’s capable of much more.
Credit: Warner Bros.
Hodge’s onscreen teammates are likewise given thinly written characters. To his credit, Pierce Brosnan doesn’t let the lack of exposition on his Doctor Fate weigh him down. There’s a resigned ridiculousness to his performance as the posh and all-powerful wizard, which fits a past-his-prime superhero who has seen enough and is happy to take nonsense as it comes. Plus, Brosnan brings an easy swagger and levity, which proves a pleasant foil to Hawkman’s severity.
Bedecked in alt-girl fashion, Quintessa Swindell is a light amid the darkness of Black Adam‘s resolute brooding. Whether chipperly explaining nanobot tech, swiftly unfurling her character’s tragic backstory, or flirting with her hunky teammate “Smasher,” she’s a delight. Shame she’s barely in the movie.
The same goes for Noah Centineo, who rose to stardom as the romantic interest in To All The Boys I Loved Before. Here, he works from the same mold, playing the eager but clumsy Atom Smasher as if Peter Kavinsky and his charmingly crooked grin wandered off the football field into world-saving shenanigans. Where the Rock fumbles his punchlines, Centineo has the himbo humor beat down, and he plays it perfectly…for the bits of the movie he’s actually in.
Black Adam flirts with purpose.
Credit: Warner Bros.
With all of this plot dissection, I haven’t even gotten to the non-superpowered humans at the heart of Black Adam. A rebel widow (a regal Sarah Shahi), her comic-relief side/kick/brother (an authentically goofy uncle, Mohammed Amer), and her precocious son (a high-energy Bodhi Sabongui) are Black Adam’s first friendly contacts in the human world. The boy and the demigod follow a similar trajectory to the Shazam! arc, where a comic books-obsessed kid coaches his superpowered buddy on how to live up to the mantel of the likes of Superman. And in bursts, this is fun! But bogged down by brooding, too much plot, and barely formed heroes and villains, Black Adam becomes a bore.
It’s not that as a whole it’s a slog. But weighed down by so much requisite franchise world-building, Collet-Serra can gain no momentum. Sure, Black Adam has plenty of bang ’em-up action sequences. But buried in the blur of whiz-bang and CGI rubbery figures, these scenes have the thrill and emotional resonance of watching a child smash their superhero action figures together. In the end, even the bright spots are dulled by the dogged darkness of the DCEU’s relentless need to be gritty, leaving me with a bunch of baffled questions.
Why when Shazam! brought welcomed levity back into this superhero realm, did Black Adam come along to be its grimacing, joyless cousin? Why smother the potential thrills of fresh faces with a deluge of exposition that’s as tedious as it is unnecessary? Why cast the Rock to make him play stone-faced? Why bother pouring all this money, talent, and effort into making a movie that feels less like a film and more nakedly like a ploy to set up a flurry of half-hearted spinoffs? And finally, watching Black Adam, I couldn’t help but wonder if WB thinks this is what worthwhile cinematic action looks like, can we trust that they made the right call on killing Batgirl?
Black Adam opens in theaters Oct. 21.
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