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DC Fandome reveals what's in store for its beloved superheroes

<p>DC Fandome is a convention that presents fans with all new information on its coveted DC franchise.</p>

DC Fandome is a convention that presents fans with all new information on its coveted DC franchise.

Black suit Superman; DC video games; Unnerving masking tape sounds; This year’s DC Fandome had these and more to get fans excited for what’s on the horizon for Wonder Woman, Batman and other loved DC superheroes and supervillains.

DC Fandome is a convention that presents fans with all new information, footage and gameplay on its coveted DC franchise. While the event this year mostly consisted of online panels, it still delivered spectacular new footage from a series of upcoming movies and games that will surely get fans excited for the future of the DC Universe. Here are some highlights from the Aug. 22 event:

Wonder Woman 1984” is one of the most anticipated movies of 2020, and it’s easy to see why, based on the new trailer. We see “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot swinging her lasso across lightning strikes and going head-to-head with DC villain Cheetah. Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor will also make a return, so we should expect several outdated jokes from World War I. The new installment will arrive in theaters Oct. 2.

Dwayne Johnson’s “Black Adam” finally has a trailer, which gives an animated historical backstory of the ancient Egyptian Teth-Adam, the corrupt hero Johnson has talked about playing for years. The trailer also teased other DC characters expected to be in the film, such as Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Cyclone and Atom Smasher. Because “Black Adam” filming has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s expected to start shooting in early 2021.

The Suicide Squad” is director James Gunn’s attempt to rebrand the 2016 “Suicide Squad” that generally left a bad taste in DC fans’ mouths, and both the character reveal trailer and the behind-the-scenes trailer were steps in the right direction. There are loads of characters in the upcoming film, including returners such as Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Viola Davis’s Amanda Waller and interesting newcomers such as John Cena as Peacemaker and Pete Davidson as Blackguard. It looks to be a movie that won’t take itself too seriously, which has worked in James Gunn’s previous “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies. Expect this one to hit theaters in 2021.

The 2017 “Justice League” saw the world’s greatest heroes team up in the DC realm for the first time, but it was met with a polarized response due to inconsistencies throughout its 120-minute runtime. Rumors soon spread about an original cut of the movie that was completely different than the one released in theaters, and as this rumor grew in popularity, fans on all social media platforms were demanding for writer and director Zack Snyder to release his original version of the “Justice League.” The community’s wishes were heard, and #TheSynderCut became a reality. “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” will release on HBO Max in four hourlong parts, which will give fans plenty to look forward to, especially more of Ben Affleck’s Batman. This is scheduled for release in 2021.

Another Batman is on the horizon: Matt Reeves’ movie “The Batman” was one of the most anticipated trailers of the event. Darkness and eeriness commonly follow the Batman character, especially Christian Bale’s recent portrayal of the Dark Knight. However, from beginning to end the trailer maintained its unsettling presence by building a world of villainous chaos led by Paul Dano’s Riddler, with Colin Farrell’s Penguin and Zoë Kravitz’s Catwoman also set for the big screen. Robert Pattinson’s Batman looks delightfully menacing, and we’re sure to see more of him before the film’s late 2021 release date.

While movies took the spotlight at DC Fandome, there were two video games that caught fans by surprise. Warner Brothers Montreal, the developer behind the video game “Batman: Arkham Origins,” revealed “Gotham Knights,” a new open-world game without the caped crusader as its main focus. Nightwing, Robin, Batgirl and Red Hood will work together to protect Gotham from a villainous group known as the Court of Owls. Having played Arkham Origins before, I think this appears to be a step in the right direction for a studio hoping to match the impact of Rocksteady, the former studio of the Arkham series. (Rocksteady has embarked on a new project titled “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.”) We’ll be able to play as Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, King Shark and Deadshot, who are tasked to defeat a “grade A”-level threat to humanity. Unsurprisingly considering the title, the enemies will include a corrupted Superman along with other members of the Justice League portrayed in a not-so favorable light, which will dovetail well with Rocksteady’s famous combat system. “Gotham Knights”’s release is expected next year, while we’ll have to wait until 2022 for “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.”

At a time when people are looking for excitement amidst uncertainty, DC Fandome gave people a lot to look forward to. The DC Universe has never looked this bright, with heroes, villains and those in between all getting the movies and games we had hoped to see. I’m personally excited to have two or three different versions of Batman in such quick succession, but this convention gave fans of DC comics and regular movie goers at least one thing they’ve been wanting to see.

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