TAGGED AS: comiccon, Horror, X-Men
We’re breaking down the biggest news, announcements, and other happenings coming out of Comic-Con every day, and on the third day of Comic-Con it was all DC, with Aquaman soaking up an ocean’s worth of attention, Wonder Woman 1984 surprising fans with a first look, and Shazam! showing a softer, cuddlier side of the usually dark DCEU.
The last night of Rotten Tomatoes’ live event during Comic-Con, Your Opinion Sucks, was a star-studded, Rotten-riddled affair: first up, The Expanse‘s Cas Anvar’s surprised fans to join the “street” team in a game that tested his knowledge of Tom Hardy movies among other things, and at the close of the show, the cast of Black Lightning came to the stage to test their knowledge of DC films. Which movie scored a 92% on the Tomatometer: Wonder Woman or Batman and Robin? These guys couldn’t be fooled. Watch the ultimate fans vs critics face-off, and check out the celebs testing their Tomatometer knowledge, below.
As if the Warner Bros. Hall H panel wasn’t jam-packed enough –Aquaman, Shazam!, Godzilla: King of the Monsters – Patti Jenkins appeared with co-stars Gal Gadot and Chris Pine to show off an early sizzle reel from next year’s Wonder Woman 1984. The footage showed moments from “the mall” (already famous from early photos from the production), including WW saving a girl and lasso-ing some shady characters. It was a taste that left fans of the character wanting more. (No, we still don’t know how Pine’s Steve Trevor time-travels his way to the ’80s.)
The most anticipated Hall H showing of this year’s Comic-Con was undoubtedly the cast and director of Aquaman, who appeared on Saturday as part of Warner Bros.’ jam-packed set. And the team did not disappoint. Star Jason Momoa gave fans one of the most memorable entrances in the Con’s history, and it only went uphill from there, with a showing of the first official trailer for the movie (a trailer that was welcomed by fans in the hall, but did split those who watched it online).
Jason Momoa made the most badass entrance at Comic-Con #Aquaman #SDCC2018 pic.twitter.com/QwP5DmBGq0
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) July 21, 2018
Moments before that epic entrance, Momoa and the rest of the cast were sitting down with Rotten Tomatoes to talk about the inspirations behind the world of Aquaman and the character himself. Momoa revealed that there was a tender side to the oceanic royal, and that he takes pride in being the first title brown-skinned movie superhero, while Nicole Kidman explained drew her back to the world of DC after all those years since Batman Batman forever.
It was announced on Saturday that three new castmembers would be joining The CW’s Supergirl, and one of them is set to make history: Trans activist Nicole Maines (familiar to some from Royal Paines) is joining the series as Nia Nal (Dreamer). She will form part of the CatCo reporting team, and will be joined on the series by fellow new castmembers April Parker Jones (playing colonel Haley) and David Ajaya (as Manchester Black).
The just-dropped trailer for Shazam! got a very positive response in Hall H, and a good reception online, but most of the chatter following its debut concerned the revelation that this Big-meets-Superman tale takes place firmly in the DCEU – there are shots of newspapers referencing other DC characters and young fans chat about their heroes. When the lead cast and director swung by Rotten Tomatoes’ Comic-Con HQ just ahead of the panel, they revealed that this is a world in which Batman and Superman make the evening news. “I would say [it is] probably the most aware [film] of that universe in itself,” star Zachary Levi said.
"#Shazam takes place very much within the heart of the DCEU… It's probably the most aware of that universe in itself." – @ZacharyLevi pic.twitter.com/2l4LopvWTe
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) July 21, 2018
Amid all the noise of new comic-book–movie trailers, it was the original city-smashing monster who might have stolen the show on Saturday with the best-received trailer of the Con. Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the third film in Warner Bros.’ monsterverse after Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island, wowed kaiju fans with a dark-as-hell, epic-looking trailer that showed plenty of monster action and potential destruction. “We don’t hold back on this one,” was the message from the cast and director when they stopped by to talk to Rotten Tomatoes ahead of the Warner Bros. panel. Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Thomas Middleditch, O’Shea Jackson, and director Michael Dougherty all revealed that this new Godzilla movie would show plenty of the monster, from the outset, and plenty of monster-on-monster action. The group also told fans where the movie takes place. So, Boston: watch out.
