New ‘Justice League’ Image Totally Fails to Impress

Warner Brother released this image to USA Today for its promotional package on “must-see” movies in 2017, and I must say, the gambit totally backfired: This doesn’t make me want to see Justice League. It makes me want to laugh and then feel sorry for DC Comics.

The photo depicts most of the Justice League, DC’s team of superheroes meant to compete on the silver screen with Marvel’s Avengers. Included here are Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Cyborg (Ray Fisher), the Flash (Ezra Miller) and Aquaman (Jason Momoa) — but the team’s final member, Superman (Henry Cavill), is nowhere to be seen.

That could be because Supes was killed in the abominable Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and producers are trying to keep his resurrection a scret. But I think he’s just hiding because he doesn’t want to be associated with another bloated, self-important turkey that collapses under its own weight.

“[Filming Justice League] was all about the filling-out of this massive comic-book pantheon with the biggest and coolest heroes we could,” director Zack Snyder told the newspaper.

Batman Take the Wheel — the Batmobile Through the Years, Comics to Screen

There’s been a lot of fuss about the latest armored version of the Batmobile to be seen in the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (right), but neither the idea of the car itself or constantly evolving versions of it are anything new.

Batman drove a car in his very first appearance in 1939’s Detective Comics #27, but it wasn’t christened the “Batmobile” until Detective Comics #48 in 1941. The vehicle has undergone a number of changes over the decades — and, perhaps not surprisingly, it has seen the most change during the modern “movie” era.

DC Comics’ Free Comic Book Day Title: ‘Divergence’

DC Comics will offer a sampler comic book on Free Comic Book, May 2: DC Comics: Divergence.

Available for free from participating comic stores, Divergence will boast three, eight-page previews for the company’s June releases: Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo; Justice League by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok (featuring the Darkseid War of Darkseid vs. the Anti-Monitor); and Superman by Gene Luen Yang and John Romita Jr.

Is the Joker Really Bound for GOTHAM?

I knew it. I knew the producers of Fox’s GOTHAM would not be able to resist plundering the Batman mythos for villains years before the Dark Knight himself appears in on the scene.

I was afraid something like this would happen.

The teaser for the next episode indicates Gotham City’s next villain is “no joke” — then not-so-subtly cuts to an image of a man laughing maniacally. Make. It. Stop.

The actor is Cameron Monaghan (SHAMELESS, The Giver), 21, and the character’s name is “Jerome.”

GOTHAM 1.01: “Pilot”

GOTHAM is the prequel series that promises to tell the story of Gotham City before Batman came on to the scene; we’re supposed to learn how things got so bad that only a man in a bat costume could save it. There’s fertile ground for lots of stories here to expand the Batman universe – but it could easily go off the rails. Sadly, the premiere episode set a direction of shrinking that world.

The series focuses of straight-arrow newbie Det. James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and his crooked veteran partner, Det. Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue), and we learn about the corruption-plagued town through the eyes of Gordon and the evolution of Gotham City’s more bizarre criminal elements. Seems like a solid premise.

Ben Affleck Can Handle the Batman Flak

By now everyone is well aware of both the casting — and the blowback — of Ben Affleck to play an older, battle-hardened Dark Knight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And Affleck — one of the best new-ish directors around — has weathered the criticism and uninformed assumptions like a hero.

He told Entertainment Weekly:

Before I took the role, Warner Bros. gave me a bunch of past reactions to casting and said, ‘Are you sure you want to get into this? This is part and parcel of these movies now. There’s a lot of active fans with a lot of opinions. To me, having been through a certain amount of that, it doesn’t really… Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. I wouldn’t have taken the part if I didn’t trust my instincts in terms of the filmmaking. I think Chris Terrio wrote a terrific script. Zack’s [Snyder] a great visual director. And there’s an interesting take. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think I could do it. I have the benefit of a lot of that understanding. But also, everyone is entitled to their opinion. That’s a big part of this international sport.

So go ahead and do your worst, internet trolls. Batffleck can handle it.

And, for what it’s worth, I am totally behind Affleck on this. I think he can do the role justice.

Batman Does Not Look Amused

This new of Ben Affleck in costume and in character as a grizzled, older Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, should chill the alien blood of that careless Kryptonian killer, Superman (Henry Cavill).

The image is part of a 75th anniversary montage of Batman images created for the DC Comics booth at Comic-Con International: San Diego that shows various versions of the character over the years.

A statement from DC Comics confirmed that the image is from Zack Snyder‘s film:

Yes, as fans have started pointing out, within the dozens of photos and illustrations on the wall is a brand new image of Batman from the upcoming film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The filmmakers wanted to include this new cinematic version of the Dark Knight in the anniversary mosaic so it could be discovered by fans.

First Look at Cavill’s Second Go as Superman

The first glimpse of Henry Cavill back in costume as Superman for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has come courtesy of newspaper USA Today.

There are no noticeable changes to the red-and-blue jammies, but to me Cavill’s hairline looks… odd. When I saw this, the first thought that leaped to mind was: “Don’t you think he looks tired?” (Am I right, Whovians?)

Zack Posts Batmobile Photo — and Batman!

Batman vs. Superman director Zack Snyder just posted another image on his Twitter of the new Batmobile — and Batman is standing next to it!

In his accompanying Tweet, Zack wrote:

I shot this with my @Leica_Camera M Monochrom. #Batman #Batmobile #Gotham

If that is indeed Ben Affleck (and not a lighting stand-in) he looks really great in the new Batsuit! I’ve always been a fan of the short-eared look. Bats looks gruff and solid, like an experienced hero. He is going to kick Superman’s ass!

The new Batmobile appears to be a fusion of the brilliant Tim Burton version from 1989’s Batman and the more utilitarian Tumbler from Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight films.

Did Disney Exec Just Sabotage ‘Captain America 3’?

With Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier mowing down the competition at the box office, the already-greenlit Captain America 3 looks like a total no-brainer — however, Disney studio execs cannot resist overthinking things, and talking about it may just undercut the 2016 event film before it even starts shooting.

Disney may have done what no supervillain has been able to accomplish onscreen: hit Cap where it really hurts. It’s never a good sign when the boss expresses doubt about sending his champion into battle against a new untested foe; it makes the big guy look like a paper tiger and conveys instant credibility on the rookie.

As fans are no doubt aware, Marvel/Disney’s next Captain America sequel is scheduled to be released on May 6, 2016 — and Warner Bros. has slotted its Man of Steel sequel, tentatively dubbed Batman vs. Superman, on the very same Friday, setting up a clash of titans between the comic book rivals and moving it from the page to the screen.