First things first. The Flash doesn’t change the hierarchy of power. It’s not the best superhero movie of all time, or this year. Hell, it’s not even the best Multiverse-based superhero movie this year. But it’s good, really good, and course-corrects a lot of what DC films have been lacking in the past, and most importantly, it course-corrects a character who typifies where the now-dead DC Extended Universe went astray.
Ostensibly, the world between the frames of this film has been untouched by the chaos surrounding DC Films, its parent company Warner Brothers Discovery, the overall creative direction there, and the tumult surrounding the future of their superhero stars, including the star of this film. Quaintly, this film right out of the gates introduces us to a Flash who has undergone several upgrades at the hands of his “fancy friends” in the Justice League, one who can save hundreds of lives hundreds of miles away before his breakfast order is ready, but is still mired in a past that keeps him from living his best life. Within the text of the movie, it’s standard hero origin pathos stuff, but as subtext for the DC filmic enterprise as a whole, it reminds us that it’s important to reckon with the regrets of a past that might have been different and a road not traveled, before ultimately recognizing that not everything can be retconned, then moving forward.
And the key to unlocking this theme is in our “other” Barry Allen. It’s hard to navigate this without spoiling, but it is in this dual performance that star Ezra Miller really shines. They (as in the actor, Miller) give each Barry his own twisted freaky mirrored experience tinged with a mixture of jealousy and annoyance, as in the other, there’s some of what each wants, and some of what each wishes he’d be better without. And for people who have in the past been put off by Miller’s overly manic portrayal of the role, the movie is savvy and self-aware enough to lampshade those negative aspects and organically turn their dial down. Miller’s also doing the bulk of the emotional heavy lifting here, as they bridge that gap between the loving boy with two doting parents whose happiness was crushed by tragedy, and the young man who may be the fastest alive, but he’s nowhere close to the most invulnerable. Barry can be hurt, and it’s possible that Barry’s hurting all the time, but that’s the price of being a hero. And Miller conveys that.
But not to be undone, if it’s boyhood trauma as an impetus for heroism you want, this movie treats us to Bruce F’n Wayne, The Batman, times two, played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton, each a little bit too old for this shit, but in each case, damn right the old guy’s still got it. While this movie doesn’t establish the kinship of equals that makes their comics relationship so compelling — Bats is still very much the grizzled hero delivering sage wisdom to the up-and-comer — the mentorship feels more lived in and their mutual respect feels more earned. Even when the respect comes from a version of Bruce who has clearly had a long run.
Visually, the action is solid, but not groundbreaking, as we’ve seen superspeed sequences similarly rendered. (There’s even a nod or two to Quicksilver from the Fox X-Men films in there.) But it doesn’t get old seeing Bruce handle a room full of gun-toting baddies his way, and then seeing Supergirl (more on her later) handle those same baddies hers. The special effects get a little bit messy in the 3rd act, which (sadly) is to be expected nowadays with blockbusters, but it remains mostly visually coherent.
Sasha Calle‘s Kara Zor-El does a lot with a little, as she has to take us through an entire Kryptonian hero’s journey in the course of minutes. But overall, there’s a fierceness to her performance that’s balanced by the weight of what she’s experienced during her time on Earth, and what she has failed to do. She doesn’t get a ton of screen time, but what she gets makes it easy to root for her.
On the villain front, General Zod is competent and capable, but you can understand why Michael Shannon considered it unfulfilling compared to his role in Man of Steel. That film did the work of establishing his motivations and complexity. This one just wound him up and let him kill people while glowering and grimacing. But the point of the film isn’t really for The Flash & Friends to win the Battle of Metropolis — it’s for Barry to win the war within himself.
If you see only one superhero film this year, make it Across the Spider-Verse. Obviously. But on the DC side of things, this more than earns its praise while setting the stage for a bold new era of films under James Gunn and Peter Safran. It delivers heartfelt moments, humorous sequences, lively action, and says hi (and goodbye) to some old DC friends. Plus, it’s colorful and fun. If you choose to check it out (and it’s perfectly reasonable to choose not to), you’ll have a good time.
Tag: DCEU
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With ‘The Flash,’ the DCU Gets A Little Less Meta, and A Little More Human
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New ‘The Flash’ Merchandise Reveals First Look at Batman’s Batwing
Superhero films are more than just the pure cinematic experience, as they also come with quite a few merchandises for fans of all ages. Ironically, these products end up spoiling quite a bit more than they should, as they tend to find themselves online much earlier than expected. That is especially the case with projects that end up getting delayed further back leading to the current situation of The Flash merch revealing our first look at Michael Keaton‘s new Batwing.
Twitter user @flashpointsaber has shared a rather curious first look at merchandise that includes two figurines and a model version of the Batwing. It’s definitely inspired by the one we first saw back in 1989 which was a direct adaptation of his logo from that era. It seems that this time around they combined the elements from modern-day Batman with the classic, as it’s even titled the “Ultimate Batwing.”
We know that it belongs to Keaton‘s Batman rather than to the version of the character played by Ben Affleck, who was confirmed to appear due to set photos of him back in action, due to the figurine included. That is the already teased version of the character and matches with what we saw in artwork since DC FanDome almost two years ago. The only question is how the Batwing might be used in the film and perhaps connects to the final arc of the film.
Source: Twitter
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The Golden Age of Superhero Movies Is Over
With the continued expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC properties, more and more superhero movie and television content is being pumped into screens almost non-stop. New genres and formats are being explored and countless characters are being brought into live-action. So, we should be at the peak of the age of superhero movies, right? Unfortunately, it seems we have sailed right on through the Golden Age of Superhero Movies that took place in the 2010s.
This feature could not function without describing the massive and crucial impact that Marvel Studios and the MCU had on the superhero genre. However, other films began paving a path before 2008’s Iron Man. DC had been producing films, particularly based on Batman and Superman properties, for decades that had a clear cultural impact. Marvel, through Sony or Fox, had major hits like the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises. While the superhero movie genre had been present for some time, the MCU was the undeniable spark that caused the concept of the superhero movie to explode.
While Iron Man was the first of now many films in what became the MCU, the whole franchise did not pick up an insane amount of steam for several years. The early Phase One movies were—overall—OK. They existed as origin stories, but the superhero origin story had already been done nearly 3,333 times before. Everything changed when Avengers was released in 2012.
The crossover aspect is undeniably one of the key (if not the key) components that changed the way audiences engaged with the genre. While other superhero movies still trickled out around this time, no other franchise was combining four other franchises into one mega-franchise. The MCU was surely not the first to invoke the crossover strategy, but it certainly was the first to employ it on such a large scale. And luckily, Avengers was a smash hit and will remain one of the most culturally significant films of the early 21st century. Movies stopped becoming just movies—they were entire events and spectacles that transcended just a single film. At this point, “franchise” became the business term while “universe” because the one fans experienced.
The Infinity Saga experience, frankly, cannot be surpassed. The post-Avengers excitement leading the Avengers: Endgame was the definitive Golden Age of Superhero Movies. During this time, millions and millions of fans waited feverishly for the one or two movies the MCU dropped each year. Easter eggs and cameos felt like invaluable treasures as people started to stitch together this rich, magical fictional universe that entertained them like no other. The promise of some ultimate “finale” to the saga being lived through buoyed even some of the weaker installments. And, boy, was that finale spectacular.
At this point, there is no reason to overanalyze Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame anymore. Regardless of contemporary or retrospective reviews or criticisms, virtually everyone who was a fan during that time can tell you those films were the hype of all hype. The iconic moments from those films we still conjure up frequently were the fruition of 11 years of storytelling, and every bit of the event was stylized as the definitive and ultimate moment of the unprecedented sensation that was the MCU.
Of course, the MCU did not stop. In fact, it is producing content at a rate that would even a 2018 fan would never believe. More characters that comic book fans never thought would ever make it to live-action are now here, living amongst the universe we feel we grew up or grew old in. There is something to be said, though, about the onslaught of content. The ever-warned-of “superhero fatigue” that some spoke of a decade ago may actually be creeping in. With often little to no chance to take a breath between MCU projects, each one has the potential to feel less and less special. The anticipation for the next project has weaned. Now, it is difficult to take in the entire MCU given how many hours of content exist. A casual fan may very well be overwhelmed, and new fans may have no idea how to actually get involved. Old fans may have had to abandon their annual MCU rewatch.
But Phase Four—and beyond—content has also produced some phenomenal projects. Many would agree that Spider-Man: No Way Home, Werewolf By Night, and She-Hulk are all gifts in their respective formats. But even with quality new projects, the expectations are clearly higher than they once were. Part of it is the high of Infinity Saga that so many keep chasing. However, the toxic online culture surrounding film discourse—particularly in the comic book genre—has felt out of hand since Phase Four began. Surely the Golden Age would not include thousands of people trash-talking every frame of a film, leading robust campaigns centered around hating women, and whining, complaining, and arguing about rumored post-credits scenes for much more important films that have not been released yet.
And while the MCU can now tell bigger and more fantastic stories with an increasing range of characters, it is almost inevitable that the overarching plot will be Marvel Studios’ answer to: “How do we go bigger and better than Endgame?” The infinite possibilities, cameos, and combinations of Avengers: Secret Wars will almost certainly be a proper answer to that question and the payoff will almost certainly be astronomical. But it will not be able to live up to the Infinity Saga finale. While the story is presumably unique and the cheer-worthy moments will be plenty, at the end of the day the MCU has already taken us through that journey. The build-up and surprises are expected, and the energy will never match that of 2018 and 2019.
This article focuses on the MCU for obvious reasons, but DC and the DCEU shot their own shots, though it was generally fumbled. So far in the post-Endgame time period, we have seen a DC that is fractured, confused, disorganized, chaotic, repetitive, and often mediocre. There are no doubt some standouts, including The Suicide Squad, Joker, and The Batman. But the fact that they remain as separate isolated incidents keep the DC Universe from thriving in the way that it could. Black Adam’s insistence that this is all set to change is empty until it happens. To be fair, the recent news that James Gunn and Peter Safran will lead a new “DC Studios” is something to keep an eye on. But either way, DC really missed the Golden Age boat at this point, unless they can turn it around and do something extraordinarily special.
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‘Black Adam:’ Aldis Hodge is Ready for Mr. Terrific and Hawkgirl to Board the DCEU
On Wednesday evening, Warner Bros. Discovery held the world premiere of its latest offering: Black Adam. The film has long been expected to usher in a new era for DC Comics on the big screen. And while currently tracking for an impressive opening, it remains to be seen when or if a sequel eventually happens. Still, one cast member is already dreaming of where this new take on the DC Extended Universe could go, and he’s hoping it includes Mr. Terrific and Hawkgirl.
While walking the red carpet for Black Adam, Hawkman actor Aldis Hodge was asked which characters from the comics he’d like to see join the DCEU. Hodge, of course, noted he had two characters in particular on his mind. “Two people. I want to bring in Mr. Terrific – his backstory is amazing – and also Hawkgirl.”
It’s of note that Hawkgirl was originally meant to appear in Black Adam along with Stargirl. Which would’ve given the actor part of his wish. However, throughout the years, changes were made to the script and Hawkgirl was unfortunately cut. With DC’s slate currently up in the air, it’s unknown if Hawkgirl (or Mr. Terrific) will appear in any forthcoming project, but should Black Adam perform well, one has to think Hawkgirl’s big screen debut can’t be too far off.
Black Adam hits theaters on Oct. 21st, 2022.
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The Rock Teases Potential Superman Showdown with ‘Black Adam’
As Black Adam prepares to be a hopeful kickstart for DC’s cinematic universe, star actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has teased a potential return from DC’s cinematic past. In an interview as part of the press tour for Black Adam, Johnson alluded to Superman returning to the fold and facing off with the character of Black Adam. When discussing the desire to make the film and its world appeal to already-existing fans, this is what the actor had to say about his character in relation to Superman.
We will create Black Adam for him to be the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet. The most powerful and unstoppable force in the universe has been on the sidelines for too long.
Dwayne JohnsonWith rumors beginning to circulate more and more about Henry Cavill’s return as Superman, this quote does feel like one of the most overt allusions that there’s fire to the smoke. Cavill was last seen as the Man of Steel in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and before that just being the original cut of the film. As it’s long been teased that The Flash coming next year will serve as a soft reboot point for DC Extended Universe, many were curious where Cavill’s portrayal stood in terms of the future. If Superman is indeed being planned to face off with Black Adam as rumored, that should clear up where Henry Cavill stands in terms of the new direction of DC’s film franchise.
Black Adam is set to release exclusively in theaters on October 21.
Source: Jake’s Takes
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‘Mud’ Star Jacob Lofland Latest to Join ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’
The cast for the sequel to 2019’s Joker continues to grow as the start of production draws nearer. Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener have already joined Joaquin Phoenix in the film and now young star Jacob Lofland has as well. According to a trade report, Lofland will play a role associated with Gotham’s Arkham Asylum.
THR’s sources indicate that Lofland will play an inmate in the asylum where Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck was shown to be at the end of Joker. With Lady Gaga on board the project as Harley Quinn, it seems that Arkham will be the film’s primary setting.
Todd Phillips is returning to direct after the first film generated significant buzz for WB, garnering 11 Academy Award nominations and 2 wins, including Best Actor for Phoenix. Joker: Folie à Deux is currently slated to hit theaters on October 4, 2024.
Source: THR
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‘Black Adam’ Director Says the Film Avoids Hawkman’s Complicated Origin Story
Black Adam is the next film to be released in the DC Extended Universe, and many fans are excited to see Dwayne Johnson’s portrayal of the titular superhero. Alongside Black Adam himself, the film is set to introduce to live-action the Justice Society of America and some of its classic members. Director Jaume Collett-Serra confirmed to Vanity Fair that, in Black Adam, Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) is the leader of the JSA, whose members on-screen will also include Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan).
With Hawkman in such a significant role, one wonders how Black Adam planned to handle the character’s infamously complicated and confusing origin story. Multiple versions of Hawkman have been published, primarily two different versions. One version hails from Earth and is rooted in reincarnation, and the other is a police officer from another planet. Eventually the two distinct characters were merged and further complicated down the line. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Collett-Serra revealed that the upcoming film will avoid Hawkman’s backstory for this very reason. He stated:
In the comics, there are clear references of like, ‘Hey, I saw you 5,000 years ago. You remember me?’ We’re not doing that…It would be too confusing. Obviously, Hawkman reincarnates, so how many times do you need to reincarnate and still remember? All these rules [are something] you don’t want to set until those characters are really established…He is a very driven character that knows that he’s on the right side. He’s a leader. He wants to bring this team together, and bring a certain stability to the world. Hawkman has a very strong sense of what’s right or wrong, and Black Adam challenges that.”
—Jaume Collett-SerraConsidering Black Adam is designed to be a solo film for Johnson’s character and an introduction to the JSA, there could be plenty of time for DC to explore Hawkman’s origin more thoroughly in the future. Still, fans of the character should not get their hopes up to see it laid out in Black Adam.
Black Adam releases in theaters on October 21, 2022.
Source: Vanity Fair
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Warner Bros. Weighing Options as Ezra Miller’s Spiral Continues
As Ezra Miller’s very public downward spiral continues, Warner Bros. is now reportedly weighing their options with how to proceed with their $200M+ Miller vehicle, The Flash. After being charged with felony burglary, Miller was in the news again when it was reported that a mother and her three children who had been staying with Miller are now missing and being searched for by child’s services in Vermont. With Miller continuing to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, Warner Bros. is said to be considering three options with The Flash.
According to THR, while it is not the studio’s first choice, they have come to the realization that should Miller’s erratic and headline-grabbing behavior continue, they will have to bury the film and eat its massive budget. While this is not their first choice nor their preferred option, it is the first time during Miller’s spree that reports out of the studio indicate it’s a possibility. At the other end of the spectrum, should Miller seek help and come forward with a public apology, the studio is willing to move forward with the film and allow Miller limited opportunities to promote it. In between those two ends is an option where the studio releases the film and keeps Miller away from press entirely, and then recasts the character moving forward, a move that has been the subject of fan speculation and discussion for months.
According to the report, a recast and reshoot for The Flash would be impossible because Miller plays several characters in the film and “is in almost every scene.” Even as Warner Bros. has canceled several projects and looks to the future, their decision to move forward with The Flash, which was first announced in 2014, seems informative. Fans of long speculated that the movie could serve as an opportunity to “reboot” the continuity of the existing DC Universe and with the studio’s newly announced direction, it does seem a likely option.
Source: THR
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‘Black Adam’ Unaffected by DCEU Changes
It’s been a long road since Black Adam made its way to the silver screen but with a trailer finally confirming it’s just around the corner, we’re finally nearing the point of getting to see it ourselves. Of course, a lot has changed throughout the DC Extended Universe since the initial announcement yet it seems that has not affected the story that is being told by the film.
Black Adam producer Hiram Garcia highlights how the upcoming film pretty much plays within its own little pocket of the DCEU. As such, it wasn’t affected by any major changes that were happening behind or in front of the scenes.
Luckily, we didn’t [have to go back to the drawing board], because we’ve been functionally within our section. Basically, we knew the characters we had: we had Black Adam and JSA, and we were launching things attached to that. Our world has stayed very much intact, so even though there has been some changes, it hasn’t really affected us. That’s been a very fortunate thing. There’s been a lot going on, but we’ve been able to maintain our bubble and our lane. We continue to build it out.
Hiram GarciaThey lucked out that they have the opportunity to introduce the Justice Society of America and aren’t dependent on the Justice League, who were affected the most by the changes. We still don’t know if he’ll eventually team up or face other heroes from across the DC Universe, especially with his close ties to Shazam but they may be keeping that in their back pocket until the film releases. Shazam: Fury of the Gods is also set to release this year, which may have some tie-in with Black Adam, but we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out.
Source: ScreenRant
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What Could The ‘Peacemaker’ Spin-Off Focus on
Peacemaker was quite the ride for fans, featuring the return of John Cena in the titular role of the DC Universe’s biggest douchebag, yet again working for Amanda Waller on Project Butterfly. The ending of the first season had some serious ramifications for the future of Amanda Waller and Task Force X, with Leota airing all the dirty laundry of ARGUS to the presses.
We can assume that this is what the recently announced Waller-centric Peacemaker spin-off series will tackle. The series could see Waller go on the defensive and mobilize whatever she’s got to save her skin, but what else might we be able to expect from the series? Allow us to breakdown some possibilities.
The Secret Six
The Secret Six are one of DC Comics’ hidden gems, a team of mercanaries lead by the mysterious Mockingbird. In the Villains United comic book event, where Gail Simone reinvented the team, the six came together for the first time as the few villains that would not join up with Lex Luthor and his coalition of DCs Supervillains known as the Secret Society of Supervillains. Mockingbird brought the team together against their will, but still makinf it a point to compensate them for their work.
There have been many people to take on the moniker of Mockingbird to hire the Six yet again for whatever dirty deed needs doing and it seems we could see them come together in the DC Extened Universe. The idea here is that we could see Viola Davis reprise her role as Amanda Waller and become a sort of Mockingbird figure, hiding in the shadows as she dispenses mercenaries to take out the witnesses and surviving members of Task Force X.
Ideally, the roster would be quite similar to the comic book roster aside from a few changes. Essential members of the team would be Catman, Scandal Savage, Ragdoll, Jeanette, and Bane. Deadshot is tricky due to his involvment in the Suicide Squad and the situation with the team in the current DCEU. Floyd Lawton is often seen as Waller’s personal errand boy and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him working alongside the Six, but in the end, it’s another loose end for Waller. It could be cool to see members like Strix, Black Alice, Cheshire, Parademon, and even Mad Hatter work for Waller, but it’s important that the core members of the team are front and center.
Checkmate
Another option for Waller could be forming Checkmate. Originally known as the Agency, the group was run by Valentina Vostok, aka the Negative Woman, who after leaving the organization to join the Doom Patrol handed the reigns over to Harry Stein. At that time, the group was ordered by Waller to be reorganized into Checkmate.
The organization, named after the winning move in a chess match, became an independent branch of Task Force X. The levels of the group were modeled after the playable pieces in chess, with kings and queens being the highest ranking level one could reach. Roles like bishops had oversight on the missions that planned by the rooks, with knights being the ones on said missions. Pawns worked as support.
A subtle hint to the organization appeared in the first season of Peacemaker. In the decrepit video store base of operations, can be seen a poster for a film titled “Privateer.” Privateer was the heroic alter-ego of Mark Shaw, who’d worked with Checkmate at one point and even went onto run Checkmate for a time.
Plot details on the upcoming spin-off series remain scarce as it has yet to officially be announced by James Gunn or HBO Max. Fans are eager to hear more as Gunn’s few entries into the DC Extended Universe have been quite the crowd pleasers. This will be the first though that Gunn will not write, and there’s currently no word on if he will direct any of the series episodes.
