I tend to refrain from reacting to trailers, even the ones I might get incredibly excited for, mostly because I am primarily interested in enjoying and reviewing the actual product rather than breaking down any and all promotional material for said product. I also find it annoying how most modern entertainment journalism is overcrowded with speculation and fan theories rather than actual entertainment news or anything with genuine substance. I don't care about that random-looking guy who appeared in the corner of the frame for a fraction of a second or what it might mean; it means nothing to me.
Having said that, the DC Fandome event this year was loaded with a few exciting trailers for some eye-catching content, and I find myself genuinely curious. Also, some of these trailers seemed incredibly fascinating, and I genuinely want to share my thoughts on them. Plus, it might be an excellent opportunity to reevaluate previous statements.
This is TheNorm's reaction to some of DC Fandome's trailers.
Let's start things off with what I'm probably the most interested in.
Black Adam is a supporting character from the SHAZAM (aka Captain Marvel) series for those who don't know. He is mainly recognized as a villain but is also portrayed as an anti-hero. In recent comic iterations, he is a troubled man who has suffered incredible loss and seeks to liberate humanity from any and all forms of enslavement. He's essentially the DC version of Black Panther's villain, Killmonger: a troubled man with a sympathetic backstory and noble intentions. Still, he is so blinded by anger that he attempts to achieve his goals in a less-than-noble way.
Probably most interesting about this film is their choice of actor to play the titular character, Dwayne Johnson, a performer with such likable charisma and adorable charm that it's almost impossible to see him playing anything even remotely villainous. The last time anyone attempted to pull this kind of performance out of him (arguably) was with the terrible DOOM movie back in 2005. While that film was terrible for many reasons, Dwayne Johnson's performance was not a contributing factor. Despite getting stuck with an awful script, Dwayne Johnson's charm still shined through. That is until he was asked to turn his character kind of evil, which didn't really work at the time. Partially due to his lack of experience back then and due to his natural good guy charisma.
Now that Dwayne Johnson has had much more experience and opportunities to hone his craft, it'll be fascinating to see how well he can play the pained villain. I, for one, can't wait to see how well he may get to stretch his range.
Moving on to something I honestly thought was a joke at first.
As portrayed by John Cena, Peacemaker became one of the many redemption points for The Suicide Squad as a cinematic franchise. Like Dwayne Johnson, Mr. Cena has natural charisma and charm, genuine comedic talent, and decent conviction as an actor. His role in The Suicide Squad was part of what made that film a joy to behold. Despite how much I came to dislike his character towards the end.
Without spoiling anything for those who haven't seen The Suicide Squad just yet, Peacemaker makes a few choices towards the end of the film that made me question his likability.
Even so, his resurgence after the movie is a delicate twist. One that will have to be incredibly clever to make me root for him once again. I am looking forward to seeing how the series asks for my forgiveness. Although, in all honesty, I am more bummed that they didn't give a spinoff to Idris Elba's character instead.
And now, we conclude with arguably the biggest highlight of this year's DC Fandome.
I have made no secret of my lack of excitement for this film. Not because I don't like Batman, but because of the ridiculous drama that preceded the movie's production along with the ever-growing & outdated fad of being "darker & grittier" than what came before. There is no denying that Batman's character and his universe do indeed lend themselves to dark stories and themes. Even so, I still yearn for a new Batman that's a little more fun, not cartoonish, just fun!
Even so, I am still at least interested in what this new iteration of Batman has to offer. Director Matt Reeves hasn't disappointed me yet; Robert Pattinson is a capable actor who seems to be giving his all to the role (along with the rest of the cast). Also, as I mentioned before, I do enjoy the film's use of color, albeit drenched in overwhelming darkness. There is a good chance that my feelings about this film will change substantially once I have seen it. We will find out next March.
Well, that's all I got for now. Here's hoping that these projects will be as exciting as they look.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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